In The Word
Ezekiel 42:1-43:12
Chambers of the Temple
Then he brought me out into the outer court, the way toward the north; and he brought me to the chamber which was opposite the separate area and opposite the building toward the north. Along the length, which was a hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits. Opposite the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery corresponding to gallery in three stories. Before the chambers was an inner walk ten cubits wide, a way of one hundred cubits; and their openings were on the north. Now the upper chambers weresmaller because the galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones. As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length was fifty cubits. For the length of the chambers which were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and behold, the length of thosefacing the temple was a hundred cubits. Below these chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.
In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, facing the separate area and facing the building, there were chambers. The way in front of them was like the appearance of the chambers which were on the north, according to their length so was their width, and all their exits were both according to their arrangements and openings.Corresponding to the openings of the chambers which were toward the south was an opening at the head of the way, the way in front of the wall toward the east, as one enters them.
Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separate area, they are the holy chambers where the priests who are near to the Lordshall eat the most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; for the place is holy. When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people.”
Now when he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the gate which faced toward the east and measured it all around. He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds by the measuring reed. He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed. On the south side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He turned to the west side andmeasured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, the length five hundred and the width five hundred, to divide between the holy and the profane.
Vision of the Glory of God Filling the Temple
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.
Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me.He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die, by setting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger. Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever.
“As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and do them. This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
When reading about the physical temple in Jerusalem, we must remember that it is a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each of the four sides of the temple is identical in measurement. No matter who approaches God in faith and worship, they must approach Him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No matter what direction we come from, He is the only way. Each one of us has come to the Lord from a different direction in life. We are unique in our experiences and testimonies. When we became Christians, the Lord ordained us to have different gifts to contribute in service to the body of believers. We are a part of this body; we are a part of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:12-28). We are living stones making up the spiritual temple of Christ here on this earth (1 Peter 2:5). It is an important truth that we Christians must understand. This living temple of Christ is so unique that the angels desire to understand what it is all about (1 Peter 1:12). This Gospel of Grace that we received is a complete pardon issued to us by God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Under the old covenant, angels witnessed for thousands of years the judgments of God upon the rebellious, sinful mankind. But now, grace rules! Unearned, unmerited, undeserved! It is no wonder that the angels want to know more about this grace (Romans 8:18).
If we, as Christians, will think about this great gift of grace that we have received, we will never have to be depressed another day of our lives. Like the song says, “Praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the noon time, praise Him when the sun goes down” (Psalm 113:3). Amen!