Ezekiel 42

Ezekiel 42 THE PRIESTS’ OF THE Ezekiel 42:1-14 Northern Chambers (Ezekiel 42:1-9): Then be brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north. (Ezekiel 42:2) Along the length, which was a hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits. (Ezekiel 42:3) Over against the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third story. (Ezekiel 42:4) Before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits’ breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north. (Ezekiel 42:5) Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. (Ezekiel 42:6) For they were in three stories, and they had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost was straitened more than the lowest and the middle­most from the ground. (Ezekiel 42:7) The wall that was without by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits. (Ezekiel 42:8) For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and, behold, before the temple were a hundred cubits. (Ezekiel 42:9) And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court. Across the temple yard, directly opposite the side-chambers, were the priests’ chambers. These chambers were briefly mentioned in Ezekiel 41:10. The priests’ chambers consisted of two blocks or complexes of chambers separated from one another by a passageway ten cubits wide. Closest to the temple was a rather large one-story building (a hundred by fifty cubits) that was divided into smaller chambers. Across the passageway was a three-storied complex of chambers fifty cubits long. For aesthetic reasons a dividing wall extended another fifty cubits so that this second complex of chambers would balance in appearance the first block of priestly chambers. Apparently these priestly chambers could be entered from the outer court and from the passage between the two complexes of chambers. Southern Chambers (Ezekiel 42:10-14): In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were chambers. (Ezekiel 42:11) The way before them was like the appearance of the way of the chambers which were toward the north; according to their length so was their breadth: and all their egresses were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. (Ezekiel 42:12) According to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one enters into them. The chambers on the south side of the temple are the exact replica of those on the north. Purpose of the Chambers (Ezekiel 42:13-14): Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they are the holy chambers, where the priests that are near unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things, and the meal-offering, and the sin- offering, and the trespass-offering; for the place is holy. (Ezekiel 42:14) When the priests enter in, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertains to the people. The tour guide breaks the silence for the fourth time to describe the function of the buildings he has just measured. First, they were used for dining rooms. Here the priests partook of their portion of the sin-offering, the trespass-offering (cf. Ezekiel 40:39) and meal offering (minha), an offering of grain prepared in various ways that accompanied one of the blood offerings (cf. Leviticus 2:1-3).

Twice the text emphasizes that these chambers are holy (Ezekiel 42:13). Second, the chambers served as a kind of transit zone between the inner and outer courts. The priests paused there to change from their holy garments worn in ministry, to ordinary clothing (Ezekiel 42:14).Total Dimensions of the Temple AreaEze_42:15-20 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth by the way of the gate that faced east, and measured it round about. (Ezekiel 42:16) He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. (Ezekiel 42:17) He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. (Ezekiel 42:18) He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. (19) He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. (20) He measured it on the four sides: it had a wall round about, the length five hundred, and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between what was holy and what was common. The measurements of the inner house, including its courts and associated buildings, are now complete. The angel returned to the eastern gate, the point at which the measuring had begun. He now measures the entire area surrounding the wall (Ezekiel 42:15). Apparently another wall surrounded the entire temple complex as it previously has been described. This third wall formed a square of five hundred reeds. Since a reed is thought to have been about six cubits, this outer area would have been a three thousand cubit square. The symmetry is perfect.

The temple tour ends as it had begun, with the measurement of a wall. The purpose of the wall is the purpose of this unit, viz., to make a separation between what was holy and what was common. Ezekiel’s vision reinforces the teaching that there are degrees of holiness. The entire land is holy, the temple precincts yet more holy. The inner chamber of the temple depicts the unapproachable holiness of God himself.

The painfully detailed description of the ideal temple underscores the importance of this sacred structure to the exiles. By means of the temple, God’s presence in the world became tangible. Everything about that temple— its symmetry, decorations, elaborate architecture— inspired awe. Yet these buildings, like the bones in the valley, have no life in them without the presence of God. The palace awaits its King. Ezekiel Chapter Forty-Two Verse 1 Here is contained a special description of the chambers for housing the priests, and also special information regarding the outer court.The Many Mansions Of The Father’ s House This chapter takes up, more particularly, the arrangements for the comfort of the priests of the Lord, the chambers or abodes where those who served might find accommodations during their stay at the temple. These, as we have seen, are the many mansions in the Father’ s house, depicting the places of rest in heaven, of which Jesus spoke in His last discourse to His disciples (John 14 :l-3). “ Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north. Before the length of a hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. Over against the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third story. And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits’ breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north. Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. For they were in three stories, and they had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.

And the wall that was without by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits. For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were a hundred cubits. And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the outer court. In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were chambers. And the way before them was like the appearance of the way of the chambers which were toward the north; according to their length so was their breadth: and all their egresses were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them” -Ezekiel 42:1-12. On three sides of the temple proper and facing on the court itself there were three-story apartments, suitable as dwelling-places for the priests. It was as though God would have His worshippers close to Himself, according to the word, “ Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee” (Psalms 84:4 <>). He delights to abide amid the praises of His people. “ Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they are the holy chambers, where the priests that are near unto Jehovah shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; for the place is holy. When the priests enter in, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertaineth to the people” -Ezekiel 42:13-14. The priests were to eat of the holy things within the temple enclosure in the chambers, or rooms prepared for them. In this they picture God’ s priestly house today feeding by meditation upon Christ who is the satisfying portion of His people’ s hearts. He has said, “ He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (John 6:57 <>). All the offerings spoke of Him, and the priests fed upon these. “ Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He measured it on the four sides: it had a wall round about, the length five hundred, and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common” -Ezekiel 42:15-20. In this section we have the final measurements completing Ezekiel’ s tour of the temple area, as seen in the vision. There are certain difficulties and perplexities as to these measures which are not easily explained, but we may be sure the original text was without fault, and if in later manuscripts discrepancies appeared they were the result of copyists’ mistakes. The entire temple area is what is here before us-a spacious courtyard surrounded by a great wall with gates on the four sides. The entire space, according to the specifications given here, is far too large for the top of Mount Moriah on which the temple of Solomon, and the temple of Zerubbabel, and that of Herod, stood. So if all is to be taken literally we must understand some great convulsions of nature in the Jerusalem area that will alter considerably the topography of the land. If all is symbolic there need be no difficulty. In God’ s due time He will make everything plain. Even the seeming vagueness of some of the details regarding the court, the sanctuary and the priests’ apartments, might well remind us that God’ s ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts. Much that He has in store for both His earthly and His heavenly people is far beyond our present understanding, but in due time all will be made clear. Till then it is ours to trust and wait patiently for the glory yet to be revealed. As the wise-hearted in Israel meditated on the description and dimensions of this vast temple and its environs they must have been impressed with the greatness of God’ s plan for their future blessing and the meticulous care which He will take in the working out of all His counsels.

Ezekiel 42:1

Ezekiel 42:1. The utter court means the outer one that was on the north side. The separate place was the one commented upon in chapter 41: 12, There was one of the chambers at this place and Ezekiel was taken into it.

Ezekiel 42:2

Ezekiel 42:2. The dimensions stated here identify the place as the one described In chapter 41: 13 and the reader may see the comments at that place.

Ezekiel 42:3

Ezekiel 42:3, The separate place referred to was over against or near the point of the 20 cubits connected with the inner court, also near the pavement provided for the outer court. At this location was a three-storied unit of galleries or projecting ledges.

Ezekiel 42:4

Ezekiel 42:4. Running along the rows of chambers there was a passage that was 10 cubits wide, and the doors of the chambers opened out upon this walk.

Ezekiel 42:5

Ezekiel 42:5. These upper chambers were shorter to harmonize with the decreasing width of the building near it.

Ezekiel 42:6

Ezekiel 42:6. Many of the units of the structure were in threes but the reason for it is not stated. This place had not pillars as other parts had. For this reason the writer states it was straitened or contracted more than either lower or middle story.

Ezekiel 42:7

Ezekiel 42:7. The outside of this unit of chambers was a wall 50 cubits long, corresponding with the extent of the chambers.

Ezekiel 42:8

Ezekiel 42:8. The two fifties of cubits agreed with the 100 cubits that were before the temple so that there would be no unevenness in the combination.

Ezekiel 42:9

Ezekiel 42:9. It should be remembered that we are now reading about the chambers assigned especially for the priests, hence there was an entry into them provided that went under the chambers from the outer court.

Ezekiel 42:10

Ezekiel 42:10. In the thickness denotes the width of the chambers, and they were over against which means they were near the separate place, a description of which has been given elsewhere.

Ezekiel 42:11

Ezekiel 42:11. The main thought in this verse is one of uniformity of design and appearance. The dimensions and fashions of the parts are said to have a like appearance.

Ezekiel 42:12

Ezekiel 42:12. The fact of observing things of different sides did not reveal any great difference in general design- Instead, the statement is made that the one was according to the other in most cases.

Ezekiel 42:13

Ezekiel 42:13. Holy chambers furnishes the key to the particular purpose of these parts of the great structure. They are regarded as holy because of what was to take place in them namely, the ritualistic services of the Mosaic religion.

Ezekiel 42:14

Ezekiel 42:14. When the priests enter these chambers to perform their holy work, they are required to lay aside their personal garments and put on the ones prescribed for the sacred service, and that service was for the people as stated here.

Ezekiel 42:15

Ezekiel 42:15. Prospect means the direction in which the gate faced, and the man measured the area around this gate.

Ezekiel 42:16

Ezekiel 42:16. Reed is used in a general sense and means that the place was measured with a rod, and according to Moffatt’s version it was about 500 cubits.

Ezekiel 42:17

Ezekiel 42:17. The north side was evidently measured with the same length rod as the east and it revealed it to be the same dimension as the other.

Ezekiel 42:18

Ezekiel 42:18. The south side was the same as the preceding ones already measured.

Ezekiel 42:19

Ezekiel 42:19. This completed the four sides and the symmetry of the spot was maintained by keeping the four sides equal in extent.

Ezekiel 42:20

Ezekiel 42:20. The four sides that have been measured were supplied with a wall extending throughout tlieir entire boundary. Sanctuary means the holy part and profane refers to the part that was not sacred because it was not specifically used by priests,