UNROLL
First light on a very high mountain: far off on its southern slope, a vast square walled compound of pale stone like a city, its gatehouses and the temple house small within it.

The LORD is there

Ezekiel 40

What would you see if you looked carefully at what God is building?

49 verses≈ 10 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1–3Visions of gloryBy the Kebar, about 593 BC: the throne, the scroll, the watchman
  2. 4–7Signs of the siegeA brick, a ration, a razor: the end has come
  3. 8–11The glory departsAbout 592 BC: the temple’s abominations, the mark, the glory goes east
  4. 12–15False hopesExile acted out, false prophets, a useless vine
  5. 16–19Parables and lamentsAn unfaithful bride, two eagles, the one who sins
  6. 20–24The sword drawnRebellion retold; the siege begins, about 588 BC
  7. 25–32The nations judgedAmmon to Egypt: the LORD is Judge of all the earth
  8. 33–36A new heartThe city falls; the Good Shepherd; cleansed and made new
  9. 37–39Dry bones liveOne people raised up, and Gog of Magog defeated
  10. 40–48The LORD is thereAbout 573 BC: the new temple, the river, the landChapter 40

The Man with a Measuring Rod

Ezekiel

In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month—in the fourteenth year after Jerusalem had been struck down—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He took me there. In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.

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Ezekiel
Inside a plain stone gateway in early morning: a long, straight measuring reed leaning against the stone jamb, and a coil of linen cord hanging from a peg beside it.

So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.

Ezekiel

“Son of man,” he said to me, “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Report to the house of Israel everything you see.”

Ezekiel 40:4

The East Gate

Ezekiel

And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured the wall to be one rod thick and one rod high.

Ezekiel
The east gate of the vision’s temple in morning light: a broad flight of plain steps up to a long, flat-roofed gatehouse of pale dressed stone, its passage open.

What he measured

The east gate

  1. Steps and threshold

    Then he came to the gate facing east and climbed its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate to be one rod deep.

  2. The gate chambers

    Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide, and there were five cubits between the gate chambers. The inner threshold of the gate by the portico facing inward was one rod deep.

  3. The inner portico

    Then he measured the portico of the gateway inside; it was eight cubits deep, and its jambs were two cubits thick. And the portico of the gateway faced the temple.

  4. Three chambers each side

    There were three gate chambers on each side of the east gate, each with the same measurements, and the gateposts on either side also had the same measurements. And he measured the width of the gateway entrance to be ten cubits, and its length was thirteen cubits.

  5. Across the gateway

    In front of each gate chamber was a wall one cubit high, and the gate chambers were six cubits square. Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits from doorway to doorway.

  6. Gateposts and length

    Next he measured the gateposts to be sixty cubits high. The gateway extended around to the gatepost of the courtyard. And the distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its inner portico was fifty cubits.

Ezekiel
Inside a stone gate passage: a flat side pillar carved in low relief with a tall date palm, and a narrow beveled window high above letting a shaft of light onto the paving.

The gate chambers and their side pillars had beveled windows all around the inside of the gateway. The porticos also had windows all around on the inside. Each side pillar was decorated with palm trees.

The Outer Court

Ezekiel
A broad outer court in morning light: a band of pale stone pavement along the wall, a long row of plain flat-roofed chambers facing it, a gatehouse at the far end.

Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement, which flanked the gateways and corresponded to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement.

Ezekiel

Then he measured the distance from the front of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits on the east side as well as on the north.

Question

Quick question

Look again at the man standing in the gateway.

What did the man carry to measure the temple?

The North Gate

Ezekiel

He also measured the length and width of the gateway of the outer court facing north. Its three gate chambers on each side, its side pillars, and its portico all had the same measurements as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its windows, portico, and palm trees had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them.

There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured the distance from gateway to gateway to be a hundred cubits.

The South Gate

Ezekiel

Then he led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway facing south. He measured its side pillars and portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around, like the other windows. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Seven steps led up to it, and its portico was opposite them; it had palm trees on its side pillars, one on each side.

The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured the distance from gateway to gateway toward the south to be a hundred cubits.

The Gates of the Inner Court

Ezekiel

What he measured

The gates of the inner court

  1. Eight steps

    The south gate

    Next he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. (The porticoes around the inner court were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep.) Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees. Eight steps led up to it.

  2. The east gate

    And he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it.

  3. The north gate

    Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, as did its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico. It also had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it.

Eight Tables for Sacrifices

Ezekiel
A plain stone room off a gate passage: four low square tables of dressed limestone in a row, plain bronze knives and bowls at rest on them, double-pronged hooks fixed along the wall.

What he saw

Tables for the offerings

  1. Where the offering was washed

    There was a chamber with a doorway by the portico in each of the inner gateways. There the burnt offering was to be washed.

  2. Tables in the portico

    Inside the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings were to be slaughtered.

  3. Eight tables in all

    Outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gateway, there were two tables on one side and two more tables on the other side of the gate’s portico. So there were four tables inside the gateway and four outside—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered.

  4. Four tables of dressed stone

    There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offering, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit high. On these were placed the utensils used to slaughter the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.

  5. The hooks

    The double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth long, were fastened all around the inside of the room, and the flesh of the offering was to be placed on the tables.

Chambers for Ministry

Ezekiel

Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two chambers, one beside the north gate and facing south, and another beside the south gate and facing north.

Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple, and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”

The Inner Court

Ezekiel

Next he measured the court. It was square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.

Ezekiel
The temple house at dawn: a plain flat-roofed stone house with a wide porch at the top of ten broad steps, a plain pillar on each side, and a square stepped altar in the court before it.

Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the side pillars of the portico to be five cubits on each side. The width of the gateway was fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were three cubits on either side. The portico was twenty cubits wide and twelve cubits deep, and ten steps led up to it. There were columns by the side pillars, one on each side.

The temple area, from above

East gate40:6–16: facesthe houseOuter court40:17–19: thirtychambersInner courtand altar40:28–47: eightstepsThe temple40:48–49: ten stepsWestbuilding41:12North gate40:20–23South gate40:24–27

Whiteboard

North at the top, east on the right: a wall all around, gates on three sides, and steps rising at every gate until the house itself.

Pray

Pray

LORD, You showed Ezekiel Your house when it lay in ruins. Open my eyes and ears to everything You show me, and make me careful to tell others what I have seen. Amen.

You’ve experienced

Ezekiel 40

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A verse to carry with you

“Son of man,” he said to me, “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Report to the house of Israel everything you see.”

Ezekiel 40:4

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