UNROLL
Morning light on a long three-story building of pale stone, open galleries facing another building across a walkway, each story set back, flat roofs; calm pale sky above.

The LORD is there

Ezekiel 42

What do you need to leave behind before you meet with God?

20 verses≈ 4 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 42

Chambers for the Priests

Ezekiel

Then the man led me out northward into the outer court, and he brought me to the group of chambers opposite the temple courtyard and the outer wall on the north side. The building with the door facing north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide. Gallery faced gallery in three levels opposite the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court.

In front of the chambers was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long. Their doors were on the north.

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Ezekiel

What he saw

Three stories, north and south

  1. Upper chambers set back

    Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. For they were arranged in three stories, and unlike the courts, they had no pillars. So the upper chambers were set back further than the lower and middle floors.

  2. The outer wall and entrance

    An outer wall in front of the chambers was fifty cubits long and ran parallel to the chambers and the outer court. For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those facing the temple were a hundred cubits long. And below these chambers was the entrance on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

  3. Like the north

    The south chambers

    On the south side along the length of the wall of the outer court were chambers adjoining the courtyard and opposite the building, with a passageway in front of them, just like the chambers that were on the north. They had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions.

  4. The south door

    And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, there was a door in front of the walkway that was parallel to the wall extending eastward.

Ezekiel
In a plain stone chamber lit by a doorway, a low stone table set with round flat loaves, a clay bowl of flour mixed with oil and a clay platter with a roasted portion, a cloth folded back.

Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.

Ezekiel
In a plain stone chamber, white linen priestly garments folded neatly on a stone shelf, a doorway beyond opening onto a bright court.

Once the priests have entered the holy area, they must not go out into the outer court until they have left behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they approach the places that are for the people.”

Question

Quick question

Look again at what the man said about the priests.

What did the priests leave in the holy chambers before going out to the people?

The Outer Measurements

Ezekiel

Now when the man had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by the gate that faced east, and he measured the area all around:

Ezekiel

With a measuring rod he measured the east side to be five hundred cubits long. He measured the north side to be five hundred cubits long. He measured the south side to be five hundred cubits long. And he came around and measured the west side to be five hundred cubits long.

Ezekiel
From a hillside far off at evening, a long plain wall running straight around a vast square compound, flat-roofed gatehouses set in it, the temple house rising within; open country outside.

So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

Pray

Pray

Holy God, You set apart what is Yours. Teach me what to leave behind when I come to You, and what to carry out to the people around me. Amen.

You’ve experienced

Ezekiel 42

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A verse to carry with you

So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

Ezekiel 42:20

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