Ezekiel 40

1 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was smitten, in that same day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me there.

2 In the visions of God he brought me into the land of Israel and set me upon a very high mountain, upon which was as the frame of a city to the south.

3 And he brought me there, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

4 And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears and set thine heart upon all that I show thee for to the intent that I might show them unto thee art thou brought here: declare all that thou dost see to the house of Israel.

5 And behold a wall on the outside of the house, and the measuring reed which that man had in his hand, was six cubits long, of a cubit and a hand breadth; so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

6 Then he came unto the gate which looks toward the east and went up the stairs thereof and measured the post of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other post of the gate, which was one reed broad.

7 And each chamber was one reed long and one reed broad; and between the chambers were five cubits; and each post of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.

8 He also measured the porch of the gate within, one reed.

9 Then he measured the entrance of the portal, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the entrance of the portal within.

10 And the gate eastward had three chambers on each side, they three were of one measure; and the portals were also of one measure on each side.

11 And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the portal, thirteen cubits.

12 The space also before the chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side; and the chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

13 He measured then the gate from the roof of one chamber to the roof of another; the breadth was twenty-five cubits, door against door.

14 He also made the portals of sixty cubits, each portal of the court and of the portal all around.

15 And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.

16 And there were narrow windows in the chambers, and in their portals within the gate round about, and likewise in the arches; and the windows were round about inward; and upon each post were palm trees.

17 Then he brought me into the outer court, and, behold, there were chambers and a pavement made for the court round about; thirty chambers were in that court.

18 And the lower pavement was paved to the side of the gates, in proportion to the length of the portals.

19 Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, one hundred cubits eastward and north ward.

20 And the gate of the outer court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof and the breadth thereof.

21 And its chambers were three on this side and three on that side; and its posts and its arches were after the measure of the first gate; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.

22 And their windows and their arches and their palm trees were after the measure of the gate that looks toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and its arches were before them.

23 And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate one hundred cubits.

24 After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south; and he measured its portals and its arches according to these measures.

25 And there were windows in it and in its arches round about, like those windows; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

26 And there were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them; and it had palm trees, one on this side and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.

27 And thus was the gate in the inner court toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south one hundred cubits.

28 And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

29 and its chambers, and its posts and its arches according to these measures; and there were windows in it and in its arches round about; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits broad.

30 And the arches round about were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad.

31 And its arches went into the court outside, with palm trees upon each of its posts; and the going up to it had eight steps.

32 And he brought me into the inner court toward the east; and he measured the gate according to these measures.

33 And its chambers and its posts and its arches were according to these measures; and there were windows therein and in its arches round about; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits broad.

34 And its arches went into the court outside, with palm trees upon each of its posts, on this side and on that side; and the going up to it had eight steps.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it according to these measures;

36 its chambers, its posts and its arches and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

37 And its posts were toward the outer court; with palm trees upon each of its posts, on this side and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

38 And there was a chamber and its gate with posts of portals, there they shall wash the burnt offering.

39 And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, to slay the burnt offering upon and the sin and the guilt.

40 And to the outside of the steps at the entry of the north gate were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables.

41 Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of this gate; eight tables, upon which they slew their sacrifices.

42 And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high; upon which they also laid the instruments with which they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43 And within were hooks, a hand broad, fastened round about; and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44 And outside the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and they faced toward the south, one at the side of the east gate facing toward the north.

45 And he said unto me, This chamber facing toward the south shall be for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

46 And the chamber facing toward the north shall be for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok who are called from the sons of Levi to minister to the LORD.

47 So he measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.

48 And he brought me to the porch of the house and measured each post of the porch five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.

49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits, into which they went in by steps; and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side and another on that side.

Ezekiel 40 Commentary

Chapter 40

The Vision of the Temple.

- Here is a vision, beginning at ch. 40, and continued to the end of the book, ch. 48, which is justly looked upon to be one of the most difficult portions in all the book of God. When we despair to be satisfied as to any difficulty we meet with, let us bless God that our salvation does not depend upon it, but that things necessary are plain enough; and let us wait till God shall reveal even this unto us. This chapter describes two outward courts of the temple. Whether the personage here mentioned was the Son of God, or a created angel, is not clear. But Christ is both our Altar and our Sacrifice, to whom we must look with faith in all approaches to God; and he is Salvation in the midst of the earth, ( Psalms 74:12 ) , to be looked unto from all quarters.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 40

This and the eight following chapters contain a vision of a city and temple herein described, and are thought to be the most difficult part of the whole Bible. The Jews forbid the reading of it till a man is arrived to thirty years of age; and then he must expect to meet with things in it he does not understand, and which must be left until Elijah comes to explain them. Many Christian commentators have omitted the exposition of these chapters; and all acknowledge the difficulties in them. Something however may be got out of them, relating to the Gospel, and Gospel church state, which I am fully persuaded is intended by the city and temple; for that no material building can be designed is clear from this one observation; that not only the whole land of Israel would not be capable of having such a city as is here described built upon it, but even all Europe would not be sufficient; nor the whole world, according to the account of the dimensions which some give of it. The circumference of the city is said to be about eighteen thousand measures, Eze 48:35; but what they are is not certain. Luther makes them to be thirty six thousand German miles; and a German mile being three of ours, the circuit of this city must be above a hundred thousand English miles; and this is sufficient to set aside all hypotheses of a material building, either of city or temple, the one being in proportion to the other. The Jews dream of a third temple to be built, by their vainly expected Messiah; but nothing is more clear than that the true Messiah was to come into the second temple, and by that give it a greater glory than the former ever had; as is evident from Hag 2:6-9 and, according to Malachi, he was to come suddenly into his temple, which could be no other than the then present one, Mal 3:1, and into which Jesus came, and where he often appeared and taught, as well as entered into it with power and authority, as the Lord and proprietor of it; by which he appeared to be the true Messiah, as by many other characters; see \Lu 2:22,46 21:37 Mt 21:12,13\. There are some who think that Solomon's temple, as it was before it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and as it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, is here described; and that partly to let the Jews know what a glory to their nation they lost by their sins; and partly that they might have a complete pattern for the rebuilding of it, as well as to comfort them under its present ruins; but there is no agreement between them. This temple was to be built at a distance from the city, several miles; according to some ten, others twenty, and by the best account twenty seven miles; see Eze 45:1-5, whereas Solomon's temple, and that built by Zerubbabel, were in the city of Jerusalem: nor from either of these flowed waters, which rose up to a river, on the bank of which were many trees for food and medicine, and whose waters were healing, and quickened wherever they came, as from this, Eze 47:1-12, nor do we ever read of the east gate of these temples always shut, as this, Eze 44:2, and besides, both these temples were profaned and destroyed; whereas this shall never be, but God will dwell in it forever, Eze 43:7, neither place, structure, nor worship, agree. Nor is this city here the same with the New Jerusalem John had a vision of; for though he borrows some of his expressions to describe it from hence; and in some things there is an appearance of agreement, as of the river of water of life, and the tree of life on both sides of the river, Re 22:1,2, yet the description agrees not, either with respect to its gates, or its compass; and though there was no temple in that John saw, as there was none in this, it being without the city; yet here is a temple in this vision, and the greatest part of it is taken up in the description of it. It remains that this must be understood mystically and figuratively of the Gospel church, which is often spoken of as a city and temple, Heb 12:22, Re 3:12 and which began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, immediately after the death and resurrection of Christ; when his disciples had a commission to preach the Gospel to all nations; and who accordingly did, even before the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the material temple, so that Gospel churches were planted in all parts of the world; and especially this was the case, when the Roman empire, called the whole world, became Christian: though the further and greater accomplishment of this vision will be in the latter day; when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea; when Jews and Gentiles will be converted, and Gospel churches be set up everywhere; so that the Gospel church state, or kingdom of Christ, signified by the great mountain in Da 2:35, and by this large city here, will fill the whole earth: and the rather this may be thought to be the design of this vision to represent it, as it follows the prophecies of the Jews' settlement in their own land; and of the destruction of Gog, or the Turk, attempting to dispossess them; of which in chapters 37-39. In this chapter are first an account of the vision in general, the time, manner, and place of it, Eze 40:1,2, a description of the person, the builder and owner of the house; and by whom the prophet is shown each of the parts and dimensions of it, whom he calls to him for that purpose, Eze 40:3,4, and then a particular account is given, which begins with the outward wall around the house, Eze 40:5, then the east gate, with its posts, porch, and chambers, and the outward court with its chambers, Eze 40:6-19, then the gate of the outward court to the north, with its chambers, and the gate of the inner court over against that, Eze 40:20-23, then the gate to the south, with its posts, arches, and chambers, Eze 40:24-31, then the inner court to the east, its gate, chambers, and arches, Eze 40:32-34, then the north gate, with its posts, chambers, and arches, Eze 40:35-38, in the porch of which are the tables, on which the sacrifices are slain, Eze 40:39-43, after which are described the chambers for the singers and the priests, Eze 40:44-46, then the inner court and altar in it; and the chapter is concluded with the dimensions of the porch of the house, Eze 40:48,49.