Measuring the Inner Temple today. The Most Holy Place. Thus another chance to go glassy eyed. Don’t, there are things to see and you must focus to see them. Let’s begin with prayer:Thank You, Lord Jesus, for these words even if they are so unfamiliar with anything we know and don’t really exist anywhere at the moment here on earth anyway. So we ask, Lord, help us see the meaning behind these words and help us understand what You are trying to convey through this vision. For Your glory forever, Lord. Amen.
Please read Ezekiel 41:1-4
The Inner Temple
1 Then he (the angel) brought me to the nave (outer sanctuary) and measured the side pillars; six cubits wide on each side was the width of the [a]side pillar. 2 The width of the entrance was ten cubits and the [b]sides of the entrance were five cubits on each side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits. 3 Then he went inside [the inner sanctuary] and measured each side pillar of the doorway, two cubits, and the doorway, six cubits [high], and the width of the doorway, seven cubits. 4 He measured the length [of the interior of the inner sanctuary], twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, [c]opposite the nave (outer sanctuary); and he said to me, “This is the [d]Most Holy Place.”
The Most Holy Place, how does that make you feel? I know it’s just a name for a part of the temple between the area everyone can be and the Holy of Holies. But there’s something amazing and so peaceful about the Most Holy Place.
Side Chambers
Please read Ezekiel 41:5-10
5 Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits [thick, to accommodate side chambers]; and the width of every side chamber, four cubits, all around the temple on every side. 6 The side chambers were three stories [high], one above another, and thirty chambers in each story; and the side chambers extended to the wall which stood on their inward side all around, so that they would be attached, but not attached to the wall of the temple itself. 7 The side chambers became wider at each successive level as they encompassed the temple. Because the structure surrounding the temple went higher by stages on all sides of the temple, for that reason the width of the temple increased as it went higher; and thus one went up from the lowest story to the highest one by way of the [e]second story. 8 I also saw that the temple (house) had a raised platform all around it; the foundations of the side chambers measured a full rod of six long cubits in height. 9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. But the free space between the side chambers belonging to the temple 10 and the outer chambers was a width of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side. 11 The doorways of the side chambers toward the free space were one doorway toward the north and another doorway toward the south; and the width of the free space was five cubits all around.
The Building
Please read Ezekiel 41:5-10
12 The building that was in front of the separate area on the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.
13 Then he measured the temple, a hundred cubits long; the separate area and the building with its walls were also a hundred cubits long. 14 Also the width of the front of the temple and the separate areas along the east side totaled a hundred cubits.
God is orderly, no chaotic. You can see it in life. You can see it in Scripture. God is always orderly.
Please read Ezekiel 41:15-20
15 He (the angel) measured the length of the building along the front of the separate area behind it, with a gallery on each side, a hundred cubits; he also measured the inner sanctuary and the porches (porticoes) of the courtyard. 16 The thresholds, the latticed windows, and the galleries all around their three stories, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, and from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), 17 over the entrance, and to the inner [f]room, and on the outside, and on all the wall all around inside and outside, by measurement. 18 It was [g]carved with [figures of] cherubim and palm trees; so that a palm decoration was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, 19 so that the face of a man was toward the palm decoration on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm decoration on the other side. It was carved [this way] on the entire house (temple) all around. 20 From the [h]floor to [the space] above the entrance cherubim and palm decorations were carved, and also on the wall of the nave [the Holy Place].
Did you see that? Man and Lion facing each other. He is the Lion of Judah and oh so many more names. And we should always be oriented to Him.
Please read Ezekiel 41:21-26
21 The doorposts of the nave were square; as for the front of the sanctuary, the appearance of one doorpost was like that of the other. 22 The [i]altar was of wood, three cubits high and two cubits long; and its corners, its [j]base, and its [k]sides were wood. And he said to me, “This is the table that is before the Lord.” 23 The nave (Holy Place) and the sanctuary (Holy of Holies) each had a double door. 24 Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging (folding) leaves; two leaves for the one door and two leaves for the other. 25 And there were carved on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm decorations like those carved on the walls; and there was a [l]threshold of wood on the front of the porch outside. 26 There were latticed windows and palm decorations on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch. Thus were the side chambers and the [m]thresholds of the house.
Cool doors. Four folding leaves. Must be so pretty. So peaceful. What a vision to see. Keep going, you’re doing well reading all this with me. Let’s grow our faith a little more each day.
Footnotes
[a] Ezekiel 41:1 -the [a]side pillar- MT reads tent.
[b] Ezekiel 41:2 –[b]sides of the entrance- Lit shoulders.
[c] Ezekiel 41:4 –[c]opposite the nave (outer sanctuary)- Or before; lit to the front of.
[d] Ezekiel 41:4 -the [d]Most Holy Place- Lit Holy of Holies.
[e] Ezekiel 41:7 -by way of the [e]second story- Lit middle.
[f] Ezekiel 41:17 -to the inner [f]room,- Lit house.
[g] Ezekiel 41:18 -It was [g]carved with cherubim and palm trees- Lit made, and so throughout.
[h] Ezekiel 41:20 -From the [h]floor to above the entrance cherubim and palm decorations were carved,- Lit ground.
[i] Ezekiel 41:22 -The [i]altar – Not the altar of sacrifice (43:13-17); apparently the only piece of furniture in the sanctuary.
[j] Ezekiel 41:22 -its [j]base- Lit length.
[k] Ezekiel 41:22 -its [k]sides – Lit walls.
[l] Ezekiel 41:25 -threshold of wood on the front of the porch outside- Or canopy…over.
[m] Ezekiel 41:26 -thresholds of the house- Or canopies.
Take me back to the menu for more of this!
I would like to see the quick study on Matthew now.