For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4
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EZEKIEL 40

A Bible Study - Commentary by Jim Melough

Copyright 2003 James Melough

40:1.  “In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither.”

 

Since The Bible Knowledge Commentary explanation of this verse is as good as any I’ve seen, it is quoted verbatim:

 

The date was sometime in 573 B.C.  The phrase “the beginning of the year” poses some problems.  The Israelite religious new year began in Nisan (April-May) and was established at the time of the Exodus (Ex 12:1-2).  However, in Israel’s later history the seventh month, Tishri (October-November), became established as the first month of Israel’s civil or regnal year, So the date would be either April 28, 573 B.C. or October 22, 573 B.C.  The October date was also the Day of Atonement (cf. Lev. 23:27).

 

40:2.  “In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.”

 

In a vision the prophet saw himself carried back into the land of Israel and set upon a very high mountain, on the south of which he saw “the frame of a city,” i.e., the semblance of a city.

 

40:3.  “And he brought me thither, 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.”

 

The Spirit carried him to that analogical city where he saw either a literal man whose skin was the color of brass, or a bronze figure of a man, who had in his hand a long cord woven of linen threads, and also a measuring rod, both to be used to measure the city, the long cord being for long distances, and the rod for the measurement of short ones.

 

The “man” described here is generally believed to have been a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

 

40:4.  “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 shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.”

 

Ezekiel was commanded to pay the closest attention to every detail of what he saw and heard, and to permit nothing to distract him, because he was being commissioned to transmit every iota to the men of Israel.

 

40:5.  “And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an and hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building (wall), one reed; and the height, one reed.”

 

There was a wall of equal height and width (each being about 10½ feet) around the Temple building.

 

The measuring reed or rod in the man’s hand was six cubits long as measured by the long cubit, i.e., a cubit plus an handbreadth (about 21 inches), as distinct from the short cubit (18 inches), so the rod was about 10½ feet long.

 

40:6.  “Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate which was one reed broad.”

 

40:7.  “And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.”

 

The “little chambers” were small rooms for the use of the Levites who guarded the Temple against the entry of anyone or anything that would defile it.  The length and breadth of each chamber or room was 10½ feet, there being a distance of about 7½ feet between each one.

 

40:8.  “He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.”

 

40:9.  “Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.”

 

The posts were the door jambs.

 

40:10.  “And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.”

 

40:11.  “And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.”

 

40:12.  “The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.”

 

40:13.  “He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.”

 

40:14.  “He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.”

 

40:15.  “And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.”

 

The “face” of the gate and of the porch was the front of them.

 

40:16.  “And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts (door jambs) within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees.” 

 

The “narrow windows” were narrow on the outside, and wide on the inside.

 

Upon each of the door jambs were engravings of palm trees.

 

40:17.  “Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.”

 

40:18.  “And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.”

 

40:19.  “Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.”

 

40:20.  “And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof.”

 

40:21.  “And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.”

 

40:22.  “And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.”

 

40:23.  “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 an hundred cubits.”

 

40:24.  “After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.”

 

40:25.  “And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.”

 

40:26.  “And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.”

 

40:27.  “And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.”

 

40:28.  “And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;”

 

40:29.  “And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.”

 

40:30.  “And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.”

 

40:31.  “And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps.”

 

40:32.  “And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures.”

 

40:33.  “And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.”

 

40:34.  “And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.”

 

40:35.  “And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures;”

 

40:36.  “The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.”

 

40:37.  “And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.”

 

40:38.  “And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.”

 

40:39.  “And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.”

 

These verses make it clear that the Levitical order of worship will be reinstated in the Millennium: animal sacrifices will again be offered, prompting the question, Why?  The answer is simple: as the OT Levitical offerings were anticipative of the Lord’s sacrificial sin-atoning death, so will those of the Millennium be commemorative of that great work.

 

40:40.  “And at the side without, as one goeth up to 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.”

 

40:41.  “Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices.”

 

40:42.  “And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.”

 

40:43.  “And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.”

 

The Bible: An American Translation renders this verse, “And pegs, an handbreadth long, were fastened on the walls round about, on which to hang the flesh of the sacrifices.”

 

40:44.  “And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.”

 

40:45.  “And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.”

 

40:46.  “And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the Lord to minister unto him.”

 

Zadok, descended from Aaron, had been appointed to that office by Solomon to replace Abiathar who had participated in the abortive rebellion against Solomon, see 1 Ki 1 and 2.

 

40:47.  “So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.”

 

40:48.  “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.”

 

40:49.  “The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

 

Relative to all these detailed measurements, William MacDonald makes the instructive comment that they, “remind us that in all our service we must build according to God’s specifications (see Ex. 25:40).”

[Ezekiel 41]

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     Scripture portions taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version
© 2000-2005 James Melough
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