Part 22 (1/2)

Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits. So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long; also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, an hundred cubits. And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court (verses 12-15).

Here a new building comes into view which is behind the temple building toward the West. Its dimensions are seventy cubits broad, ninety cubits long and the wall is five cubits in thickness round about. The use of this building is not stated. Its use is probably for the disposal of the refuse from the sacrifices and other unclean things. No other description is given of this hinder building, this separate place.

Verses 12 and 14 give the total measurement of the house, a hundred cubits, which is the total of the previously given measures.

IV. The Interior of the Temple Described.

The thresholds, and the closed windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, ceiled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered; to that above the entry, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, all was by measure. And it was made with cherubim and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces; so that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about. From the ground unto above the door were cherubim and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple. The posts of the temple were squared, and the front of the sanctuary had the same appearance. The altar was of wood three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the Lord. And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors. And the doors had two leaves, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door. And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubim and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there was a wooden portal in front of the porch without. And closed windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and the portals[42]

(verses 16-26).

[42] Corrected text.

From verse 16 we learn that all was wainscoted with wood. The altar was also of wood. It is significant that silver and gold, so prominent in the tabernacle in the wilderness and in Solomon's temple, are entirely absent in the millennial temple. The words ”silver and gold” are not mentioned once in Ezekiel xl-xlviii. Silver typifies grace in redemption, being the ransom money. Gold typifies divine righteousness.

Both are absent in the millennial temple for what the silver and gold foreshadows is now realized in His redeemed earthly people. The heavenly Jerusalem has gold in it, but silver is not mentioned in the description of the city in Revelation xxi.

The chief ornaments in this temple are cherubim and palm trees; they were along the wall of the temple. So it was in the temple of Solomon.

”And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers within and without”

(1 Kings vi:29).

A palm tree was between cherub and cherub. As stated in the previous chapter palms are the emblems of victory and remind us of the feast of tabernacles. They were seen high above on the posts. Cherubim speak of the presence of the Lord, who enters this house and is wors.h.i.+pped here.

But the cherubim here have only two faces and not four as in the opening vision of this book (chapter i:10-12). As often stated, these celestial beings tell out the Lord Jesus Christ in His personal glory. The lion, His kingly glory; the face of a man, His true humanity; the face of an ox, His servant character; and the face of an eagle. His heavenly origin and destiny, Son of G.o.d. It is not without meaning that the face of a man and the face of a young lion are seen on these cherubim and each face looks upon a palm tree. Its symbolical meaning is obvious. The Lord Jesus Christ has come again and visited the earth and the temple and appeared as the glorified Man and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. His is the victory and the glory. When at last this temple stands in Israel's land, and its meaning and measurements, as well as other details, are fully known and understood, it will be known then that His blessed work, victory and person are symbolically seen throughout this house.

The altar was of wood, three cubits high and two cubits long. ”And he said unto me, This is the table which is before Jehovah.” The altar is the altar of incense. The burnt offering altar is described in chapter xliii:13, etc. In the tabernacle and Solomon's temple the altar of incense was overlaid with gold. Note also the difference in the measurement. The altar of incense in the tabernacle was two cubits high and one cubit long and broad; the altar in the future temple is three cubits high and two cubits long, nearly double in size. The incense offered upon the altar is the symbol of the fragrance Christ is to G.o.d.

It also typifies praise and prayer (Ps. cxli:2; Rev. v:8; viii:3); being communion with G.o.d it is here called ”the table which is before Jehovah.” How great will be the fragrance of Christ, and the praise and wors.h.i.+p G.o.d will receive, in this great house of wors.h.i.+p!

There were also two doors for the sanctuary with two turning leaves.

They were ornamented, like the walls, with cherubim and palm trees.

THE CELLS FOR THE PRIESTS.

Chapter xlii.

This chapter gives the description of the chambers or cells of the priests and closes with the final measurements of this temple. After this, as recorded in the next chapter, the prophet beheld the return of the glory of the Lord and how He entered the house.

I. The Description of the Cells for the Priests.

Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the cells that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.

Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. Over against the twenty cubits which pertained to the inner court, and over against the pavement which pertained to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. And before the cells was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north. Now the upper cells were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building. For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground. And the wall that was without over against the cells, toward the outer court on the forepart of the cells, the length thereof was fifty cubits: For the length of the cells that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits. And from under these cells was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the outer court. The cells were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building. And the way before them was like the appearance of the cells which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to their fas.h.i.+ons, and according to their doors. And according to the doors of the cells, that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them (verses 1-12).

Once more the man leads forth the prophet. The Holy part and the Most Holy had been measured and described and now he leaves the innermost part and is led again into the outer court. He goes on towards the North and faces a cell-building over against the separate place. This separate place is the hinder building described in chapter xli:12. There are three such cell-buildings, one on the North and the other on the South; that is, facing the two sides of the hinder building in the separate place. The third cell-building is at the East-gate. The entrance to these cell buildings is from the outer court. The measurement given presents considerable difficulty which we do not attempt to solve. Each of these buildings has three stories and before each is a walk of ten cubits. We also learn that the upper story of cells is shorter than the first and second stories; this corresponds in architecture to the side buildings described in chapter xli:5-11. How many cells or chambers are in each of these buildings is not stated.

II. For What the Cells are Used.

Then said he unto me, The north cells and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy cells, where the priests that approach unto the Lord shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespa.s.s offering; for the place is holy. When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people (verses 13-14).

The cells on the North and South, facing the separate place are especially mentioned as being holy chambers. Here the priests who approach unto the Lord are to eat the most holy things and there they shall lay the most holy things, the meal offering, the sin offering and the trespa.s.s offering. They were set apart for this purpose. For this reason at the end of these two cell-buildings towards the west were the places where the offerings were boiled and the meal offering baked. They were the kitchens of the priests. Of this we read in chapter xlvi:19, 20: ”Then he brought me through the pa.s.sage which was at the side of the gate, into the holy cells which were for the priests, which looked toward the North; and behold a place was there at the end westward. And he said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespa.s.s offering and the sin offering and where they shall bake the meal offering, that they bring them not out into the outer court, so as to hallow the people.” In these chambers they put the garments of their ministry. The priests are not to wear their holy garments outside of the inner court lest they should be profaned. Why these Levitical ordinances are maintained in the millennial temple with a priesthood still ministering, the purpose of all this, we shall take up more fully in the exposition of the chapters which follow.