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A Vision of Future Blessings Ezekiel's Temple Behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and
... Timothy Krupa Ezekiel was the prophet of the Babylonian exile. He was a grand, glorious, and dramatic man of God. During his lifetime he was given some interesting visions from Jehovah including the vision of the chariot wheels and the dry bones that came to life. Late in life he saw a spectacular vision of a city, a city whose builder and maker was God. The vision provided hope and encouragement because, even though Ezekiel was at the time a captive in Babylon, the vision concerned the Jewish homeland. It embodied the hope that Israel would return to the holy land, there would be a new temple, and Israel would once again be Jehovah’s people. Because of the great detail of this vision and partly because the King James uses English phraseology of some four hundred years ago, the subject of Ezekiel’s temple has been considered difficult and often avoided. But Ezekiel was told to tell all Israel of this vision and so it should be of keen interest to students of the Bible. The account is recorded in chapters 40 through 48. Picture a rugged, brown-colored mountain in the holy land. As Ezekiel looked upon a level plane on that mountain, he saw buildings, walls, courtyards, altars, and a temple. It was beautiful; indeed, it was an architectural wonder. In the vision Ezekiel was given a tour of the complex by a guide who had a measuring rod; he used it to measure almost everything, including the walls, gates, door jambs, guard chambers, thresholds, porches, and the distance between gates. The dimensions of the altars, gutters, steps, and apartments were included. The tour must have taken a long time because everything was measured. Ezekiel was also told what happened within this beautiful complex. We can summarize this vision in one long sentence: From this marvelous complex of buildings and sanctuaries, a river of water gushed out and gradually increased in depth and distance until it freshened the salt waters, had trees growing on its banks, and provided sustenance to multitudes of living creatures wherever it flowed. Everything lived where the river flowed. Fruit trees of all kinds would grow on the river banks. Every month the trees would bear fruit because of the water from the sanctuary. The fruit would serve for food and the leaves for healing. What a vision! It was a great city set on a mountain, a sanctuary, a temple, and from it flowed a river of living water. This vision is a picture of the kingdom of God on earth. There were thousands of details in this vision: measurements, descriptions, specifications, directions, rules. Ezekiel saw a group of buildings on the side of a mountain. The sacred complex was an area a thousand feet square, which is a little less than a quarter-mile square, roughly twenty-three acres or eighteen football fields. The sanctuary area was set-off by a wall twelve feet high and twelve feet thick. Access to the sanctuary area was through any of three gates on the north, east, and south. We might think of them as immigration check-points. To reach the first inside level, one ascended seven steps and entered a gate building that was one hundred feet long by fifty feet wide. The gate building had archways, guard chambers, and on the inside, a large porch. The north, east, and south gates were identical and were called the outer gates. Passing through a gate brought one to a large, broad, paved area like a piazza or town square. This was the Outer Court and it surrounded an Inner Court. The Inner Court was directly in the center of the Outer Court and surrounded by a wall. It was one level higher than the Outer Court. One had to ascend another flight of steps to gain entrance to it through any of three gates imbedded in the walls. The three gates to the Inner Court were similar in construction to those of the Outer Court. They had the same archways, guard posts, and dimensions. There were two differences: 1) the porches of the inner gates faced out toward the Outer Court —one encountered the porch first; and 2) to get up to the level of the Inner Court, one ascended eight steps, not seven. So if one were to enter this complex from outside the sanctuary wall, one would first walk up seven steps, come to the outer gate, walk through a long building, and finally come to the porch of that building. This brought one to a broad, large, open courtyard called the Outer Court. One would then walk across the court, go up an additional eight steps to reach the porch of the interior building which allowed entrance into the Inner Court. In the center of the Inner Court was a large altar directly in line with all three gates. Regardless how one entered this court, walking straight brought you directly to the altar. Even entering through the outer gates kept one aligned with the altar. This altar was directly in front of a large temple. The temple had a porch and its interior was divided into a Holy and a Most Holy. It was one hundred twenty feet long by forty feet wide and it sat on a platform ten steps higher than the Inner Court. To reach it one had to first ascend seven steps to the Outer Court, then eight steps to the Inner Court, and ten steps to the temple platform: twenty-five steps in all. Even in this day of sophisticated architecture, we are impressed with the simplicity, beauty, symmetry, and elegance of this complex. We can understand some of Ezekiel’s excitement. This was a complex designed by God. What Does It All Mean? It’s easy to get lost in the detailed description. One could read Ezekiel 40:5-16 where one gate is described in great detail; Ezekiel and his guide went through the same detail for the other five gates. But what does it all mean for spiritual Israel? We can be guided by considering what we already know about the future.
The Outer Court was for the people, although no living quarters are specified. One came in by a gate and the porches faced inward. Sacrifices in this area were slain on the porch of the inner gate, cooked, and eaten. Kitchens were located in the four corners of the Outer Court. They had fireplaces inside, much like a picnic barbeque area. There were thirty chambers or rooms along the inner wall. Although not specified in Ezekiel’s description, Jewish custom says the people ate the sacrifices in those rooms. There were different kinds of sacrifices in the Tabernacle. Some were totally consumed on the altar, others were eaten by the priests, and in some cases much of the offering was returned to the one bringing the sacrifice. It was this third kind that was eaten in the Outer Court chambers. The Outer Court was for the people, a place for them to bring sacrifices, and a place for them to be fed. The priests helped to prepare food for the people. It was seven steps higher than “outside the wall.” During Christ’s mediatorial reign and beyond, all of those things will take place. This area represents the world of mankind with their offerings of thanksgiving, obedience, and their interaction with the priestly class. Inner Court The Inner Court was only for priests and it was eight steps higher than the Outer Court. When the priests went to the Outer Court, they had to change their clothes. The food for the priests was prepared in a different area than the food for the people. The priests lived in an area of the Inner Court on each side of the temple. There was one long building and one short building on each side: two buildings on the north and two on the south. At the rear of the priests’ apartments were kitchens for the preparation of their food. Because the Inner Court was eight steps higher than the Outer Court, those living there were on a higher plane than those in the Outer Court, but not as high as those on the temple platform. These lived between those who were in the Outer Court (representing those on earth) and those in the temple (the Church, possessing immortality). These would be the Great Company, a spiritual class who are servants of the Church (Revelation 7:9-15). The gates and the wall that surrounded the Inner Court show there are entrance requirements. It is a sacred area. First one must ascend steps. There are guard chambers in the gates illustrating standards for admission. The porch represents perfection reached, a place for communion. One curious thing about all the gates is that the inner and outer gates are identical. Why do the inner gates need guards? Perhaps it is because the Great Company will continue to be tested and must live perfectly to continue to exist at that level. Neither they nor those on the earth are immortal. They possess everlasting life but must also meet the standards of perfect living. The Temple
The temple is behind or above the altar. It has two inside rooms with dimensions in the same ratio as the interior of the Tabernacle. The Most Holy was a cube and the Holy was the equivalent of two side-by-side cubes. The entire interior structure was covered with wooden paneling, as was Solomon’s temple. One never saw the stone work when inside the temple. The inside paneling was carved with palm trees and cherubim. The temple sat on a platform ten steps higher than the Inner Court. Although it had a porch, it had no guard chambers! Furniture was important in the Tabernacle but not in Ezekiel’s temple. Only one piece is mentioned and it is in the Holy. Ezekiel’s guide said, “This is the table [altar] that is before the LORD” (Ezekiel 41:22). It was four feet on each side and six feet high! The temple was one hundred twenty feet long and forty feet wide, about the dimensions of a basketball court. It was over three stories high. The side walls contained rooms accessible from the outside. Although not specified in the account, tradition says they were for storage and other priestly functions. These rooms were located at each of the three stories and could be accessed using stairs. Many Scriptures indicate that the temple represents the Church (1 Corinthians 3:16,17; Ephesians 2:21; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 21:22). The need to ascend ten steps shows a higher plane of existence which has immortality. There are no guard chambers because this class requires no further testing. They had been proven and have received their reward. The single piece of furniture shows a distinct change from the Tabernacle. It’s not a daily working arrangement where lamps were lit, bread was replenished on a table, and incense was burned. That is in the past. The golden furniture is gone because the heavenly call has ended. Only a wooden table, a kind of altar, remains, perhaps as a memorial to the sacrifices and offerings of the past. One of the gates to the Inner Court eventually was closed. This represents that the high-calling or opportunity to enter the Inner Court will eventually end someday. It’s the eastern gate that is eventually shut. This is probably the basis of the well-known song entitled “The Eastern Gate” which speaks of the heavenly meeting of those who are completing their earthly journey toward becoming a part of the temple class and those who have already gone on before. They will be reunited at the Eastern Gate. Not much is said about the temple class compared to those of the priesthood at the next level down. Those priests live and eat in the Inner Court representing the Great Company who need food since they are not immortal. Those at the temple level are different. Although there is an altar, no activities are described; there are apparently no sacrifices or ceremonies. This seems to show that the work between earth and heaven is to be largely a work performed by the Great Company. Why So Many Measurements? With such an extensive description of the measurements for everything and so many numbers, should we be interpreting this vision for its insights on chronology? Should we explore these numbers to find dates of future events in God’s plan? Perhaps, but there is much value in accepting the vision as Ezekiel did. To him it was a picture of a rebuilding that was to take place in the near future, and in fact a time did come when many Israelites returned to Judea and built a temple. There seems to be nothing in this vision to imply that it should be used as a timepiece indicating when this return and rebuilding would occur. It was meant to be a vision of hope and encouragement for the future. Today we see this vision as a beautiful picture of God’s plan for a kingdom on earth. It shows the communications and relationships between the future heavens and the future earth. It illustrates God’s standards of righteousness on the different levels of existence. The vision shows the unique elevation of the temple class. It also implies that this call which produces a new creation, a call involving spirit begettal, will end some day and never be repeated. The minutia of measurements and numbers indicates that the great architect of this sanctuary has planned every detail. There is nothing haphazard about the creation or operation of this sanctuary. As impressive as these buildings are, they provide a beautiful service or function. The goal of this complex is to provide nourishment, food, and communion between the heavenly government and the restored earth. It is a place where people can come to obtain forgiveness, receive blessing, give thanks, have fellowship, and receive instruction, all in cooperation with the heavenly or spiritual realm. Ezekiel was given a vision of God’s intended purpose for mankind, much like his previous visions showed other aspects of God’s plan. Ezekiel’s experience parallels that of John who wrote, “He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:10). Those who have been privileged to see the marvelous vision of God’s plan for man, must make certain to do all in their power to be obedient to that vision and to pursue with great vigor the opportunity to be a part of the administration of the blessings that will come to all mankind. We join with Ezekiel as he stood in amazement watching the river of life flowing from the temple. Although there are many lessons in the details, let us not lose sight of the marvelous picture of the water flowing from the temple, gradually increasing, until the blessings of the Lord cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). |
