43Inside were hooks, a handbreadth wide, fastened all around; and the flesh of the sacrifices was on the tables.
Chambers for Singers and Priests
44Outside the inner gate were the chambers for uthe singers in the inner court, one facing south at the side of the northern gateway, and the other facing north at the side of the southern gateway.
45Then he said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for vthe priests who have charge of the temple.
46“The chamber which faces north is for the priests wwho have charge of the altar; these are the sons of xZadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near the LORD to minister to Him.”
Dimensions of the Inner Court and Vestibule
(cf. 1 Kin. 7:14–22)
47And he measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, foursquare. The altar was in front of the temple.
48Then he brought me to the yvestibule of the temple and measured the doorposts of the vestibule, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the width of the gateway was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.
49zThe length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits; and by the steps which led up to it there were apillars by the doorposts, one on this side and another on that side.
Ezekiel 41
Dimensions of the Sanctuary
1Then he abrought me into the 1sanctuary and measured the doorposts, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side—the width of the tabernacle.
2The width of the entryway was ten cubits, and the side walls of the entrance were five cubits on this side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits.
3Also he went inside and measured the doorposts, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits high; and the width of the entrance, seven cubits.
4bHe measured the length, twenty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits, beyond the sanctuary; and he said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.”
The Side Chambers on the Wall
5Next, he measured the wall of the 2temple, six cubits. The width of each side chamber all around the temple was four cubits on every side.
6cThe side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty chambers in each story; they rested on 3ledges which were for the side chambers all around, that they might be supported, but dnot fastened to the wall of the temple.
7As one went up from story to story, the side chambers ebecame wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the middle one.
8I also saw an elevation all around the temple; it was the foundation of the side chambers, fa full rod, that is, six cubits high.
9The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits, and so also the remaining terrace by the place of the side chambers of the 4temple.
10And between it and the wall chambers was a width of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side.
11The doors of the side chambers opened on the terrace, one door toward the north and another toward the south; and the width of the terrace was five cubits all around.
The Building at the Western End
12The building that faced the separating courtyard at its western end was seventy cubits wide; the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.
Dimensions and Design of the Temple Area
13So he measured the temple, one ghundred cubits long; and the separating courtyard with the building and its walls was one hundred cubits long;
14also the width of the eastern face of the temple, including the separating courtyard, was one hundred cubits.
15He measured the length of the building behind it, facing the separating courtyard, with its hgalleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits, as well as the inner 5temple and the porches of the court,
16their doorposts and ithe beveled window frames. And the galleries all around their three stories opposite the threshold were paneled with jwood from the ground to the windows—the windows were covered—
17from the space above the door, even to the inner 6room, as well as outside, and on every wall all around, inside and outside, by measure.
18And it was made kwith cherubim and lpalm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Each cherub had two faces,
19mso that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side; thus it was made throughout the temple all around.
20From the floor to the space above the door, and on the wall of the sanctuary, cherubim and palm trees were carved.
21The ndoorposts of the temple were square, as was the front of the sanctuary; their appearance was similar.
22oThe altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its length, and its sides were of wood; and he said to me, “This is pthe table that is qbefore the LORD.”
23rThe temple and the sanctuary had two doors.
24The doors had two spanels apiece, two folding panels: two panels for one door and two panels for the other door.
25Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the temple just as they were carved on the walls. A wooden canopy was on the front of the vestibule outside.
26There were tbeveled window frames and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the vestibule—also on the side chambers of the temple and on the canopies.
Ezekiel 42
The Chambers for the Priests
1Then he abrought me out into the outer court, by the way toward the bnorth; and he brought me into cthe chamber which was opposite the separating courtyard, and which was opposite the building toward the north.
2Facing the length, which was one hundred cubits (the width was fifty cubits), was the north door.
3Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the dpavement of the outer court, was egallery against gallery in three stories.
4In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north.
5Now the upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle stories of the building.
6For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper level was 1shortened more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up.
7And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits.
8The length of the chambers toward the outer court was fifty cubits, whereas that facing the temple was one fhundred cubits.
9At the lower chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.
10Also there were chambers in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separating courtyard and opposite the building.
11gThere was a walk in front of them also, and their appearance was like the chambers which were toward the north; they were as long and as wide as the others, and all their exits and entrances were according to plan.
12And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, as one enters them, there was a door in front of the walk, the way directly in front of the wall toward the east.
13Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separating courtyard, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD hshall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall lay the most holy offerings—ithe grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering—for the place is holy.
14j“When the priests enter them, they shall not go out of the holy chamber into the outer court; but there they shall leave their garments in which they
minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they may approach that which is for the people.”
Outer Dimensions of the Temple
15Now when he had finished measuring the inner 2temple, he brought me out through the gateway that faces toward the keast, and measured it all around.
16He measured the east side with the 3measuring rod, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around.
17He measured the north side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around.
18He measured the south side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod.
19He came around to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod.
20He measured it on the four sides; lit had a wall all around, mfive hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the 4common.
Ezekiel 43
The Temple, the LORD’s Dwelling Place
1Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate athat faces toward the east.
2bAnd behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. cHis voice was like the sound of many waters; dand the earth shone with His glory.
3It was elike the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when 1I came fto destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw gby the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
4hAnd the glory of the LORD came into the 2temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.
5iThe Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, jthe glory of the LORD filled the 3temple.
6Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while ka man stood beside me.
7And He said to me, “Son of man, this is lthe place of My throne and mthe place of the soles of My feet, nwhere I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. oNo more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their 4harlotry or with pthe carcasses of their kings on their high places.
8q“When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger.
9“Now let them put their harlotry and the carcasses of their kings far away from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.
10“Son of man, rdescribe the 5temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.
11“And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the 6temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its sordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and tperform them.
12“This is the law of the 7temple: The whole area surrounding uthe mountaintop is most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.
Dimensions of the Altar
13“These are the measurements of the valtar in cubits w(the 8cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth): the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. This is the height of the altar:
14“from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits; and the width of the ledge, one cubit.
15“The altar hearth is four cubits high, with four xhorns extending upward from the 9hearth.
16“The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, ysquare at its four corners;
17“the ledge, fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it; its base, one cubit all around; and zits steps face toward the east.”
Consecrating the Altar
18And He said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: ‘These are the ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificing aburnt offerings on it, and for bsprinkling blood on it.
19‘You shall give ca young bull for a sin offering to dthe priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of eZadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,’ says the Lord GOD.
20‘You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.
21‘Then you shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and fburn it in the appointed place of the 10temple, goutside the sanctuary.
22‘On the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull.
23‘When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish.
24‘When you offer them before the LORD, hthe priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.
25‘Every day for iseven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish.
26‘Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so 11consecrate 12it.
27j‘When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will kaccept you,’ says the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel 44
The East Gate and the Prince
1Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary awhich faces toward the east, but it was shut.
2And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, bbecause the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
3“As for the cprince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to deat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”
Those Admitted to the Temple
4Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the 1temple; so I looked, and ebehold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; fand I fell on my face.
5And the LORD said to me, g“Son of man, 2mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the hordinances of the house of the LORD and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.
6“Now say to the irebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “O house of Israel, jlet Us have no more of all your abominations.
7k“When you brought in lforeigners, muncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it—My house—and when you offered nMy food, othe fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations.
8“And you have not pkept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.”
9‘Thus says the Lord GOD: q“No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.
Laws Governing Priests
10r“And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.
11“Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, sas gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; tthey shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and uthey shall stand before them to minister to them.
12“Because they ministered to them before their idols and vcaused3 the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have wraised My hand in an oath against them,” says the Lord GOD, “that they shall bear their iniquity.
13x“And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall ybear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.
14“Nevertheless I will make them zkeep ch
arge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.
15a“But the priests, the Levites, bthe sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary cwhen the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they dshall stand before Me to offer to Me the efat and the blood,” says the Lord GOD.
16“They shall fenter My sanctuary, and they shall come near gMy table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.
17“And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, that hthey shall put on linen garments; no wool shall come upon them while they minister within the gates of the inner court or within the house.
18i“They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat.
19“When they go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, jthey shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and put on other garments; and in their holy garments they shall knot sanctify the people.
20l“They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow mlong, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed.
21n“No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court.
22“They shall not take as wife a owidow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.
23“And pthey shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to qdiscern between the unclean and the clean.
24r“In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, sand they shall hallow My Sabbaths.
25“They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 390