Scripture Reading: Ezek. 40:1-27
In the foregoing messages we saw the appearance of the glory of the Lord, the judgment of God by fire, and the recovery of the Lord by life. Now we come to the last section of Ezekiel (chs. 40—48), which is concerned with the holy building of God. The three previous sections are for the last section; that is, the glory of the Lord, the judgment of God, and the recovery of the Lord are all for the holy building of God. We may even say that the issue of the glory of the Lord, the judgment of God, and the recovery of the Lord is the building of God. God’s eternal purpose is to have a building. Whatever God does among His people on earth is for His building.
At the very beginning of this section (40:1), we are told the time of the vision — the year, the month, and the day. If we compare the year mentioned here with that mentioned at the beginning of the first chapter, we will see that there is a difference of twenty years. The vision of the appearance of the glory of the Lord which Ezekiel saw in chapter one was seen in the fifth year of the captivity. The vision of the building of God’s house which he saw in chapter forty was in the twenty-fifth year of the captivity. There is a difference of twenty years, which is not a short time. We need to remember that when Ezekiel saw the first vision, he was thirty years of age, the age at which a priest began to function. When he saw the last vision, he was fifty years of age, the age of retirement for a priest. This is very meaningful, for it indicates that to see the building of God, Ezekiel needed more maturity in life. When he saw the first vision, he was still rather young, only thirty years of age. But when he saw the vision of God’s building, he was at the age of retirement, indicating that he attained further maturity in life and could see the building of the Lord. To see the vision of God’s building, maturity in life is required. Due to their immaturity in the divine life, very few of today’s Christians have seen anything regarding the Lord’s building. Spiritually speaking, many are far below the age of thirty and thus are not even qualified to be an apprentice. Thus, it is not possible for them to see the vision of God’s building.
It is significant that the years are counted in increments of five. The first vision was seen in the fifth year, and the last vision was seen in the twenty-fifth year.
Twenty-five is five times five. In the Bible the number five signifies man plus God. Four is the number of the creature, man, and one is the number for the Creator, God. Five signifies the bearing of responsibility. Therefore, five, which is composed of four plus one, signifies that man as a creature plus God as the Creator together bear responsibility. The number twenty-five signifies not only maturity but also the full qualification for bearing responsibility.
This year is also called the fourteenth year. The twenty-fifth year was counted from the time of the captivity, whereas the fourteenth year was counted from the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 40:1 says, “After that the city was smitten.”
In the Bible the number fourteen is composed mainly of seven times two. Seven is the number of completion, and two is the number of testimony. Therefore, seven times two denotes a testimony of completion. This indicates that for fourteen years the destruction of the city of Jerusalem had been a strong testimony to the people. Originally, the people did not believe that the city would be destroyed. Nevertheless, Ezekiel prophesied concerning the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and his prophecy was fulfilled. Fourteen years after the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel saw further visions. This means that the testimony of the destruction of the city was sufficient. It stood for fourteen years, and after those fourteen years the people in captivity realized that it was a strong testimony.
Furthermore, we are told that Ezekiel saw the visions at the beginning of the year, in the first month. The first month indicates a new start. This indicates that with us in our experience, the building of God must have a new start. When we see something regarding the building up of the church, this is a new start in our life.
The record speaks also of the tenth day. According to Exodus 12:3 the tenth day of the first month was the day that the people of Israel prepared the lamb for the Passover. This surely points to Christ, our Passover, for our redemption. From this we see that whenever we have a new beginning in our Christian life, it must be based on Christ and His redemption. In ourselves, by what we are and what we can do, we can never have a new beginning. We are not qualified to have a new beginning, and we have no merit to have a new beginning. Any new beginning that we can have in our spiritual life is always based on Christ, the Passover Lamb, and His redemption. Only by Christ and His redemption can we have a new beginning in our Christian life.
Now we need to consider the place to see the vision. Ezekiel did not see the vision concerning the building of God in the land of captivity. Rather, he was brought back to the holy land, the land of Israel (Ezek. 40:2). Since this land signifies Christ, to be brought back to the land of Israel is to be brought back to Christ. In addition to being brought back to the land of Israel, Ezekiel was brought to a high mountain, signifying a place of resurrection and ascension. When we come back to Christ, we may sense in our spirit that we are in an elevated place, that is, in the resurrected and ascended Christ. Furthermore, Ezekiel was brought back to Jerusalem. Many of us can testify that while we were in captivity in the denominations, we could not see the vision of the building of the church. But when we came back to the holy land, to the church life, we could see the vision of the building of the church.
In order to see something properly, we need the right position, the right standing, and the right angle. If we are wrong either in position or in standing, we will not be able to see. For example, if we want to see Los Angeles, we must be in the right position and have the right standing. If we want to see God’s building, we need to be on the mountain in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel was not the only person who saw the vision of God’s building. In the book of Revelation the apostle John told us that he was carried away in spirit to a high mountain to see the holy city, New Jerusalem (21:10). The reason that we need to be on a mountain (which signifies resurrection and ascension) is that the building of God is something in the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and we need to be in an elevated position in order to see the vision of God’s building.
Some people have been offended because of my ministering on the building of God. The reason they are offended is that, regarding spiritual matters, they are like little children playing with toys. If you touch their “toys,” they will be offended. If you tell them that they need to grow up in the spiritual life and give up their toys, they may be quite upset. May the Lord be merciful to us so that we may grow up and also go up. We not only need to grow up, but we also need to go up to the highest position with the highest standing and the best angle to see the building of God.
If Ezekiel had remained in Babylon in the captivity, he could not have seen the building. Likewise, if he had been on a plain and not on the mountaintop, he could not have seen the vision of God’s building. Therefore, if we would see this vision, we need to grow up and to go up. This means that we need maturity in life and that we need to be on the high mountain. Then we will be able to see the building of God.
Before Ezekiel saw the vision of the building, he saw the vision of a man. Unlike the man in chapter one, this man did not look like electrum but instead looked like brass (Ezek. 40:3). In chapter one, in the vision of the glory of the Lord, the Lord Jesus on the throne as a man looked like electrum. But in chapter forty He is not on the throne; He is at the gate of the building, measuring. In the Bible to measure means to judge and take possession. When a sister buys some cloth, first she measures it. While she is measuring the cloth, she is judging the quality of the cloth. In her measuring, she judges. Likewise, the measuring in chapter forty is related to judging. Here the Lord Jesus is not on the throne but is at the gate in the appearance of brass to measure and to take possession.
When the Lord comes to measure something, first He judges that thing. In typology brass or copper signifies judgment. When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, He was likened to a bronze serpent (Num. 4:9; John 3:14). In the Old Testament the altar of burnt offering was overlaid with bronze. Both of these examples indicate that bronze (brass) signifies judgment.
Once something has been judged, it is able to stand. After a certain thing has been judged, it can stand any kind of test or examination. It can also withstand further judgment. The Lord Jesus is such a person. He passed God’s judgment, and now He has become a test to others. Because He was able to stand all kinds of tests, examinations, and judgments, He is fully qualified to measure everything, including the building of God. By His judgment He measures what belongs to God’s building.
Ezekiel 40:4 says, “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 show thee; for to the intent that I might show them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.” While God was showing the vision of His building to Ezekiel, the prophet needed to have keen sight and to listen intently. Also, in order to absorb the things that would be shown to him, he had to set his heart upon them. Then he would be able to declare to God’s people all that he had seen and heard.
The holy temple is the place where God is, God’s dwelling place. If we want to seek God, contact God, fellowship with God, and serve God, we need to realize that God has His dwelling place. On the one hand, God is omnipresent; on the other hand, God has His particular place. If we want to meet Him, we must know His exact location, His definite habitation. Thus, we need to consider the vision of God’s building in Ezekiel, for this vision describes the place where God dwells — His holy temple.
Let us first consider a general sketch, or plot plan, of the building of God. Please consult figure 1, which is the plot plan showing the temple and the inner and outer courts.
The building is square, with each of the four sides being five hundred cubits long. Three of the four sides have an entrance. There are gates on the east, the south, and the north, all leading to the outer court around the walls. In the outer court are six pavements made of stone. On each pavement are five chambers built as places for the people to eat and enjoy the sacrifices and offerings. This means that the thirty chambers are places for us to enjoy Christ.
Within the outer court there is an inner court, which also has gates on three sides, on the east, south, and north. This makes a total of six gates — three to the outer court and three to the inner court. Regarding this, we need to realize that the building which Ezekiel saw has two walls, the wall outside the outer court and the wall outside the inner court. With each wall there are three gates. The measurement and design of the walls and the gates are exactly the same.
Within the inner court is the altar. This altar is the center of the whole compound of the building of God. The altar is a type of the cross. Thus, the altar at the center of the compound indicates that the cross of Christ is at the very center of God’s economy and of God’s interests.
In Ezekiel 40—48, a section on God’s building, three main things are covered: the holy temple, the holy city, and the holy land. The temple, the city, and the land are all holy. It is significant that Ezekiel begins not from the outside but from the inside. This is the way of God’s economy. In His economy God always begins from the inside, not from the outside. We see an indication of this in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, which speaks of our “spirit and soul and body,” not of body, soul, and spirit. This reveals that God begins from within, from our spirit, not from the outside. God’s economy always begins from within, whereas human movements are always outward. In light of this, we need to learn in the church life not to have anything that begins in an outward way but always to have something that begins from within. This is to apply what is revealed here concerning God’s building — first the temple, then the city, and then the land.
The first item we need to see concerning the temple is the wall. The temple has a wall on all four sides. The wall is for separation, separating what belongs to God from what cannot belong to Him. It separates what should belong to God and what should never belong to God. The wall is thus a separating line.
The measurement of the wall indicates that it signifies Christ Himself as a separating line. Whatever is within Christ belongs to God’s interests and to God’s building, but whatever is outside of Christ is excluded from God’s interests and God’s building. In a city of millions of people, we can know who is of God and who is not of God by Christ as the separating line. Whoever is in Christ belongs to God, and whoever is outside of Christ is separated from God. In other words, whoever belongs to Christ is within the wall, and whoever is outside of Christ is outside of the wall.
The measurement of the wall is quite unusual. I do not think that through all the centuries of human history, there has ever been such a wall. This wall is six cubits high and six cubits thick. If we could look at a cross section of the wall, we would be looking at a square six cubits by six cubits. The number six refers to man, who was created on the sixth day. Since the wall is six cubits high and six cubits thick and since six is the number of man, we may say that the wall signifies the Lord Jesus as a square, upright, perfect, and complete man. As a square, upright, perfect, complete, and even resurrected man, Christ is the separating line. Because He is square and upright, He is fully qualified. In Him there is no imperfection; with Him there is nothing lacking and nothing crooked. Rather, with Him everything is straight, upright, perfect, and complete. Again I say, such a man is the separating line.
If only the Lord Jesus were such a man, we would be excluded. We are not square, straight, or upright. We surely are not perfect or complete. Although we are so short, we should not try to imitate Christ. It is impossible for any fallen human beings to imitate Christ, the One who is square, upright, perfect, and complete.
When we come to the Lord Jesus and compare ourselves with Him, we are exposed and condemned. For example, in Luke 2 we see that when the Lord Jesus was a child of twelve, no matter how much He was for His Father, He still obeyed His parents. Young people, you are not obedient to your parents while you are seeking after your Father’s interests, but the Lord Jesus was obedient. From this one example we can realize that the life history of the Lord Jesus is a condemning factor to us.
Praise the Lord that He is not only the wall but also the gate. As the wall He excludes us and condemns us, but as the gate He brings us into God’s building. If we are in the sphere of God’s building today, it is because Christ as the gate has brought us in.
Christ is our gate, our door. In John 14:6 the Lord Jesus tells us that He is the way to the Father. Apart from Him, no one can come to the Father. Christ is the gateway for us to enter into God and into God’s interests, God’s building, and God’s kingdom.
We may realize that Christ is the door, the gate, but we may not know Christ as the gate in a detailed way. Ezekiel, however, saw the details concerning Christ as the gate.
The depth of the gate, from the front to the rear, is fifty cubits. The breadth of the gate, from side to side, is twenty-five cubits. These numbers are both multiples of five, the number of responsibility.
In front of the gate is a stair of seven steps. The steps of ascent are quite high, indicating that in order to get into the building, we need to go up. Whenever a person believes in the Lord Jesus, he has the sense that he is going up. But when we participate in certain worldly amusements, we have the sense that we are going down. Whenever we come to the Lord Jesus, we sense that we are on a staircase going up.
The gate is composed of four sections: the outer threshold, the passage, the inner threshold, and the porch. There are three thresholds, which are the outer threshold, the inner threshold, and a passage between these two which may be considered a hallway. The middle part, the passage, is also called a threshold, but as a help to our understanding we may use the word passage. Thus, here we have the outer threshold, the passage, the inner threshold, and the porch. The porch is somewhat like a lobby to the temple. By passing through the outer threshold, the passage, the inner threshold, and the lobby, one can enter into the temple. Then one must take another flight of stairs. This time the ascent is even higher, being eight steps rather than seven.
By referring to figure 2, which is a drawing of the gate detail, we can see that within the gate is the entry of the gate, which is exactly ten cubits wide. It is significant that the opening of the entrance is ten cubits in width. In the Bible the number ten first refers to the Ten Commandments. Whatever the Ten Commandments require, the entry of the gate fulfills. The width of the entry is exactly the span of the Ten Commandments. This indicates that the Lord Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Ten Commandments. When we are faced with the Ten Commandments, we are excluded by them. However, the Lord Jesus was able to fulfill every commandment, and He has become the gate for us to enter into God’s building.
Whereas the entry, or opening, of the gate is ten cubits wide, the gate itself is thirteen cubits wide. On both sides of the gate, the wall measures one and a half cubits. By adding the two together, we have three cubits. Three is the number of the Triune God and also the number of resurrection. Here the three is divided, with one and a half on each side. I would ask you to remember that in the tabernacle the standing boards were each one and a half cubits wide and that two boards formed one unit of three cubits. All these numbers are significant. They indicate that the Lord Jesus, who fulfills all the requirements of the Ten Commandments, is the Triune God who became a man, was put to death, and was resurrected. In His death Christ was “split,” cut into halves, and then He was resurrected.
After the gate comes the threshold, which measures six cubits by ten cubits. By putting all these numbers together we can realize that Christ was the Triune God (the number three) who became a man having the number six. He was “split” in His death and was resurrected, fulfilling all the requirements of the Ten Commandments. In this way He opened the gate.
From the threshold we go to the passage, which has many details.
Ezekiel 40:10 says that in this passage are six little chambers. Some of the better translations use the word guardrooms. These are the rooms where the guards stay to protect the temple. Each of these guardrooms is six cubits square and is thus the same in size as a cross section of the wall. This indicates that the Lord Jesus in His person and work is the real guard of God’s glory and holiness.
If there were no wall, sinful people would be able to enter into the temple, and that would be an insult to God’s glory and holiness. Whereas the wall separates sinners from God, the gate brings people into God and into God’s building. In order to be the gate, the Lord Jesus had to fulfill all the requirements of the Ten Commandments. He was a square, upright, and proper man, able to fulfill the Ten Commandments, and now He Himself is the guardrooms of God’s glory and holiness. Only those who are qualified and who match God’s glory and holiness can enter into the temple. If we would be qualified in this way, we need to pass through the gate. By passing through Christ as the gate, we are qualified to enter into God’s building, which is full of God’s glory and holiness.
The six guardrooms are divided into two groups of three. Again we have the number three signifying the Triune God, who became a man and was “split” into two. This indicates that the guardrooms are a person, Christ Himself.
Between the three guardrooms are two spaces of five cubits each. Again we have ten cubits composed of two groups of five cubits. This shows us once more that Christ bears the responsibility to fulfill all the requirements of the Ten Commandments. Furthermore, we once again have the number two, signifying a testimony. On one side there are two spaces of five cubits each, and on the other side there are also two spaces of five cubits. This indicates that Christ fully bears the responsibility of the Ten Commandments and that this becomes a testimony. The Lord Jesus as the Triune God became a man and died on the cross to fulfill all the responsibilities of the Ten Commandments.
From the guardrooms we go on to the borders. Instead of borders the King James Version uses the word space; other versions use the word platform. Outside each of the guardrooms is a border, a space, which is one cubit wide. These are in two groups of three, signifying the Triune God in resurrection.
We need to remember that the passage is ten cubits wide. However, there is a sense in which we may say that the passage is eight cubits wide. If we deduct one cubit for the border around the guardroom on each side, this leaves the passage only eight cubits wide. Eight is the number of resurrection. The first day of the week, the day on which the Lord Jesus was resurrected, is also the eighth day. Hence, the eighth day is the day of resurrection and signifies a new beginning. When we pass through Christ, we pass through resurrection and have a new beginning.
Next we need to consider the posts, which are difficult to locate. Ezekiel 40:14 says that the posts are a total of sixty cubits and that every post (column) has two sides. Each post, each column, has two sides, and each side is of two cubits. On the sides of the passage are fifteen sides of two cubits each. Thus, there are thirty cubits on both sides of the passage, altogether equaling sixty cubits. Fifteen is composed of three times five, signifying the Triune God in resurrection bearing all the responsibility. The number two, indicating a testimony, is also present. The number thirty corresponds to the chambers of all the pavements for the enjoyment of Christ.
The columns, which support the roof of the structure, indicate that we need to be upheld by the supporting strength of Christ in order to enter into the enjoyment of Christ. The supporting strength is of the number thirty, and the enjoyment of Christ is also of the number thirty. This indicates that we can enjoy only as much as Christ can support. As we will see in a later message, the expression of Christ, as seen in the side chambers of the temple, is also in the number thirty. Thus, the expression of Christ, the enjoyment of Christ, and the supporting by Christ are all signified by the number thirty. We can only express what we can enjoy, and we can only enjoy what Christ can support.
On the two sides of each column is a palm tree (v. 16). In the Bible palm trees signify victory, even victory that is everlasting. Christ, the guard of God’s holiness and glory, is the everlasting, victorious One standing, bearing, sustaining, and prevailing.
From the posts we go to the porch, where the number eight is used. In the previous portion, mainly the numbers five, six, and ten are used, but with the porch the number eight is used. This indicates that we are now in resurrection, in a new beginning.
The windows are for letting in light and air. These are not narrow windows but latticed windows, having strips of material over them to protect the building from negative things. Yet the windows are kept open for air and light.
These latticed windows signify the life-giving Spirit. There are altogether thirty windows, fifteen on one side and fifteen on the other side. The gate is full of windows. This indicates that Christ is full of the life-giving Spirit. The life-giving Spirit brings in air and light and keeps out all the negative things.
The Hebrew word for lattice implies the thought of being beveled. This means that the outer side of the window is narrow but the inner side is wider (40:16). The life-giving Spirit is always toward the inside. Outwardly He is not wide but inwardly He is very wide.
Although Ezekiel mentions the height of the wall, he does not give the height of the gate. The omission of this dimension is quite significant. The entire compound of the temple does not give the impression of height but of spreading in a spacious way. Even the height of the wall is only six cubits. According to the plot plan, the temple compound is five hundred cubits square. Thus, the height is not great, but the spread is very great.
The human concept is that one should climb higher and higher until one reaches the heavens. That was the concept in the building of the tower of Babel. However, God’s intention is to be with man on earth. God’s desire is to come to earth and to spread His testimony on earth. Thus, God came to the earth as a man to spread His testimony over the whole earth.
In this message we have seen that the gates signify Christ as the Triune God. Christ became a man who was square, upright, perfect, and complete. Christ bore the responsibility and fulfilled all the requirements of the Ten Commandments in order to open the way for us to enter into God and into God’s interests. Furthermore, Christ is the testimony of God, and as the resurrected One, the enlivening life-giving Spirit, He is a living witness of victory forever.
