Scripture Reading: Ezek. 40:48-49; 41:25-26a
In this message we will consider the temple and the side chambers. The temple is composed of three sections: the porch, the Holy Place (outer temple), and the Most Holy (inner temple).
After we pass the altar, we come to the temple. The temple is composed of three main sections: the porch, the outer temple, which is called the Holy Place, and the inner temple, which is called the Most Holy or the Holy of Holies. In addition, there is an attachment which Ezekiel calls the side chambers. The side chambers surround the entire building of the temple. Thus, the temple is composed of three sections with an attachment.
Let us begin with the first main part of the temple, the porch.
Ten steps lead up to the porch (40:49). Now we can see that the compound of the temple has three levels: the first level in the outer court, the second level in the inner court, and the third level in the temple. The ground floor of the temple is on the third level. We need to remember that the street outside the wall is on a level even lower than that of the outer court. If we count from the street outside of the wall of the compound of the temple, there are four levels, with the street as the first level, the outer court as the second, the inner court as the third, and the ground floor of the temple as the fourth. This gives us some idea of the elevation of the temple. (see figure 4)
It also indicates that the further inward we proceed in the temple, the higher we rise. When we are outside the wall, we are on the lowest level. But when we enter and progress inward, we rise higher and higher. When we go from the street to the outer court, we must ascend seven steps higher. When we go from the outer court to the inner court, we must ascend another eight steps higher. When we go from the inner court into the temple, we must ascend an additional ten steps higher. From this we can see that the temple is altogether twenty-five steps above the level of the street.
Although we must climb twenty-five steps to go from the level of the street to the level of the temple, we actually ascend only fifteen cubits in height. We can calculate this because the ten steps to the temple are equal to the height of the platform of the temple. In 41:8 Ezekiel says that he saw an elevation of the temple which was six cubits high. This equals the height of the ten steps. The platform, which is six cubits high, is the base of the whole building of the temple and the side chambers. The height of the ten steps equals the six cubits. Therefore, the twenty-five steps from the level of the street to the level of the temple should be fifteen cubits.
Once again, the numbers are significant. Twenty-five is five times five, which indicates responsibility within responsibility. Fifteen is five times three, indicating the responsibility borne by the Triune God in resurrection. By putting these things together, we can see that the way to ascend higher and higher in the temple is by the responsibility within the responsibility borne by the Triune God in resurrection. We have no way to ascend higher apart from the Triune God bearing responsibility in resurrection.
From the steps we go on to the two pillars. We need to differentiate the pillars from the posts of the temple (41:21). The posts are square, whereas the pillars are round. While the measurements of the posts are given, they are not given concerning the pillars. The fact that Ezekiel does not give us the measurement of the pillars indicates that they must be unlimited. Thus, these pillars signify Christ as God’s witness bearing the house of God with a strength which is unlimited and immeasurable.
Now we come to the porch itself. Ezekiel 40:48 says, “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.” Here we have two posts which measure five cubits each. Since the number five indicates responsibility and the number two indicates testimony, the significance of these two posts is responsibility in testimony. Again the number three signifies the Triune God in resurrection.
The height of the porch is twenty cubits, and the entry of the porch is fourteen cubits. As we have seen, the number fourteen is composed either of seven times two or of ten plus four. Seven signifies completion, two signifies a testimony, ten signifies fullness, and four signifies the creatures. Thus, the porch also signifies that the creatures bear a complete testimony in fullness.
An additional point concerning the porch is that it is used as a lobby. This makes the temple easy to approach. In the church life we also should have a lobby, making it easy for others to come in. This means that we need to have an atmosphere that is stretching out and making it easy for others to contact us and touch us. Such a lobby makes the church accessible and enables us to take others in and hold them. In addition to making the temple approachable, the porch, or lobby, is a place where we can slow down, draw near, and prepare ourselves to enter the temple.
After we pass through the porch, we come to the outer temple. The entrance to the outer temple measures ten cubits (41:2). The first entrance, that of the porch, measures fourteen cubits, but the second entrance to the outer court measures ten cubits. This indicates that the further inward we progress, the more narrow the way becomes. As we will see, the entrance into the inner temple is even narrower, measuring six cubits. According to 41:2 there are five cubits on the sides of the doors. There are two posts measuring five cubits, indicating responsibility in testimony.
The length of the outer temple is forty cubits, and the breadth is twenty cubits, making a total of eight hundred square cubits. The number eight hundred indicates one hundred times resurrection. The numbers forty and twenty are multiples that can be factored by five. Twenty is four times five, and forty is eight times five. Five is composed of four (the creature) plus one (the unique God) and signifies man receiving God’s grace to bear responsibility. The number eight signifies resurrection. Therefore, composed of eight times five, forty signifies the adding together of the man as God’s creature and God in resurrection to produce something that has a perfect and complete form.
The entry into the inner temple is six cubits wide (41:3). As we have seen, this shows us that the more inward we advance, the narrower the entry becomes. If we are outside the porch, we have no restriction. When we come inside the porch, we have some restriction. This restriction is not very narrow, for it is still fourteen cubits wide. However, when we pass from the porch to the outer temple, the entry is narrowed to ten cubits. Finally, when we proceed further and reach the inner temple, the entry is narrowed to six cubits. From our spiritual experience we know that the closer we are to the Lord, the more we are restricted by Him. If we are loose and careless, this is a sign that we are far off from the presence of the Lord. The closer we are to the Lord, the more we will be restricted.
From the outer temple we go on to the inner temple. Ezekiel 41:3 says, “Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.” Once again, two cubits, the measure of the post of the door, indicates testimony.
Verse 4 tells us that the inner temple is twenty cubits square. The Holy of Holies in the tabernacle was a square (Exo. 26), and the Holy of Holies in the temple that was built in the good land was also a square (2 Chron. 3:8). The wall of the house (Ezek. 41:5) measures six cubits, signifying the humanity of the Lord Jesus. The humanity of the Lord Jesus is the standing strength of God’s dwelling place. In the tabernacle the acacia boards standing upright signified the humanity of the Lord Jesus (Exo. 26:15). Now we need to see that the wall of the temple in Ezekiel also signifies the humanity of Jesus. As a proper human being, the Lord Jesus is the standing and supporting wall.
Twenty is composed of four times five. Twenty cubits squared, the area of the inner temple, equals four hundred cubits, that is, one hundred times four. Five times four (twenty cubits) becoming one hundred times four signifies God in the creature, with the creature as God’s dwelling place. When we, the creatures who have received God’s grace, are blended into one and are perfectly squared, becoming a unit of one hundred times four, God will have His abode among us.
On the south, the west, and the north sides of the temple are side chambers. These side chambers are of three stories, each having thirty side chambers, making a total of ninety side chambers. If we consult the diagram on page 242, we will see that the wall of the temple is in three sections. The first floor of the wall is six cubits wide, the second floor is five cubits wide, and the third floor is four cubits wide. Because these are set one upon the other, a ledge of one cubit is created, and the beam of the side chambers is placed upon this ledge. The beam of the first story of the side chambers is placed upon the first ledge, and the beam of the second story of the side chambers is placed upon the second ledge.
As the side chambers which surround the house increase in height, they also increase in breadth. The lowest story of the side chambers is four cubits wide, the second story of the side chambers is five cubits wide, and the third story of the side chambers is six cubits wide. However, the breadth of the temple continues straight upward with no change. As the side chambers go higher, they also become broader. This indicates that as we go higher with the Lord, we also become broader and richer in our experience. As we progress inward, we ascend higher, and as we ascend higher, we become broader. Because the side chambers at the first level are four cubits broad, they signify us as the creatures in a general way. But as we become higher and broader, we, who are number four, become number five bearing some responsibility. Then as we go higher and become even broader, we become the number six, the proper man created by God on the sixth day. This indicates that we will be the same in measurement as the Lord Jesus, who is the wall. This reveals that merely to be a creature and merely to bear some responsibility are not sufficient; we need to become a proper man bearing the number six.
According to Ezekiel 41:8 around the house there is an elevation which is a platform, or a base, on which the temple and all the side chambers are built. This elevation is six cubits high, signifying once again the humanity of the Lord Jesus. Thus, the humanity of the Lord Jesus is the foundation, the base, and the wall.
The beauty of this temple is with the side chambers. If the side chambers were removed, the temple would be too simple and have no beauty.
Strictly speaking, the temple signifies Christ. Although Christ and the church are the same in nature, the temple refers to Christ Himself, and the side chambers, as the fullness of the temple, signify the church as the fullness of Christ. In Ephesians 1:23 we see that the church, the Body of Christ, is His fullness. If there were no side chambers to the temple, there would be no fullness to the temple. The ninety side chambers in three stories express the fullness of the temple. To remove these chambers would be to strip away the fullness of the temple. Just as the side chambers are the beauty of the temple, so the beauty of Christ is the church, the Body, as His fullness.
In Ezekiel’s account of the holy building of God, he makes frequent use of the number thirty. There are thirty chambers on the pavement, thirty windows in the gates, and thirty sides of the posts in the gates. All these figures indicate that we can only enjoy as much Christ as we have experienced and that we can express only as much Christ as we have enjoyed.
The side chambers typify the church as the fullness of Christ, His expression. The thirty side chambers for expression are based upon the thirty chambers for enjoyment. We cannot express more of Christ than we have enjoyed. We can express Christ only to the extent that we have enjoyed Him. Our enjoyment of Christ eventually becomes the fullness, the expression, of Christ.
The side chambers being in three stories signifies the Triune God in resurrection. We express Christ in the Triune God and in resurrection. When we are in the Triune God — in the Father, in the Son, and in the Spirit — and when we are in resurrection, we express Christ with our enjoyment of Him. When we pass through the cross and enter into resurrection, we are in the Triune God, enjoying the love of the Father, the grace of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14).
Of the thirty side chambers, twelve are on the north side, twelve are on the south side, and six are on the west side. The thirty side chambers can also be divided into six groups of five. The number six signifies man created on the sixth day, and the number five signifies man as a creature bearing responsibility through receiving God’s grace. We do not bear responsibility in our own strength but through God’s grace. This indicates that the side chambers are the result of having God added to us for bearing responsibility. The side chambers have three levels, with thirty rooms on each level divided into six groups of five. This indicates that we are in resurrection and in the Triune God, that we are dependent upon the grace of God to bear responsibility before God, and that, as a result, we are the fullness, the expression, of the Christ whom we enjoy.
The outer wall of the side chambers is five cubits thick (Ezek. 41:9). The number five here indicates those of us who have received God’s grace and who are bearing responsibility before God. On the one hand, the church is a combination of God and man. On the other hand, the church is also the responsibility of man before God. If the elders, co-workers, and all the saints do not bear any responsibility before God, there will not be the side chambers, that is, the church as the fullness of Christ. But if we bear responsibility together, then there will be the fullness, the expression, of Christ. When we, God-created men who have received God’s grace, bear our responsibility and fulfill our function, then we will have the church as the fullness of Christ.
Now we come again to the latticed windows with the palm trees. We have pointed out that the latticed windows are for letting in air and light and for blocking out the negative things (41:16). These signify Christ as the life-giving Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17b). The life-giving Spirit is so free and liberated, yet there are the lattices. On the one hand, there is liberty; on the other hand, there is the screen. Whatever is heavenly, of life, of light, and of the pure, clear air can come in. But whatever is unclean, evil, and negative will be blocked out by the lattice, by the screen. This is how Christ as the life-giving Spirit operates within us.
Palm trees were carved on the walls next to the windows (Ezek. 41:18-19). Palm trees grow in the wilderness and are evergreen in summer and in winter. This indicates that in trial and temptations Christ is always victorious, having everlasting power and everlasting strength. Victory and everlasting power and strength always go together with air and light. This means that our victory and power are related to the life-giving Spirit. If we enjoy the life-giving Spirit, we will also enjoy Christ’s victory, power, and strength.
Ezekiel 41:9 says that outside the side chambers there is a space, or place, left. This signifies the surplus of the riches of Christ. No matter how much we need Christ and no matter how much He fills our needs, something will be left. Twelve baskets will be left over, as when the Lord Jesus satisfied the hungry ones (John 6). We may say that the place left on the three sides of the chambers is the twelve baskets. The Lord is never scarce; He is always rich with something left over. Christ is always abundant, and the grace of Christ is also abundant. Christ and His grace are inexhaustible. No matter how much we enjoy Him, there is always a surplus.
The spaces outside the side chambers that are left free are five cubits in breadth (Ezek. 41:11), the same measurement as the thickness of the outer wall. Once again, the number five indicates the receiving of the Lord’s grace resulting in our bearing responsibility. Here we need to see that no matter how much we bear responsibility by the grace of God, there will always be a surplus of grace. When we bear five cubits of responsibility, God will give us five cubits of grace in surplus. As we bear our responsibility, God will always give us an abundance of grace. This is God’s principle.
Between the space left of the side chambers and the holy chambers, there are open spaces twenty cubits in width (v. 10). These twenty cubits of open space indicate that the grace of Christ is not only sufficient but also rich. The number twenty is composed of ten times two and of five times four. This indicates a perfect (ten) testimony (two) obtained by the creature receiving grace to bear complete responsibility before God. From this we see that the Christ whom we experience and the grace which we enjoy are spacious, broad, rich, full, and with much surplus.
If we see this, we will realize that after we have the twelve baskets left over and we feed others again, we will have many more baskets left over. This is because Christ is always richer and richer; He is inexhaustible. When we enjoy Him once, we have five cubits left. When we enjoy Him again, twenty cubits are left. Christ will never become less; rather, He will always become more and more. Because Christ is so rich, the minister continues to become richer as the years go by.
Although there were ninety chambers, there were only two doors. This indicates that, since there are not many exits, it is easy to get in, but it is not easy to get out. There is no back exit or side exit. There are many windows but only two doors. Furthermore, the doors are toward the spaces that are left. If there were no space left, there would be no way to open the door.
We need to pay attention to the fact that the doors are open to the spaces that are left free. If there were no free spaces, there would be no doors and thus no entrance. This indicates that there can be an entrance only when there is a surplus of grace. If we are exhausted in our service and are barely overcoming, then with us there is no surplus of grace. As a result, there is no door, no entrance. The entrance is based on the surplus of grace. If we live in the Lord, our meeting and serving should be with space left over, that is, with a surplus of grace. Then a door will be open to us which no one can shut (Rev. 3:8).
