The three previous sections of this book, concerning the glory of the Lord (ch. 1), the judgment of God (chs. 2—32), and the recovery of the Lord (chs. 33—39), are all for the holy building of God (chs. 40—48). God’s eternal purpose is to have a building as a mingling of Himself with His chosen people. Whatever God does among His people and among the nations on earth is for His building. This is confirmed by the book of Revelation, which is parallel to the book of Ezekiel and concludes with God’s ultimate building, the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2-27; 22:1-5).

After the destruction of the temple built by Solomon (2 Kings 25:8-9), the temple was rebuilt by the captives who returned from Babylon (Ezra 3:6-13; 6:13-15). Later, this temple was replaced by Herod’s temple, which was built in forty-six years (John 2:20). Herod’s temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman army under Titus (Dan. 9:26; Matt. 23:38; 24:2). Neither the temple in Ezra’s day nor the temple of Herod’s time was the full recovery of the temple built by Solomon. However, the temple of Ezekiel’s vision was a more than full recovery of Solomon’s temple. Although the temple itself was the same size as the one built by Solomon (Ezek. 41:2, 4; cf. 1 Kings 6:2), a number of details related to the gates, the courts, and the buildings around the temple in Ezekiel’s vision indicate an enlargement over Solomon’s temple. Thus, beginning with Abraham’s tent (see note Gen. 14:18^1a), progressing to the tabernacle and then to Solomon’s temple, and concluding with the temple in Ezekiel’s vision, there is a continual progression in the enlargement of God’s building in the Old Testament. This enlargement signifies a continual increase in the experience of Christ by God’s people (cf. note 1 Kings 6:20¹). God’s building in the Old Testament prefigures God’s spiritual building in the New Testament, which begins with Jesus Christ, the incarnated God, as God’s tabernacle (John 1:14) and God’s temple (John 2:19-21), advances to the church, the Body of Christ, as the enlargement of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:20-22), and consummates with the New Jerusalem as the ultimate manifestation and enlargement of God’s building in eternity (Rev. 21:2-3, 15-17).

Literally, the visions concerning God’s holy building in chs. 40—48 will be fulfilled in the restoration, when the restored Israel will rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem for their dwelling with God in the millennium. The spiritual significances of all the details should be applied to the New Testament believers as components of God’s spiritual building, the church.

Ezekiel saw the first vision, the vision of the appearance of the glory of the Lord, when he was thirty years of age, the age at which a priest began to function (Ezek. 1:1). He saw the last vision, the vision of the holy building of God, twenty years later (cf. Ezek. 1:2), at the age of fifty, the age of retirement for a priest (Num. 4:3). This indicates that to see the building of God, Ezekiel needed more maturity in life (cf. note Ezek. 1:1¹).

The beginning of the year indicates that the vision of God’s building brings us to a new beginning. The tenth day of the first month was the day on which the people of Israel prepared the lamb for the passover (Exo. 12:3). This indicates that every new beginning in our Christian life is based on Christ, the Passover lamb (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7), and His redemption.

To see the vision of God’s holy building, Ezekiel was brought from the land of captivity to a high mountain, signifying the resurrection and ascension of Christ, in the land of Israel, a type of the all-inclusive Christ as the portion allotted by God to His people (see note Deut. 8:7¹), and in the city of Jerusalem. This was the right position, standing, and angle for Ezekiel to see such a vision. See note Rev. 21:10¹.

This man is Christ. In the vision here He is not on the throne in the appearance of electrum (1:26-28) but at the gate of the building in the appearance of bronze. Bronze signifies Christ’s being tested by God’s judgment (Num. 16:37-39; 21:8-9). Having passed through God’s judgment, Christ is fully qualified to measure (take possession of by judging) what belongs to God’s building (Zech. 2:1 and notes).

A reed is for measuring (cf. Rev. 11:1; 21:15), and to measure is to test through judgment in order to possess.

The wall around the house is for separation, separating what belongs to God from what cannot belong to Him. The thickness and height of the wall are both six cubits; thus, a cross section of the wall is a square six cubits by six cubits. The number six signifies man, who was created on the sixth day. Hence, the wall with a square cross section of six cubits signifies Christ Himself as an upright, perfect, and complete man (cf. note Rev. 21:16¹). Such a Christ is the separating line of God’s building. Only what is included in Christ belongs to God’s interests and God’s building (Eph. 2:21).

The cubit used to measure the holy building of God was not a common human cubit. This indicates that the measuring was done not by the human standard but by the divine standard.

The gate is divided into four sections: an outer threshold (v. 6), a passage (a court, v. 14), an inner threshold (v. 7), and a porch (vv. 8-9). As the entrance to God’s building, the gate signifies Christ as the gateway for us to enter into God and into God’s interests, God’s building, and God’s kingdom (John 14:6, 20; Rev. 21:21a). Whereas the wall separates sinners from God, the gate brings people into God and into God’s building. See note Rev. 21:21^1b.

Or, little chamber. So also throughout this chapter. The six guardrooms are divided into two groups of three (v. 10), signifying that the guardrooms are a person, Christ Himself, who as the Triune God (three) became a man (six) and was “split” on the cross. Each of the six guardrooms is six cubits square and is thus the same in size as a cross section of the wall (see note Ezek. 40:5^1a). This indicates that the Lord Jesus in His person and work is the guard of God’s glory and holiness. 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 width of the porch is six cubits, the number six signifying man, who was created on the sixth day. The length of the porch is eight cubits (v. 9), the number eight signifying Christ’s resurrection, which took place on the first day of a new week as a new beginning (John 20:1). These dimensions signify that the Lord Jesus as a man, who is the gate of God’s building, is fully in resurrection. They also signify that when we arrive at the porch, we are in resurrection, in a new beginning.

The number ten here implies the Ten Commandments. This indicates that whatever the Ten Commandments require, the entry of the gate fulfills. The Lord Jesus as the “square,” upright, and perfect man (see note Ezek. 40:5^1a) fulfilled all the requirements of the Ten Commandments, and He has become the gate for us to enter into God’s building. For additional details concerning the gate, see Life-study of Ezekiel, Message Nineteen.

See note 1 Kings 6:4^1a.

Palm trees grow in the wilderness and are evergreen. The palm tree signifies victory and everlasting power (Exo. 15:27; Rev. 7:9). The palm trees on the posts of the gates signify that Christ, the guard of God’s holiness and glory, is the everlasting, victorious One, standing, bearing, sustaining, and prevailing. Christ is the post that supports and bears God’s building with a victorious, everlasting life.

There were six different sections, or areas, of pavement around the inside of the wall on the east, the south, and the north sides of the outer court, and on each section there were five chambers, giving a total of thirty chambers. In addition to the thirty chambers on the pavement, there were four small courts, one at each corner of the outer court (Ezek. 46:21-24 and note Ezek. 46:21¹). These were places for the people to boil the sacrifices. The pavement, probably made of stone, signifies the standing of regeneration, which makes us stones (John 1:42; Matt. 16:18), as a separation from the dirt of the world (cf. note Luke 15:22⁷). The chambers were dining places where the people ate the sacrifices, indicating that they were places for people to enjoy Christ as the sacrifices and offerings. (Whereas the priests ate in the inner court [Ezek. 42:1-14], the people ate in the outer court.) After passing through the gate of God’s dwelling place, we come to the outer court and enter into the chambers, where, standing on the “stones” of our regeneration, we eat and enjoy Christ, who is the reality of all the offerings (Heb. 10:5-10).

Lit., it.

The details of the gates to the inner court (vv. 28-37) were the same as those of the gates to the outer court, indicating that as we enter into the inner court, we repeat our experience of Christ. We experience the same Christ, but we experience more of Him.

At the entrance to the inner court there is another set of stairs (cf. vv. 22, 26), consisting of eight steps. This indicates that the more inward we progress in our experience of God’s building, the higher we become. The number eight signifies resurrection. This indicates that if we would come into the inner court, we need to be in resurrection. All the natural life and the natural man must be repudiated and crossed out.

Following the rendering of the Septuagint; the Hebrew reads, posts.

This chamber, probably within the north gate of the inner court, was for the priests to wash the burnt offerings (Lev. 1:3-9). This indicates that at this point in our experience, we are ready to be a burnt offering for God. When we pass through the gate to the inner court, we are in resurrection and on a higher level (see note Ezek. 40:31¹). Here, we are not merely the common people in the outer court; we have become the priests who are ready to minister to the Lord by offering the burnt offering, meaning that we are ready to be absolute for the Lord (see note Lev. 1:3^1a).

The eight tables within the north gate are for slaying the offerings (vv. 39-43). They are divided into two groups of four (v. 41). They are one and a half cubits square and one cubit high (v. 42). The number one signifies the unique God. The number three, the sum of the one and a half cubits of length and the one and a half cubits of breadth, signifies the Triune God in resurrection. The Triune God has been “split,” as indicated by the tables on the two sides of the gate as well as by the width of each table measuring half of three cubits. Thus, the numbers related to the eight tables signify that the Triune God (three), the unique God (one), who became a creature (four), was “split” on the cross, yet He was resurrected (eight). Now in resurrection He is a testimony (two). Today our service, our ministry, must be in the Triune God, the unique God, who was “split” as a creature and is now in resurrection as a living testimony.

Following the rendering of the Septuagint; the Hebrew reads, chambers for the singers.

Following the rendering of the Septuagint; the Hebrew reads, east.

The altar, which signifies the cross of Christ, is the center not only of the inner court but also of the entire premises of the temple. This altar is actually the center of the universe. As the center of the universe, the cross points to the all-inclusive death of Christ, which involved God, man, and all the creatures (see note Ezek. 43:13²). The death on the cross was the release of God (Luke 12:49-50; John 12:24) and the termination of man and all negative things (Rom. 6:6; Heb. 2:14; 9:26-28; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:14-15). In Christ’s death God passed through death in man to be released, and man died in God to be terminated.

The cross is not only the center but also the circumference of God’s holy building. The cross is implied in the gate, in the eating of the sacrifices, in the boiling houses, and in the tables on which the sacrifices are slain. Thus, the cross spreads in every direction and to every corner of God’s building. If we wish to contact God and enjoy His riches in His house, we must pass through the cross.

Whereas the altar signifies the cross, the temple signifies both Christ (John 2:19-21) and the church, the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21). The cross, Christ, and the church are the central subject not only of the New Testament but also of the entire Bible. That the altar stands in front of the temple indicates that we cannot have the church apart from the cross. We can have the reality of the church only after we have passed through the cross.

Following the rendering of the Septuagint; the Hebrew reads, the width of the gate was three cubits.…

Following the rendering of the Septuagint; the Hebrew reads, eleven.

Following the rendering of the Septuagint; the Hebrew reads, by steps that went up to it. The elevation of the temple was ten steps higher than that of the outer court and twenty-five steps higher than the elevation outside the temple (vv. 22, 31). This indicates that the further inward we proceed in our experience of God’s building, the higher we rise.

The fact that Ezekiel does not give us the measurement of the pillars indicates that they signify a supporting strength that is unlimited and immeasurable. Thus, the two pillars by each post signify Christ as God’s witness (two) bearing the house of God with a strength that is unlimited and immeasurable.