The Father Brings Ezekiel to a New Temple

Fourteen years after the city fell, our Father sets Ezekiel on a high mountain, where a man of bronze with a measuring reed walks him through gate after gate of a temple, calling out every dimension. The precision is the vision: this house is real and buildable.

Chapter 40.

In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the start of the year, on the tenth of the month, fourteen years after the city was struck down—that very day the hand of our Father came on me and brought me there. In visions from our Father he brought me to the land of Israel, set me down on a very high mountain, with something like a city's structure on its south. He brought me there: a man like bronze, a linen cord and measuring reed in his hand, standing in the gateway. ^a The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and fix your attention on all I show you, for you were brought here to be shown it. Tell the house of Israel everything you see."

The East Gate Measured

A wall surrounded the temple all around. The man held a measuring reed about ten and a half feet long. He measured the wall: its thickness, about ten and a half feet; its height, about ten and a half feet.

Then he went to the east-facing gate and climbed its steps. He measured the gate's threshold, about ten and a half feet deep, and the other threshold, about ten and a half feet deep. Each guard chamber was about ten and a half feet long and wide, with about nine feet between them. The gate's threshold beside the porch, facing inward, was about ten and a half feet. Then he measured the porch of the gateway, facing inward—about ten and a half feet. He measured the gateway's porch—about fourteen feet—and its doorposts—about three and a half feet; the porch faced inward.

Three guard chambers flanked the east gate on each side, all three the same size; the doorposts on each side measured the same. Then he measured the gateway entrance: about seventeen and a half feet wide, and the gateway about twenty-three feet long. A barrier in front of the guard chambers measured about twenty-one inches on each side; each guard chamber was about ten and a half feet on each side. Then he measured the gateway from one guard chamber's roof to the other's, about forty-four feet wide, with door facing door. He measured the doorposts—about 105 feet; the court reached the doorpost all around the gateway. From the front of the gateway's entrance to the front of its inner porch was about eighty-eight feet. The guard chambers and their doorposts had narrow windows all around inside the gateway, and so did the porches; windows ran all around facing inward, with palm trees carved on the doorposts.

The Outer Court

Then he brought me into the outer court; there were rooms and a pavement around it, with thirty rooms facing the pavement. The pavement ran beside the gateways, matching their length; this was the lower pavement. He measured from the front of the lower gateway to the outer front of the inner court: about 175 feet, east and north.

The North Gate Measured

The outer court's north gate—he measured its length and width. Its guard chambers—three on each side—and its doorposts and entrance hall matched the first gate: about eighty-eight feet long and about forty-four feet wide. Its windows, entrance hall, and palm trees matched the measurements of the east-facing gate. Seven steps led up to it, its entrance hall before them. A gate to the inner court faced the north gate, as on the east; he measured gate to gate—175 feet.

The South Gate Measured

Then he led me south, where a gate faced south; he measured its doorposts and porch, the same as the others. Windows all around it and its porch, like those windows; eighty-eight feet long, forty-four feet wide. Seven steps led up to it, its porch facing them, with palm trees carved on its doorposts, one on each side. A gate faced south for the inner court; he measured gate to gate southward—175 feet.

The Gates of the Inner Court

Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and measured it, the same as the others. Its guard chambers, doorposts, and entrance hall shared one measure, with windows all around, in it and its hall; eighty-eight feet long, forty-four feet wide. There were porches all around, about forty-four feet long and about nine feet wide. Its porch faced the outer court, palm trees carved on its doorposts; eight steps led up.

Then he brought me into the inner court on the east side, and measured the gate the same as the others. Its guard chambers, doorposts, and entrance hall measured the same, with windows all around, in it and its hall; eighty-eight feet long, forty-four feet wide. Its porch faced the outer court, with palm trees carved on its doorposts, one each side; eight steps led up to it.

Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it, the same measure as the others. Its guard chambers, doorposts, and entrance hall matched, with windows all around; it was about eighty-eight feet long, about forty-four feet wide. Its doorposts faced the outer court, with palm trees carved on them, one on each side; eight steps led up to it.

There was a chamber with its doorway by the gateways' doorposts, where the burnt offering was rinsed. In the gateway's entrance hall stood two tables on each side, for slaughtering the burnt offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. Outside, where you climb to the north gate's entrance, stood two tables; two more on the other side of the gateway's porch. Four tables stood on each side beside the gateway—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. Four cut-stone tables for the burnt offering, about two and a half feet long, two and a half wide, and twenty-one inches high, held the tools for slaughtering the burnt offering and the sacrifice. Double-pronged hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened all around inside; on the tables lay the offering's flesh.

Chambers for Those Who Serve

Outside the inner gateway were rooms for the singers in the inner court: one by the north gate facing south, one by the east gate facing north. He said to me, "This chamber facing south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple. The chamber facing north is for the priests in charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the ones among Levi's descendants who may approach our Father to serve him."

The Inner Court and Temple Porch

Then he measured the court: about 175 feet long, 175 feet wide, a perfect square; the altar stood in front of the temple.

Then he brought me to the temple porch and measured its jambs—about nine feet on each side; the gateway's width was about five feet on each side. The porch was about thirty-five feet long, about nineteen wide, reached by steps; pillars stood by the doorposts, one on each side.

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Ezekiel 40