Ezekiel 40:7
Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide, and there were five cubits between the gate chambers. The inner threshold of the gate by the portico facing inward was one rod deep.
Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide
The measurement of a rod, approximately 10.5 feet or 3.2 meters, indicates the substantial size of the gate chambers. This reflects the grandeur and precision of the temple's design, emphasizing the importance of order and structure in worship. The use of specific measurements underscores the divine inspiration behind the temple's construction, reminiscent of the detailed instructions given for the Tabernacle in Exodus 25-27. The gate chambers served as guardrooms, highlighting the need for security and sanctity in the temple, a place set apart for God's presence.

and there were five cubits between the gate chambers
A cubit, roughly 18 inches or 45 centimeters, was a common biblical unit of measurement. The five-cubit spacing between chambers suggests a well-planned architectural design, allowing for movement and function within the temple complex. This spacing may symbolize grace, as the number five often represents grace in biblical numerology. The arrangement of the chambers could also reflect the orderly nature of God's kingdom, where everything has its place and purpose.

The inner threshold of the gate by the portico facing inward was one rod deep
The inner threshold's depth of one rod signifies a significant entryway, marking the transition from the outer to the inner parts of the temple. This threshold represents a boundary between the common and the sacred, inviting worshippers to move closer to God's presence. The portico, or porch, facing inward, suggests an orientation towards the heart of the temple, where God's glory dwells. This inward focus can be seen as a call for believers to direct their hearts towards God, seeking deeper communion with Him. The threshold's depth also indicates the weight and importance of entering into a covenant relationship with God, reminiscent of Jesus Christ as the "door" through which believers enter into eternal life (John 10:9).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel receives visions from God, including the detailed vision of a new temple in chapters 40-48.

2. The Temple
The vision of the temple in Ezekiel 40 represents a future, idealized temple, symbolizing God's presence and the restoration of Israel.

3. Gate Chambers
These are part of the temple's structure, indicating the precision and orderliness of God's design.

4. Rod and Cubit
Ancient units of measurement used to describe the dimensions of the temple, emphasizing the exactness and divine order.

5. Threshold and Vestibule
Architectural elements of the temple, symbolizing the transition from the outside world into the sacred space of God's presence.
Teaching Points
God's Precision and Order
God's instructions for the temple's measurements reflect His nature of precision and order. This teaches us the importance of approaching God with reverence and respect for His holiness.

Symbolism of the Temple
The temple symbolizes God's presence among His people. As believers, we are called to be living temples, reflecting God's holiness in our lives.

Restoration and Hope
Ezekiel's vision offers hope for restoration. In times of personal or communal exile, we can trust in God's promise to restore and renew.

Transition to Holiness
The threshold and vestibule signify the transition into God's holy presence. We should prepare our hearts and minds as we enter into worship and communion with God.

Measurement and Accountability
The specific measurements remind us of the importance of accountability in our spiritual lives. We are called to measure our actions and thoughts against God's standards.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the detailed description of the temple in Ezekiel 40:7 reflect God's character, and how can this understanding influence our worship practices today?

2. In what ways does the vision of the temple in Ezekiel connect to the concept of believers as the temple of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament?

3. How can the symbolism of the threshold and vestibule in the temple inspire us to prepare ourselves for entering God's presence in prayer and worship?

4. What parallels can you draw between the restoration promised in Ezekiel's vision and the hope offered through Christ's redemptive work?

5. How can we apply the principle of divine order and precision in our daily lives, particularly in our spiritual disciplines and community interactions?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 25-27
The detailed instructions for the Tabernacle's construction parallel the detailed vision of the temple, highlighting God's desire for order and holiness in worship.

1 Kings 6-7
Solomon's temple construction shares similarities with Ezekiel's vision, pointing to the continuity of God's dwelling place among His people.

Revelation 21
The New Jerusalem's description echoes the themes of divine presence and perfect order found in Ezekiel's temple vision.
God's Kingdom Divinely OrganizedJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 40:5-27
Entrance to the KingdomW. Clarkson Ezekiel 40:6-11
People
Ezekiel, Levi, Levites, Zadok
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Alcoves, Beside, Broad, Cell, Cells, Chamber, Chambers, Covered, Cubits, Deep, Doorstep, Doorway, Facing, Gate, Guardroom, Guardrooms, Guards, Inner, Inside, Inward, Jambs, Lodge, Lodges, Porch, Portico, Projecting, Reed, Rod, Rooms, Space, Temple, Thick, Threshhold, Threshold, Vestibule, Walls, Watchmen's, Wide, Within
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 40:7

     4803   breadth

Ezekiel 40:1-49

     5207   architecture

Ezekiel 40:5-7

     5618   measures, linear

Library
The Parts of the City. Sion. The Upper City: which was on the North Part.
There is one who asserts Jerusalem to stand on seven hills; but whether upon a reason more light, or more obscure, is not easy to say. "The whale showed Jonah (saith he) the Temple of the Lord, as it is said, 'I went down to the bottom of the mountains': whence we learn that Jerusalem was seated upon seven mountains." One may sooner almost prove the thing itself, than approve of his argument. Let him enjoy his argument to himself; we must fetch the situation elsewhere. "The city itself (saith Josephus)
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness.
^A Matt. IV. 1-11; ^B Mark I. 12, 13; ^C Luke IV. 1-13. ^c 1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, ^b 12 And straightway the Spirit driveth him forth ^c and ^a 1 Then [Just after his baptism, with the glow of the descended Spirit still upon him, and the commending voice of the Father still ringing in his ears, Jesus is rushed into the suffering of temptation. Thus abrupt and violent are the changes of life. The spiritually exalted may expect these sharp contrasts. After being
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Millennium in Relation to Israel.
"And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land" (Gen. 15:17, 18). Here the two great periods of Israel's history was made known to Abram in figure. The vision of the smoking furnace and the burning lamp intimated that the history of Abraham's descendants was to be a checkered one. It was a prophecy in
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
WHEREIN ITS GOODLY LIGHT, WALLS, GATES, ANGELS, AND THE MANNER OF THEIR STANDING, ARE EXPOUNDED: ALSO HER LENGTH AND BREADTH, TOGETHER WITH THE GOLDEN MEASURING-REED EXPLAINED: AND THE GLORY OF ALL UNFOLDED. AS ALSO THE NUMEROUSNESS OF ITS INHABITANTS; AND WHAT THE TREE AND WATER OF LIFE ARE, BY WHICH THEY ARE SUSTAINED. 'Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.'-Psalm 87:3 'And the name of the city from that day shall be, THE LORD IS THERE.'-Ezekiel 48:35 London: Printed in the year 1665
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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