LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Message 22
THE TEMPLE AND THE SIDE CHAMBERS
WEEK 10 - FRIDAY
Scripture Reading: Ez 40:48-49; 41:8, 21, 25b─26a
Read and pray: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall by no means go out anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My new name.” (Rev. 3:12)
In this message we will consider the temple and the side chambers. The temple is composed of three parts: the portico, the Holy Place (the outer temple), and the Holy of Holies (the inner temple).
THE TEMPLE
After we pass the altar, we come to the temple. The temple is composed of three main sections: the portico, the outer temple, which is called the Holy Place, and the inner temple, which is called the Holy of Holies.
In addition, there is an annex 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 annex.
THE PORTICO
Let us begin with the first main part of the temple, the portico.
The Steps
Ten steps lead up to the portico (40:49). Now we can see that the temple complex 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 at an even lower level than that of the outer court. If we count from the street outside the wall of the temple complex, 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 an idea of the elevation of the temple.
It also indicates that the more we proceed inward into the temple, the more we ascend. When we are outside the wall, we are at the lowest level. But when we enter and move inward, we go higher and higher.
When we go from the street to the outer court, we must ascend seven steps. When we go from the outer court to the inner court, we must ascend another eight steps. When we go from the inner court to the interior of the temple, we must ascend another ten steps. From this we can see that the temple is a total of twenty-five steps above the level of the street.
Although we must ascend twenty-five steps from the street level to the temple level, in actuality we ascend only fifteen cubits in height. We can calculate this because the ten steps to the temple are equal to the height of the pavement of the temple.
In 41:8 Ezekiel says that he saw an elevation of the temple that was six cubits high. This is equal to the height of the ten steps. The pavement, which is six cubits high, is the base of the entire building of the temple and the side chambers.
The height of the ten steps is equal to six cubits. Therefore, the twenty-five steps from the street level to the temple level must equal fifteen cubits.
Once again, the numbers are significant. Twenty-five is five times five, indicating responsibility within responsibility. Fifteen is five times three, indicating the responsibility borne by the Triune God in resurrection.
Putting these things together, we can see that the way to ascend higher and higher in the temple is by responsibility within responsibility borne by the Triune God in resurrection. We have no other way to go higher except by the responsibility borne by the Triune God in resurrection.
The Two Pillars
From the steps we go on to the two columns. We need to differentiate the pillars from the doorposts of the temple (41:21). The doorposts are square, whereas the pillars are round. Although the measurements of the doorposts are given, those of the pillars are not.
The fact that Ezekiel does not give us the measurement of the pillars indicates that they must be unlimited. Thus, these pillars typify Christ as the witness of God bearing the house of God with a strength that is unlimited and immeasurable.
Now we come to the portico. Ezekiel 40:48 says, “Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured each pillar of the portico, five cubits on the one side and five cubits on the other side; and the width of the entrance was three cubits on the one side and three cubits on the other side.”
Here we have two pillars, each measuring five cubits. Since the number five signifies responsibility and the number two signifies testimony, the meaning of these two pillars is responsibility in testimony. Once again, the number three typifies the Triune God in resurrection.
The height of the portico is twenty cubits, and the entrance of the portico is fourteen cubits. As we have seen, the number fourteen is composed of seven times two or of ten plus four. Seven typifies completion, two typifies testimony, ten typifies fullness, and four typifies the creatures. Thus, the portico also typifies that the creatures bear a complete testimony in fullness.
An additional point concerning the portico is that it is used as a vestibule. This makes the temple easy to access. In the church life, we also should have a vestibule, making it easy for people to enter.
This means that we need to have a broadened atmosphere to make it easy for people to contact us and reach us. Such a vestibule makes the church accessible and enables us to bring people in and keep them. In addition to making the temple accessible, the portico, or vestibule, is a place where we can slow down, draw near, and prepare ourselves to enter into the temple.
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