LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Read and pray: “I know your works—behold, I have set before you an open door which no one can shut—that you have a little power, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.” (Rev. 3:8)
THE OUTER WALL
The outer wall of the side chambers is five cubits (Ezek. 41:9). The number five here indicates that some of us have received the grace of God and 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 man’s responsibility before God.
If the elders, co-workers, and all the saints do not take any responsibility before God, there will be no side chambers, that is, the church as the fullness of Christ. But if we take the responsibility together, then there will be the fullness, the expression, of Christ.
When we, men created by God who have received the grace of God, bear our responsibility and fulfill our function, then we will have the church as the fullness of Christ.
THE LATTICED WINDOWS AND THE PALM TREES
Now we come again to the latticed windows with the palm trees. We have shown that the latticed windows are for letting in air and light and for blocking 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 released, yet there are the lattices. On the one hand, there is freedom; on the other hand, there is the screen.
Everything that is heavenly, of life, of light, and of purity—pure air—can come in. But everything that is impure, harmful, and negative will be blocked by the lattice, by the screen. It is in this way that Christ, as the life-giving Spirit, operates within us.
The palm trees were carved on the walls beside the windows (Ezek. 41:18-19). Palm trees grow in the desert, and they are green in both summer and winter. This indicates that in judgment and in temptations, Christ is always victorious, having eternal power and strength.
Victory, power, and eternal 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 the victory, the power, and the strength of Christ.
THE SPACE LEFT
Ezekiel 41:9 says that outside the side chambers there is a space, or place, left. This typifies 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 were left over when the Lord Jesus satisfied the hungry (John 6). We may say that the space left on the three sides of the chambers is the twelve baskets. The Lord is never short; 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, which are left free, are five cubits in width (Ezek. 41:11), the same measure 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 surplus grace. When we bear our responsibility, God always gives us an abundance of grace. This is God’s principle.
OPEN SPACE
Between the space left of one of the side chambers and the holy chambers, there are open spaces of 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 testimony (ten), testimony (two) obtained by the creature receiving grace to bear the complete responsibility before God. From this we see that Christ, whom we experience, and the grace we enjoy are spacious, broad, rich, full, and with much surplus.
If we see this, we will realize that after having the twelve baskets left over and feeding others again, we will have many more baskets left over. This happens because Christ is always more and more rich; He is inexhaustible.
When we enjoy Him once, five cubits are left to us. When we enjoy Him again, twenty cubits are left to us. Christ will never become less; on the contrary, He will always become more and more. Because Christ is so rich, the minister continues to become richer and richer as the years go by.
THE DOORS
Although there were ninety chambers, there were only two doors. This indicates that since there are not many exits, it is easy to enter but difficult to leave. There is no back exit or side exit. There are many windows, but only two doors.
Furthermore, the doors are in the direction of 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 open toward the spaces that are left free. If it were not for the 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 fainting, then there is no surplus of grace with us. As a result, there is no door, nor entrance. The entrance is based on the surplus of grace.
If we live in the Lord, our meeting and service 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).
🌿Enjoy more:
Hymn: "All the types of the past portray You, O Lord"
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