LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
THE WALLS, THE ALTAR OF INCENSE, THE HOLY OF HOLIES, AND THE KITCHENS
Read and pray: “And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, Gather the broken pieces which are left over that nothing may be lost. So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over among those who had eaten.” (John 6:12-13)
In this message we will consider the building at the back of the temple, the altar of incense in the temple, the holy chambers on the sides of the temple, the two kitchens where the priests prepared the offerings, and the walls.
THE BUILDING AT THE BACK OF THE TEMPLE
In the past, I spent many hours considering the building at the back of the temple (41:12-14) and seeking the Lord to discover the meaning and purpose of this building.
Sometimes what the Bible does not say is more significant than what it says. We may know the meaning and purpose of most of the buildings in Ezekiel, but we may not find any clue concerning the use of the building at the back.
This building is larger than the temple. The temple measures one hundred cubits by sixty, but the building at the back measures one hundred cubits by eighty. Although this building is larger than the temple, the record does not say its purpose.
When I was studying this building, the Lord showed me that it typifies the riches of Christ. The side chambers typify the fullness of Christ, but the building at the back typifies the riches of Christ.
We need to distinguish between the riches of Christ and the fullness of Christ. The riches of Christ are what Christ is. For example, Christ is life, light, reality, and the way.
The fullness of Christ is the church as the expression of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). The fullness of Christ is based on the riches of Christ. When we experience and enjoy the riches of Christ, we become the church as the fullness of Christ, His expression.
Since the side chambers indicate the fullness of Christ, the building at the back indicates the riches of Christ. Let me give a simple example of how the building at the back typifies the riches of Christ.
Suppose you are a guest in a brother’s house, but instead of giving you a room to stay in, the brother asks you to sleep on the sofa in the living room. This would indicate that the brother is not rich, but poor. However, if the brother provides you with a spacious vacant room prepared especially for you, this would indicate that he is rich.
The point here is that our Christ is very rich. Christ is so rich that He is able to meet all the requirements and satisfy all the needs of both God and man and still leave a large “building.” This building indicates that Christ is rich, with an abundant surplus.
We should not think that, as God’s building, Christ is only as much as we need. In principle, Christ as the building always has something in surplus, and the surplus is more than what is used.
We need to remember that five loaves fed five thousand people, and twelve baskets full were left over (John 6:12-13). The surplus was greater than the amount at the beginning. This indicates that Christ is unlimited.
The portion of Christ that is left over, which we need, is even greater than what is “used.” Unlike an apartment building displaying a sign that says, “No vacancies,” with Christ the “sign” always says, “Vacancies available.” Because Christ is unsearchably rich, He is a “building” in which there are always “vacancies.”
The size of this building—one hundred cubits by eighty—is significant. Eighty is ten times eight. The number eight signifies resurrection, and the number ten signifies fullness. The number eighty, therefore, signifies resurrection in fullness. Furthermore, the area of this building is eight thousand square cubits, that is, one hundred times eighty. In other words, it is a thousand times resurrection.
The dimensions of the building at the back include the wall, which is five cubits thick on all four sides. The actual capacity of the building is seventy cubits by ninety (Ezek. 41:12). These numbers are also significant.
Seventy is ten times seven, ninety is ten times nine, and nine is three times three. These numbers signify completion (seven), fullness (ten), resurrection (eight), and the Triune God (three). All this shows how rich Christ is.
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