Ezekiel 42, The Perfect Temple (Part Three)

Ezekiel is shown the priests’ chambers, where only the priests from Zadok’s family were permitted, and the outer dimensions of the temple complex.

The Priests’ Chambers
1 Then the man led me out by way of the north gate into the outer court. He brought me to the group of chambers opposite the temple yard and opposite the building to the north. 2 Along the length of the chambers, which was 175 feet, there was an entrance on the north; the width was 87½ feet. 3 Opposite the 35 foot space belonging to the inner court and opposite the paved surface belonging to the outer court, the structure rose gallery by gallery in three tiers. 4 In front of the chambers was a walkway toward the inside, 17½ feet wide and 175 feet long, and their entrances were on the north. 5 The upper chambers were narrower because the galleries took away more space from them than from the lower and middle stories of the building. 6 For they were arranged in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and middle stories. 7 A wall on the outside ran in front of the chambers, parallel to them, toward the outer court; it was 87½ feet long. 8 For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet long, while those facing the great hall were 175 feet long. 9 At the base of these chambers there was an entryway on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

10 In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the south, there were chambers facing the temple yard and the western building, 11 with a passageway in front of them, just like the chambers that faced north. Their length and width, as well as all their exits, measurements, and entrances, were identical. 12 The entrance at the beginning of the passageway, the way in front of the corresponding wall as one enters on the east side, was similar to the entrances of the chambers that were on the south side.

13 Then the man said to me, “The northern and southern chambers that face the courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach Yahweh will eat the most holy offerings. There they will deposit the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings—for the place is holy. 14 Once the priests have entered, they are not to go out from the holy area to the outer court until they have removed the clothes they minister in, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they approach the public area.”

“These two buildings provided a holy place where the ministering Zadokian priests could eat the holy offerings and change from their holy ministering garments to everyday clothes. The priests were to eat portions of the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. This building also provided a place to store these portions of the sacrifices. The priests would leave the priestly garments in these buildings. In doing so they would continue to distinguish between the holy and the profane.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

Outside Dimensions of the Temple Complex
15 When he finished measuring inside the temple complex, he led me out by way of the gate that faced east and measured all around the complex. 16 He measured the east side with a measuring rod; it was 875 feet by the measuring rod. 17 He measured the north side; it was 875 feet by the measuring rod. 18 He measured the south side; it was 875 feet by the measuring rod. 19 Then he turned to the west side and measured 875 feet by the measuring rod. 20 He measured the temple complex on all four sides. It had a wall all around it, 875 feet long and 875 feet wide, to separate the holy from the common. (Ezekiel 42, CSB)

“Ezekiel was shown the vast area that would be set aside for the sanctuary. It measured five hundred rods square, almost a square mile…Some argue that an area five hundred rods square (about 1.5 miles square) would be too large and not fit the topography. But Zechariah and other prophets demonstrate that the whole Palestinian topography will undergo geographical modifications at the beginning of the Millennium.” (Expositor’s)