Ezekiel 40
Ezekiel 40 begins the final vision of the book, often described as the vision of the new temple and restored land in Ezekiel 40–48. In the twenty-fifth year of the exile, Ezekiel is brought in a vision to a high mountain and shown a temple complex with precise measurements.
A heavenly guide appears with a measuring reed and shows Ezekiel the gates, courts, chambers, and structures of the temple. The repeated measuring emphasizes order, holiness, and the restoration of God’s presence among His people.
1verseIn the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, in the same day, the LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me there.
2verseIn the visions of God he brought me into the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was something like the frame of a city to the south.
3verseHe brought me there; and, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.
4verseThe man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I will show you; for you have been brought here so that I may show them to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”
5verseBehold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a hand width each. So he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
6verseThen he came to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide; and the other threshold, one reed wide.
7verseEvery lodge was one reed long and one reed wide. Between the lodges was five cubits. The threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.
8verseHe measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.
9verseThen he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.
10verseThe side rooms of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side. The three of them were of one measure. The posts had one measure on this side and on that side.
11verseHe measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
12verseand a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the side rooms, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
13verseHe measured the gate from the roof of the one side room to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, door against door.
14verseHe also made posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached to the posts, around the gate.
15verseFrom the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.
16verseThere were closed windows to the side rooms, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches. Windows were around inward. Palm trees were on each post.
17verseThen he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty rooms were on the pavement.
18verseThe pavement was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates, even the lower pavement.
19verseThen he measured the width from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north.
20verseHe measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces toward the north.
21verseThe lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side. Its posts and its arches were the same as the measure of the first gate: its length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.
22verseIts windows, its arches, and its palm trees were the same as the measure of the gate which faces toward the east. They went up to it by seven steps. Its arches were before them.
23verseThere was a gate to the inner court facing the other gate, on the north and on the east. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate.
24verseHe led me toward the south; and behold, there was a gate toward the south. He measured its posts and its arches according to these measurements.
25verseThere were windows in it and in its arches all around, like the other windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.
26verseThere were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them. It had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, on its posts.
27verseThere was a gate to the inner court toward the south. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate toward the south.
28verseThen he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate according to these measurements;
29versewith its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide.
30verseThere were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.
31verseIts arches were toward the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts. The ascent to it had eight steps.
32verseHe brought me into the inner court toward the east. He measured the gate according to these measurements;
33versewith its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide.
34verseIts arches were toward the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side. The ascent to it had eight steps.
35verseHe brought me to the north gate, and he measured it according to these measurements—
36verseits lodges, its posts, and its arches. There were windows in it all around. The length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits.
37verseIts posts were toward the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side. The ascent to it had eight steps.
38verseA room with its door was by the posts at the gates. They washed the burnt offering there.
39verseIn the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to kill the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering.
40verseOn the one side outside, as one goes up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.
41verseFour tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate: eight tables, on which they killed the sacrifices.
42verseThere were four cut stone tables for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high. They laid the instruments with which they killed the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them.
43verseThe hooks, a hand width long, were fastened within all around. The meat of the offering was on the tables.
44verseOutside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate. They faced toward the south. One at the side of the east gate faced toward the north.
45verseHe said to me, “This room, which faces toward the south, is for the priests who perform the duty of the house.
46verseThe room which faces toward the north is for the priests who perform the duty of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to the LORD to minister to him.”
47verseHe measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, square. The altar was before the house.
48verseThen he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side. The width of the gate was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.
49verseThe length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits, even by the steps by which they went up to it. There were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.
Structure and Flow
- 40:1-4: Ezekiel is led into the temple in a vision and participates in the measuring
- 40:5-16: Detailed measurements of the outer wall and the eastern gate
- 40:17-27: Description of the outer court and the north and south gates
- 40:28-47: Introduction to the south, east, and north gates of the inner court and the surrounding rooms
- 40:48-49: Measuring of the temple porch
Overall, the temple’s structure, rooms, gates, courtyards, and more are measured and introduced in detail, emphasizing order and holiness.
Symbolic Meaning
The temple vision that Ezekiel sees goes beyond simply introducing architectural style; it symbolizes the restored relationship between God and the people of Israel, God’s presence, and a new order and holiness.
Through this visionary description, the meaning is that God will dwell again among Israel, and that God wants the people to live in right worship and life.
Points for Reflection
- Think about the fact that God measures everything carefully and establishes everything in an orderly way.
- Also reflect on what kind of structure and order my life and faith have, in the sense that the promise of restoration sometimes appears in concrete reality, structure, and order.
Apply to Yourself
- You can examine yourself, your faith life, and your community before God, and make specific plans to restore any areas that are lacking or broken.
- Take a look at my daily life and worship, reflecting on whether I am living my faith life within the holy order that God has set.