Ezekiel 42
Ezekiel 42 is a continuous sequence of scenes from the vision of the temple, and it describes, in particular, the subsidiary buildings of the temple—specifically the rooms for the priests—and their purposes in detail. In this chapter, we see long rooms and side chambers located to the north and south of the temple. It is also shown that the priests eat the holy offerings there, prepare for their priestly duties, and have areas set apart so they can maintain holiness. This design clearly separates what is holy from what is common, and symbolically reveals that the priest is a person set apart from the ordinary people. In the final part of the chapter, the overall size of the entire temple area is emphasized once again, highlighting the focus on order and separation, and on God’s holiness.
1verseThen he brought me out into the outer court, the way toward the north. Then he brought me into the room that was opposite the separate place, and which was opposite the building toward the north.
2verseFacing the length of one hundred cubits was the north door, and the width was fifty cubits.
3verseOpposite the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the three stories.
4verseBefore the rooms was a walk of ten cubits’ width inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north.
5verseNow the upper rooms were shorter; for the galleries took away from these more than from the lower and the middle in the building.
6verseFor they were in three stories, and they didn’t have pillars as the pillars of the courts. Therefore the uppermost was set back more than the lowest and the middle from the ground.
7verseThe wall that was outside by the side of the rooms, toward the outer court before the rooms, was fifty cubits long.
8verseFor the length of the rooms that were in the outer court was fifty cubits. Behold, those facing the temple were one hundred cubits.
9verseFrom under these rooms was the entry on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.
10verseIn the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were rooms.
11verseThe way before them was like the appearance of the rooms which were toward the north. Their length and width were the same. All their exits had the same arrangement and doors.
12verseLike the doors of the rooms that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one enters into them.
13verseThen he said to me, “The north rooms and the south rooms, which are opposite the separate place, are the holy rooms, where the priests who are near to the LORD shall eat the most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, with the meal offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.
14verseWhen the priests enter in, then they shall not go out of the holy place into the outer court until they lay their garments in which they minister there; for they are holy. Then they shall put on other garments, and shall approach that which is for the people.”
15verseNow when he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the gate which faces toward the east, and measured it all around.
16verseHe measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed all around.
17verseHe measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around.
18verseHe measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
19verseHe turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
20verseHe measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, the length five hundred cubits, and the width five hundred cubits, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common.
The Overall Meaning of Chapter 42
In Ezekiel 42, the subsidiary spaces of the temple are described very specifically, and it brings to mind again the order of worship and sacrifices offered to God, as well as the importance of the priests’ role and holiness. Even if the detailed structural descriptions may seem complicated, they go beyond mere interest in architecture; they visually show God’s intention to preserve holiness within the community, and the order and dignity that worship entails. This can be read as a message emphasizing that in every act of worship and service that comes before God, as well as in the various areas of life, holiness should be given priority.
Meditation Points
- In the temple that Ezekiel saw, there were many spaces set apart. Let’s think about which parts of my heart and actions also need to be distinguished in the life that comes before God.
- Let’s also reflect on how God’s holiness and thoroughness, revealed through specific measurements and order, can be applied to today’s worship and faith life.
Try Applying It to Myself
- In the attitude of life offered to God, if there are any parts that I myself need to set apart and keep holy, let’s find specific ways to put that into practice.
- Let’s commit ourselves to live in a way that respects God’s order even in small habits and daily life, and that also reveals holiness in our relationships with others.
