Ezekiel 41: 1 - 26
The Lord’s Throne Room
“ 1 Then he brought me into the sanctuary and measured the doorposts, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side—the width of the tabernacle. 2 The width of the entryway was ten cubits, and the side walls of the entrance were five cubits on this side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits.3 Also he went inside and measured the doorposts, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits high; and the width of the entrance, seven cubits. 4 He measured the length, twenty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits, beyond the sanctuary; and he said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.” 5 Next, he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits. The width of each side chamber all around the temple was four cubits on every side. 6 The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty chambers in each story; they rested on ledges which were for the side chambers all around, that they might be supported, but not fastened to the wall of the temple. 7 As one went up from story to story, the side chambers became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the middle one. 8 I also saw an elevation all around the temple; it was the foundation of the side chambers, a full rod, that is, six cubits high. 9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits, and so also the remaining terrace by the place of the side chambers of the temple. 10 And between it and the wall chambers was a width of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side. 11 The doors of the side chambers opened on the terrace, one door toward the north and another toward the south; and the width of the terrace was five cubits all around. 12 The building that faced the separating courtyard at its western end was seventy cubits wide; the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits. 13 So he measured the temple, one hundred cubits long; and the separating courtyard with the building and its walls was one hundred cubits long; 14 also the width of the eastern face of the temple, including the separating courtyard, was one hundred cubits. 15 He measured the length of the building behind it, facing the separating courtyard, with its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits, as well as the inner temple and the porches of the court, 16 their doorposts and the beveled window frames. And the galleries all around their three stories opposite the threshold were paneled with wood from the ground to the windows—the windows were covered— 17 from the space above the door, even to the inner room, as well as outside, and on every wall all around, inside and outside, by measure. 18 And it was made with cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Each cherub had two faces, 19 so that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side; thus it was made throughout the temple all around. 20 From the floor to the space above the door, and on the wall of the sanctuary, cherubim and palm trees were carved. 21 The doorposts of the temple were square, as was the front of the sanctuary; their appearance was similar. 22 The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its length, and its sides were of wood; and he said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.” 23 The temple and the sanctuary had two doors. 24 The doors had two panels apiece, two folding panels: two panels for one door and two panels for the other door. 25 Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the temple just as they were carved on the walls. A wooden canopy was on the front of the vestibule outside. 26 There were beveled window frames and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the vestibule—also on the side chambers of the temple and on the canopies.”
Our lifetimes go so fast. It seems that we were just kids a little time ago and now, well, where did it all go? Soon, the future looks clearer in vision than the past and it is not one of dread but of upcoming anticipation. We have not been there yet, that is heaven, but we long to be there with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He gives us little snapshots of what it will be like. However, this is not our home location. Say what? You heard what I just said, ‘it is not our final living spot!’
We all are going to die. Would you agree with me with this statement? If we die, we who are believers have put our hope and faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus’ sacrifice. He gave His life for ours when He died and shed His Precious Blood for us at Calvary. Because of His sacrifice we are forgiven and can spend eternity with Him.
If we die as believers the bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 we read, “1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”
We will be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and other loved ones. We will be with Him here on earth for 1000 years. At the end of this time frame our Lord will create a new heaven and earth and this friends is our final living spot.
We are looking at the time of the 1000 years of what is called the Millennium. Our King and Master Lord Jesus Christ will be living with us here on earth. We will be in our eternal bodies while others will live with temporal sinful frames.
Now picture with me we are now here in time. Everything that our Lord said would happen has occurred. We are now with Him for these 1000 years. You have been appointed as a mayor of a local city and now you have the opportunity to go to Jerusalem to see our King. You arrive and go to visit Him. You should not be surprised as to how the Temple looks because as a previous avid Bible student you have studied His Temple when you took the time to study Ezekiel chapters 40 through 48. You pass through the Temple as a veteran. I am proud of you.
We left off in chapter 40 two passages, verses 48 and 49. These verses speak about the vestibule of the Temple’s Sanctuary. So, here they are again “48 Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the doorposts of the vestibule, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the width of the gateway was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side. 49 The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits; and by the steps which led up to it there were pillars by the doorposts, one on this side and another on that side.”
Have you noticed that you are always ascending upwards when you are in the Temple? Our Lord Is seated in the highest. This is the honor due to Him. In humble submission we are below Him and lift our heads and arms up to Him in praise and worship that is due to Him. You will not have to worry about any physical deformities or wheel chair ramps because He has made everyone whole. The two pillars here are similar of what we saw in Solomon’s Temple. We read in the book of 1 kings chapter 7, “15 And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each. 16 Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chainwork, for the capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates above the network all around to cover the capitals that were on top; and thus he did for the other capital. 19 The capitals which were on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits. 20 The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above, by the convex surface which was next to the network; and there were two hundred such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around. 21 Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple; he set up the pillar on the right and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the left and called its name Boaz. 22 The tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies. So the work of the pillars was finished.”
The left pillar was named Boaz and the tight one was called Jachin. Their names signify Establishment [firm] and Strength. These pillars possibly represented the pillars of Exodus chapter 13, “20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” One entering the Sanctuary would not fail to remember the Lord’s deliverance of His people.
Look at the amazing action that happened against the Egyptians when our Lord was in the pillar as chapter 14 of Exodus explains, 19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”
“ 1 Then he brought me into the sanctuary and measured the doorposts, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side—the width of the tabernacle. 2 The width of the entryway was ten cubits, and the side walls of the entrance were five cubits on this side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits. 3 Also he went inside and measured the doorposts, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits high; and the width of the entrance, seven cubits. 4 He measured the length, twenty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits, beyond the sanctuary; and he said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.”
You are now here – your ultimate destination – The Sanctuary. It is divided into three parts, the porch, vestibule, and the Holy Place with the Holy of Holies. Notice that Ezekiel cannot enter the Holy of Holies, even in a vision. It is most Holy. This means a lot to me for I experienced such a vision. I was approaching the Holy of Holies and I new my Lord Jesus was inside. All I kept saying was, ‘I love you Lord, I love you Lord……’ As I was about to come into His presence my vision stopped. I laid there stunned but yet joyful in that this was an awesome experience.
The walls that support the doorframes leading into the vestibule of the Millennium Temple are eight feet four inches thick. These walls protrude five feet from the side walls on each side. The vestibule itself is thirty three feet 4 inches wide and eighteen feet 4 inches deep. Two columns or pillars stand at the top of the stairs on either side of the entrance to the vestibule.
So what is the big deal on knowing this information? If it is important to Almighty God and He wants to inform us, I would think that He wants us to know these facts. Just think if you familiarize yourself with these overviews you will be looked upon in the future as someone quite in the know.
To approach our king we have climbed 7 steps, then 8 steps, and now 10 steps. My math adds this up to be 25 steps or the covenant number of 5 squared.
Beyond the vestibule is the ‘Holy Place’. It has a doorway 10 feet deep and 16 feet eight inches wide. The ‘Holy Place’ is sixty six feet eight inches deep and thirty three feet four inches wide.
Ezekiel’s guide seldom spoke to him but when He did He always said something important. Please note that even in his vision Ezekiel was not allowed to enter the most Holy Place.
5 Next, he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits. The width of each side chamber all around the temple was four cubits on every side. 6 The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty chambers in each story; they rested on ledges which were for the side chambers all around, that they might be supported, but not fastened to the wall of the temple. 7 As one went up from story to story, the side chambers became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the middle one. 8 I also saw an elevation all around the temple; it was the foundation of the side chambers, a full rod, that is, six cubits high. 9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits, and so also the remaining terrace by the place of the side chambers of the temple. 10 And between it and the wall chambers was a width of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side. 11 The doors of the side chambers opened on the terrace, one door toward the north and another toward the south; and the width of the terrace was five cubits all around. 12 The building that faced the separating courtyard at its western end was seventy cubits wide; the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.
After visiting and worshiping our Master and Creator we move out of the Sanctuary to examine the side chambers. Here the rooms can be used by the Priests for their duties such as equipment used in their ministry; an area used to store the tithes and offerings of the people, and for study rooms. Go ask your pastor to take you on a tour of the inner offices of a church and you will see similar rooms. . Notices also verse 11. The west side of the Sanctuary had no pavement. It was not possible to walk directly behind the Holy of Holies. Wouldn’t you be tempted to go around here even if it was just to pray to our King who was on the other side of the wall?
13 So he measured the temple, one hundred cubits long; and the separating courtyard with the building and its walls was one hundred cubits long; 14 also the width of the eastern face of the temple, including the separating courtyard, was one hundred cubits. 15 He measured the length of the building behind it, facing the separating courtyard, with its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits, as well as the inner temple and the porches of the court,
Our Lord Is the Perfect Draftsman. Here He has composed the perfect Temple and is suitable for His Dwelling Presence.
16 their doorposts and the beveled window frames. And the galleries all around their three stories opposite the threshold were paneled with wood from the ground to the windows—the windows were covered— 17 from the space above the door, even to the inner room, as well as outside, and on every wall all around, inside and outside, by measure. 18 And it was made with cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Each cherub had two faces, 19 so that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side; thus it was made throughout the temple all around. 20 From the floor to the space above the door, and on the wall of the sanctuary, cherubim and palm trees were carved. 21 The doorposts of the temple were square, as was the front of the sanctuary; their appearance was similar. 22 The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its length, and its sides were of wood; and he said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.” 23 The temple and the sanctuary had two doors. 24 The doors had two panels apiece, two folding panels: two panels for one door and two panels for the other door. 25 Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the temple just as they were carved on the walls. A wooden canopy was on the front of the vestibule outside. 26 There were beveled window frames and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the vestibule—also on the side chambers of the temple and on the canopies.”
Our Wonderful tour guide now shows us the Temple decorations and furnishings. The walls of the Sanctuary are all paneled with wood and then decorated with palm trees and cherubim, the latter having two faces, representing both man and beast. The whole of creation is thus celebrated in the decorations. The eagle and the ox are missing. The eagle that represented royalty was not necessary because our Royal King was there in His Temple in Person. Thank you Precious Master. Also, the ox that represented sweat and toil of a servant was no longer applicable because our King has given everyone a time of rest and peace.
You know what else is neat about the statement, ‘Each cherub had two faces, 19 so that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side’? What has been a constant thorn against our Creator? – The theory of Evolution. Here we see man distinguished from the animal world. We have been created in God’s image and our Lord gives a clear indication of that fact.
Our Holy tour guide makes special emphasis at the table when He says, ‘This is the table that is before the LORD.’ This table combines the table of the showbread as The book of Exodus chapter 25 teaches us, 23 “You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around. 25 You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. 27 The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 28 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. 29 You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.”
And in addition the table includes the altar of incense as Exodus chapter 30 instructs, 1 “You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. 4 Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.7 “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.”
Here on this table the intercessions of the people of God are offered before Him in terms of incense and here are offered the showbread, the most holy of all the offerings made by fire, which represent God’s gifts to His people for their daily sustenance. Our God Is Great!
