Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of
Ezekiel chapters 40 through 42. Chapter 40. In
the 25th year of our captivity, at the beginning
of the year, on the 10th day of the month, in
the 14th year after the city was captured, on
the very same day, the hand of the Lord was upon
me, and he took me there. In the visions of God,
he took me into the land of Israel and set me
on a very high mountain. On it, toward the south,
was something like the structure of a city. He
took me there, and behold, there was a man whose
appearance was like the appearance of bronze.
He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in
his hand, and he stood in the gateway. And the
man said to me, Son of man, look with your eyes
and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on
everything I show you. for you were brought here
so that I might show them to you. Declare to
the house of Israel everything you see. Now there
was a wall all around outside of the temple.
In the man's hand was a measuring rod six cubits
long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth. And
he measured the width of the wall structure,
one rod, and the height, one rod. Then he went
to the gateway, which faced east. and he went
up its stairs and measured the threshold of the
gateway which was one rod wide and other threshold
was one rod wide each gate chamber was one rod
long and one rod wide Between the gate chambers
was a space of five cubits, and the threshold
of the gateway by the vestibule of the inside
gate was one rod. He also measured the vestibule
of the inside gate one rod, then he measured
the vestibule of the gateway eight cubits, and
the gate posts two cubits. The vestibule of the
gate was on the inside. In the eastern gateway
were three gate chambers on one side and three
on the other. The three were all the same size.
also the gate posts were of the same size on
this side and that side he measured the width
of the entrance to the gateway 10 cubits and
the length of the gate 13 cubits there was a
space in front of the gate chambers one cubit
on this side and one cubit on that side the gate
chambers were six cubits on this side and six
cubits on that side Then he measured the gateway
from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof
of the other. The width was 25 cubits as door
faces door. He measured the gate posts 60 cubits
high and the court all around the gateway extended
to the gate post. From the front of the entrance
gate to the front of the vestibule of the inner
gate was 50 cubits. There were beveled window
frames in the gate chambers and in their intervening
archways on the inside of the gateway all around,
and likewise in the vestibules. There were windows
all around on the inside, and on each gate post
were palm trees. Then he brought me into the
outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement
made all around the court. Thirty chambers faced
the pavement. The pavement was by the side of
the gateways, corresponding to the length of
the gateways. This was the lower pavement. Then
he measured the width from the front of the lower
gateway to the front of the inner court exterior,
100 cubits toward the east and the north. On
the outer court was also a gateway facing north,
and he measured its length and its width. Its
gate chambers, three on this side and three on
that side, its gate posts and its archways, had
the same measurements as the first gate. Its
length was 50 cubits and its width 25 cubits.
Its windows and those of its archways, and also
its palm trees, had the same measurements as
the gateway facing east. It was ascended by seven
steps, and its archway was in front of it. A
gate of the inner court was opposite the northern
gateway, just as the eastern gateway, and he
measured from gateway to gateway 100 cubits.
After that, he brought me toward the south, and
there a gateway was facing south. and he measured
its gate posts and archways according to these
same measurements there were windows in it and
in its archways all around like those windows
its length was 50 cubits and its width 25 cubits
seven steps led up to it and its archway was
in front of them and it had palm trees on its
gate posts one on this side and one on that side
there was also a gateway on the inner court facing
south and he measured from gateway to gateway
toward the south 100 cubits. Then he brought
me to the inner court through the southern gateway.
He measured the southern gateway according to
these same measurements. Also its gate chambers,
its gate posts, and its archways were according
to these same measurements. There were windows
in it and in its archways all around. It was
50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide. there were
archways all around twenty five cubits long and
five cubits wide its archways faced the outer
court palm trees were on its gate -posts and
going up to it were eight steps and he brought
me into the inner court facing east He measured
the gateway according to these same measurements.
Also, its gate chambers, its gate posts, and
its archways were according to these same measurements,
and there were windows in it and in its archways
all around. It was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits
wide. Its archways faced outer court and palm
trees were on its gate posts on this side and
on that side, and going up to it were eight steps.
Then he brought me to the north gateway and measured
it according to these same measurements. Also
its gate chambers, its gate posts, and its archways.
It had windows all around. Its length was 50
cubits and its width 25 cubits. Its gate posts
faced outer court. Palm trees were on its gate
posts on this side and on that side, and going
up to it were eight steps. There was a chamber
and its entrance by the gate -posts of the gateway,
where they washed the burnt offering. In the
vestibule of the gateway were two tables on this
side and two tables on that side, on which to
slay the burnt offering, the sin offering and
the trespass offering. At the outer side of the
vestibule, as one goes up to the entrance of
the northern gateway, were two tables, and on
the other side of the vestibule of the gateway
were two tables. Four tables were on this side,
and four tables on that side. By the side of
the gateway, eight tables on which they slaughtered
the sacrifices. There were also four tables of
hewn stone for the burnt offering, one cubit
and a half long, one cubit and a half wide, and
one cubit high. On these they laid the instruments
with which they slaughtered the burnt offering
and the sacrifice. Inside were hooks, a hand
breadth wide, fastened all around, and the flesh
of the sacrifices was on the tables. Outside
the inner gate were the chambers for the singers
in the inner court, one facing south at the side
of the northern gateway and the other facing
north at the side of the southern gateway. Then
he said to me, This chamber which faces south
is for the priests who have charge of the altar.
These are the sons of Zadok from the sons of
Levi, who come near the Lord to minister to him.
And he measured the court one hundred cubits
long and one hundred cubits wide, four square.
The altar was in front of the temple. 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. 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. Chapter
41 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 the width of the entryway
was 10 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
40 cubits and its width 20 cubits also he went
inside and measured the door posts two cubits
and the entrance six cubits high and the width
of the entrance seven cubits he measured the
length 20 cubits and the width 20 cubits beyond
the sanctuary and he said to me this is the most
holy place 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
the side chambers were in three stories one above
the other 30 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 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 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
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
and between it and the wall chambers was a width
of 20 cubits all around the temple on every side
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. The building that
faced the separating courtyard at its western
end was 70 cubits wide The wall of the building
was five cubits thick all around and its length
90 cubits So he measured the temple 100 cubits
long and the separating courtyard with the building
and its walls was 100 cubits long Also, the width
of the eastern face of the temple, including
the separating courtyard, was 100 cubits. He
measured the length of the building behind it,
facing the separating courtyard with its galleries
on one side and on the other side 100 cubits,
as well as the inner temple and the porches of
the court, 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 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
and it was made with cherubim and palm trees
a palm tree between cherub and cherub Each cherub
had two faces, 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. From the floor to the space above
the door and on the wall of the sanctuary, cherubim
and palm trees were carved. The doorposts of
the temple were square, as was the front of the
sanctuary. Their appearance was similar. 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. The temple
and the sanctuary had two doors. The doors had
two panels apiece, two folding panels, two panels
for one door and two panels for the other door.
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. 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.
Chapter 42 Then he brought me out into the outer
court, by the way toward the north, and he brought
me into the chamber which was opposite the separating
courtyard, and which was opposite the building
toward the north, facing the length which was
one hundred cubits, the width was fifty cubits,
was the north door. Opposite the inner court
of 20 cubits and opposite the pavement of the
outer court was gallery against gallery in three
stories. In front of the chambers, toward the
inside, was a walk 10 cubits wide at a distance
of 1 cubit, and their doors faced north. Now
the upper chambers were shorter because the galleries
took away space from them more than from the
lower and middle stories of the building. For
they were in three stories, and did not have
pillars like the pillars of the courts. Therefore
the upper level was shortened more than the lower
and middle levels from the ground up. And a wall
which was outside ran parallel to the chambers,
at the front of the chambers toward the outer
court. Its length was 50 cubits. The length of
the chambers toward the outer court was 50 cubits
whereas that facing the temple was 100 cubits.
At the lower chambers was the entrance on the
east side as one goes into them from the outer
court. Also there were chambers in the thickness
of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite
the separating courtyard and opposite the building.
There was a walk in front of them also, and their
appearance was like the chambers which were toward
the north. They were as long and as wide as the
others, and all their exits and entrances were
according to plan. and corresponding to the doors
of the chambers that were facing south as one
enters them there was a door in front of the
walk the way directly in front of the wall toward
the east then he said to me the north chambers
and the south chambers which are opposite the
separating courtyard are the holy chambers where
the priests who approach the lord shall eat the
most holy offerings There they shall lay the
most holy offerings, the grain offering, the
sin offering, and the trespass offering, for
the place is holy. When the priests enter them,
they shall not go out of the holy chamber into
the outer court, but there they shall leave their
garments, in which they minister, for they are
holy. They shall put on other garments, then
they may approach that which is for the people.
Now when he had finished measuring the inner
temple, he brought me out through the gateway
that faces toward the east, and measured it all
around. he measured the east side with the measuring
rod 500 rods by the measuring rod all around
he measured the north side 500 rods by the measuring
rod all around he measured the south side 500
rods by the measuring rod he came around to the
west and measured 500 rods by the measuring rod
he measured it on the four sides it had a wall
all around 500 cubits long and 500 wide to separate
the holy areas from the common i hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as i did and i look forward
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey god bless you and have a great day