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Summary

Ezekiel 40:1–4 – A new vision and a man with a measuring rod

What happens: In the twenty-fifth year of exile, fourteen years after the city fell, Ezekiel is taken to a high mountain in Israel. He sees a structure like a city. A radiant man with a linen cord and measuring rod meets him. Ezekiel must watch, listen, and declare what he sees to Israel.

What it means: God gives hope after judgment. The careful measuring shows order, purpose, and holiness. God’s presence returns to shape worship and life. Revelation demands attention and faithful witness.


Ezekiel 40:5–16 – The outer wall and the east gate

What happens: The man measures a wall around the temple area. He measures the east gate with its guardrooms, thresholds, posts, and porch. Windows and palm tree carvings appear. The design is precise and repeated.

What it means: Boundaries protect what is holy. Beauty and strength belong together in God’s house. Orderly worship reflects God’s character. The repeated pattern teaches reverence and consistency.


Ezekiel 40:17–27 – Outer court, north gate, and south gate

What happens: Ezekiel sees the outer court with paving and chambers for those who minister. The north and south gates match the east gate in plan. Steps lead up, and palm carvings decorate the posts.

What it means: God’s design is not random. Unity of pattern points to unity of purpose in worship. Many serve, but all serve the one holy God. Beauty points hearts upward in praise.


Ezekiel 40:28–47 – Inner gates, inner court, and the altar

What happens: He measures the south, east, and north inner gates. The inner court has rooms for singers and priests who keep charge of the altar. The square inner court stands before the house. The altar of burnt offering stands there.

What it means: Worship is central and draws near to God. Music and sacrifice serve holiness and joy. Roles are defined so that God’s house stays pure. God meets His people at the altar according to His ways.


Ezekiel 40:48–49 – The temple porch

What happens: Ezekiel measures the porch of the temple house with its pillars and steps. The details show strength and symmetry.

What it means: Approach to God is dignified and prepared. God’s beauty invites, and His holiness warns. We come as He directs, not as we wish.


Application

  • Order your worship by God’s Word, not by trends.
  • Keep clear boundaries that guard holy habits.
  • Serve in your role with joy and faithfulness.
  • Let beauty in worship point you to God’s glory.

Bible

1In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.

2In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

3And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

4And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

5And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

6Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.

7And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.

8He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.

9Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.

10And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.

11And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

12The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

13He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.

14He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.

15And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.

16And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees.

17Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.

18And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.

19Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.

20And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof.

21And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

22And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.

23And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.

24After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.

25And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

26And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.

27And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.

28And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

29And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

30And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.

31And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps.

32And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures.

33And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

34And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

35And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures;

36The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

37And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

38And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.

39And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.

40And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables.

41Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices.

42And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.

45And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

46And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.

47So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.

48And 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: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.

49The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

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