In this chapter, the Lord took Ezekiel (in a vision/dream) to the land of Israel and showed him the new temple of the Lord with all of its measurements and details. Here’s how the chapter begins: “On April 28, during the twenty-fifth year of our captivity – fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem – the Lord took hold of me. In a vision of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. From there I could see what appeared to be a city across from me toward the south. As he brought me nearer, I saw a man whose face shone like bronze standing beside a gateway entrance. He was holding in his hand a measuring tape and a measuring rod.
He said to me, “Son of man, watch and listen. Pay close attention to everything I show you. You have been brought here so I can show you many things. Then you will return to the people of Israel and tell them everything you have seen.” (Wow! The Lord is giving the blueprint of His new Temple to Ezekiel. That is amazing! How many times have we been thinking of a project, and in the middle of the night, a vision of it miraculously appears with remarkable clarity? That has happened to me so many times! Lord, thank you!)
The East Gateway
I could see a wall completely surrounding the Temple area. The man took a measuring rod that was 10 ½ feet long and measured the wall, and the wall was 10 ½ feet thick and 10 ½ feet high.
Then he went over to the gateway that goes through the eastern wall. He climbed the steps and measured the threshold of the gateway; it was 10 ½ feet deep. There were guard alcoves on each side built into the gateway passage. Each of these alcoves was 10 ½ feet square, with a distance between them of 8 ¾ feet along the passage wall. The gateway’s inner threshold, which led to the foyer at the inner end of the gateway passage, was 10 ½ feet deep. He also measured the foyer of the gateway and found it to be 14 feet deep, with supporting columns 3 ½ feet thick. This foyer was at the inner end of the gateway structure, facing toward the Temple.” (Ezekiel 40:1-9)
The rest of the chapter continues in this format, as it describes in detail the rest of the East Gateway, the Outer Courtyard, the North Gateway, the South Gateway, gateways to the Inner Courtyard, rooms for preparing sacrifices, rooms for the priests, and the Inner Courtyard and Temple. Read it for yourself to create a vision of the new Temple God is planning for the people of Israel.
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Thank you for being our light in the middle of the night! For as your Word says, “Joy comes in the morning!” Lord, you are amazing, and we love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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