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Ezekiel 42

Ezekiel 42 describes the layout and function of the temple's chambers in Ezekiel's vision. The prophet provides detailed measurements and locations of rooms, specifically highlighting their purposes and the holiness associated with them. These chambers, positioned on the northern and southern sides of the temple, serve as storage and living quarters for priests and for sacred items. This chapter emphasizes the sanctity of the temple spaces and underscores the importance of maintaining the separation between holy and common areas, ensuring the priests carry out their duties in an environment dedicated to reverence and purity.

Ezekiel 42:1-5 (NKJV)
1 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.
2 Facing the length, which was one hundred cubits (the width was fifty cubits), was the north door.
3 Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the pavement of the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.
4 In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north.
5 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.

Ezekiel is taken to the northern section of the temple, where he observes a set of chambers positioned adjacent to the outer and inner courts. These chambers, arranged in three stories, are accessed by a northern door. The structure allows a walkway and galleries for passage, with the upper stories being narrower than the lower ones due to the architectural design. These chambers likely serve as functional areas for the priests, underlining the temple's intricate layout that accommodates both accessibility and separation within sacred spaces.

Ezekiel 42:6-10 (NKJV)
6 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.
7 And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits.
8 The length of the chambers toward the outer court was fifty cubits, whereas that facing the temple was one hundred cubits.
9 At the lower chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.
10 Also there were chambers in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separating courtyard and opposite the building.

The chambers in this northern section of the temple have a distinct architectural feature: they lack supporting pillars, causing the upper floors to be smaller than the lower ones. An exterior wall runs alongside these chambers, providing both structure and privacy. The differing lengths of the chambers on either side of the building indicate functional zoning, with one entrance from the outer court accessible from the east. These chambers support the temple's operational needs, ensuring that storage and sacred activities are conducted in orderly, distinct spaces.

Ezekiel 42:11-14 (NKJV)
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 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.”

Ezekiel notes the similarity in design between the northern and southern chambers, each with entrances and exits designed purposefully. The chambers serve as designated holy areas for the priests, where they consume and store offerings given to the Lord. These chambers are sanctified for priestly duties, and the priests must leave their sacred garments here before entering the outer court. This practice maintains the separation between the holy and common areas, emphasizing the need for ritual purity when serving in the temple.

Ezekiel 42:15-20 (NKJV)
15 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.
16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around.
17 He measured the north side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around.
18 He measured the south side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod.
19 He came around to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod.
20 He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common.

Ezekiel concludes his vision with measurements that encompass the entire temple complex. The wall surrounding the temple measures five hundred cubits on each side, creating a clear boundary between sacred and common areas. This encompassing wall serves as a physical and spiritual boundary, protecting the holiness of the temple and ensuring a defined separation from the rest of the land. This final detail reinforces the concept of sacred space, where specific areas are consecrated solely for worship and priestly activities, apart from the profane world outside.

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