Ezekiel Chapter 41
Precise descriptions continue for the temple proper, its sanctuary or Holy Place (here called temple), and side chambers for priest’s quarters. This chapter can be studied in the light of (1 Kings 6 and 7), to note differences from Solomon’s temple.
Ezekiel 41:1 "Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, [which was] the breadth of the tabernacle."
Six cubits are 9 feet. This is 9 feet by 9 feet.
Ezekiel 41:2 And the breadth of the door [was] ten cubits: and the sides of the door [were]
five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length
thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits.
The door was 15 feet wide, and on either side of the door there was 7 1/2 feet. This area is then 30 feet wide and 60 feet long. This area is speaking of the Holy Place.
Ezekiel 41:3 "Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits."
The post of the door was 3 feet. The door is 9 feet. The width of the door was 10 1/2 feet.
Ezekiel 41:4 "So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This [is] the most holy [place]."
The most Holy Place is a square 30 feet wide by 30 feet long.
“The most Holy Place”: The Holy of Holies, which the High Priest entered annually on the Day of Atonement. These dimensions are identical to Solomon’s and twice those of the tabernacle in the wilderness.
Verses
Ezekiel 41:5 "After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of [every] side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side."
The wall of the house was 9 feet. The width of these side chambers were 6 feet. They were for the priests, who were serving in the temple. There appeared to be a 9 foot wall, separating the most Holy Place, from the chambers for the priests.
Ezekiel 41:6 "And the side chambers [were] three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which [was] of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house."
There seemed to be 30 of these chambers which were 6 feet wide at the lowest level.
Ezekiel 41:7 "And [there was] an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house [was still] upward, and so increased [from] the lowest [chamber] to the highest by the midst."
There seemed to be several floors. In the chambers, the first floor was very small, as we saw in the previous verse. The second floor was bigger than the first, and the third floor was bigger than the second. There were probably, three floors in these chambers.
Ezekiel 41:8 "I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers [were] a full reed of six great cubits."
It appears from this, that the foundations were
Ezekiel 41:9 "The thickness of the wall, which [was] for the side chamber without, [was] five cubits: and [that] which [was] left [was] the place of the side chambers that [were] within."
The walls separating this area were 7 1/2 feet wide.
Ezekiel 41:10 "And between the chambers [was] the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side."
This is speaking of this area being 30 feet square.
Ezekiel 41:11 "And the doors of the side chambers [were] toward [the place that was] left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left [was] five cubits round about."
The dimension of the area that was left was 7 1/2 feet.
Ezekiel 41:12 "Now the building that [was] before the separate place at the end toward the west [was] seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building [was] five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits."
“The end towards the west”: Beyond the western end of the temple proper was a distinct building with space that serves the temple, possibly housing supplies.
This separate place was 105 feet broad and 135 feet long. The walls around it were 7 1/2 feet thick. The length plus the thickness of the walls was 150 feet. This, including the width of the wall, was 120 feet broad.
Ezekiel 41:13 "So he measured the house, a hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, a hundred cubits long;"
The house is 150 feet long. The separate place, including the walls, was 150 feet.
Ezekiel 41:14 "Also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, a hundred cubits."
This is saying they were 150 feet broad.
Ezekiel 41:15 "And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which [was] behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, a hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court;"
These were terraced buildings with decorations. This area is 150 feet long also. It appears that each of these designated areas is 100 cubits or 150 feet long.
Ezekiel 41:16 "The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, ceiled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows [were] covered;"
We see from this, that this main area is definitely three stories tall. This is summarizing all of the measurements by the One who looked like a man to Ezekiel. There was wainscoting from the floor up to the windows.
Ezekiel 41:17 "To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure."
These measurements must be entirely accurate. This is measured inside and out.
Ezekiel 41:18 "And [it was] made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree [was] between a cherub and a cherub; and [every] cherub had two faces;"
Not only were all the measurements to be accurate, but the beauty of it all was not overlooked either. The cherubims and palm trees were for decorations. The wainscoting was decorated with beautiful carvings.
Figures of angels with palms between them (possibly to depict life and fruitfulness of God’s servants), were on the walls of the temple proper and on the doors (verse 25). Each cherub (unlike that of chapter 1:10), which had 4 faces of a man and of a line, possibly to represent the humanity and kingship of Messiah.
Ezekiel 41:19 "So that the face of a man [was] toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: [it was] made through all the house round about."
Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He also came to this earth in the form of man, to save His creation. These two faces could be looking to that. These faces could symbolize the spiritual and physical Israel.
Ezekiel 41:20 "From the ground unto above the door [were] cherubims and palm trees made, and [on] the wall of the temple."
These decorations went just about to the height of man from the floor.
Ezekiel 41:21 "The posts of the temple [were] squared, [and] the face of the sanctuary; the appearance [of the one] as the appearance [of the other]."
The posts were not round, but square. On both sides of the sanctuary wall, at the face, were the same. The inside matched the outside wall.
Ezekiel 41:22 "The altar of wood [was] three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, [were] of wood: and he said unto me, This [is] the table that [is] before the LORD."
This was the altar of incense.
The altar made of wood was 4 1/2 feet high and 3 feet long. This was all made of wood. "Wood" is symbolic of the world. LORD is Jehovah. This same altar had been made of shittim wood covered with 24 karat gold in the tabernacle in the wilderness. This to be made of just wood, is strange. This wood could symbolize that all the world will stand before God. Perhaps it was made of wood, because it was to be built in hard times, when there would be no gold.
Ezekiel 41:23 "And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors."
These two doors were in the Holy Place and the most Holy Place.
Ezekiel 41:24 "And the doors had two leaves [apiece], two turning leaves; two [leaves] for the one door, and two leaves for the other [door]."
Each opening of the doors had two small doors, which were hung from the sides, and opened in the middle.
Ezekiel 41:25 "And [there were] made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as [were] made upon the walls; and [there were] thick planks upon the face of the porch without."
These doors, like the wainscoting, were decorated with palm trees and cherubims. These thick planks could be for decoration, or for trimming. They could also, have made a wooden face for the front.
Ezekiel 41:26 "And [there were] narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and [upon] the side chambers of the house, and thick planks."
The facings around the windows were decorated with palm trees.
All of this is describing a very similar area, to the temple and its surroundings that had been in Jerusalem. Some of the details were a little different, but it is very familiar. This was a large complex approximately 750 feet long, and in places, three stories high. It was highly decorated, but there was a noticeable lack of gold and silver.
Ezekiel Chapter 41 Questions
1.Six cubits is the same as __ feet.
2.What were the dimensions of the Holy Place?
3.The most Holy Place is a square __________ feet wide by ______ feet long.
4.How wide was the wall of the house?
5.Who were the chambers for?
6.How many chambers were there, that were 6 feet wide at the lowest level?
7.The chambers enlarged in size, as they went _________.
8.How many floors were there?
9.Verse 9 tells us the walls in this area were how thick?
10.How big was the separate place?
11.How long was the house?
12.The face of the house was how broad?
13.The main area is definitely ___ stories tall.
14.What did the decorations look like?
15.What does the author believe the meaning of the two faces might have been?
16.How high from the floor did the decorations go up?
17.Were the posts round, or square?
18.How large was the altar of wood?
19.What does "wood" symbolize?
20.LORD is _____________.
21.In the tabernacle in the wilderness, what was the altar made with?
22.How many doors did the temple and the sanctuary have?
23.Describe these doors?
24.The facings around the windows were decorated with what?
25.What was the length of the entire complex?
26.What was obviously missing that had been in the tabernacle and the temple before?