EZEKIEL 40-48. RELIGIOUS ORGANISATION OF THE PEOPLE IN THE MESSIANIC DAYS. To a modern taste these Chapter s, crowded with architectural and ritual detail, may seem dreary and irrelevant: to Ezekiel they are the real climax of his book, the crown as well as the conclusion of all his literary and rel... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL 40-48. THE TEMPLE. Ezekiel 40:1. It is worthy of note that the sketch starts with the old familiar phrases the hand of Yahweh was upon me and in the visions of God (_cf._ Ezekiel 1:1). These phrases point to an ecstatic experience. It is highly improbable, though we need not say inconceivab... [ Continue Reading ]
He is first struck by a thick wall encircling the Temple. Steps led up to the eastern gateway which pierced the wall, and on each side of which were three guard-rooms.... [ Continue Reading ]
Through this he came into the great outer court, round which ran a pavement, with thirty chambers fronting on the pavement probably for the use of the people in their celebration of the festal meals. On the northern and southern sides of the court there were gateways and guard-rooms similar to those... [ Continue Reading ]
From the south gate of the outer court he crosses to another court gateway (reached by a flight of steps) which leads to another court the south gateway of the inner court, which, like that of the outer court, had also guard-rooms on either side; and on the east and north side of the inner court wer... [ Continue Reading ]
By the (eastern?) gate (and possibly also the northern and southern) of this inner court was a chamber in which the burnt offering was washed. There were also tables on which the animals were slain and other tables on which the instruments of slaughter were placed. At the south there was a chamber f... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL 40:48 TO EZEKIEL 41:4. This consisted of three parts: (_a)_ the porch with a pillar on either side of it reached by a flight of steps (Ezekiel 40:48 f.; in Ezekiel 40:49, for eleven read, with LXX, twelve); (_b)_ the nave or large inner room beyond it (the holy place), whose name, temple, wa... [ Continue Reading ]