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The Temple

(continued)

Ezekiel 41:1-26



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The Temple

(continued)

Text:

Ezekiel 41:1-26,

1. Then he brought me to the outer sanctuary, and measured the

jambs; the jambs were 10½ feet wide on each side.

2. The width of the entrance was 17½ feet, and the sides of the

entrance were 8¾ feet on each side. He measured the length of the

outer sanctuary as 70 feet, and its width as 35 feet.

3. Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of

the entrance as 3½ feet, the entrance as 10½ feet, and the width of

the entrance as 12¼ feet

4. Then he measured its length as 35 feet, and its width as 35 feet,

before the outer sanctuary. He said to me, “This is the most holy

place.”

5. Then he measured the wall of the temple as 10½ feet, and the

width of the side chambers as 7 feet, all around the temple.

6. The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other,

thirty in each story. There were offsets in the wall all around to

serve as supports for the side chambers, so that the supports were

not in the wall of the temple.

7. The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each

successive story; for the structure surrounding the temple went up

story by story all around the temple. For this reason the width of the



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temple increased as it went up, and one went up from the lowest

story to the highest by the way of the middle story.

8. I saw that the temple had a raised platform all around; the

foundations of the side chambers were a full measuring stick of 10½

feet high.

9. The width of the outer wall of the side chambers was 8¾ feet, and

the open area between the side chambers of the temple

10. and the chambers of the court was 35 feet in width all around the

temple on every side.

11. There were entrances from the side chambers toward the open

area, one entrance toward the north, and another entrance toward

the south; the width of the open area was 8¾ feet all around.

12. The building that was facing the temple courtyard at the west

side was 122½ feet wide; the wall of the building was 8¾ feet all

around, and its length 157½ feet.

13. Then he measured the temple as 175 feet long, the courtyard of

the temple and the building and its walls as 175 feet long,

14. and also the width of the front of the temple and the courtyard

on the east as 175 feet.

15. Then he measured the length of the building facing the

courtyard at the rear of the temple, with its galleries on either side

as 175 feet. The interior of the outer sanctuary and the porch of the

court,

16. as well as the thresholds, narrow windows and galleries all

around on three sides facing the threshold were paneled with wood



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all around, from the ground up to the windows (now the windows

were covered),

17. to the space above the entrance, to the inner room, and on the

outside, and on all the walls in the inner room and outside, by

measurement.

18. It was made with cherubim and decorative palm trees, with a

palm tree between each cherub. Each cherub had two faces:

19. a human face toward the palm tree on one side and a lion’s face

toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the

whole temple all around;

20. from the ground to the area above the entrance, cherubim and

decorative palm trees were carved on the wall of the outer

sanctuary.

21. The doorposts of the outer sanctuary were square. In front of the

sanctuary one doorpost looked just like the other.

22. The altar was of wood, 5¼ feet high, with its length 3½ feet; its

corners, its length, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This

is the table that is before the Lord.”

23. The outer sanctuary and the inner sanctuary each had a double

door.

24. Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging leaves; two

leaves for one door and two leaves for the other.

25. On the doors of the outer sanctuary were carved cherubim and

palm trees, like those carved on the walls, and there was a canopy of

wood on the front of the outside porch.



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26. There were narrow windows and decorative palm trees on either

side of the side walls of the porch; this is what the side chambers of

the temple and the canopies were like. (NET Bible ®)

Introduction:

I. “Ezekiel provides for the organization of temple space for priests and

underscores the holiness of the entire building complex,” Hamilton

wrote.

II. The description of the temple actually begins with Ezekiel 40:48-49

which was addressed in our last lesson.

A. The temple porch, its entrance, the flight of stairs by which the

portico was reached and the pillars on each side of the jambs are

discussed in Ezekiel 40:48-49.

B. The temple proper stood at the top of a flight of ten steps.

III. “This whole chapter,” Coffman wrote, “details the parts, decorations,

and ornaments of the temple:...”

A. the posts...

B. the doors...

C. the walls...

D. the sides...

E. the chambers (rooms)...

F. the three terraces...



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G. the stairs...

H. the narrow windows...

I. the palm trees...

J. the cherubim...

K. the young lions...

L. the sanctuary...

M. the altar...

N. the tables...

O. etc.

IV. This chapter, The Pulpit Commentary states, continues the

description of the temple and falls into four subdivisions:

A. The interior of the temple; that is, the Holy and Most Holy

Places (verses 1-4); ...

B. The walls and the side buildings (verses 5-11); ...

C. The gizrah, or separate place (verses 12-14); ...

D. The projecting portions of the temple building (verses 15-26).



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Commentary:

The Interior of the Temple

Ezekiel 41:1, Then he brought me to the outer sanctuary, and

measured the jambs; the jambs were 10½ feet wide on each side.

(NET Bible ®)

I. Then the man brought me to the outer sanctuary (nave) and measured

the jambs (pilasters, doorposts); the width of the jambs was six cubits on

each side.

A. The width of the jambs (doorposts) was 10½ feet wide on each

side. (NET)

B. Having previously described the courts and the porch, Ezekiel

now comes to the temple itself and its immediate environs. (See

Clarke.)

C. The Pulpit Commentary explains that “the outer sanctuary”

refers to the Holy place of the temple as distinguished from the

Holy of Holies, also called the Most Holy Place.

1. I Kings 6:5, 17, He built an extension all around the

walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and

constructed side rooms in it. The main hall in front of the

inner sanctuary was 60 feet long. (NET Bible ®)

2. I Kings 7:50, the pure gold bowls, trimming shears,

basins, pans, and censers, and the gold door sockets for

the inner sanctuary (the most holy place) and for the

doors of the main hall of the temple. (NET Bible ®)

Ezekiel 41:2, The width of the entrance was 17½ feet, and the sides

of the entrance were 8¾ feet on each side. He measured the length of



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the outer sanctuary as 70 feet, and its width as 35 feet. (NET Bible

®)

I. The entrance (door) was ten cubits wide, and the projecting walls on

each side of it were five cubits wide.

A. The entrance was 17½ feet wide and the sides of the entrance

were 8¾ feet on each side. (NET)

1. This corresponds with Solomon’s temple.

a. 1 Kings 6:2, 17, The temple King Solomon built

for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45

feet high. The main hall in front of the inner

sanctuary was 60 feet long. (NET Bible ®)

B. “The angelic guide next led Ezekiel up the ten steps to the ...

temple proper,” Smith wrote.

C. To enter the temple proper, people had to pass “through the

large porch (35 feet x 20 feet) which featured two huge pillars at

the entrance,” Smith wrote.

D. “This was the door or gate of the sanctuary and this doorway

was filled with folding gates.” (Clarke)

II. He also measured the outer sanctuary; it was forty cubits long and

twenty cubits wide.

A. The outer sanctuary (the Holy Place) was 70 feet long and 35

feet wide. (NET)

B. The outer sanctuary (the Holy Place) was twice as large as the

inner sanctuary (Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies).



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1. The outer sanctuary was rectangular (70 feet x 35 feet),

while the inner sanctuary was square (35 feet x 35 feet). (See

Smith.)

Ezekiel 41:3, Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured

the jambs of the entrance as 3½ feet, the entrance as 10½ feet, and

the width of the entrance as 12¼ feet (NET Bible ®)

I. Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs (posts,

pilasters) of the entrance, each was two cubits wide.

A. The (entrance) jambs of the inner sanctuary (Most Holy Place,

Holy of Holies) measured 3½ feet. (NET)

B. The Most Holy Place could be entered only once in a year and

then only by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.

1. Exodus 30:10, Aaron is to make atonement on its horns

once in the year with some of the blood of the sin offering

for atonement; once in the year he is to make atonement

on it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the

Lord.” (NET Bible ®)

2. Leviticus 16:17, Nobody is to be in the Meeting Tent

when he enters to make atonement in the holy place until

he goes out, and he has made atonement on his behalf, on

behalf of his household, and on behalf of the whole

assembly of Israel. (NET Bible ®)

3. Hebrews 9:7, But only the high priest enters once a

year into the inner tent, and not without blood that he

offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed

in ignorance. (NET Bible ®)



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4. Ezekiel could not, did not enter the Most Holy Place. “The

man” who was instructing Ezekiel announced the

measurements given here.

II. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the projecting walls (sidewalls

of the entrance) on each side of it were seven cubits wide.

A. The entrance was 10½ feet and the width of the entrance was

12¼ feet. (NET)

Ezekiel 41:4, Then he measured its length as 35 feet, and its width as

35 feet, before the outer sanctuary. He said to me, “This is the most

holy place.” (NET Bible ®)

I. And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty

cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the outer

sanctuary.

A. The length of the inner sanctuary was 35 feet and its width was

35 feet. (NET)

1. The inner sanctuary (Most Holy Place) was an exact

square 35 feet by 35 feet. (The Pulpit Commentary)

a. 1 Kings 6:20, The inner sanctuary was 30 feet

long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with

gold, as well as the cedar altar. (NET Bible ®)

II. He said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.”

A. The inner sanctuary is also known as the Holy of Holies. (See

Clarke.)



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The Wall and Side Buildings

Ezekiel 41:5, Then he measured the wall of the temple as 10½ feet,

and the width of the side chambers as 7 feet, all around the temple.

(NET Bible ®)

I. Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was six cubits thick, and...

A. The wall of the temple was 10½ feet thick. (NET)

B. The wall of the temple and the outside wall of the entire

complex were the same thickness; that is, six cubits. (See

Fredenburg.)

II. Each side room around the temple was four cubits wide.

A. The width of the side chambers measured 7 feet. (NIV)

B. Both Solomon’s temple and this one revealed in a vision to

Ezekiel had side rooms/chambers.

1. 1 Kings 6:5-10, He built an extension all around the

walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and

constructed side rooms in it. The bottom floor of the

extension was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor

nine feet wide, and the third floor ten and a half feet wide.

He made ledges on the temple’s outer walls so the beams

would not have to be inserted into the walls. As the

temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry

were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other

iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being

built. The entrance to the bottom level of side rooms was

on the south side of the temple; stairs went up to the

middle floor and then on up to the third floor. He finished

building the temple and covered it with rafters and



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boards made of cedar. He built an extension all around

the temple; it was seven and a half feet high and it was

attached to the temple by cedar beams. (NET Bible ®)

2. These rooms served as storage space for priests’ clothing,

temple utensils, and temple treasures. (See The Pulpit

Commentary.)

a. 1 Kings 7:51, When King Solomon finished

constructing the Lord’s temple, he put the holy

items that belonged to his father David (the silver,

gold, and other articles) in the treasuries of the

Lord’s temple. (NET Bible ®)

b. 2 Kings 11:2, So Jehosheba, the daughter of King

Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son

Joash and sneaked him away from the rest of the

royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid

him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers

were stored. So he was hidden from Athaliah and

escaped execution. (NET Bible ®)

c. 2 Chronicles 5:1, When Solomon had finished

constructing the Lord’s temple, he put the holy

items that belonged to his father David (the silver,

gold, and all the other articles) in the treasuries of

God’s temple. (NET Bible ®)

Ezekiel 41:6, The side chambers were in three stories, one above the

other, thirty in each story. There were offsets in the wall all around

to serve as supports for the side chambers, so that the supports were

not in the wall of the temple. (NET Bible ®)

I. The side rooms were on three levels, one above another, thirty on each

level.



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A. Smith wrote, “As in Solomon’s temple, three stories of small

chambers were constructed on the exterior wall of the sacred

building on three sides.

l. “Each story contained thirty chambers (rooms) which were

entered from the court on the north and the south,” Smith

wrote.

2. “These chambers probably served as storage rooms,”

Smith stated.

3. There were ninety of these side rooms, thirty on each of

three levels, floors, stories. (See Fredenburg.)

4. Solomon’s temple had similar rooms. (See Fredenburg.)

a. 1 Kings 6:5-6, 8, He built an extension all around

the walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place

and constructed side rooms in it. The bottom floor of

the extension was seven and a half feet wide, the

middle floor nine feet wide, and the third floor ten

and a half feet wide. He made ledges on the temple’s

outer walls so the beams would not have to be

inserted into the walls. The entrance to the bottom

level of side rooms was on the south side of the

temple; stairs went up to the middle floor and then

on up to the third floor. (NET Bible ®)

b. Around Solomon’s temple were chambers three

stories high, each story consisting of thirty rooms.

(Clarke)



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c. Clarke supposed that twelve rooms were placed to

the north of the temple, twelve to the south, and six to

the east.

II. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as

supports for the side rooms, so that the supports were not inserted into

the wall of the temple.

A. These side rooms were not anchored into the walls of the

temple themselves.

1. Auxillary walls were built beside the temple wall to serve

as supports for these side rooms.

Ezekiel 41:7, The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider

at each successive story; for the structure surrounding the temple

went up story by story all around the temple. For this reason the

width of the temple increased as it went up, and one went up from

the lowest story to the highest by the way of the middle story. (NET

Bible ®)

I. The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive

level.

A. The higher the level, the wider the rooms; that is, the square

footage of the rooms on any given level exceeded that of the rooms

below it. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

II. The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, so

that the rooms widened as one went upward.

A. “For this reason the width of the temple increased as it went

up,...” (NET Bible)



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III. A stairway went up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the

middle floor.

A. Fredenburg explained, “The rooms were accessed from the

outside entrance by a stairway with a landing on each floor.”

B. Compare this again with Solomon’s temple.

1. 1 Kings 6:8, The entrance to the bottom level of side

rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up

to the middle floor and then on up to the third floor.

(NET Bible ®)

Ezekiel 41:8, I saw that the temple had a raised platform all around;

the foundations of the side chambers were a full measuring stick of

10½ feet high. (NET Bible ®)

I. I saw that the temple had a base (raised platform) all around it,

forming the foundation of the side rooms.

A. The foundation, raised platform of this annex, was an elevated

base which surrounded the temple proper on most of the north and

south sides and all of the west side. (Fredenburg)

1. The temple was not built directly on the ground, but upon

an especially built foundation, base, raised platform. (See

The Pulpit Commentary.)

II. It was the length of the rod, six long cubits.

A. “the foundations of the side chambers were a full measuring

stick of 10½ feet high.” (NET)

Ezekiel 41:9-10, The width of the outer wall of the side chambers

was 8¾ feet, and the open area between the side chambers of the



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temple and the chambers of the court was 35 feet in width all

around the temple on every side. (NET Bible ®)

I. The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick.

A. Five cubits is equal to 8¾ feet. (NET)

II. The open area between the side rooms of the temple and the priests’

rooms was twenty cubits wide all around the temple.

A. Twenty cubits equals 35 feet. (NET)

B. Some of these rooms may have been used for storage, some for

quarters for the priests, some may have been used to contain the

temple treasury and/or grain supplies, utensils, precious metal or

war spoils. Some uncertainty exists, Fredenburg wrote, as to the

use of some of these rooms.

1. Ezekiel 42:1-12, Then he led me out to the outer court,

toward the north, and brought me to the chamber which

was opposite the courtyard and opposite the building on

the north. Its length was 175 feet on the north side, and its

width 87½ feet. Opposite the 35 feet that belonged to the

inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to

the outer court, gallery faced gallery in the three stories.

In front of the chambers was a walkway on the inner side,

17½ feet wide at a distance of 1¾ feet, and their entrances

were on the north. Now the upper chambers were

narrower, because the galleries took more space from

them than from the lower and middle chambers of the

building. For they were in three stories and had no pillars

like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper

chambers were set back from the ground more than the

lower and upper ones. As for the outer wall by the side of

the chambers, toward the outer court facing the



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chambers, it was 87½ feet long. For the chambers on the

outer court were 87½ feet long, while those facing the

temple were 175 feet long. Below these chambers was a

passage on the east side as one enters from the outer

court.

At the beginning of the wall of the court toward the south,

facing the courtyard and the building, were chambers

with a passage in front of them. They looked like the

chambers on the north. Of the same length and width,

and all their exits according to their arrangements and

entrances were the chambers which were toward the

south. There was an opening at the head of the passage,

the passage in front of the corresponding wall toward the

east when one enters. (NET Bible ®)

C. This open area was a walk way among the chambers. (Clarke)

The Pulpit Commentary states, “the free space (was) a walk of five

cubits broad on the outside of the outside of the side chambers.”

This space may have been located between the temple wall and the

side chambers.”

Ezekiel 41:11, There were entrances from the side chambers toward

the open area, one entrance toward the north, and another entrance

toward the south; the width of the open area was 8¾ feet all around.

(NET Bible ®)

I. There were entrances to the side rooms from the open area, one on the

north and another on the south;...

A. The Pulpit Commentary states the side chambers opened on the

free space towards the north and towards the south, i.e., one row of

chambers was entered by a door from the south, another by a door

from the north.



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II. and the base adjoining the open area was five cubits wide all around.

A. Five cubits equals 8¾ feet. (NET)

The Separate Place

Ezekiel 41:12, The building that was facing the temple courtyard at

the west side was 122½ feet wide; the wall of the building was 8¾

feet all around, and its length 157½ feet. (NET Bible ®)

I. The building facing the temple courtyard on the west side was seventy

cubits wide.

A. Seventy cubits equals 122½ feet. (NET)

B. The only doors to the temple interior proper were on the east

side. There were no doors on the west at all, either through the

outer wall or into the temple itself.

C. “The separate place” denotes a space behind the temple on the

west, which was marked off from the rest of the ground on which

the temple with its courts and chambers stood, and devoted most

likely to less sacred purposes. (The Pulpit Commentary)

1. Solomon’s temple had a similar space.

a. 2 Kings 23:11, He removed from the entrance to

the Lord’s temple the statues of horses that the

kings of Judah had placed there in honor of the sun

god. (They were kept near the room of Nathan

Melech the eunuch, which was situated among the

courtyards.) He burned up the chariots devoted to

the sun god. (NET Bible ®)



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b. 1 Chronicles 26:18, At the court on the west there

were four posted on the road and two at the court.

(NET Bible ®)

2. This “separate place”, The Pulpit Commentary states, was

the place to which all temple refuse was collected for

subsequent disposal.

II. The wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its

length was ninety cubits.

A. The wall was 8¾ feet thick and 157½ feet long. (NET)

Ezekiel 41:13, Then he measured the temple as 175 feet long, the

courtyard of the temple and the building and its walls as 175 feet

long, (NET Bible ®)

I. Then he measured the temple; it was a hundred cubits long, and the

temple courtyard and the building with its walls were also a hundred

cubits long.

A. The temple was 175 feet long. The courtyard of the temple and

the building and its walls were also 175 feet. (NET)

B. Smith wrote, “Behind the sacred building was a building or

court called the separate area.”

C. The whole breadth of this construction was a hundred cubits in

all. The entire area was a hundred cubits square. (The Pulpit

Commentary)

Ezekiel 41:14, and also the width of the front of the temple and the

courtyard on the east as 175 feet. (NET Bible ®)



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I. The width of the temple courtyard on the east, including the front of

the temple, was a hundred cubits.

A. A hundred cubits equals 175 feet. (NET)

The Projecting Portions of the Temple Building

Ezekiel 41:15-16, Then he measured the length of the building

facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, with its galleries on

either side as 175 feet. The interior of the outer sanctuary and the

porch of the court, as well as the thresholds, narrow windows and

galleries all around on three sides facing the threshold were paneled

with wood all around, from the ground up to the windows (now the

windows were covered), (NET Bible ®)

I. Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at

the rear of the temple, including its galleries on each side; it was a

hundred cubits.

A. One hundred cubits equals 175 feet. (NET)

B. Compare verses 15-26 with Solomon’s temple.

1. 1 Kings 6:15-36, He constructed the walls inside the

temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with

wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters of the

ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made

from the wood of evergreens. He built a wall 30 feet in

from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner

sanctuary that would be the most holy place. He paneled

the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters.

The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet

long. The inside of the temple was all cedar and was

adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers

in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible.



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He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that

the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there.

The inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30

feet high. He plated it with gold, as well as the cedar altar.

Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. He

hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and

plated the inner sanctuary with gold. He plated the entire

inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside

the inner sanctuary.

In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive

wood; each stood 15 feet high. Each of the first cherub’s

wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan

was 15 feet. The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15

feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and

shape. Each cherub stood 15 feet high. He put the

cherubim in the inner sanctuary of the temple. Their

wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings

touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings

touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing

touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of

the room. He plated the cherubim with gold.

On all the walls around the temple, inside and out, he

carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. He

plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out.

He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner

sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided. On

the two doors made of olive wood he carved cherubim,

palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them

with gold. He plated the cherubim and the palm trees

with hammered gold. In the same way he made doorposts

of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with

four-sided pillars. He also made two doors out of wood



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from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves. He

carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and

plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings. He

built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled

stones and a row of cedar beams. (NET Bible ®)

II. The outer sanctuary, the inner sanctuary and the portico facing the

court, as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows and galleries

around the three of them – everything beyond and including the

threshold was covered with wood.

A. “The interior of the outer sanctuary and the porch of the

court, as well as the thresholds, narrow windows and galleries

all around on three sides facing the threshold were paneled

with wood all around,...” (NET)

B. “The sacred house was decorated with wall and ceiling paneling

which had inlays of alternating cherubim and palm trees,” Smith

wrote.

III. The floor, the wall up to the windows, and the windows were

covered.

A. The Pulpit Commentary suggests that “covered” here may

signify that the windows were not left open, but were protected by

a lattice work of bars or planks; or that they were wainscotted as

well as the space from the ground to the windows.

Ezekiel 41:17-19, to the space above the entrance, to the inner room,

and on the outside, and on all the walls in the inner room and

outside, by measurement. It was made with cherubim and

decorative palm trees, with a palm tree between each cherub. Each

cherub had two faces: a human face toward the palm tree on one

side and a lion’s face toward the palm tree on the other side. They

were carved on the whole temple all around; (NET Bible ®)



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I. In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary

and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer

sanctuary were carved cherubim and palm trees.

A. Everything about the temple and its grounds was meticulously

planned with measurements being precise and totally exact.

B. As in Solomon’s temple, artistic carvings of cherubim and palm

trees were alternated. (The Pulpit Commentary)

1. 1 Kings 6:29, On all the walls around the temple, inside

and out, he carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in

bloom. (NET Bible ®)

II. Palm trees alternated with cherubim.

1. Each cherub had two of its four faces visible, one of a man and

one of a lion, one facing right and one facing left. (See The Pulpit

Commentary.)

III. Each cherub had two faces: the face of a man toward the palm tree

on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other.

A. “This ornamentation was employed from the ground to above

the door,” Smith wrote.

IV. They were carved all around the whole temple.

A. Ancient Israel had many highly skilled artisans.

1. Exodus 26:1, “The tabernacle itself you are to make

with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple

and scarlet; you are to make them with cherubim that are

the work of an artistic designer. (NET Bible ®)



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2. Exodus 36:8, All the skilled among those who were

doing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of

fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet; they

were made with cherubim that were the work of an

artistic designer. (NET Bible ®)

B. These carvings were plentiful and were placed strategically all

around the whole temple.

C. Obviously the ancient world also had highly skilled engineers.

Ezekiel 41:20, from the ground to the area above the entrance,

cherubim and decorative palm trees were carved on the wall of the

outer sanctuary. (NET Bible ®)

I. From the floor to the area above the entrance, cherubim and palm trees

were carved on the wall of the outer sanctuary.

A. Clarke wrote, “The temple was thirty cubits high, the gate was

fourteen cubits, the palm trees and the cherubim were the same

height as the gate or door. The windows were above the door.”

1. 1 Kings 6:2, The temple King Solomon built for the

Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

(NET Bible ®)

2. Ezekiel 40:48, Then he brought me to the porch of the

temple and measured the jambs of the porch as 8¾ feet

on either side, and the width of the gate was 24½ feet and

the sides were 5¼ feet on each side. (NET Bible ®)

Ezekiel 41:21, The doorposts of the outer sanctuary were square. In

front of the sanctuary one doorpost looked just like the other. (NET

Bible ®)



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I. The outer sanctuary had a rectangular doorframe, and the one at the

front of the Most Holy Place was similar.

A. The outer sanctuary (Holy Place) and the Most Holy Place had

similar rectangular doors.

1. In the Tabernacle and Herod’s temple in the New

Testament, the Holy Place and Most Holy Place were

separated by a curtain that stretched from floor to ceiling.

a. Matthew 27:51, Just then the temple curtain was

torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook

and the rocks were split apart. (NET Bible ®)

b. Mark 15:38, And the temple curtain was torn in

two, from top to bottom. (NET Bible ®)

c. 2 Corinthians 3:14, But their minds were closed.

For to this very day, the same veil remains when

they hear the old covenant read. It has not been

removed because only in Christ is it taken away.

(NET Bible ®)

2. Evidently in the temple Ezekiel saw, the Holy Place and

Most Holy Place were separated by a wall.

Ezekiel 41:22, The altar was of wood, 5¼ feet high, with its length

3½ feet; its corners, its length, and its walls were of wood. He said to

me, “This is the table that is before the Lord.” (NET Bible ®)

I. There was a wooden altar, three cubits high and two cubits square; its

corners, its base and its sides were of wood.



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A. This altar measured 5¼ feet high, and 3½ feet long and wide. It

was a square table. (NET)

B. Smith stated, “The altar of incense in the Holy Place was made

of plain wood.”

C. A wooden table would be suitable as an altar of incense, but a

stone altar for burnt offerings would certainly be necessary.

1. Clarke noted, “This was the altar of incense, and was

covered with plates of gold.”

II. The man said to me, “This is the table that is before the Lord.”

A. This was the altar of incense which was located in the outer

sanctuary, the Holy Place.

1. Exodus 30:1, “You are to make an altar for burning

incense; you are to make it of acacia wood. (NET Bible ®)

2. 1 Kings 7:48, Solomon also made all these items for the

Lord’s temple: the gold altar, the gold table on which was

kept the Bread of the Presence, (NET Bible ®)

B. This table was before the Lord.

1. Malachi 1:7, You are offering improper sacrifices on

my altar, yet you ask, ‘How have we offended you?’ By

treating the table of the Lord as if it is of no importance!

(NET Bible ®)

2. Ezekiel 44:16, They will enter my sanctuary, and

approach my table to minister to me; they will keep my

charge. (NET Bible ®)



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Ezekiel 41:23, The outer sanctuary and the inner sanctuary each

had a double door. (NET Bible ®)

I. Both the outer sanctuary and the Most Holy Place had double doors.

A. As in the Solomonic temple, the Holy Place and Most Holy

Place had two doors; i.e., each had one door composed of two

turning (or folding) leaves, ... (The Pulpit Commentary)

Ezekiel 41:24, Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging

leaves; two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other. (NET

Bible ®)

I. Each door had two leaves – two hinged leaves for each door.

A. These were “swinging doors” and were decorated with

cherubim and palm trees, Smith wrote.

Ezekiel 41:25, On the doors of the outer sanctuary were carved

cherubim and palm trees, like those carved on the walls, and there

was a canopy of wood on the front of the outside porch. (NET Bible

®)

I. And on the doors of the outer sanctuary were carved cherubim and

palm trees like those carved in the walls, and...

A. The ornamentation was evidently not diverse, but was plentiful

and consisted of numerous duplications of the same design.

II. There was a wooden overhang (canopy) on the front of the portico

(outside porch).

A. Clarke wrote that “the wood, or planks, were thick and strong;

for the cherubim and palm trees were carved in relief, out of their



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substance, and unless they had been of considerable thickness, this

could not have been done.”

Ezekiel 41:26, There were narrow windows and decorative palm

trees on either side of the side walls of the porch; this is what the

side chambers of the temple and the canopies were like. (NET Bible

®)

I. On the sidewalk of the portico (porch) were narrow windows with

palm trees carved on each side.

A. Smith explained, “The porch had recessed windows and palm

tree decorations on its walls.”

1. The narrow windows admitted light into the porch. (The

Pulpit Commentary)

II. The side rooms of the temple also had overhangs (canopies).

A. No detail was overlooked. The side rooms as well as every

other part of this temple were given very careful attention.

1. Even the “side rooms” had “overhangs”.

Conclusions:

I. The people to whom Ezekiel was prophesying were captive exiles

living in the land of their Babylonian conquerors.

A. These people had experienced the destruction of Jerusalem and

Solomon’s majestic temple.

B. Ezekiel now tells these oppressed people of a wondrous temple,

bigger than Solomon’s, that was in their future.



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C. This would certainly have been a great encouragement to these

despondent, downtrodden exiles.

II. For the faithful Christian, a heavenly mansion awaits.

A. John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You

believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling

places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you,

because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if

I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and

take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.

(NET Bible ®)

B. Revelation 21:1-7, Then I saw a new heaven and a new

earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and

the sea existed no more. And I saw the holy city—the new

Jerusalem—descending out of heaven from God, made ready

like a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice

from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among

human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his

people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe away

every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—

or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have

ceased to exist.” And the one seated on the throne said: “Look!

I am making all things new!” Then he said to me, “Write it

down, because these words are reliable and true.” He also said

to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the

beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give

water free of charge from the spring of the water of life. The

one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his

God and he will be my son. (NET Bible ®)

C. When we all get to heaven, every trouble we have faced in this

world will be long forgotten!



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Questions

on

Ezekiel 41:1-26

(Questions based on NIV text.)

1. What things are discussed in Ezekiel 40:48-49? ___________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

2. According to Coffman, what is addressed in Ezekiel 41:1-26?

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

3. According to The Pulpit Commentary, into what four

subdivisions can the material in Ezekiel 41 be outlined?_______

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

4. Define: outer sanctuary_______________________________



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____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

pilaster______________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

nave________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

jamb________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

cubit________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

projecting walls_______________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

inner sanctuary _______________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Day of Atonement_____________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________



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____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

portico _____________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

cherub, cherubim _____________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

gizrah ______________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

5. Having previously described the _________________ and the

_________________ (Ezekiel 40:48-49), Ezekiel now comes to

the __________________ itself and its ____________________

___________________.

6. To enter the ______________ proper, people had to pass

“through the ______________ _______________ ( __________

feet x ___________ feet) which featured ________________

______________ ______________ at the entrance.”

7. The ______________ ________________ (the ___________

___________________) was _______________ feet long and

_________ feet wide. The _______________ _______________

was ___________ as _____________ as the ________________



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_______________ ______________ ( ___________

__________, the _______________ of __________________ ).

The ______________ ________________was ______________

( ____________ feet x __________ feet) while the __________

________________ was ______________ ( ___________ feet x

____________ feet).

8. The ________________ ________________ _____________

could be _____________ only ____________ a _________ and

then only by the ___________ ______________ on the

___________ of _____________ .

9. The temple walls were ____________ feet thick. The side

rooms were ________________ feet wide. These rooms were

used as _____________ _______________ for _____________

______________, _______________ _________________, and

_______________ _________________.

10. Describe these side rooms. How many side rooms were

there? Where were they located in regard to the temple? To what

were they anchored? On how many levels were they built? How

would a person get from one level to another? Were all the

rooms the same size? Explain your answers.______________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________



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11. On what foundation was the temple built? Describe this

foundation. How elevated was this foundation?______________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

12. What purposes did the “open area” serve? How big was this

“open area”? Where was it located?_______________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

13. There were ________________ to the _______________

_________________ from the ______________ ____________,

____________ on the ____________ and ____________ on the

_______________.

14. The ______________ ______________ the ____________

________________ on the ______________ ___________ was

________________ _______________ ______________.

15. “The ___________ ____________” denotes a ___________

behind the ____________ on the _______________ , which was

_______________ _________________ from the rest of the

______________ on which the _______________ with its

_____________ and ____________________ stood, and



35

______________ most likely to _____________ ___________

_____________.

16. The only _____________ to the ______________ proper

were on the _____________ side. There were ______________

_________________ on the ____________________ at all

either through the _______________ _______________ or into

the _______________ itself.

17. For what purpose was the “separate place” used? What were

the measurements of the “separate place”?_________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

18. The temple was _____________ feet long, _____________

feet wide, and ____________ feet high. How does this compare

with the size of Solomon’s temple? _______________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

19. What parts of the temple were covered with wood paneling?

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________



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____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

20. How was the temple decorated? Where were these

decorations placed? How many of these decorations were there?

Describe these decorations._____________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

21. What separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in

the Tabernacle? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Solomon’s Temple? ___________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Zerubbabel’s Temple? _________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Herod’s Temple?______________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

22. For what was the wooden table mentioned in Ezekiel 41:22

used? Where was it located, placed? What were the dimensions

of this table?_________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________



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____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

23. What does, “This is the table that is before the Lord”, mean?

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

24. The Holy Place could only be accessed by one

______________ _______________. The Most Holy Place

could only be accessed by one _____________ _____________.

There was only ___________ way in and out. How were these

doors decorated?______________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

25. Meticulous attention was given to every detail of the temple.

Give evidence that this statement is true._________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________



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26. What purposes were served by the material presented in

Ezekial 40:48-49 and 41:1-26?___________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

27. What purposes were served by the precise measurements

given in both Ezekiel 40 and 41? What does this say about

God’s concern for details?______________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

28. Describe the heavenly mansions that await Christians in the

hereafter?____________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

29. How much does this promise of a heavenly home affect your

daily life? ...your relationship with other people? ____________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________



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____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

30. When we all get to _____________ , every___________ we

have _________ on this _________ will be _______ ________.

the temple (continued) ezekiel 41:1-26biblestudyworkshop.com/download/old/ezekiel/ezekiel 41.pdf ·...

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