Ezekiel 40

40 ¹ In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down—on that very day the hand of our Father came upon me, and he brought me there. ² In visions from our Father he brought me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain, on which there was something like the structure of a city to the south. ³ He brought me there, and there was a man who looked like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand, standing in the gateway. ¹ 1 v3 Throughout the Old Testament, FHB names the divine figure who appears and speaks as our Father. This bronze-like man is different—an angelic guide sent to measure the temple and explain the vision, not our Father himself. ⁴ And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and pay close attention to everything I am about to show you, for you were brought here so that I might show it to you. Declare everything you see to the house of Israel."

The East Gate Measured

⁵ Now there was a wall surrounding the outside of the temple all around. In the man's hand was a measuring reed about ten and a half feet long, each cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the thickness of the wall—about ten and a half feet—and its height—about ten and a half feet.

⁶ Then he went to the gate that faced east and climbed its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate, about ten and a half feet deep, and the other threshold, about ten and a half feet deep. ⁷ Each guardroom was about ten and a half feet long and ten and a half feet wide, and between the guardrooms was about nine feet. The threshold of the gate beside the porch of the gate, facing inward, was about ten and a half feet. ⁸ Then he measured the porch of the gateway, facing inward—about ten and a half feet. ⁹ He measured the porch of the gateway—about fourteen feet—and its jambs—about three and a half feet; the porch of the gateway faced inward.

¹⁰ There were three guardrooms on each side of the east gate, all three the same size, and the jambs on each side were the same size. ¹¹ Then he measured the width of the gateway entrance—about seventeen and a half feet—and the length of the gateway—about twenty-three feet. ¹² There was a barrier in front of the guardrooms, about twenty-one inches wide on each side, and the guardrooms were about ten and a half feet on each side. ¹³ Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one guardroom to the roof of the other, a width of about forty-four feet, with door facing door. ¹⁴ He measured the jambs—about a hundred and five feet; and the court reached the jamb on every side of the gateway. ¹⁵ From the front of the entrance of the gateway to the front of the inner porch of the gateway was about eighty-eight feet. ¹⁶ The guardrooms and their jambs had narrow windows all around the inside of the gateway, and so did the porches; there were windows all around facing inward, and palm trees were carved on the jambs.

The Outer Court

¹⁷ Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. ¹⁸ The pavement ran alongside the gateways, corresponding to the length of the gateways; this was the lower pavement. ¹⁹ Then he measured the distance from the front of the lower gateway to the outside front of the inner court—about a hundred and seventy-five feet—on the east and on the north.

The North Gate Measured

²⁰ As for the gate of the outer court that faced north, he measured its length and its width. ²¹ Its guardrooms were three on each side, and its jambs and its porch were the same measure as the first gate: about eighty-eight feet long and about forty-four feet wide. ²² Its windows, its porch, and its palm trees were the same measure as the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its porch in front of them. ²³ There was a gate to the inner court opposite the north gate, just as on the east, and he measured from gate to gate—about a hundred and seventy-five feet.

The South Gate Measured

²⁴ Then he led me toward the south, and there was a gate facing south; he measured its jambs and its porch, the same measure as the others. ²⁵ It had windows all around, in it and in its porch, like those other windows; it was about eighty-eight feet long and about forty-four feet wide. ²⁶ Seven steps led up to it, with its porch in front of them, and it had palm trees carved on its jambs, one on each side. ²⁷ There was also a gate to the inner court facing south, and he measured from gate to gate toward the south—about a hundred and seventy-five feet.

The Gates of the Inner Court

²⁸ Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate, the same measure as the others. ²⁹ Its guardrooms, its jambs, and its porch were the same measure, and it had windows all around, in it and in its porch; it was about eighty-eight feet long and about forty-four feet wide. ³⁰ There were porches all around, about forty-four feet long and about nine feet wide. ³¹ Its porch faced the outer court, and palm trees were carved on its jambs; eight steps led up to it.

³² Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate, the same measure as the others. ³³ Its guardrooms, its jambs, and its porch were the same measure, and it had windows all around, in it and in its porch; it was about eighty-eight feet long and about forty-four feet wide. ³⁴ Its porch faced the outer court, and palm trees were carved on its jambs, one on each side; eight steps led up to it.

³⁵ Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it, the same measure as the others. ³⁶ Its guardrooms, its jambs, and its porch were the same, and it had windows all around; it was about eighty-eight feet long and about forty-four feet wide. ³⁷ Its jambs faced the outer court, and palm trees were carved on its jambs, one on each side; eight steps led up to it.

Tables for Sacrifice

³⁸ There was a chamber with its doorway by the jambs of the gateways, where the burnt offering was rinsed. ³⁹ In the porch of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered. ⁴⁰ On the outer side, as you go up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables, and on the other side of the porch of the gateway were two tables. ⁴¹ Four tables stood on each side beside the gateway—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. ⁴² There were also four tables of cut stone for the burnt offering, about two and a half feet long, two and a half feet wide, and about twenty-one inches high, on which were laid the instruments used to slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice. ⁴³ Double-pronged hooks, about three inches long, were fastened all around inside, and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

Chambers for Those Who Serve

⁴⁴ Outside the inner gateway were chambers for the singers in the inner court: one beside the north gate facing south, and one beside the east gate facing north. ⁴⁵ And he said to me, "This chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple. ⁴⁶ And the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the ones among the descendants of Levi who may approach our Father to minister to him."

The Inner Court and Temple Porch

⁴⁷ Then he measured the court: about a hundred and seventy-five feet long and a hundred and seventy-five feet wide, a perfect square; and the altar stood in front of the temple.

⁴⁸ Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured the jambs of the porch—about nine feet on each side; and the width of the gateway was about five feet on each side. ⁴⁹ The porch was about thirty-five feet long and about nineteen feet wide, and it was reached by steps that led up to it; and there were pillars by the jambs, one on each side.