length

December 28, 2017

The conversation about measuring Jerusalem (Zech 2:2-2:5)

“Then I said.

‘Where are you going?’

He answered me.

‘To measure Jerusalem!

To see what is its width!

To see what is its length!’

Then the angel,

Who talked with me,

Came forward.

Another angel

Also came forward

To meet him.

He said to him.

‘Run!

Say to that young man!

Jerusalem shall be inhabited

Like villages without walls,

Because of the multitude

Of people,

As well as animals

In it.’

‘I will be

A wall of fire

All around it.’

Says Yahweh.

‘I will be the glory

within it.’”

Zechariah then questioned the man with the measuring cord in his hand.  He responded that he was going to measure Jerusalem to find out its width and length.  The angel that had been talking to Zechariah heard from another angel that the new Jerusalem would not need walls, because so many people and animals would be there.  Instead, Yahweh would provide protection with a wall of fire all around it, like a ring of fire.  Yahweh was going to bring glory to Jerusalem, because he was going to bring his glory to Jerusalem.

July 24, 2017

The sanctuary territory (Ezek 48:8-48:8)

“Adjoining the territory

Of Judah,

From the east side

To the west side,

Shall be the portion

That you shall set apart,

Twenty-five thousand cubits

In width.

In length,

It shall be equal

To one of the tribal portions,

From the east side

To the west side.

The sanctuary

Shall be in the middle of it.”

However, the similarity of Judah with the other tribes ends with the importance of the Temple sanctuary. Once again, there is a mention of east and west of Judah as in the earlier comments about the other tribal territories. However, the width of this sanctuary territory was 25,000 cubits, about 1,500 yards or a mile wide. The length was unspecified, which in itself is unusual. Nevertheless, it should be the size of one of the portions given to the other tribes. That could be very large. The sanctuary was to be right in the middle of this territory. Obviously, this was not part of the Joshua distribution, since there was no planned temple there.

July 8, 2017

The south side (Ezek 42:10-42:12)

“On the south also,

Opposite the vacant area,

Opposite the building,

There were chambers.

They had a passage

In front of them.

They were similar

To the chambers

On the north side.

They were

The same length,

The same width,

With the same exits,

With the same arrangements,

With the same doors.

The entrance

Of the chambers

To the south

Was entered

Through the entrance

At the head

Of the corresponding passage,

From the east,

Along the matching wall.”

Ezekiel, having described the north side, now turned to the south side. He explained that this south side arrangement was similar to the north side. The chambers had a passageway that was the same length and width as that of the north side. In fact, it had the same exits, the same carved arrangements, and the same doors as the north side. The entrance to these southern chambers had a corresponding passage from the east, along the matching wall.

July 8, 2017

The parallel wall (Ezek 42:7-42:10)

“There was a wall outside,

Parallel to the chambers,

Toward the outer court,

Opposite the chambers.

It was fifty cubits long.

The chambers

On the outer court

Were fifty cubits long.

Those opposite

The temple

Were one hundred cubits long.

At the foot

Of these chambers

Ran a passage

That one emerged

From the east,

In order to enter them

From the outer court.

The width of the passage

Was fixed by the wall

Of the court.”

Ezekiel further explained about an outside wall of 50 cubits or about 80 feet long. This wall was parallel and opposite to the chambers of the outer court, also 50 cubits long. Opposite the Temple, was a passage way that was 100 cubits long or about 160 feet. This walkway emerged from the east to enter the outer court. Obviously, this passageway length was fixed by the wall of the court along the side of it.

July 1, 2017

The outer court (Ezek 40:17-40:19

“Then he brought me

To the outer court.

There were chambers there.

There was a pavement,

All around the court.

Thirty chambers

Fronted on the pavement.

The pavement

Ran along

The side of the gates.

They corresponded

To the length

Of the gates.

This was the lower pavement.

Then he measured

The distance

From the inner front

Of the lower gate

To the outer front

Of the inner court,

One hundred cubits.”

Then the bronze man brought Ezekiel to the outer court, where there were 30 chambers with a pavement all around the court. These chambers looked out on the pavement that ran along the side of the gates. The length of this lower pavement was the same as the gates themselves. The bronze man measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, 100 cubits or over 165 feet, the largest measurement so far.