measured

April 3, 2019

Possessions (Lk 12:15-12:15)

“Jesus said to them.

‘Take care!

Be on your guard

Against all kinds of greed!

One’s life

Does not consist

In the abundance

Of possessions.’”

 

εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς Ὁρᾶτε καὶ φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ πάσης πλεονεξίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινὶ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ.

 

Luke had another unique saying of Jesus about worldly possessions.  Jesus said to them (εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς) to take care (Ὁρᾶτε) and guard against all kinds of greed (καὶ φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ πάσης πλεονεξίας).  Their life did not consist of merely an abundance of possessions (ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινὶ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ).  Jesus warned them about a life of greed that was only measured by how many things they owned.  This is a particularly good message for a highly technological society where access to wealth is reasonably easy.  Do you judge your life by where you live and what you own?

July 8, 2017

Measuring all four sides of the square wall (Ezek 42:16-42:20)

“He measured the east side

With the measuring reed.

It was five hundred cubits

By the measuring reed.

Then he turned.

He measured the north side.

It was five hundred cubits

By the measuring reed.

Then he turned.

He measured the south side.

It was five hundred cubits

By the measuring reed.

Then he turned to the west side.

He measured it.

It was five hundred cubits

By the measuring reed.

He measured it

On the four sides.

It had a wall around it.

It was

Five hundred cubits long,

Five hundred cubits wide.

This made a separation

Between the holy

With the common.”

The bronze man then measured the outer Temple wall. Guess what? It was a square of 500 cubits or about 800 feet square all around, a fairly large enclosed square area. He measured first the east side, then the north, south, and west side with his measuring stick or reed. Each time the result was the same. Thus, there was a separation between the interior holy place and the common area outside the wall.

July 4, 2017

The raised platform foundations (Ezek 41:8-41:11)

“I saw also

That the temple had

A raised platform

All around.

The foundations

Of the side chambers

Measured a full reed

Of six long cubits.

The thickness

Of the outer wall

Of the side chambers was

Five cubits.

The free space

Between the side chambers

Of the temple

With the chambers

Of the court

Was a width

Of twenty cubits

All around the temple

On every side.

The side chambers opened

Into the area left free.

One door was

Toward the north.

Another door was

Toward the south.

The width

Of the part

That was left free

Was five cubits all around.”

Then Ezekiel explained that he saw a raised platform all around the base or the foundations of these side rooms or chambers. Once again, he went into detail about the size of these items. This platform foundation measured 6 cubits or about 10 feet. The outer walls of these chambers were fairly thick, 5 cubits or about 8 feet wide. There was a free space between these Temple small rooms and the chambers in the court of 20 cubits, or about 35 feet, all around the Temple. There also was an open space in front of the small chamber doors on the north side and the south side of 5 cubits or 8 feet wide.

July 2, 2017

The inner court on the north side (Ezek 40:35-40:35)

“Then he brought me

To the north gate.

He measured it.

It had the same dimensions

As the others.”

Next, the bronze man brought Ezekiel back to the northern gate, but this time it was to the northern inner court. He measured it as usual, as he found that it had the same dimensions as the others.

July 2, 2017

The inner court on the east side (Ezek 40:32-40:32)

“Then he brought me

To the inner court

On the east side.

He measured

The gate.

It was

Of the same dimensions

As the others.”

Having finished with the outer and inner courts on the south side, the bronze man returned with Ezekiel to the east side. This time, he brought Ezekiel into the inner court on this east side. He measured the eastern gate to find out that this gate was the same size as the other gates.

 

July 2, 2017

The southern gate and the vestibule (Ezek 40:24-40:27)

“Then he led me

Toward the south.

There was a gate

On the south.

He measured

Its pilasters,

With its vestibule.

They had the same dimensions

As the others.

There were windows

All around in it

In its vestibule.

They were

Like the windows

Of the others.

Its depth was

fifty cubits.

Its width was

Twenty-five cubits.

There were seven steps

Leading up to it.

Its vestibule

Was on the inside.

It had palm trees

On its pilasters,

One on either side.

There was a gate

On the south

Of the inner court.

He measured

From gate to gate

Toward the south,

A hundred cubits.”

The southern gate and its vestibule was similar to the northern and eastern gates and vestibules mentioned above. The bronze man measured and found out that these southern pilasters and vestibules had the same dimensions as the northern and eastern vestibules. The southern windows were also the same as on the north and east side. This southern vestibule was 50 cubits deep and 25 cubits wide, the same as the northern gate, about 80 feet by 40 feet. The 7 steps were the same as on the other sides, as well as the palm trees on the pilasters. This south side also had the double gate system, so that is was about 100 cubits, 160 feet, from this southern gate to the inner court, just like the other 2 situations.

July 1, 2017

The northern gate and the vestibule (Ezek 40:20-40:23

“Then he measured

The gate of the outer court

That faced north,

Its depth,

Its width.

It had three recesses

On either side.

Its pilasters,

As well as its vestibule

Were of the same size

As those of the first gate.

It depth was

Fifty cubits.

Its width was

Twenty-five cubits.

Its windows,

Its vestibule,

As well as its palm trees,

Were of the same size

As those of the gate

That faced

Toward the east.

Seven steps

Led up to it.

Its vestibule was

On the inside.

Opposite the gate

On the north,

As on the east,

Was a gate

To the inner court.

He measured

From gate to gate,

One hundred cubits.”

The bronze man moved to the northern outer court. The depth and width of the gate, its recesses or open-air rooms, its pilasters, and its vestibule were the same size as the first eastern gate, 50 cubits deep, about 80 feet, and 25 cubits wide, about 40 feet. Its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were the same size as on the eastern vestibule. This northern gate was the same size as the gate that faced east. There were also 7 steps that led up to it. This vestibule was on the inside, opposite the gate to the inner court. The bronze man measured 100 cubits from gate to gate, about 160 feet.

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.

July 1, 2017

Measuring the gate and its surroundings (Ezek 40:12-40:16)

“There was a barrier

Before the recesses,

One cubit on either side.

The recesses were

Six cubits on either side.

Then he measured the gate

From the back

Of the one recess

To the back of the other.

It was a width

Of twenty-five cubits,

From wall to wall.

He measured also the vestibule,

Twenty cubits.

The gate was

Next to the pilaster

On every side of the court.

From the front of the gate

At the entrance

To the end

Of the inner vestibule

Of the gate was

Fifty cubits.

The recesses

With their pilasters

Had windows

With shutters

On the inside

Of the gateway

All around.

The vestibules also

Had windows on the inside,

All around.

Palm trees were

On the pilasters.”

These recesses, alcoves, or rooms had a barrier on either side of 1 cubit, less than 2 feet. These open-air rooms were 6 cubits on either side of the gate, or about 10 feet. The gate was big and measured 25 cubits wide or about 40 feet wide, while the vestibule was 20 cubits, about 32 feet wide. From the gate to the inner vestibule was about 50 cubits, or 80 feet. These open-air rooms with columns had windows and shutters all around them. The vestibule also had windows on the inside all around. On top of the column pilasters were palm trees. These alcoves may have been some kind of place for guards.

 

July 1, 2017

The wall around the temple (Ezek 40:5-40:5)

“Now there was a wall

All around the outside

Of the temple area.

The length

Of the measuring reed

In the man’s hand

Was six long cubits.

Each cubit

Was a cubit

Plus a handbreadth

In length.

He measured

The thickness

Of the wall,

One reed.

He measured

The height

Of the wall.

One reed.”

Almost like Moses in Exodus, Ezekiel’s vision of the future described what the new Temple should look like. Surprisingly, it was much like the old Temple. There was no indication that the Second Temple was built like this vision of Ezekiel indicated. First, this bronze man was going to measure the wall around the Temple. He took his measuring reed that was 6 long cubits. The long cubit was 4 inches longer or the width of a hand longer than the regular cubit that was about a foot and a half long. When this bronze man measured the thickness and the height of the wall, they were symmetrical, exactly the same, one reed or 6 long cubits, somewhere between about 10 feet high and 10 feet wide, a massive construction.