The correct linen holy vestments or garments (Ezek 44:17-44:19)

“When they enter

The gates

Of the inner court,

They shall wear

Linen vestments.

They shall have nothing

Of wool on them,

While they minister

At the gates

Of the inner court,

As well as within.

They shall have

Linen turbans

On their heads.

They shall have

Linen undergarments

On their loins.

They shall not

Bind themselves

With anything

That causes sweat.

When they go out

Into the outer court

To the people,

They shall remove

The vestments

In which

They have been ministering,

They shall lay them

In the holy chambers.

They shall put on

Other garments,

So that they may not

Communicate holiness

To the people

With their vestments.”

When these Zadok Levitical priests entered the gates of the inner court, they had to wear certain garments or vestments made of linen when they ministered to Yahweh. They could not have anything made of wool on them, when they were in the inner court. They would have to wear linen turbans on their heads. They also would have to wear linen underwear. They could not wear any binding clothes, anything that would make them sweat. When they went out to the outer court, they had to change clothes. They were not allowed to communicate holiness to the people in the outer court with their holy vestments. Thus, the holy linen garments were kept in the holy chambers or rooms.

The passage way of the chambers (Ezek 42:4-42:6)

“In front of the chambers

Was a passage way.

On the inside,

It was

Ten cubits wide,

One hundred cubits deep.

Its entrance was

On the north.

Now the upper chambers

Were narrower.

The galleries

Took more away                              

From them

Than from the lower

Or the middle chambers

In the building.

They were

In three stories.

They had no pillars

Like the pillars

Of the outer court.

The upper chambers

Were set back

From the ground

More than the lower

Or the middle ones.”

This is another description of the passage way around the small chamber rooms that followed up on explanations of the preceding chapter. This passage way was on the inside with an odd rectangular shape, 10 cubits wide by 100 cubits deep, 17 feet by 170 feet, with a north side entrance. The upper chambers were narrower than the lower or middle story rooms. There were more galleries on this higher 3rd story than on the middle and lower 1st and 2nd stories. These 3 story chambers had no pillars, like those in the outer court. Thus, the upper chambers were set back more from the ground than the lower or middle story chambers.

The north outer court (Ezek 42:1-42:1)

“Then he led me out

Into the outer court,

Toward the north.

He brought me

To the chambers

That were opposite

The temple yard,

Opposite the building

On the north.”

Next the bronze man led Ezekiel to the north side outer court. He brought him to the chambers or rooms that were opposite the Temple yard and opposite the building on the north side.

Ninety side chambers (Ezek 41:5-41:6)

“The width

Of the side chambers was

Four cubits,

All around the temple.

The side chambers were

In three stories,

One over the other,

Thirty in each story.

There were offsets

All around the wall

Of the temple

To serve

As supports

For the side chambers.

Thus,

They would not

Be supported

By the wall

Of the temple.”

Ezekiel explained that there were 90 side chambers that were 4 cubits or 7 feet wide. However, they were stacked on 3 stories, each story with 30 of these small chambers or rooms for storage and treasures. They were not supported by the Temple wall, since these 90 small rooms had their own supports.

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.