“Thus says Yahweh God!
‘The gate
Of the inner court
That faces east
Shall remain closed
On the six working days.
But on the Sabbath day,
It shall be opened.
On the day
Of the new moon,
It shall be opened.’”
Yahweh God spoke about the eastern gate. This eastern gate of the inner court was to remain shut at all times. There were 2 exceptions, the Sabbath and the feast of the new moon. Thus, it would be opened on these occasions, 64 times a year, 52 for the Sabbath days and 12 for the new moons.
“Thus says Yahweh God!
‘In the first month,
On the first day
Of the month,
You shall take a young bull
Without blemish.
Purify the sanctuary!
The priest shall take
Some of the blood
Of the sin offering.
He shall put it
On the doorposts
Of the temple.
He shall put it
On the four corners
Of the ledge
Of the altar.
He shall put it
On the posts
Of the gate
Of the inner court.
You shall do the same
On the seventh day
Of the month
For any one
Who has sinned
Through error
Or ignorance.
Thus,
You shall make atonement
For the temple.”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel, wanted them to purify the sanctuary on the 1st day of the 1st month. In other words, this would be a New Year’s Day activity. They were to take an unblemished bull and use him to cleanse the sanctuary at the start of the new year. The priest should take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, as well as the four corners of the altar ledge and the posts of the gate of the inner court. The priest was also supposed to do this same ritual on the 7th day of the month for anyone who sinned inadvertently by error or ignorance. This purification ritual of the first day of the first month of the year would make an atonement for the Temple, so that it would be purified.
“They shall not shave
Their heads.
They shall not
Let their locks
Grow long.
They shall only
Trim the hair
Of their heads.
No priest shall
Drink wine,
When he enters
The inner court.
They shall not marry
A widow,
Or a divorced woman.
They shall marry
Only a virgin
Of the stock
Of the house of Israel,
Or a widow
Who is the widow
Of a priest.”
These Zadok Levitical priests had a look and life style that set them apart. They were not to shave their heads, but they had to trim their hair. They were not allowed to drink wine when they were in the inner court. They could not marry a widow or a divorced woman. However, there was an exception for the widow of a priest. They could only marry a virgin in good standing from the house of Israel.
“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 glory of Yahweh
Entered the temple
By the gate facing east.
Then the Spirit
Lifted me up.
He brought me
Into the inner court.
The glory of Yahweh
Filled the temple.”
Just as the glory of Yahweh had exited the Temple via the east gate, he also returned through the east gate, where Ezekiel and the bronze man were standing. Furthermore, the Spirit of Yahweh lifted up Ezekiel. This Holy Spirit brought him into the inner court of the Temple. This time, he saw the glory of Yahweh fill the whole Temple.
“Then he brought me
To the nave.
He measured
The pilasters,
On each side.
Six cubits was
The width
Of the pilasters.
The width
Of the entrance was
Ten cubits.
The sidewalls
Of the entrance were
Five cubits
On either side.
He measured
The length of the nave,
Forty cubits.
Its width was
Twenty cubits.”
This bronze man brought Ezekiel into the hall, the Temple properly speaking. This nave of the inner court was called the Hekal, the place of saints for the Temple. As usual, the bronze man began to measure everything. The pilasters were 6 cubits or 10 feet wide on each side. The entrance gate was 10 cubits, about 16 feet wide. The sidewalls of the gate were 5 cubits or 8 feet on each side. The nave itself was 40 cubits by 20 cubits, about 64 feet by 32 feet rectangular, relatively small.
“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.
“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.
“Yahweh brought me
Into the inner court
Of the house
Of Yahweh.
There at the entrance
Of the temple
Of Yahweh,
Between the porch
And the altar,
Were about twenty-five men.
Their backs were
To the temple
Of Yahweh.
Their faces were
Toward the east.
They prostrated themselves
To the sun
Toward the east.”
Yahweh brought Ezekiel into the inner court of the Temple. At the entrance to the Temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the Temple. Their faces were toward the east. Then they prostrated themselves and worshipped the sun in the east that morning. Sun worship was very common in Egypt. A modern form of sun worship is called laying out in the sun.
“I looked.
There was a figure
That looked
Like a human being.
Below what appeared
To be his loins
It was fire.
Above his loins
It was like
The appearance of brightness,
Like gleaming amber.
He stretched out
The form of a hand.
He took me
By a lock
Of my head.
The Spirit lifted me up
Between earth and heaven.
He brought me,
In visions of God,
To Jerusalem,
To the entrance
Of the gateway
Of the inner court
That faces north.
I went to the seat
Of the image of jealousy
That provokes jealousy.
The glory
Of the God
Of Israel
Was there,
Like the vision
That I had seen
In the valley.”
Ezekiel continued in the first person singular as he explained his vision. The description of the human figure and the fire is like that of chapter 1 of this book. There was a fire below his loins, with bright amber above his loins. Once again this Holy Spirit stretched out his hand. He lifted Ezekiel up by the hair on his head and brought him to Jerusalem in a vision. Ezekiel was at the entrance to the gateway of the inner court that faced north. He was put on the seat of jealousy. There the glory of the God of Israel appeared just as he had appeared in chapter 1 in the valley by the River Chebar.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 