the vestibule

July 17, 2017

The prince makes his offerings (Ezek 46:2-46:2)

“The prince shall enter

By the vestibule

Of the gate

From outside.

He shall take

His stand

By the post

Of the gate.

The priests shall offer

His burnt offering,

As well as his peace offerings.

He shall bow down

At the threshold

Of the gate.

Then he shall go out.

But the gate shall

Not be closed

Until evening.”

The prince seemed to be allowed to enter into the vestibule by the eastern gate. He stood at a post near the gate, while the priests offered up his burnt offerings and peace offerings. The prince would bow down at the threshold of the gate. Then he would go out the eastern gate, since it would not be closed until evening came.

July 12, 2017

The closed special eastern outer gate (Ezek 44:1-44:3)

“Then Yahweh

Brought me back

To the outer gate

Of the sanctuary,

That faced east.

It was shut.

Yahweh said to me.

‘This gate shall

Remain shut.

It shall not be opened.

No one shall enter

By it.

Yahweh,

The God of Israel,

Has entered

By it.

Therefore,

It shall remain shut.

Only the prince,

Because he is a prince,

May sit in it

To eat food

Before Yahweh.

He shall enter

By way

Of the vestibule

Of the gate.

He shall go out

By the same way.’”

Yahweh brought Ezekiel back to the closed outer eastern gate. He told Ezekiel that this gate was to remain closed and never opened, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, had come through that gate. Thus, no one else was going to be allowed to use this eastern gate. The only exception was that of a prince, who, being a prince, could sit and eat food in the vestibule of that gate. However, he was not to enter or leave through that gate, because that was Yahweh’s special gate.

July 6, 2017

The doors (Ezek 41:23-41:26)

“The nave

With the holy place

Had each

A double door.

The doors had

Two leaves apiece.

There were

Two swinging leaves

For each door.

On the doors

Of the nave

Were carved

Cherubim

With palm trees,

Just like those carved

On the walls.

There was a canopy

Of wood

In front

Of the vestibule,

Outside.

There were recessed windows

With palm trees

On either side,

On the sidewalls

Of the vestibule.”

Ezekiel continued with his descriptions of the double doors leading to the Hekal, the nave, and the Debir, the holy place. These 2 doors had 2 swinging leaves for each door. On the double door to the nave were the carvings of the cherubim and the palm trees just like as in wall of the holy of holies. There was a canopy of wood outside in front of the vestibule, the Ulam. There were recessed windows with palm trees on either side of the sidewalls of this vestibule or Ulam.

July 2, 2017

The eight tables in the inner chamber (Ezek 40:40-40:41)

“On the outside

Of the vestibule,

At the entrance

Of the north gate,

Were two tables.

On the other side

Of the vestibule

Of the gate

Were two tables.

Four tables were

On the inside.

Four tables were

On the outside

Of the side

Of the gate.

There were eight tables,

On which the sacrifices

Were to be slaughtered.”

At the north side of the Temple, by the vestibule, at the entrance gate there were 2 tables on either side for a total of 4 tables. However, there was 4 more tables on the inside. These were the 8 tables where the animals would be slaughtered in preparation for the sacrifices.