The Vision of the New Temple and Land

Chapter 40

1In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month—in the fourteenth year after Jerusalem had been struck down—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He took me there. 2In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city. 3So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4“Son of man,” he said to me, “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Report to the house of Israel everything you see.” 5And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured the wall to be one rod thick and one rod high. 6Then he came to the gate facing east and climbed its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate to be one rod deep. 7Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide, and there were five cubits between the gate chambers. The inner threshold of the gate by the portico facing inward was one rod deep. 8Then he measured the portico of the gateway inside; 9it was eight cubits deep, and its jambs were two cubits thick. And the portico of the gateway faced the temple. 10There were three gate chambers on each side of the east gate, each with the same measurements, and the gateposts on either side also had the same measurements. 11And he measured the width of the gateway entrance to be ten cubits, and its length was thirteen cubits. 12In front of each gate chamber was a wall one cubit high, and the gate chambers were six cubits square. 13Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits from doorway to doorway. 14Next he measured the gateposts to be sixty cubits high. The gateway extended around to the gatepost of the courtyard. 15And the distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its inner portico was fifty cubits. 16The gate chambers and their side pillars had beveled windows all around the inside of the gateway. The porticos also had windows all around on the inside. Each side pillar was decorated with palm trees. 17Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement, 18which flanked the gateways and corresponded to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. 19Then he measured the distance from the front of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits on the east side as well as on the north. 20He also measured the length and width of the gateway of the outer court facing north. 21Its three gate chambers on each side, its side pillars, and its portico all had the same measurements as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22Its windows, portico, and palm trees had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them. 23There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured the distance from gateway to gateway to be a hundred cubits. 24Then he led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway facing south. He measured its side pillars and portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. 25Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around, like the other windows. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 26Seven steps led up to it, and its portico was opposite them; it had palm trees on its side pillars, one on each side. 27The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured the distance from gateway to gateway toward the south to be a hundred cubits. 28Next he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. 29Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30(The porticoes around the inner court were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep. ) 31Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees. Eight steps led up to it. 32And he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. 33Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it. 35Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, 36as did its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico. It also had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it. 38There was a chamber with a doorway by the portico in each of the inner gateways. There the burnt offering was to be washed. 39Inside the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings were to be slaughtered. 40Outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gateway, there were two tables on one side and two more tables on the other side of the gate’s portico. 41So there were four tables inside the gateway and four outside—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. 42There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offering, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit high. On these were placed the utensils used to slaughter the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. 43The double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth long, were fastened all around the inside of the room, and the flesh of the offering was to be placed on the tables. 44Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two chambers, one beside the north gate and facing south, and another beside the south gate and facing north. 45Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple, 46and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.” 47Next he measured the court. It was square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple. 48Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the side pillars of the portico to be five cubits on each side. The width of the gateway was fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were three cubits on either side. 49The portico was twenty cubits wide and twelve cubits deep, and ten steps led up to it. There were columns by the side pillars, one on each side.

Chapter 41

1Then the man brought me into the outer sanctuary and measured the side pillars to be six cubits wide on each side. 2The width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on each side. He also measured the length of the outer sanctuary to be forty cubits, and the width to be twenty cubits. 3And he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the side pillars at the entrance to be two cubits wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the walls on each side were seven cubits wide. 4Then he measured the room adjacent to the inner sanctuary to be twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. And he said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place. ” 5Next he measured the wall of the temple to be six cubits thick, and the width of each side room around the temple was four cubits. 6The side rooms were arranged one above another in three levels of thirty rooms each. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports would not be fastened into the wall of the temple itself. 7The side rooms surrounding the temple widened at each successive level, because the structure surrounding the temple ascended by stages corresponding to the narrowing of the temple wall as it rose upward. And so a stairway went up from the lowest story to the highest, through the middle one. 8I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it, forming the foundation of the side rooms. It was the full length of a rod, six long cubits. 9The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick, and the open area between the side rooms of the temple 10and the outer chambers was twenty cubits wide all around the temple. 11The side rooms opened into this area, with one entrance on the north and another on the south. The open area was five cubits wide all around. 12Now the building that faced the temple courtyard on the west was seventy cubits wide, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, with a length of ninety cubits. 13Then he measured the temple to be a hundred cubits long, and the temple courtyard and the building with its walls were also a hundred cubits long. 14The width of the temple courtyard on the east, including the front of the temple, was a hundred cubits. 15Next he measured the length of the building facing the temple courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries on each side; it was a hundred cubits. The outer sanctuary, the inner sanctuary, and the porticoes facing the court, 16as well as the thresholds and the beveled windows and the galleries all around with their three levels opposite the threshold, were overlaid with wood on all sides. They were paneled from the ground to the windows, and the windows were covered. 17In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary on all the walls, spaced evenly around the inner and outer sanctuary, 18were alternating carved cherubim and palm trees. Each cherub had two faces: 19the face of a man was toward the palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion was toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved all the way around the temple. 20Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the wall of the outer sanctuary from the floor to the space above the entrance. 21The outer sanctuary had a rectangular doorframe, and the doorframe of the sanctuary was similar. 22There was an altar of wood three cubits high and two cubits square. Its corners, base, and sides were of wood. And the man told me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.” 23Both the outer sanctuary and the inner sanctuary had double doors, 24and each door had two swinging panels. There were two panels for one door and two for the other. 25Cherubim and palm trees like those on the walls were carved on the doors of the outer sanctuary, and there was a wooden canopy outside, on the front of the portico. 26There were beveled windows and palm trees on the sidewalls of the portico. The side rooms of the temple also had canopies.

Chapter 42

1Then the man led me out northward into the outer court, and he brought me to the group of chambers opposite the temple courtyard and the outer wall on the north side. 2The building with the door facing north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide. 3Gallery faced gallery in three levels opposite the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court. 4In front of the chambers was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long. Their doors were on the north. 5Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. 6For they were arranged in three stories, and unlike the courts, they had no pillars. So the upper chambers were set back further than the lower and middle floors. 7An outer wall in front of the chambers was fifty cubits long and ran parallel to the chambers and the outer court. 8For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those facing the temple were a hundred cubits long. 9And below these chambers was the entrance on the east side as one enters them from the outer court. 10On the south side along the length of the wall of the outer court were chambers adjoining the courtyard and opposite the building, 11with a passageway in front of them, just like the chambers that were on the north. They had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions. 12And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, there was a door in front of the walkway that was parallel to the wall extending eastward. 13Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy. 14Once the priests have entered the holy area, they must not go out into the outer court until they have left behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they approach the places that are for the people.” 15Now when the man had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by the gate that faced east, and he measured the area all around: 16With a measuring rod he measured the east side to be five hundred cubits long. 17He measured the north side to be five hundred cubits long. 18He measured the south side to be five hundred cubits long. 19And he came around and measured the west side to be five hundred cubits long. 20So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

Chapter 43

1Then the man brought me back to the gate that faces east, 2and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. 3The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown, 4and the glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. 5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 6While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple, 7and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile My holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and by the funeral offerings for their kings at their deaths. 8When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy name by the abominations they committed. Therefore I have consumed them in My anger. 9Now let them remove far from Me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will dwell among them forever. 10As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure the plan, 11and if they are ashamed of all they have done, then make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement and its exits and entrances—its whole design along with all its statutes, forms, and laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its complete design and all its statutes and may carry them out. 12This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain will be most holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple. 13These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits (a cubit and a handbreadth): Its gutter shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14The space from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide. The space from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide. 15The altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and four horns shall project upward from the hearth. 16The altar hearth shall be square at its four corners, twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide. 17The ledge shall also be square, fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide, with a rim of half a cubit and a gutter of a cubit all around it. The steps of the altar shall face east.” 18Then He said to me: “Son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings may be sacrificed on it and blood may be splattered on it: 19You are to give a young bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the family of Zadok, who approach Me to minister before Me, declares the Lord GOD. 20You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim; thus you will cleanse the altar and make atonement for it. 21Then you are to take away the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the appointed part of the temple area outside the sanctuary. 22On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering, and the altar is to be cleansed as it was with the bull. 23When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. 24You must present them before the LORD; the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the LORD. 25For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished. 26For seven days the priests are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; so they shall consecrate it. 27At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.’”

Chapter 44

1The man then brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, but it was shut. 2And the LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain shut. 3Only the prince himself may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He must enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.” 4Then the man brought me to the front of the temple by way of the north gate. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling His temple, and I fell facedown. 5The LORD said to me: “Son of man, pay attention; look carefully with your eyes and listen closely with your ears to everything I tell you concerning all the statutes and laws of the house of the LORD. Take careful note of the entrance to the temple, along with all the exits of the sanctuary. 6Tell the rebellious house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I have had enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel. 7In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant. 8And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.’ 9This is what the Lord GOD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites. 10Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity. 11Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before them to minister to them. 12Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD. 13They must not approach Me to serve Me as priests or come near any of My holy things or the most holy things. They will bear the shame of the abominations they have committed. 14Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of all the work for the temple and everything to be done in it. 15But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD. 16They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge. 17When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen garments; they must not wear anything made of wool when they minister at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. 18They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. 19When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments. 20They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair. 21No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court. 22And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest. 23They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean. 24In any dispute, they shall officiate as judges and judge according to My ordinances. They must keep My laws and statutes regarding all My appointed feasts, and they must keep My Sabbaths holy. 25A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so, 26and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself. 27And on the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD. 28In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. 29They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. 30The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes. 31The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.

Chapter 45

1“When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion for the LORD, a holy portion of the land 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide. This entire tract of land will be holy. 2Within this area there is to be a section for the sanctuary 500 cubits square, with 50 cubits around it for open land. 3From this holy portion, you are to measure off a length of 25,000 cubits and a width of 10,000 cubits, and in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4It will be a holy portion of the land to be used by the priests who minister in the sanctuary, who draw near to minister before the LORD. It will be a place for their houses, as well as a holy area for the sanctuary. 5An adjacent area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide shall belong to the Levites who minister in the temple; it will be their possession for towns in which to live. 6As the property of the city, you are to set aside an area 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, adjacent to the holy district. It will belong to the whole house of Israel. 7Now the prince will have the area bordering each side of the area formed by the holy district and the property of the city, extending westward from the western side and eastward from the eastern side, running lengthwise from the western boundary to the eastern boundary and parallel to one of the tribal portions. 8This land will be his possession in Israel. And My princes will no longer oppress My people, but will give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes. 9For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Enough, O princes of Israel! Cease your violence and oppression, and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing My people, declares the Lord GOD.’ 10You must use honest scales, a just ephah, and a just bath. 11The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer, and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure for both. 12The shekel will consist of twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will equal one mina. 13This is the contribution you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley. 14The prescribed portion of oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath from each cor (a cor consists of ten baths or one homer, since ten baths are equivalent to a homer). 15And one sheep shall be given from each flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These are for the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for the people, declares the Lord GOD. 16All the people of the land must participate in this contribution for the prince in Israel. 17And it shall be the prince’s part to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings for the feasts, New Moons, and Sabbaths—for all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel. 18This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary. 19And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court. 20You must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays unintentionally or in ignorance. In this way you will make atonement for the temple. 21On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to observe the Passover, a feast of seven days, during which unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22On that day the prince shall provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land. 23Each day during the seven days of the feast, he shall provide seven bulls and seven rams without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD, along with a male goat for a sin offering. 24He shall also provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, along with a hin of olive oil for each ephah of grain. 25During the seven days of the feast that begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and oil.’

Chapter 46

1“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘The gate of the inner court that faces east must be kept shut during the six days of work, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. 2The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests sacrifice his burnt offerings and peace offerings. He is to bow in worship at the threshold of the gate and then depart, but the gate must not be shut until evening. 3On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people of the land are also to bow in worship before the LORD at the entrance to that gateway. 4The burnt offering that the prince presents to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six unblemished male lambs and an unblemished ram. 5The grain offering with the ram shall be one ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, along with a hin of oil per ephah. 6On the day of the New Moon he shall offer a young, unblemished bull, six lambs, and a ram without blemish. 7He is to provide a grain offering of an ephah with the bull, an ephah with the ram, and as much as he is able with the lambs, along with a hin of oil per ephah. 8When the prince enters, he shall go in through the portico of the gateway, and he shall go out the same way. 9When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship must go out by the south gate, and whoever enters by the south gate must go out by the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each must go out by the opposite gate. 10When the people enter, the prince shall go in with them, and when they leave, he shall leave. 11At the festivals and appointed feasts, the grain offering shall be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and as much as one is able to give with the lambs, along with a hin of oil per ephah. 12When the prince makes a freewill offering to the LORD, whether a burnt offering or a peace offering, the gate facing east must be opened for him. He is to offer his burnt offering or peace offering just as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and the gate must be closed after he goes out. 13And you shall provide an unblemished year-old lamb as a daily burnt offering to the LORD; you are to offer it every morning. 14You are also to provide with it every morning a grain offering of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour—a grain offering to the LORD. This is a permanent statute. 15Thus they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil every morning as a regular burnt offering.’ 16This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons as an inheritance, it will belong to his descendants. It will become their property by inheritance. 17But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will belong to that servant until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs only to his sons; it shall be theirs. 18The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people by evicting them from their property. He is to provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people will be displaced from his property.’” 19Then the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate into the holy chambers facing north, which belonged to the priests, and he showed me a place there at the far western end 20and said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them into the outer court and transmit holiness to the people.” 21Then he brought me into the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw a separate court in each of its corners. 22In the four corners of the outer court there were enclosed courts, each forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. Each of the four corner areas had the same dimensions. 23Around the inside of each of the four courts was a row of masonry with ovens built at the base of the walls on all sides. 24And he said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple will cook the sacrifices offered by the people.”

Chapter 47

1Then the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2Next he brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and there I saw the water trickling out from the south side. 3As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through ankle-deep water. 4Then he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through knee-deep water. Again he measured a thousand cubits and led me through waist-deep water. 5Once again he measured off a thousand cubits, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough for swimming—a river that could not be crossed on foot. 6“Son of man, do you see this?” he asked. Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7When I arrived, I saw a great number of trees along both banks of the river. 8And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Dead Sea, the water there becomes fresh. 9Wherever the river flows, there will be swarms of living creatures and a great number of fish, because it flows there and makes the waters fresh; so wherever the river flows, everything will flourish. 10Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing.” 13This is what the Lord GOD says: “These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall receive two portions. 14You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with an uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will fall to you as an inheritance. 15This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad, 16Berothah, and Sibraim (which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17So the border will run from the Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary. 18On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Eastern Sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary. 19On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the southern boundary. 20And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary. 21You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who dwell among you and who have children. You are to treat them as native-born Israelites; along with you, they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23In whatever tribe a foreigner dwells, you are to assign his inheritance there,” declares the Lord GOD.

Chapter 48

1“Now these are the names of the tribes: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion bordering the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath and running on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus with Hamath to the north, and extending from the east side to the west side. 2Asher will have one portion bordering the territory of Dan from east to west. 3Naphtali will have one portion bordering the territory of Asher from east to west. 4Manasseh will have one portion bordering the territory of Naphtali from east to west. 5Ephraim will have one portion bordering the territory of Manasseh from east to west. 6Reuben will have one portion bordering the territory of Ephraim from east to west. 7Judah will have one portion bordering the territory of Reuben from east to west. 8Bordering the territory of Judah, from east to west, will be the portion you are to set apart. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and the length of a tribal portion from east to west. In the center will be the sanctuary. 9The special portion you set apart to the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. 10This will be the holy portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side, and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center will be the sanctuary of the LORD. 11It will be for the consecrated priests, the descendants of Zadok, who kept My charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. 12It will be a special portion for them set apart from the land, a most holy portion adjacent to the territory of the Levites. 13Bordering the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. The whole length will be 25,000 cubits, and the width 10,000 cubits. 14They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this best part of the land, for it is holy to the LORD. 15The remaining area, 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for common use by the city, for houses, and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it 16and will have these measurements: 4,500 cubits on the north side, 4,500 cubits on the south side, 4,500 cubits on the east side, and 4,500 cubits on the west side. 17The pastureland of the city will extend 250 cubits to the north, 250 cubits to the south, 250 cubits to the east, and 250 cubits to the west. 18The remainder of the length bordering the holy portion and running adjacent to it will be 10,000 cubits on the east side and 10,000 cubits on the west side. Its produce will supply food for the workers of the city. 19The workers of the city who cultivate it will come from all the tribes of Israel. 20The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits by 25,000 cubits. You are to set apart the holy portion, along with the city property. 21The remaining area on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city will belong to the prince. He will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions, extending eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the holy district toward the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. And in the center of them will be the holy portion and the sanctuary of the temple. 22So the Levitical property and the city property will lie in the center of the area belonging to the prince—the area between the borders of Judah and Benjamin. 23As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin will have one portion extending from the east side to the west side. 24Simeon will have one portion bordering the territory of Benjamin from east to west. 25Issachar will have one portion bordering the territory of Simeon from east to west. 26Zebulun will have one portion bordering the territory of Issachar from east to west. 27And Gad will have one portion bordering the territory of Zebulun from east to west. 28The southern border of Gad will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Brook of Egypt and out to the Great Sea. 29This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Lord GOD. 30“These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which will be 4,500 cubits long, 31the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. On the north side there will be three gates: the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi. 32On the east side, which will be 4,500 cubits long, there will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33On the south side, which will be 4,500 cubits long, there will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34And on the west side, which will be 4,500 cubits long, there will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35The perimeter of the city will be 18,000 cubits, and from that day on the name of the city will be: THE LORD IS THERE. ”

Historical Context

The vision of Ezekiel 40–48 is set in a time when the Israelites were in exile in Babylon, following the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Ezekiel, a prophet-priest, was among the exiles who had lived through the trauma of their nation's downfall. These chapters are meant to inspire hope, as they describe a future, idealized temple and the restoration of the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. Such visions would have been a source of comfort for a weary people longing for both spiritual and national renewal. The detailed measurements and layouts reflect architectural practices of the ancient Near East, where temple and city layouts carried significant theological symbolism and cultural meaning. The reference to particular tribes and offerings served to remind Israel of their covenant identity under God's law and purpose within the land He had promised their forefathers. Contextually, this vision would have reaffirmed God's covenant promises even amid judgment and exile, pointing toward hope for a renewed future. Ezekiel’s mention of the sons of Zadok as priests further connects the vision to Israel’s historical classifications of priesthood and covenantal roles within the temple system.

Theological Insight

Ezekiel 40–48 reveals rich theological truths about God's holiness, order, and His desire to dwell with His people. The meticulous design of the temple and the land allocations showcase God’s precision and the sacredness of what is dedicated to Him. The vision repeatedly stresses the separation of the holy from the common, demonstrating God's unchanging nature as holy and set apart, calling His people to embody holiness in the world. The glory of God entering the temple through the east gate (chapter 43) serves as a powerful image of God’s presence returning to His people, echoing themes of restoration and reconciliation after judgment. The river of life flowing from the temple (chapter 47) is a vivid picture of God’s life-giving power, linking this vision symbolically to later biblical themes, such as the new creation in Revelation. Ultimately, this passage points to God’s faithfulness to His covenant, the promise of redemption, and the ultimate consummation of His kingdom in which He dwells among His people forever.

Practical Application

Ezekiel's vision reminds us of the importance of preparing our hearts as a dwelling place for God’s presence. Just as the temple in this vision was meticulously designed and consecrated for worship, our lives should strive for order that glorifies God. This passage challenges us to evaluate what in our daily lives may be separating the “holy” things from the “common” and how we can better live with reverence for God. Whether it's time management, attitudes, or interpersonal behaviors, we are called to steward these areas with the same care Israel was expected to show for God's sacred space. Paying attention to our actions and our attitudes reflects how much we value and honor God's presence within us. Remembering that the name of the city is “The LORD Is There,” we are invited to live as if God’s presence permeates every space we inhabit, from our homes to our workplaces. God’s promise to dwell with His people forever encourages us to find comfort and hope in His steadfastness, no matter the challenges we face in this life.

What is the significance of the detailed measurements and layout of the temple described in Ezekiel 40-48, and how might this vision of the temple compare to the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple in the Old Testament?

How does the recurring theme of holiness and separation (e.g., the distinctions between holy and common, priestly roles, and temple design) in these chapters reflect God’s character and His intentions for His people?

In Ezekiel 47:1-12, the river flowing from the temple symbolizes life and restoration. How do you see God bringing renewal and flourishing to areas of your life that may feel dry or stagnant?

The name of the city at the end of the vision is declared to be 'The LORD Is There.' How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of God’s presence in your daily life, particularly in places or situations that feel distant from Him?

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise to dwell among Your people and for the hope of restoration that You offer. As You revealed the beauty and holiness of Your temple to Ezekiel, help us to see how we are called to live lives set apart for You, honoring what is holy. May we always trust in Your presence, knowing that You are our inheritance and that one day, we will fully experience the glory of 'The Lord is There.' Amen.

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