This
chapter continues and concludes the describing and measuring of this
mystical temple, which it is very hard to understand the particular
architecture of, and yet more hard to comprehend the mystical meaning of.
Here is, I. A description of the chambers that were about the courts, their
situation and structure (ver. 1-13), and the uses for which they were
designed, ver. 13, 14. II. A survey of the whole compass of ground which was
taken up with the house, and the courts belonging to it, ver. 15-20.
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The
Vision of the
Temple.
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B.
C. 574.
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1 Then he brought me forth into the utter
court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was
over against the separate place, and which was before the building
toward the north. 2 Before the length of a hundred cubits was
the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. 3 Over
against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and
over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was
gallery against gallery in three stories. 4 And before
the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one
cubit; and their doors toward the north. 5 Now the upper
chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than
the lower, and than the middlemost of the building. 6 For they were
in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts:
therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the
middlemost from the ground. 7 And the wall that was
without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of
the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits. 8 For
the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was
fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were a hundred cubits.
9 And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as
one goeth into them from the utter court. 10 The chambers were
in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the
separate place, and over against the building. 11 And the way
before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were
toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all
their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according
to their doors. 12 And according to the doors of the chambers
that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even
the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into
them. 13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the
south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be
holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD
shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things,
and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for
the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter therein,
then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court,
but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are
holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things
which are for the people.
The prophet has taken a very exact view of the temple and the buildings
belonging to it, and is now brought again into the outer court, to observe
the chambers that were in that square.
I. Here is a description of these chambers, which (as that which went
before) seems to us very perplexed and intricate, through our
unacquaintedness with the Hebrew language and the rules of architecture at
that time. We shall only observe, in general, 1. That about the temple,
which was the place of public worship, there were private chambers, to teach
us that our attendance upon God in solemn ordinances will not excuse us from
the duties of the closet. We must not only worship in the courts of God's
house, but must, both before and after our attendance there, enter into our
chambers, enter into our closets, and read and meditate, and pray to our
Father in secret; and a great deal of comfort the people of God have
found in their communion with God in solitude. 2. That these chambers were
many; there were three stories of them, and, though the higher
stories were not so large as the lower, yet they served as well for
retirement, v. 5, 6. There were many, that there might be
conveniences for all such devout people as Anna the prophetess, who departed
not from the temple night or day, Luke ii. 37. In my Father's house
are many mansions. In his house on earth there are so; multitudes by
faith have taken lodgings in his sanctuary, and yet there is room. 3.
That these chambers, though they were private, yet were near the temple,
within view of it, within reach of it, to teach us to prefer public worship
before private (the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the
dwellings of Jacob, and so must we), and to refer our private worship to
the public. Our religious performances in our chambers must be to prepare us
for the exercises of devotion in public, and to further us in our
improvement of them, as our opportunities are. 4. That before these chambers
there were walks of five yards broad (v. 4), in which those
that had lodgings in these chambers might meet for conversation, might walk
and talk together for their mutual edification, might communicate their
knowledge and experiences. For we are not to spend all our time between the
church and the chamber, though a great deal of time may be spent to very
good purpose in both. But man is made for society, and Christians for the
communion of saints; and the duties of that communion we must make
conscience of, and the privileges and pleasures of that communion we must
take the comfort of. It is promised to Joshua, who was high priest in the
second temple, that God will give him places to walk in among those that
stand by, Zech. iii. 7.
II. Here is the use of these chambers appointed, v. 13, 14. 1. They
were for the priests that approach unto the Lord, that they may be
always near their business and may not be non-residents. Therefore
they are called holy chambers, because they were for use of those
that ministered in holy things during their ministration. Those that have
public work to do for God and the souls of men have need to be much in
private, to fit themselves for it. Ministers should spend much time in their
chambers, in reading, meditation, and prayer, that their profiting may
appear; and they ought to be provided with conveniences for this
purpose. 2. There the priests were to deposit the most holy things,
those parts of the offerings which fell to their share; and there they were
to eat them, they and their families, in a religious manner, for the
place is holy; and thus they must make a difference between those feasts
upon the sacrifice and other meals. 3. There (among other uses) they were to
lay their vestments, which God had appointed them to wear when they
ministered at the altar, their linen ephods, coats, girdles, and bonnets. We
read of the providing of priests garments after their return out of
captivity, Neh. vii. 70, 72. When they had ended their service at the altar
they must lay by those garments, to signify that the use of them should
continue only during that dispensation; but they must put on other
garments, such as other people wear, when they approached to those
things which were for the people, that is, to do that part of their
service which related to the people, to teach them the law and to answer
their enquiries. Their holy garments must be laid up, that they may
be kept clean and decent for the credit of their service.
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The
Vision of the Temple.
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B.
C. 574.
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15 Now when he had made an end of measuring
the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is
toward the east, and measured it round about. 16 He measured the
east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring
reed round about. 17 He measured the north side, five hundred
reeds, with the measuring reed round about. 18 He measured the
south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed. 19 He
turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with
the measuring reed. 20 He measured it by the four sides: it had
a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad,
to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.
We have attended the measuring of this mystical temple and are now to see
how far the holy ground on which we tread extends; and that also is here
measured, and found to take in a great compass. Observe, 1. What the
dimensions of it were. It extended each way 500 reeds (v. 16-19),
each reed above three yards and a half, so that it reached every way about
an English measured mile, which, the ground lying square, was above four
miles round. Thus large were the suburbs (as I may call them) of this
mystical temple, signifying the great extent of the church in gospel-times,
when all nations should be discipled and the kingdoms of the world made
Christ's kingdoms. Room should be made in God's courts for the numerous
forces of the Gentiles that shall flow into them, as was foretold, Isa. xlix.
18; lx. 4. It is in part fulfilled already in the accession of the Gentiles
to the church; and we trust it shall have a more full accomplishment when
the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and all Israel shall be
saved. 2. Why the dimensions of it were made thus large. It was to make
a separation, by putting a very large distance between the sanctuary
and the profane place; and therefore there was a wall
surrounding it, to keep off those that were unclean and to separate between
the previous and the vile. Note, A difference is to be put between
common and sacred things, between God's name and other names, between his
day and other days, his book and other books, his institutions and other
observances; and a distance is to be put between our worldly and religious
actions, so as still to go about the worship of God with a solemn pause.
