Commentary - Ezekiel 40:20-23

Bird's-eye view

In these latter chapters of Ezekiel, the prophet is given a grand tour of a new temple. Now, we must have our wits about us when we read this. This is not a set of blueprints for some future millennial temple to be built by the Jews in Jerusalem. The New Testament is our interpretive key, and it teaches us that the Temple of the New Covenant is the Christian Church, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the cornerstone. As one scholar rightly put it, the book of Revelation is a Christian rewrite of Ezekiel. This visionary temple, therefore, is a magnificent symbolic depiction of the Church of Jesus Christ. What we are seeing in these meticulous details is the glory, the order, the holiness, and the symmetry of the new covenant community, the household of God.

The passage before us focuses on the north gate of the outer court. The striking thing is its similarity to the east gate described just before this. This is not redundant paperwork from a divine architect; it is a lesson in theology. The way into God's presence is uniform, consistent, and divinely appointed. There are not many ways, but one way, with gates established by God. The measurements, the guardrooms, the steps, all of it speaks of a divine order that is not subject to human whim or innovation. This is a picture of the Church, secure and well-ordered, with defined points of entry through the one gospel.

Outline

The North Gate Commentary

20 As for the gate of the outer court which faced the north, he measured its length and its width.

Ezekiel is being led by a man whose appearance was like bronze, a heavenly guide. This guide is doing the measuring, and Ezekiel is the observer, tasked with reporting what he sees. This is how all true doctrine comes to us. It is not invented; it is revealed and reported. The focus here shifts to the north gate. In Scripture, the north is often associated with judgment or invasion coming down upon Israel. But here, the north gate is part of the holy and secure perimeter of God's house. This tells us that the Church, this new temple, is secure from all threats, from every direction. God's measuring establishes the boundaries. He determines what the Church is, who is in it, and how it is to be ordered. The length and width are not arbitrary; they are God's perfect measurements for His new creation.

21 It had three guardrooms on each side; and its side pillars and its porches had the same measurement as the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits.

Here we see the repetition. This gate is a carbon copy of the east gate. Why? Because the entrance into the covenant community is the same, regardless of the direction from which you approach. The gospel preached in the north is the same as the gospel preached in the east. The terms of entry are fixed. The guardrooms are significant. These are not ornamental; they are for sentinels. The Church has a responsibility to guard the entrance. This is the task of church discipline and doctrinal fidelity. The elders are the guards at the gate, examining those who would enter, ensuring they come in by the true door, which is Christ. The measurements are repeated: fifty by twenty-five cubits. This is not just architectural detail; it is theological. God is a God of order, not of chaos. His Church is not a shapeless mob, but a structured, well-proportioned body. The numbers themselves likely have symbolic weight, pointing to jubilee and redemption, but the main point is the divine precision. God has designed His Church with glorious and exacting care.

22 Its windows and its porches and its palm tree ornaments had the same measurements as the gate which faced toward the east; and it was reached by seven steps, and its porch was in front of them.

Again, the repetition drives the point home. Windows speak of light and vision. The Church is to be a city on a hill, its light shining out. Palm trees are symbols of victory, righteousness, and celebration, reminding us of Christ's triumphal entry. The righteous man is like a palm tree (Psalm 92:12). So the Church is decorated, as it were, with the victory and righteousness of Christ and His people. It is an attractive, triumphant place. Then we have the seven steps. To enter, one must ascend. This is a picture of sanctification and of leaving the profane world behind to enter the sacred space of God's presence. Seven is the number of perfection and completion. The way into God's house is a complete and perfect way, established by Him. You don't just wander in on level ground. You must come up, by the prescribed seven steps. This is a call to holiness, a reminder that entering the Church is a serious and holy business.

23 The inner court had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate.

Now the perspective widens. From the outer gate, you can see the corresponding gate to the inner court. This shows a clear path of progression. You enter the outer court, the realm of the visible church, but the goal is to draw nearer to God, into the inner court. There is a way forward, a path to deeper communion. And the distance is measured: one hundred cubits. This is a generous, spacious courtyard. There is room in God's house. But it is also a defined space. One hundred is ten times ten, a number signifying the perfection of divine order. This space between the outer and inner reality is governed and defined by God. It is the space where the life of the Church is lived out, a life of worship and sanctification, all within the perfect and spacious boundaries established by God Himself. This is a picture of a well-ordered liberty, a spacious place that is nevertheless protected and defined by God's holy measurements.

Key Issues

The Temple as the Church

It is a fundamental mistake to read Ezekiel 40-48 as a literal architectural plan for a future building project. The New Testament writers, steeped in the Old Testament, consistently apply temple imagery to Christ and the Church. Jesus is the true temple (John 2:19-21), and His people are being built into a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5). We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16). Therefore, Ezekiel's vision is a prophetic glimpse, in Old Covenant terms, of the New Covenant reality. The glory, order, holiness, and expansion of this visionary temple find their fulfillment in the growth and maturation of the Christian Church throughout history. The water flowing from this temple (Ezek. 47) is the life-giving power of the gospel flowing out from the Church to heal the nations. This is the interpretive key that unlocks these chapters.

Repetition and Divine Order

The modern reader might grow weary of the repeated measurements and descriptions. But in the ancient world, and particularly in the biblical mindset, this repetition is freighted with meaning. It establishes the absolute sovereignty and meticulous care of God in designing His dwelling place. The fact that the North Gate is identical to the East Gate is not sloppy writing; it is profound theology. It declares that God's standards are unchanging. His way of salvation is one. His design for His Church is not a haphazard affair but a carefully constructed reality. This divine order is a comfort to the believer and a warning to those who would approach God on their own terms. God is not sloppy, and His Church should not be either. Our doctrine, our worship, and our lives are to reflect this beautiful, God-given symmetry and order.

Application

So what does a detailed description of a visionary temple gate have to do with us? Everything. First, it reminds us that the Church is God's design, not ours. We don't get to invent the terms of entry or rearrange the furniture to suit the spirit of the age. The measurements are set. The gospel is fixed.

Second, it highlights the need for doctrinal and moral vigilance. The guardrooms are not for show. Church leaders are called to be faithful guards at the gate, upholding the truth of the gospel and calling people to repentance and faith. We are to protect the flock from wolves and false teaching.

Third, it presents a vision of the Church that is both secure and beautiful. We are surrounded by high walls and guarded gates, but adorned with symbols of victory and filled with light. The Church should be a place of holy security and joyful celebration. And finally, the seven steps remind us that fellowship with God requires an ascent. We are called out of the world and up into His holy presence. This is not a leap we make once, but a continual walk of sanctification, moving step by step, from the outer court toward the inner, ever closer to the glorious presence of our God.