Commentary - Ezekiel 41:5-12

Bird's-eye view

In these latter chapters of Ezekiel, we are not being given blueprints for some future millennial temple to be built with stone and mortar in Jerusalem. To read it this way is to miss the whole point, and to let the Old Testament interpret the New, which is always a backward business. The book of Revelation is, in many ways, a Christian rewrite of Ezekiel, and both point us to the same glorious reality: the Christian Church. This temple is the body of Christ, the dwelling place of God by the Spirit. Ezekiel's vision is a magnificent, symbolic unveiling of the nature, structure, and glory of the New Covenant people of God.

Therefore, as the angelic guide leads the prophet through this house, measuring every wall, chamber, and doorway, we should not get lost in the architectural minutiae as though we were contractors. Rather, we should see that God is intensely interested in the details of His Church. Nothing is accidental. Every measurement has a meaning, every space a purpose. This passage, with its focus on the surrounding chambers and the mysterious western building, teaches us about the security, growth, and divine order of the Church, which is built upon the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ.

Outline

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 5 Then he measured the wall of the house of Yahweh, six cubits; and the width of the side chambers, four cubits, all around about the house on every side.

The measuring continues, and we must remember that divine measurement is an act of divine claiming and defining. What God measures, He owns and He defines. The main wall of the house is six cubits thick. Six is the number of man, the number of work. This is the house where God and man meet, the result of Christ's finished work. This is a solid wall, a wall of separation and of security. It distinguishes the sacred from the profane. Then we have the side chambers, four cubits wide. Four is the number of the earth, the four corners of the world. These chambers, as we will see, are for the priests, and in the New Covenant, the Church is a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:9). These chambers surround the entire house, indicating that the priestly ministry of the Church is comprehensive, touching every aspect of her life and reaching out to the whole world.

v. 6 The side chambers were in three stories, one above another, and thirty in each story; and the side chambers extended to the wall which stood on their inward side all around, that they might be fastened, and not be fastened into the wall of the house itself.

Here we see the organization of this priestly body. There are three stories, the number of divinity, of fullness, of resurrection. And there are thirty chambers per story. Thirty is a number associated with priestly service and maturity; it was the age Levites began their ministry and the age at which our Lord began His. These are the dwelling places for the mature priesthood of all believers. Now, notice the structural detail. The beams of these chambers rested on ledges or supports coming off the main wall, but they were not set into the main wall. This is a crucial point. The people of God, His priests, are utterly dependent on Christ and His Church (the house). We are supported by Him, we draw our stability from Him, but our existence does not compromise the structural integrity of the house itself. Christ is sufficient. We are joined to Him, but we do not add to His perfection. He supports us; we do not support Him.

v. 7 The side chambers surrounding the house were wider at each successive story. Because the structure surrounding the house went upward by stages on all sides of the house, therefore the width of the house increased as it went higher; and thus one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the second story.

This is a glorious picture of the Church's growth. As the temple rises, it broadens. This is not how human buildings work; they typically get narrower at the top. But God's house expands as it ascends. The higher you go in spiritual maturity and the closer we get to the consummation of all things, the greater the Church's capacity and influence becomes. This is a picture of postmillennial optimism built right into the architecture. The Church of Jesus Christ does not shrink into a corner as history progresses; she grows, expands, and takes up more room. The path of the just is a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. The way up is through the middle story, indicating an orderly progression in this growth. We grow from one level of glory to the next, by the Spirit of the Lord.

v. 8 I saw also that the house had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full rod of six long cubits in height.

The entire structure is elevated. The Church does not sit at ground level with the world; she is a city on a hill. She is built on a high platform, a foundation that is a "full rod" of six cubits. A rod is a tool for measuring, for ruling. The Church is founded on the authoritative, ruling Word of God. This foundation is high and unshakeable. It is the rock of Christ's divine person and finished work, the teaching of the apostles and prophets. The world's philosophies are sinking sand; the Church is built on a massive, elevated, solid rock foundation.

v. 9-10 The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. But the free space between the side chambers belonging to the house and the outer chambers was twenty cubits in width all around the house on every side.

Now we see a second wall, the outer wall of these priestly chambers, and it is five cubits thick. Five is often the number of grace. This is a wall of grace, a strong defense. Between this wall and another set of outer chambers (not detailed here) is a "free space" of twenty cubits. This is a sacred pavement, a holy buffer zone. It represents the clear line of demarcation that must exist between the Church and the world. We are in the world, but not of it. This space is not a void, but a place of transition, a place where the world can approach and see the glory of God's house without defiling it. It is the space where our public witness happens.

v. 11 The doorways of the side chambers toward the free space consisted of one doorway toward the north and another doorway toward the south; and the width of the place of the free space was five cubits all around.

How does one get into these priestly chambers? Through doorways to the north and south. In biblical symbolism, the north is often the direction from which judgment or nations come, and the south can represent the wilderness or the peoples of the earth. The point is that access to the priestly community of the Church is open to all directions. "Come from the four winds, O breath." The gospel call goes out to all nations, inviting them into the household of God. The free space itself is five cubits wide, again emphasizing that this access is a matter of grace.

v. 12 The building that was in front of the separate area at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.

Finally, we have this mysterious building to the west. The west, behind the Holy of Holies, is the end of the line. It is the direction of the setting sun. This separate, solid, and massive building stands behind the temple proper. It is not ornate; it is simply large and strong. I take this to be a symbol of the finality and permanence of Christ's finished work. It stands behind everything else, the ultimate ground and security of our worship and life. Seventy is the number of the nations, and ninety (3x30) speaks of divine completeness and maturity. This is the accomplished work of God for the sake of the world, standing forever as the foundation and rear guard of His Church. It is separate because Christ's work is unique and unrepeatable. It is solid because it is eternal and cannot be shaken. The Church lives and worships and grows in the secure space created by this unmovable reality.

Application

So what do we do with all these numbers and walls? We are to be profoundly encouraged. The Church is not a haphazard human organization. It is a divinely designed structure, measured and owned by God Himself. Your place in the body of Christ is not an accident; you are a living stone in a specific chamber, supported entirely by the strength of Christ.

We should see that God's plan is for growth, for expansion, for an ever-increasing glory. Our personal lives and our corporate life should reflect this upward and outward trajectory. We are built on the high, unshakable platform of God's Word, and we are defended by walls of grace. And behind us, securing everything, is the massive, finished work of Jesus. We are therefore called to live as the priests we are, ministering in our designated places, confident in the design, and working toward the expansion of this glorious house until its glory fills the earth as the waters cover the sea.