mh_parser/vol_split/26 - Ezekiel/Chapter 42.xml

<div2 id="Ez.xliii" n="xliii" next="Ez.xliv" prev="Ez.xlii" progress="65.64%" title="Chapter XLII">
<h2 id="Ez.xliii-p0.1">E Z E K I E L.</h2>
<h3 id="Ez.xliii-p0.2">CHAP. XLII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ez.xliii-p1" shownumber="no">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 (<scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.1-Ezek.42.13" parsed="|Ezek|42|1|42|13" passage="Eze 42:1-13">ver.
1-13</scripRef>), and the uses for which they were designed,
<scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.13-Ezek.42.14" parsed="|Ezek|42|13|42|14" passage="Eze 42:13,14">ver. 13, 14</scripRef>. II. A
survey of the whole compass of ground which was taken up with the
house, and the courts belonging to it, <scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.15-Ezek.42.20" parsed="|Ezek|42|15|42|20" passage="Eze 42:15-20">ver. 15-20</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Ez.xliii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42" parsed="|Ezek|42|0|0|0" passage="Eze 42" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ez.xliii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.1-Ezek.42.14" parsed="|Ezek|42|1|42|14" passage="Eze 42:1-14" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Ez.xliii-p1.6">
<h4 id="Ez.xliii-p1.7">The Vision of the Temple. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xliii-p1.8">b. c.</span> 574.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ez.xliii-p2" shownumber="no">1 Then he brought me forth into the utter court,
the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that
<i>was</i> over against the separate place, and which <i>was</i>
before the building toward the north.   2 Before the length of
a hundred cubits <i>was</i> the north door, and the breadth
<i>was</i> fifty cubits.   3 Over against the twenty
<i>cubits</i> which <i>were</i> for the inner court, and over
against the pavement which <i>was</i> for the utter court,
<i>was</i> gallery against gallery in three <i>stories.</i>  
4 And before the chambers <i>was</i> a walk of ten cubits breadth
inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.
  5 Now the upper chambers <i>were</i> shorter: for the
galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the
middlemost of the building.   6 For they <i>were</i> in three
<i>stories,</i> but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts:
therefore <i>the building</i> was straitened more than the lowest
and the middlemost from the ground.   7 And the wall that
<i>was</i> without over against the chambers, toward the utter
court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof
<i>was</i> fifty cubits.   8 For the length of the chambers
that <i>were</i> in the utter court <i>was</i> fifty cubits: and,
lo, before the temple <i>were</i> a hundred cubits.   9 And
from under these chambers <i>was</i> the entry on the east side, as
one goeth into them from the utter court.   10 The chambers
<i>were</i> 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 <i>was</i> like the
appearance of the chambers which <i>were</i> toward the north, as
long as they, <i>and</i> as broad as they: and all their goings out
<i>were</i> both according to their fashions, and according to
their doors.   12 And according to the doors of the chambers
that <i>were</i> toward the south <i>was</i> a door in the head of
the way, <i>even</i> the way directly before the wall toward the
east, as one entereth into them.   13 Then said he unto me,
The north chambers <i>and</i> the south chambers, which <i>are</i>
before the separate place, they <i>be</i> holy chambers, where the
priests that approach unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xliii-p2.1">Lord</span>
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 <i>is</i> holy.   14 When the
priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy
<i>place</i> into the utter court, but there they shall lay their
garments wherein they minister; for they <i>are</i> holy; and shall
put on other garments, and shall approach to <i>those things</i>
which <i>are</i> for the people.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ez.xliii-p3" shownumber="no">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.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ez.xliii-p4" shownumber="no">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 <i>pray to our Father in secret;</i> 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 <i>three
stories</i> of them, and, though the higher stories were not so
large as the lower, yet they served as well for retirement,
<scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.5-Ezek.42.6" parsed="|Ezek|42|5|42|6" passage="Eze 42:5,6"><i>v.</i> 5, 6</scripRef>. There
were many, that there might be conveniences for all such devout
people as Anna the prophetess, who <i>departed not from the temple
night or day,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Luke.2.37" parsed="|Luke|2|37|0|0" passage="Lu 2:37">Luke ii.
37</scripRef>. <i>In my Father's house are many mansions.</i> In
his house on earth there are so; multitudes by faith have taken
lodgings in his sanctuary, and <i>yet there is room.</i> 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 (<i>the Lord loves the gates of Zion more
than all the dwellings of Jacob,</i> 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
<i>walks of five yards broad</i> (<scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.4" parsed="|Ezek|42|4|0|0" passage="Eze 42:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>), 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 <i>give him places to walk in among those that stand
by,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p4.4" osisRef="Bible:Zech.3.7" parsed="|Zech|3|7|0|0" passage="Zec 3:7">Zech. iii. 7</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ez.xliii-p5" shownumber="no">II. Here is the use of these chambers
appointed, <scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.13-Ezek.42.14" parsed="|Ezek|42|13|42|14" passage="Eze 42:13,14"><i>v.</i> 13,
14</scripRef>. 1. They were <i>for the priests</i> that approach
unto the Lord, that they may be always near their business and may
not be non-residents. <i>Therefore</i> they are called <i>holy
chambers,</i> 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
<i>profiting may appear;</i> and they ought to be provided with
conveniences for this purpose. 2. There the priests were to deposit
<i>the most holy things,</i> those parts of the offerings which
fell to their share; and there they were to <i>eat them,</i> they
and their families, in a religious manner, for <i>the place is
holy;</i> 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, <scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Neh.7.70 Bible:Neh.7.72" parsed="|Neh|7|70|0|0;|Neh|7|72|0|0" passage="Ne 7:70,72">Neh. vii. 70, 72</scripRef>. 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 <i>put on other garments,</i> such as other people
wear, when they <i>approached to those things which were for the
people,</i> 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 <i>laid up,</i> that they may be kept
clean and decent for the credit of their service.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ez.xliii-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.15-Ezek.42.20" parsed="|Ezek|42|15|42|20" passage="Eze 42:15-20" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Ez.xliii-p5.4">
<h4 id="Ez.xliii-p5.5">The Vision of the Temple. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xliii-p5.6">b. c.</span> 574.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ez.xliii-p6" shownumber="no">15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the
inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect
<i>is</i> 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, <i>and</i> measured five hundred reeds with the measuring
reed.   20 He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall
round about, five hundred <i>reeds</i> long, and five hundred
broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane
place.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ez.xliii-p7" shownumber="no">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 (<scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.42.16-Ezek.42.19" parsed="|Ezek|42|16|42|19" passage="Eze 42:16-19"><i>v.</i> 16-19</scripRef>), 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, <scripRef id="Ez.xliii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Isa.49.18 Bible:Isa.60.4" parsed="|Isa|49|18|0|0;|Isa|60|4|0|0" passage="Isa 49:18,60:4">Isa.
xlix. 18; lx. 4</scripRef>. 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 <i>fulness of the Gentiles
shall come in</i> and <i>all Israel shall be saved.</i> 2. Why the
dimensions of it were made thus large. It was to <i>make a
separation,</i> by putting a very large distance <i>between the
sanctuary</i> and <i>the profane place;</i> and <i>therefore</i>
there was a wall surrounding it, to keep off those that were
unclean and to separate between the <i>precious and the vile.</i>
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.</p>
</div></div2>