In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel

Ezekiel 40:1-46

In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me and he took me there. In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city.

I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits,[a] each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

Then he brought me into the outer court. There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms along the pavement. 

Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. Its alcoves—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.

Then 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.

Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others.

So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high. On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth[p] long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.

He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple, and the room facing north is for the priests who guard the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.

Why?

The Lord let Ezekiel see this vision to show the New Jerusalem will be built. Here, it shows the detailed size of each part of the city wall and gates. The Lord has prepared for us a new Holy City, it is a real city for worship.

This detail size measurement means the detail of the Holy City and the time and regulation are precise, let us be careful to obey the time and detail to worship the Lord.

How?

There is a new Jerusalem for God's people in the future. Don't be upset for the Lord is our help and strength.