Ezekiel 40:29 Komentář

The waters of the sanctuary which this prophet saw in vision (Eze 47:1) are a proper representation of this prophecy. Hitherto the waters have been sometimes but to the ankles, in other places to the knees, or to the loins, but now the waters have risen, and have become "a river which cannot be passed over." Here is one continued vision, beginning at this chapter, to the end of the book, which is justly looked upon to be one of the most difficult portions of scripture in all the book of God. The Jews will not allow any to read it till they are thirty years old, and tell those who do read it that, though they cannot understand every thing in it, "when Elias comes he will explain it." Many commentators, both ancient and modern, have owned themselves at a loss what to make of it and what use to make of it. But because it is hard to be understood we must not therefore throw it by, but humbly search concerning it, get as far as we can into it and as much as we can out of it, and, when we despair of satisfaction in every difficulty we meet with, bless God that our salvation does not depend upon it, but that things necessary are plain enough, and wait till God shall reveal even this unto us. These chapters are the more to be regarded because the last two chapters of the Revelation seem to have a plain allusion to them, as Rev 20:1-15 has to the foregoing prophecy of Gog and Magog. Here is the vision of a glorious temple (in this chapter and ch. 41 and 42), of God's taking possession of it (ch. 43), orders concerning the priests that are to minister in this temple (ch. 44), the division of the land, what portion should be allotted for the sanctuary, what for the city, and what for the prince, both in his government of the people and his worship of God (ch. 45), and further instructions for him and the people, ch. 46. After the vision of the holy waters we have the borders of the holy land, and the portions assigned to the tribes, and the dimensions and gates of the holy city, ch. 47, 48. Some make this to represent what had been during the flourishing state of the Jewish church, how glorious Solomon's temple was in its best days, that the captives might see what they had lost by sin and might be the more humbled. But that seems not probable. The general scope of it I take to be, 1. To assure the captives that they should not only return to their own land, and be settled there, which had been often promised in the foregoing chapters, but that they should have, and therefore should be encouraged to build, another temple, which God would own, and where he would meet them and bless them, that the ordinances of worship should be revived, and the sacred priesthood should there attend; and, though they should not have a king to live in such splendour as formerly, yet they should have a prince or ruler (who is often spoken of in this vision), who should countenance the worship of God among them and should himself be an example of diligent attendance upon it, and that prince, priests, and people, should have a very comfortable settlement and subsistence in their own land. 2. To direct them to look further than all this, and to expect the coming of the Messiah, who had before been prophesied of under the name of David because he was the man that projected the building of the temple and that should set up a spiritual temple, even the gospel-church, the glory of which should far exceed that of Solomon's temple, and which should continue to the end of time. The dimensions of these visionary buildings being so large (the new temple more spacious than all the old Jerusalem and the new Jerusalem of greater extent than all the land of Canaan) plainly intimates, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, that these things cannot be literally, but must spiritually, understood. At the gospel-temple, erected by Christ and his apostles, was so closely connected with the second material temple, was erected so carefully just at the time when that fell into decay, that it might be ready to receive its glories when it resigned them, that it was proper enough that they should both be referred to in one and the same vision. Under the type and figure of a temple and altar, priests and sacrifices, is foreshown the spiritual worship that should be performed in gospel times, more agreeable to the nature both of God and man, and that perfected at last in the kingdom of glory, in which perhaps these visions will have their full accomplishment, and some think in some happy and glorious state of the gospel-church on this side heaven, in the latter days. In this chapter we have, I. A general account of this vision of the temple and city (Eze 40:1-4). II. A particular account of it entered upon; and a description given, 1. Of the outside wall (Eze 40:5). 2. Of the east gate (Eze 40:6-19). 3. Of the north gate (Eze 40:20-23). 4. Of the south gate (Eze 40:24-31) and the chambers and other appurtenances belonging to these gates. 5. Of the inner court, both towards the east and towards the south (Eze 40:32-38). 6. Of the tables (Eze 40:39-43). 7. Of the lodgings for the singers and the priests (Eze 40:44-47). 8. Of the porch of the house (Eze 40:48, Eze 40:49).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 40 This and the eight following chapters contain a vision of a city and temple herein described, and are thought to be the most difficult part of the whole Bible. The Jews forbid the reading of it till a man is arrived to thirty years of age; and then he must expect to meet with things in it he does not understand, and which must be left until Elijah comes to explain them. Many Christian commentators have omitted the exposition of these chapters; and all acknowledge the difficulties in them. Something however may be got out of them, relating to the Gospel, and Gospel church state, which I am fully persuaded is intended by the city and temple; for that no material building can be designed is clear from this one observation; that not only the whole land of Israel would not be capable of having such a city as is here described built upon it, but even all Europe would not be sufficient; nor the whole world, according to the account of the dimensions which some give of it. The circumference of the city is said to be about eighteen thousand measures, Eze 48:35; but what they are is not certain. Luther makes them to be thirty six thousand German miles; and a German mile being three of ours, the circuit of this city must be above a hundred thousand English miles; and this is sufficient to set aside all hypotheses of a material building, either of city or temple, the one being in proportion to the other. The Jews dream of a third temple to be built, by their vainly expected Messiah; but nothing is more clear than that the true Messiah was to come into the second temple, and by that give it a greater glory than the former ever had; as is evident from Hag 2:6 and, according to Malachi, he was to come suddenly into his temple, which could be no other than the then present one, Mal 3:1, and into which Jesus came, and where he often appeared and taught, as well as entered into it with power and authority, as the Lord and proprietor of it; by which he appeared to be the true Messiah, as by many other characters; see Luk 2:22. There are some who think that Solomon's temple, as it was before it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and as it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, is here described; and that partly to let the Jews know what a glory to their nation they lost by their sins; and partly that they might have a complete pattern for the rebuilding of it, as well as to comfort them under its present ruins; but there is no agreement between them. This temple was to be built at a distance from the city, several miles; according to some ten, others twenty, and by the best account twenty seven miles; see Eze 45:1, whereas Solomon's temple, and that built by Zerubbabel, were in the city of Jerusalem: nor from either of these flowed waters, which rose up to a river, on the bank of which were many trees for food and medicine, and whose waters were healing, and quickened wherever they came, as from this, Eze 47:1, nor do we ever read of the east gate of these temples always shut, as this, Eze 44:2, and besides, both these temples were profaned and destroyed; whereas this shall never be, but God will dwell in it forever, Eze 43:7, neither place, structure, nor worship, agree. Nor is this city here the same with the New Jerusalem John had a vision of; for though he borrows some of his expressions to describe it from hence; and in some things there is an appearance of agreement, as of the river of water of life, and the tree of life on both sides of the river, Rev 22:1, yet the description agrees not, either with respect to its gates, or its compass; and though there was no temple in that John saw, as there was none in this, it being without the city; yet here is a temple in this vision, and the greatest part of it is taken up in the description of it. It remains that this must be understood mystically and figuratively of the Gospel church, which is often spoken of as a city and temple, Heb 12:22 and which began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, immediately after the death and resurrection of Christ; when his disciples had a commission to preach the Gospel to all nations; and who accordingly did, even before the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the material temple, so that Gospel churches were planted in all parts of the world; and especially this was the case, when the Roman empire, called the whole world, became Christian: though the further and greater accomplishment of this vision will be in the latter day; when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea; when Jews and Gentiles will be converted, and Gospel churches be set up everywhere; so that the Gospel church state, or kingdom of Christ, signified by the great mountain in Dan 2:35, and by this large city here, will fill the whole earth: and the rather this may be thought to be the design of this vision to represent it, as it follows the prophecies of the Jews' settlement in their own land; and of the destruction of Gog, or the Turk, attempting to dispossess them; of which in chapters 37-39. In this chapter are first an account of the vision in general, the time, manner, and place of it, Eze 40:1, a description of the person, the builder and owner of the house; and by whom the prophet is shown each of the parts and dimensions of it, whom he calls to him for that purpose, Eze 40:3, and then a particular account is given, which begins with the outward wall around the house, Eze 40:5, then the east gate, with its posts, porch, and chambers, and the outward court with its chambers, Eze 40:6, then the gate of the outward court to the north, with its chambers, and the gate of the inner court over against that, Eze 40:20, then the gate to the south, with its posts, arches, and chambers, Eze 40:24, then the inner court to the east, its gate, chambers, and arches, Eze 40:32, then the north gate, with its posts, chambers, and arches, Eze 40:35, in the porch of which are the tables, on which the sacrifices are slain, Eze 40:39, after which are described the chambers for the singers and the priests, Eze 40:44, then the inner court and altar in it; and the chapter is concluded with the dimensions of the porch of the house, Eze 40:48.

And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long,.... That is, high; this was the height of them; these were the frontispiece of the gate to the inner court without, and faced the outward court, as appears by the following verse; these were a kind of portico over the eight steps to this gate after mentioned; they were fourteen yards and three inches high, from the bottom to the top of them: and five cubits broad; two yards and a half, one foot and three inches; and which very probably were the breadth of the steps that came up to them: none of these arches were in the second temple, as Lipman (m) observes. (m) Tzurath Beth Hamikdash, sect. 22.

(Verse 24 and following) 'And he led me to the south gate, and behold, there was a gate that faced south. And its frontispiece and vestibule were measured according to the upper measurements, and its windows and vestibules all around were like the other windows. It had a length of fifty cubits, and a width of twenty-five cubits, and it was ascended by seven steps, and there was a vestibule in front of its doors, and palm trees were carved on it, one on one side, and the other on the other side in front of it.' And the entrance of the inner court was on the south side, and it measured from entrance to entrance on the south side, one hundred cubits. And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate, and he measured the south gate according to the same measurements, its rooms, its doorway, and its vestibule, with the same measurements. And the vestibules all around the court were fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width. And a vestibule in a circular shape, with a length of twenty-five cubits and a width of five cubits. And its vestibule was towards the outer court, and its palm trees were on its front, and it had eight steps by which it was ascended. Seventy agree in the same words, except for thee, elau, elamoth, and elam, which in Hebrew is ulam. But thee is interpreted as threshold or front; elau, around it or supports; elamoth, entrance or vestibule; ulam is πρόπυλον, that is, before the doors. But what we have placed next to the Hebrew, that is, the vestibule or πρόπυλον, is not found in the Septuagint. But it should also be noted that in the southern gate it is not called a road according to the Septuagint, but simply 'and he led me to the south,' and behold, a gate that faced south. Therefore, through each entrance, Ezekiel, whose name means 'God strengthens,' is led. And from the northern gate, he goes to the southern gate, whose fronts, thresholds, τροπύλαια, or vestibules, and windows had similar measurements around, twenty-five cubits in length and five cubits in width. And it was ascended by seven steps, that is, to the southern gate and its vestibule, which is called elamoth, in front of its doors. Also, two carved palm trees, which we mentioned in the gate of the northern region. And let this be enough to remind you, that whatever is presented there, according to the more common understanding, that is, according to the literal sense, we understand at the south gate according to the spiritual sense. For in the same lines, both history and tropology run: but the former is lowly, the latter is sublime: the former clings to the earth, the latter soars to the heavens. And all things were filled with light around through the windows. For each problem has its own limits, and through them the light of faith enters the soul of the believer, especially if the length of his life has been extended to fifty years, that is, to the mystery of jubilee, and he is able to reach the breadth of a more divine understanding. In this latitude and on these streets, wisdom moves confidently, and with a lofty voice she exclaims: she climbs seven steps in order to reach the vestibule, and through the palms of her purpose and efforts, she holds eternal victory. And lest we think there is only one atrium to the south, it is said about the second atrium: And the entrance of the inner atrium is on the southern road: and it is measured from the entrance to the entrance on the southern road one hundred cubits; so that after a week and the sacraments of the old covenant, she may reach the good land and the grace of the Gospel. Not only is there a second atrium in the southern gate, but also a third, which is now called: 'And he brought me to the inner atrium at the southern gate, and he measured the gate according to the upper measurements, etc. For each atrium has its own measurements and arrangement, and in these measurements there is a different grace, as we know the same things differently at the beginning, in progress, and at the end. However, what is not found in the Septuagint, and the vestibule, or πρόπυλον, around twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide, seems to raise a question, because it was not placed in the ancient interpretation, how twenty-five cubits and five are placed after the progress of the third step.' But it removes the ambiguity that follows: And its vestibule is towards the outer courtyard, and its palms are at the front; so that this courtyard, which had a length of twenty-five cubits and a width of five, belongs not to the inner courtyard but to the outer courtyard, so that the width of the former courtyard, that is, twenty-five cubits, is possessed by the length of the outer courtyard, and it holds a width of five cubits. These measurements, that is, twenty-five and five, we refer to the same senses, namely sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, which if we ascend to higher things, we double by fivefold and make them spiritual from carnal senses, as it is written: Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are already white for harvest (John 4:35), and: He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Luke 8:8). And: Taste and see, for the Lord is sweet (Psalm 33:8). And: We are the good fragrance of Christ to God among those who believe (2 Corinthians 2:15). And in the Epistle of John it is said: That which we have heard and seen, and our hands have touched, concerning the Word of life (1 John 1:1). And finally, in no way are only seven degrees sufficient in the northern region: but after seven, the number eight is added, as we move from the Synagogue to the Church, from the old covenant to the new, from earthly things to heavenly things.

"And he measured the gate according to the former measures, its chamber, and its front, and its vestibule with the same measures, and its windows, and its vestibule round about, fifty cubits in length, and twenty-five cubits in width, and the vestibule all around." What, therefore, is signified by the inner court, by the chamber, by the fronts, by the vestibule, by the windows, by the length and width, by the carving of palms, we have already spoken of extensively above, and it is not fitting that we should occupy ourselves again with the same things, but only with those which have not yet been said. Hence their ascent is first described through seven steps, and afterward through eight. For by the eighth step are signified the mysteries of that life which the perfect understand in their secret places, who have already learned to transcend all temporal things in mind, who fully despise the present life which unfolds in the course of seven days, who are nourished by intimate contemplation. Therefore the gates of the spiritual building have seven steps, because they preach to their hearers the fear of the Lord, piety and knowledge, fortitude and counsel, understanding and wisdom. But when they now command all things to be relinquished, when they admonish that nothing in this world be loved, nothing be held by affection, when they urge that one attend to the contemplation of the heavenly fatherland and delight in its mysteries, they add a step and bring them across to interior things.

THE REMAINING CHAPTERS, THE FORTIETH THROUGH FORTY-EIGHTH, GIVE AN IDEAL PICTURE OF THE RESTORED JEWISH TEMPLE. (Eze. 40:1-49) beginning of the year--the ecclesiastical year, the first month of which was Nisan. the city . . . thither--Jerusalem, the center to which all the prophet's thoughts tended.