Ezekiel 40:37 Ulasan

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.

(Verse 35 and following) 'And he brought me to the gate that faced the north, and he measured it according to the higher measurements: its chamber, its facade, its vestibule, and its windows all around: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its vestibule faced the outer court, and its palm tree engravings on its facade on both sides, and its staircase with eight steps.' And at each treasury there shall be a door in the gates (or fronts) of the doors: there they shall wash the holocaust. And at the entrance of the gate, there shall be two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, upon which the holocaust shall be immolated, and for sin, and for trespass. And on the outer side, which goes to the gate that leads to the north, there shall be two tables, and on the other side, before the vestibule of the gate, there shall be two tables. Four tables on this side, and four tables on that side: by the sides of the gate, there were eight tables, upon which they shall immolate (or used to immolate): but there were four tables for holocaust made of square stones, of one cubit and a half long, and of one cubit and a half wide, and of one cubit high, upon which the vessels were laid in which the holocaust and the victims are immolated. And their lips were a cubit long, turned inward all around; but on the tables were the flesh of the offering.» There is much disagreement in this testimony between the Hebrew Truth and the edition of the Seventy Interpreters. For what we have said: There they shall wash the burnt offering, and in the vestibule of the gate there are two tables on this side, and again: That the burnt offering and the sin offering be offered on them, is not found in the Seventy, but it is added in many copies from Theodotion. Again, when we said: And their lips turned inward by one palm's measure all around, Seventy translated it, and having the measurement of a span all around. Whether this word is Hebrew or Greek, we cannot know, except only that for 'gisum,' Symmachus and Theodotion translated it as 'lips,' Aquila's first edition translated it as 'ἐπιστάσεις' in the plural number; the second translated it as 'lips': for which in Hebrew it is written as 'Asephathaim'(). And when we say, above the tables however the meats of the offering, the Seventy put from their own, and they put coverings on the tables from above, so that they may be protected from rain and dryness. But that which they have given in Hebrew names, Thee, and Elau, and Elalamoth, and Aelam, what it signifies, and we have shown above, and our translation can show from the context: it is not necessary to often remind the reader about this, and to doubt their prudence and effort. Therefore, he is brought again to the gate that looked towards the North: but not as before to the outer courtyard, but to the inner one. For in what follows it is said: Its vestibule looked towards the outer courtyard, showing that this courtyard was inside. Through this, the progress of the one entering is shown; for in each place there are specific names and measures, and windows all around filled with the light of knowledge, showing all things, and through fifty and twenty-five cubits are the sacraments of divine sense and remission placed, as positioned in the vestibule of the inner courtyard, that we may see the exterior: contemplating knowledge of past and present, through which we may come to double palms and victories, and understand the mysteries of the eight degrees, having entered the treasuries, in which the riches of the temple are contained, and our prayers are cleansed from all the filth of sin; and tables are placed on both sides, so that the burnt offering may be first offered. The diligent shepherd follows the custom of his father, and Gesaque, the barker of Sydon, etc., all of which the sacred fire consumes, first for sin, and finally for ignorance: whether we commit them knowingly or unknowingly. On the outer side, next to the Seventy, there was a man-made stream that carried away the ashes of the burnt offering and the harmfulness of the flesh externally: either there were two tables, and on the other side of the vestibule of the same gate there were two tables, that is, four on each side, four here and four there, and behind, or on the side of these there were eight other tables, so that they make a total of sixteen tables: by this number the mysteries of the prophets are shown, so that whatever we offer through the Gospel dispensation, we may affirm as foretold by their prophecies. And there are four tables made of square stones, and these themselves are for sacrifice and burnt offering (also called holocausts). These are living stones that are rolled upon the earth, and they have with them a corner stone, by which the walls of the old and new Covenant are held together. Now the number four signifies the Gospel sacraments, having in length and width one and a half cubits, that is, a square, which, when joined together, make three cubits, which three cubits have one cubit in height, so that the mysteries of the Trinity may preserve the measure of one cubit, that is, the divine majesty, as the Lord tells the disciples: Go, baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The name of God, as it were, is of one (or, one) cubit in height, which encompasses three properties, and always accepts the holocaust offerings of our oblations. Above these, however, are four tables of holocausts built with living stones, the length, width, and height of which have been described; vessels are placed in them in which the holocaust of the martyrs is offered, of whom it is said: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Ps. 116:15); and their victims, who, through self-control and the holiness of their bodies, offer their souls as a sacrifice to the Lord. I believe that the meaning of these tables is contained in the books of Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John, which are about the apostles. Above these tables there was a curved crown on the inside, encircling the edges, to contain the sacrificial offerings and prevent them from flowing freely. It also held the meat of the offering, or as the Septuagint translated: 'And the tables themselves were covered on top, because of the violence of the rain and the excessive dryness of the summer sun, so that the meat placed on top could say with the prophet: “By day the sun will not harm us nor the moon by night."' (Psalm 121:6). One of which, with excessive rains and storms, dissolves the offerings of tribulations; the other, with violent heat, dries up whatever has been offered. Forgive me, reader, for the difficulty of the places; or if you can find something better, teach us: we gladly learn what we do not know.

"And its vestibule looked toward the outer court, and carved palm trees on its front on this side and on that, and its ascent was by eight steps." Behold, the ancient and new Fathers agree with one another in one spirit concerning the resurrection of the flesh. Behold, Truth itself first taught by word what it afterward demonstrated by deed concerning the resurrection of the flesh, and yet still the weakness of some does not have faith while standing in the house of faith. But they are accustomed to wonder how flesh can come back to life from dust. Let them wonder, therefore, at the height of heaven, the mass of the earth, the depths of the waters, all things that are in the world, and the angels themselves created from nothing. It is far less to make something from something than to have made all things from nothing. The elements themselves, the very forms of things, proclaim to us an image of the resurrection. For the sun dies daily to our eyes, and daily rises again. The stars set for us in the morning hours, and rise again in the evening. We see trees full of leaves, flowers, and fruits in summer times, which in winter time remain bare of leaves, flowers, and fruits, and as if dried up, but when the spring sun returns, when moisture has risen from the root, they are clothed again in their beauty. Why then is there distrust concerning human beings, when what is seen to happen in trees is observed? But often they look upon the dust of rotting flesh and say: Whence will bones and marrow, whence will flesh or hair be able to be restored in the resurrection? Therefore, let those who ask such things look at the small seeds of immense trees, and if they can, let them say: Where in them lies hidden such a mass of strength, such diversity of branches, such multitude and greenness of leaves, such beauty of flowers, such abundance, flavor, and fragrance of fruits? Do the seeds of trees have the fragrance or flavor which the trees themselves afterward bring forth in their fruits? If therefore from the seed of trees what cannot be seen can be produced, why is there distrust concerning the dust of human flesh, that from it a form which is not seen can be restored? But they are accustomed often to raise a vain little question, by which they say: A wolf ate the flesh of a man, a lion devoured the wolf, the lion dying returned to dust; when that dust is raised up, how is the flesh of the man separated from the flesh of the wolf and the lion? To these what else ought we to respond, except that they should first consider how they came into this world, and then they will discover how they rise again? Certainly you, O man, who say this, were once a foam of blood in your mother's womb; for there you were a small and liquid mass from your father's seed and your mother's blood. Tell me, I ask, if you know, how that moisture of seed hardened into bones, how it remained liquid in the marrow, how it was solidified into sinews, how it grew into flesh, how it was stretched out into skin, how it was distinguished into hair and nails, so that the hair would be softer than flesh, and the nails more tender than bones, harder than flesh? If therefore so many and such great things from one seed were distinguished into different forms, and yet remain joined in one shape, what wonder is it if Almighty God in that resurrection of the dead can distinguish the flesh of a man from the flesh of beasts, so that one and the same dust both does not rise again insofar as it is the dust of a wolf and lion, and yet does rise again insofar as it is the dust of a man? See therefore, O man, how you came to life, and do not at all doubt how you may return to life. But why do you wish to comprehend by reason how you return, you who do not know how you came? Grant to the power of your Creator what you cannot comprehend about yourself. For certainly because you were made from earth, and earth from nothing, you were created from nothing. Therefore, lest you despair about the resurrection of your flesh, consider prudently that it is less for God to restore what existed than to have made what did not exist.

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.

posts--the Septuagint and Vulgate read, "the porch," which answers better to Eze 40:31-34. "The arches" or "porch" [MAURER].