Morning Light – Ezekiel 42
Today: [Ezekiel 42] Understanding the Temple that You Are. In chapter 42, the description and design of the Restoration Temple are continued. In all of these detailed blueprints and instructions the greatest benefit is drawn as you realize that this is all speaking something of who you are in Christ as a temple in your individual person and as the corporate many membered temple we make up as the Church of the Living God.
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[Eze 42:1-20 KJV] 1 Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that [was] over against the separate place, and which [was] before the building toward the north. 2 Before the length of an hundred cubits [was] the north door, and the breadth [was] fifty cubits. 3 Over against the twenty [cubits] which [were] for the inner court, and over against the pavement which [was] for the utter court, [was] gallery against gallery in three [stories]. 4 And before the chambers [was] a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north. 5 Now the upper chambers [were] shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building. 6 For they [were] in three [stories], but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore [the building] was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground. 7 And the wall that [was] without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof [was] fifty cubits. 8 For the length of the chambers that [were] in the utter court [was] fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple [were] an hundred cubits. 9 And from under these chambers [was] the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.
In chapter 42 the measuring of the Restoration temple continues. It is interesting that in this temple that Ezekiel sees the outer (or “utter”) court is measured and in Rev. 11:2 the prophet is measuring possibly this same temple in a vision but is told not to measure the outer court. Now if you are the temple what is the outer court? Remember the declarations of the apostle Paul:
[1Co 3:16 KJV] 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
[1Co 6:19 KJV] 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
What temple are you? The Tabernacle of Moses? The Temple of Solomon? The Restoration Temple? Any temple whose construction is blueprinted and recorded by God in the scripture has bearing on the mystical understanding that we as a church and as individuals are the temple of God. Bearing that in mind, think about the 3 major chambers of each of these edifices:
Outer Court
Inner Court
Holy of Holies
How do these correspond to you in your person as a living temple of God? In 1 Thessalonians Paul speaks of us as a triune being:
[1Th 5:23 KJV] 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The more common understanding in Christian theology sees man more as a duality of soul and body. However we can see from the scripture above the implication that there is also something deeper in us than just body and soul. We are comprised then of three aspects of our being:
Body (outer court)
Soul (inner court)
Spirit (Holy of Holies, or inmost court).
In this chapter, the inmost court and the inner court are measured and the outer court as well – BUT in Rev. 11:2 the outer court is not measured because “it is given to the Gentiles…” If references to the temple give us deeper understanding of who we are in God then what does this instruction not to measure the outer court mean for us? Measuring in scripture is a metaphor for judgment. We know that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). If God measured, or judged mankind physically for sin, then Adam and Eve would not have survived to exit the garden. While death does work in us and ultimately is an appointment that all men face, yet there does seem to be a forbearance on God’s part by not annihilating mankind altogether. The instruction not to measure the outer court speaks to us of the mercy of God allowing human history to play out in order to give man the outer court as a stay of execution making room for him to repent. The term “Gentile” describes one who has “turned the back” on God and does not know God. We are born in sin, spiritually dead. Our minds are darkened by sin without the light of the gospel. Yet God in the gift of Christ has given us all the power (of repentance) to become the sons of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
10 The chambers [were] 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 [was] like the appearance of the chambers which [were] toward the north, as long as they, [and] as broad as they: and all their goings out [were] both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. 12 And according to the doors of the chambers that [were] toward the south [was] a door in the head of the way, [even] the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them. 13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers [and] the south chambers, which [are] before the separate place, they [be] holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD 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 [is] holy. 14 When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy [place] into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they [are] holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to [those things] which [are] for the people. 15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect [is] 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, [and] measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. 20 He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred [reeds] long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.
Verse 13 speaks of the “separate place” where the priests would eat of the holy things. In other words, part of the priestly responsibility was not only to offer up sacrifices to God that the people would bring them, but also the privilege and responsibility to eat of a portion of the sacrifice themselves. This partaking of the sacrifice was not like taking a portion from the fire home as a sack lunch. No, it was to be eaten in a separate place, in a holy chamber not used for any other purpose. This is a profound thing that is very little taught upon. We emphasis in Christian teaching that we are all living sacrifices according to Rom. 12:1-2; but in these sacrifices, there was a portion that would go the the priests and be designated as their specific right to partake of and feed on. In other words – yes you belong wholly to Christ but in the sacrifice, there is that connection to you through the 5-fold ministry as God’s delegate authorities in the earth. In other words, intrinsic in your life is a commitment and connection to the 5-fold ministry offices given by Christ upon His ascension as recorded in Eph. 4:11-12. God does not save someone and place them as a solitary or lone-wolf believer. We cannot offer up our lives as a living sacrifice yet with the stipulation that we want it to go wholly unto God and no part left for the delegated representatives Jesus sent into the earth for our good. To make such a stipulation in the protocols of the temple would mean the entire sacrifice of consecration would be declined and rejected. We need to rethink the importance and gravity of our connection to the 5-fold ministries that God has given for us to be in relationship, cooperation and connection to and with.
