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In the twenty-fifth year after our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city had been taken, on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me
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in divine visions to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain. On it, before me, there was something like the form of a city.
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He brought me there. And behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, and in his hand was a linen cord and a measuring rod; and he stood in the gate.
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The man spoke to me: “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely, and pay close attention to everything that I will show you; for that is why you have been brought here, so that I may show it all to you. Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”
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Behold, outside the structure there was a wall all around the structure. And in the man’s hand was a measuring rod, six cubits long. — This cubit is a handbreadth longer than the ordinary cubit —. He measured the wall, and it was one rod thick and one rod high.
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Then he came to the gate facing east and went up its steps; he measured the threshold of the gate: one rod wide.
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Then he measured the guardrooms: one rod long and one rod wide, and the space between the guardrooms was five cubits. And the threshold of the gate on the inner side near the portico of the gate was one rod.
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Then he measured the portico of the gate: eight cubits
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and its side pillars were two cubits, and the portico was on the inside.
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As for the guardrooms at the east gate, there were three rooms on each side; all three were the same size, and the two side pillars on both sides were also the same size.
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Then he measured the opening of the gate: its width on the inside was ten cubits, and its width on the outside was thirteen cubits.
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In front of the guardrooms there was a barrier, one cubit in size, and likewise the barrier on the other side was one cubit. And the size of the guardrooms was six cubits on both sides.
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Then he measured the gate from the back wall of one guardroom to the back wall of the other, through the two doorways: its width was twenty-five cubits.
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He also measured the portico of the gate: twenty cubits, and all around the portico of the gate was the court.
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From the front of the outer gate to the inner portico of the gate: fifty cubits.
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Around the gate on the inside were windows with shutters, in the guardrooms and on the gateposts, and likewise in the vestibule. And on the gateposts were carved palm trees.
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Then he brought me out to the outer court; and behold, there were chambers all around the court, thirty in number. And the chambers were built upon a pavement of stone.
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And the stone pavement was beside the gates, along their length. This was the lower stone pavement.
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Then he measured the width of the court from the inner side of the lower gate to the outer side of the inner gate: one hundred cubits.
Then he went before me toward the north
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and behold, there was a gate facing north, belonging to the outer court. He measured its length and its width.
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Its guardrooms, three on one side and three on the other, its gateposts, and its vestibule were of the same measure as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
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Its windows, its vestibule, and its carved palm trees were of the same measure as the gate facing east. One went up to it by seven steps, and its vestibule was on the inside.
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In the inner court there was a gate opposite the north gate, just as there was with the east gate; he measured from gate to gate: one hundred cubits.
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Then he brought me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate facing south; he measured its guardrooms, its gateposts, and its vestibule, and they were of the same measure as the others.
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Around the gate and its vestibule were windows, like the others; the length of the gate was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits.
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Its steps were seven in number, and its vestibule was on the inside. On its gateposts also were carved palm trees, one on one side and one on the other.
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There was also a gate on the south side of the inner court; he measured from gate to gate on the south side: one hundred cubits.
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Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the gate; it was of the same measure as the others.
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Its guardrooms, its gateposts, and its vestibule were of the same measure as the others. Around the gate and its vestibule were windows; the length of the gate was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. —
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Around it were porticoes of the gate, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. —
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Its portico was toward the outer court, and on its wall pillars were carved palm trees; and its stairway up had eight steps.
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Then he brought me to the east side of the inner court, and he measured the gate there, and it was the same size as the others.
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Its guardrooms, its wall pillars, and its portico were the same size as the others; and there were windows all around the gate and its portico. The length of the gate was fifty cubits, and its width twenty-five cubits.
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Its portico was toward the outer court, and on its wall pillars were carved palm trees on this side and on that side; and its stairway up had eight steps.
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Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it, and it was the same size as the others.
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Its guardrooms, its wall pillars, and its portico were the same size as the others, and there were windows all around it; the length of the gate was fifty cubits, and its width twenty-five cubits.
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Its portico was toward the outer court, and on its wall pillars were carved palm trees on this side and on that side; and its stairway up had eight steps.
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There was also a chamber, whose entrance was in the gate portico, and there they washed the burnt offering.
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In the portico of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, for slaughtering the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering.
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Beside the left side of the gate portico, on the outside, were two tables, and beside the right side of the gate portico were also two tables.
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So there were four tables on this side and four tables on that side at the gate; eight tables in all there for slaughtering the sacrifices.
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There were also four more tables for the burnt offering, made of hewn stone. Their length was one and a half cubits, their width one and a half cubits, and their height one cubit. On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offering and the sacrifice.
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Around the room were fastened hooks, a handbreadth long, and on the tables the flesh of the offering was laid.
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Then he brought me into the inner court; and behold, there were two chambers there, one beside the north gate facing south, and another beside the south gate facing north.
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He said to me, “This chamber, whose face is toward the south, is for the priests who have charge of the house,”
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and the chamber whose face was toward the north was for the priests who had charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok, and only these among the sons of Levi may come near to the LORD to minister to Him.”
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Then he measured the inner court: it was a square, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide; the altar was in front of the Temple.
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Then he brought me to the porch of the Temple and measured the pillars of its walls: they were five cubits thick on one side and five cubits on the other; the width of the entrance was fourteen cubits, and the side walls were three cubits each.
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The length of the porch of the Temple was twenty cubits, and its width twelve cubits. One could go up to it by ten steps, and beside the two pillars of the wall there were two pillars, one on one side and one on the other.
🏛️📏🌟 Summary of Ezekiel 40 – The Vision of the New Temple: Measurements and the Beginning of Glory
Ezekiel 40 is the beginning of Ezekiel’s final vision (chapters 40–48), which describes the new Temple and the new order of worship and life for God’s people. In this vision, Ezekiel is brought by the hand of the Lord to Israel, where he sees a man like bronze carrying a measuring cord and a measuring rod, and measuring every part of the Temple in detail. The main message is not only physical size, but order, holiness, and the restoration of the people’s relationship with God.
📌 1. Ezekiel Brought to the Land of Israel by the Lord (verses 1–4)
➡️ In the twenty-fifth year of the exile, Ezekiel saw a vision of the Lord: he was brought to Israel by the Spirit of the Lord
➡️ He saw a high mountain and a building like a city
➡️ A man like bronze gave him a charge: “Pay close attention and tell all to the house of Israel”
🎯 The Lord is revealing His plan of restoration in a very orderly and holy way.
📌 2. The East Gate and the Initial Measurements (verses 5–16)
➡️ The outer wall was measured: one rod = 6 cubits in length (about 3 meters)
➡️ The east gate was measured in detail: the width of the passageway, guard rooms, porch, pillars, and windows
➡️ Everything was symmetrical and arranged very neatly
🎯 The measurements symbolize the perfect standard of God’s holiness.
📌 3. The North and South Gates and the Inner Court (verses 17–31)
➡️ The north and south gates were measured with exactly the same dimensions as the east gate
➡️ Ezekiel saw the outer and inner courts, the steps, and the places for slaughtering offerings
🎯 The Lord restores a holy and orderly system of worship, centered on meeting with Him.
📌 4. The Buildings Around the Temple and the Main Porch (verses 32–49)
➡️ The measuring continued to all the structures around the Temple: the front porch, the inner court, and the pillars
➡️ All the measurements were very specific and showed heavenly order
➡️ The entrance to the Temple consisted of steps and majestic pillars, portraying holiness and grandeur
🎯 The order and detailed measurements symbolize God’s presence, which cannot be compared with ordinary human buildings.
📖 Main Teaching
- God cares about the details of worship and the place of meeting with His people
- Order and holiness are required to stand before God
- The temple is not merely a physical building, but a symbol of His presence returning among the people
- The consistent measurements emphasize God’s eternal and unchanging standard
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 1 Corinthians 3:16
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
➡️ In the New Testament, we ourselves are God’s temple, the place where His presence dwells.
📖 Hebrews 9:11
“Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come… through the greater and more perfect tabernacle…”
➡️ Jesus fulfills and replaces the temple symbol in Ezekiel — becoming the way into God’s presence.
📖 Revelation 21:15–16
“The angel measured the city… its length, width, and height were equal.”
➡️ Just as in Ezekiel 40, the heavenly measurements describe perfection and eternal glory.
📖 Ephesians 2:21–22
“…the whole building, joined together… becomes a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
➡️ The new temple is the true church, the living body of Christ.
🕊️ “Look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention with your heart…” – Ezekiel 40:4
🕊️ “He had a measuring cord and a measuring rod in his hand…” – Ezekiel 40:3
🕊️ “All the measurements were the same…” – Ezekiel 40:20, 24, 28
🕊️ “These are the measurements of the house.” – Ezekiel 40:5
