The Outer Court
Ezekiel 42, verse 1. Then he brought me out into the outer court, to the east, in front of the gate which faces north; and he brought me, and behold, there were five halls adjoining the open space and five halls adjoining the boundary facing north, Ezekiel 42, verse 2. up to a hundred cubits long toward the north, and the width was fifty cubits, Ezekiel 42, verse 3. laid out in a pattern the same way as the gates leading into the inner court and the pillars of the outer court, and broken up into galleries of three stories in height. Ezekiel 42, verse 4. In front of the halls there was a walk ten cubits wide and up to a hundred cubits in length. Their doorways faced north. Ezekiel 42, verse 5. Now the upper walkways were just the same, because the pillars projected out from them, namely, the pillar which was below; thus was the pillar and the layout for the porches. Ezekiel 42, verse 6. For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the outer courts; therefore, the upper level was projected out more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up. Ezekiel 42, verse 7. There was light from without, as in the halls of the outer court which were facing the halls toward the north; they were fifty cubits in length. Ezekiel 42, verse 8. Because the length of the halls which face the outer court was fifty cubits, and these were standing over against them, thus the whole was one hundred cubits. Ezekiel 42, verse 9. Now there were doors of these halls at the entrance way for an outlet to the east, so one might enter through them from the outer court, Ezekiel 42, verse 10. by the light which strikes at the head of the entrance. Along to the south, along the open space and the boundary, there were halls,
Halls for the Priest
Ezekiel 42, verse 11. and there was a walk in front of them also, according to the measurement of the halls facing north. They were as long and as wide as the others, and so were all their exits and entrances and all their lights and doorways. Ezekiel 42, verse 12. So were the measures of the entrances toward the south, according to the doorways at the head of the walkway, as it were, the distance of a reed for light, and eastward as one went in by them. Ezekiel 42, verse 13. Then he said to me, “The halls toward the north and the halls toward the south, according to the pattern of the layout, are the halls of the holy place, where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings, the sacrifices—the sin offering and the trespass offering—for the place is holy. Ezekiel 42, verse 14. They shall not enter there, except for the priests. They shall not go out of there into the outer court, so those who draw near may be holy continually, and that nothing might touch their vestments in which they serve, because it is the holy place. They shall put on other garments when they touch the people.”
The Temple Exterior
Ezekiel 42, verse 15. Now the measurement of the whole house was completed within. Then he led me along the way of the gate which faces east, and measured the whole pattern of the house all around in its plan. Ezekiel 42, verse 16. He stood behind the gate which faces east and measured five hundred measuring stick units of measurement. Ezekiel 42, verse 17. Then he turned to the north side and measured five hundred measuring stick units of measurement. Ezekiel 42, verse 18. Then he turned toward the west and measured five hundred measuring stick units of measurement. Ezekiel 42, verse 19. Then he turned toward the south and measured five hundred measuring stick units of measurement. Ezekiel 42, verse 20. The four directions were the same measurement, and he planned it out, and the enclosing wall all around was five hundred units to the east and five hundred units in width for setting out the boundary wall between the holy precinct and the remaining layout of the house.