**The Vision of the New Temple: Ezekiel’s Divine Revelation**
The hand of the Lord came upon me, Ezekiel the priest, in the twenty-fifth year of our exile, on the tenth day of the month—the fourteenth year after Jerusalem had been struck down. On that very day, the power of the Lord lifted me up and brought me in visions of God to the land of Israel, setting me upon a very high mountain. And there, to the south of me, was a structure like a city.
As I stood in awe, a man appeared before me, his appearance like gleaming bronze. He held a linen measuring cord and a rod in his hand, and he stood by the gate. The man spoke to me, saying, *”Son of man, look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you. For you have been brought here so that I may reveal these things to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”*
### **The Eastern Gate and the Outer Court**
The man led me to the eastern gate of the temple complex, a massive structure with steps ascending to its threshold. The gate itself was a marvel—flanked by two towering guardrooms on either side, each measuring ten cubits square. Between them stood a passageway, twenty cubits wide, leading inward. The gate’s vestibule faced the temple’s inner court, and its entrance was adorned with palm tree decorations carved into the walls.
The man measured the gate’s threshold: one rod (six cubits) in width. The depth of each guardroom was also one rod, and the distance between them was five cubits. Then he led me further inward, to the vestibule of the gate, which extended eight cubits. Its pillars were two cubits thick, and the vestibule itself faced the temple’s inner sanctuary.
Beyond the gate lay the outer court, a vast square surrounded by thirty chambers. A pavement ran along the perimeter, and its width was measured—one rod on the outer edge, leading to the lower gates.
### **The Northern and Southern Gates**
From there, the man brought me to the northern gate, and behold, its structure mirrored that of the eastern gate—the same measurements, the same guardrooms, the same vestibule and carvings. He measured its length and width, confirming all was equal in divine symmetry.
Then we went to the southern gate, and again, the design was identical. The man carefully recorded each dimension, ensuring that no detail was overlooked. The precision was overwhelming—every wall, every threshold, every step was set according to a heavenly pattern.
### **The Inner Court and the Sacrificial Altar**
Next, we entered the inner court, accessible through another gate facing east. The man measured this inner gate, finding it slightly smaller yet no less magnificent. Its guardrooms, vestibule, and engravings followed the same sacred order.
Within the inner court stood the altar of burnt offerings, its square base rising in tiers. The man measured its base: one rod in height, with a one-cubit gutter around its edge. The altar’s hearth ascended in stages, each level marked for the sacred fire that would consume the offerings.
### **The Temple Sanctuary**
Finally, the man led me to the temple sanctuary itself—the holy place where the presence of the Lord would dwell. He measured the walls: six cubits thick on each side. The entrance to the sanctuary had a vestibule twenty cubits wide and twelve cubits deep. Inside, the main hall was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide, leading to the Most Holy Place—a perfect cube of twenty cubits, separated by a veil.
The walls were lined with carved cherubim and palm trees, alternating in glorious repetition. The wooden altar before the sanctuary was three cubits high and two cubits square—the table of the Lord.
### **The Chambers for the Priests**
Surrounding the temple were chambers for the priests, each meticulously measured. The north and south sides held three-story buildings for the ministers, where they would store the sacred garments and offerings. The man explained their purpose: *”These are the chambers where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings. They shall sanctify themselves here before serving in the sanctuary.”*
### **The Glory Returns**
As the vision concluded, the man said to me, *”This is the law of the temple: its entire area on the mountain shall be most holy. Declare to Israel all that you have seen, that they may know the perfection of the Lord’s design and turn their hearts back to Him.”*
And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the vision ended. But the weight of it remained—a promise of restoration, a future where God’s presence would dwell among His people once more in a temple not made by human hands, but by divine decree.
Thus, I, Ezekiel, recorded all these things, so that the children of Israel might know the faithfulness of their God, who measures all things in justice and mercy, and whose sanctuary stands eternal in His perfect will.
