Ezekiel 41

Ezekiel 41:1-17=REFUGE AND BENEFITS OF THE NEW TEMPLE.  Ezekiel could not enter the Holy of Holies of Heaven in a vision. In verse 3-4, we get no description of the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 6:20). Only the guide (Angel-Principle of Agency-Daniel 10:6 and Revelation 1:15) is able to go into the room in order to measure it. This shows the need for a qualified High Priest to enter the Holy of Holies and make the final sacrifice for the Elect (1 Samuel 2:35). A significant difference is that there is no Ark of the Covenant. It is just an empty room. This conflicts with Revelation 11:19 because the Ark is seen in Heaven. 

To resolve this issue, we need to remember that this is the fulfillment of Jeremiah 3:16. There is a progression from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. In reality, the Father and Son are the Temple in Revelation 21:22, so it is logical to conclude that there is no Ark of the Covenant. 

Another reason is that the Ark in Revelation 11:19 was to represent the DOA sacrifice being completed. The blood of the sacrifice had to go onto the Mercy Seat; without that imagery present, it would be difficult to come to that conclusion. Furthermore, the Ark of the Covenant was a sign of victory against the pagan nation of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27). Interestingly, this happened during the Trumpets judgment. This imagery was applied to Apostate Jerusalem.

A third consideration is that the empty room is no longer empty because God's Glory has returns later on in Ezekiel, which explains the Ark's appearance in Revelation 11.

Lastly, the large veil is missing, which separates the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. They are considered two rooms yet one room entirely without the veil. This distinction of the Holy Place and Holy of Holies remained. This helped the already-familiar Jews not to be confused with the imagery. For the reader, we see how the Glory of God can be fully present in the Temple-dwelling in the Holy of Holies- while the Zadok priests are ministering in the Holy Place simultaneously. 

Other things missing in this Temple was the Wall of Partition, the Court for the Women, the Laver, the Golden Lampstands, and  the Table of Showbread. The Wall and the Court are gone because there are no restrictions in Heaven between God and His people (Ephesians 2:14, Galatians 3:28). The Laver is replaced by the Holy Spirit leaving the Altar (Ezekiel 47). The Glory of the Lord is now the light for the Temple (Ezekiel 43:2, Revelation 18:1; 22:4-5). The Table of Showbread has merged with the Altar (Ezekiel 41:21-22). 

In verse 5, Jesus takes Ezekiel outside of the Temple building to see the side rooms (1 Kings 6:5-6; Ezekiel 42:15). Here, these are used for lodging (See 1 Chronicles 9:27, 1 Samuel 3:3, Psalm 134:1, and Luke 2:37). This Temple is a place of safety, security, and refuge. The separate yard and free space was possibly used for sacrificial ashes and refuge. The mysterious building in verse 12 is perhaps a storeroom for tithes, offerings, first fruits, and monetary expenses such as gold/silver.  The Hebrew word for separate place in this context is gizrah, which means cut off or polished. This building served as a storehouse in 1 Chronicles 26:12-18 (Also see 1 Kings 7:51; Nehemiah 10:38; Nehemiah 12:44; Nehemiah 13:12-13; Malachi 3:10). 

From verse 13-15, all these things add up to 100 cubits, which indicates God’s approval and perfection over them. In the second part of verse 15, they re-enter the Temple once again. The inside of Temple served as a refuge from the intense climate. It also served as a sound buffer from the outer world. All sounds from the outside would be softer, because of the wood paneled walls (Christ drowns out the sounds of the outer world).The inside of the court is made out of wood (reference to the Cross) instead of being overlaid in gold (1 Kings 20:1-30) in Solomon’s temple. This can also be described as Jesus’ humble nature. In contrast, man's vain glory is superficial. It is invested in their riches. In addition, while the sacrifice was burning inside the Temple, the priests would burn a sweet incense. This would have released a sweet fragrance. This substance was only permitted to be burned inside the Temple, and nowhere else (Exodus 30:34-38). Christ’s DOA sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to God the Father. In verse 17,there is only mention to OBSERVE “The measured pattern”, NOT BUILD THIS TEMPLE.

Ezekiel 41:18-26=VICTORY AND ABUNDANCE TO MAN. Notice two things. “The Measured Pattern” was carved into the Cherubim and on the palm trees.This indicates the  suffering that Christ will experience for our sin. The second thing is that the Cherubim have only two faces, not four from earlier. This is a symbol of man and beast in reference to creation. The palm trees symbolize the victory over sin through Christ’s atoning work and potential link to the Garden of Eden. The windows symbolize public acknowledgement, exposure and/or the reception of light into the Temple. On verse 21, we see a combination of the altar of wood and table of showbread. This symbolizes that believers shall feast upon the sacrifice of Jesus. This is a renewed relationship with God and mankind. The correct translation for swinging doors is folding doors. In Revelation 4, it is possible that this is where John might have been observing the events of the Throne of God. It represents limited accessibility, reverence, and Holiness. See Diagram 1 for a layout of the Temple.

                                                

                                                       Diagram 1