Eze 40:7 | KingComments | STEP | After measuring the wall, the Man comes to “the gate which faced east” ( ). In the wall, the symbol of separation, which ensures that sin stays out, are three gates. The gates give access to the dwelling place of God. They speak of God inviting His people to come to Him. The description of the east gate – which also applies to the other gates – shows what God sets as conditions for coming to Him. Because the main entrance to the temple complex faces east – as with tabernacle and Solomon’s temple – the description begins with that gate. No less than eleven verses are devoted to that description. The east gate is also the gate through which the glory of the LORD departed ( ). This gate is special because of the entry and exit of the glory of God ( ). The east is the side of the rising of the sun and the side from which the Lord Jesus will come ( ). The description of the east gate is repeated when describing the north gate ( ) and the south gate ( ). Each gate is long and resembles a short tunnel or a kind of passage. Also, as we will see in a moment, there are guardrooms, which makes the gate look like a small house. By way of a staircase the Man comes – while Ezekiel follows Him closely and we as readers with him – into the porch of the gate that gives access to the outer court. It does not say here how many steps the staircase has, but it does say how many steps it has for the north gate and the south gate ( ). That there are steps to climb implies that the outer court where one comes after passing through the gate is higher than the ground before the gate outside around the wall. The man measures the width of the threshold of the gate. It is one rod or 3.15 m. There is a second threshold, which is equally wide. In the gate are guardrooms one rod long and one rod wide, that is 3.15 m square ( ). These guardrooms are for the gatekeepers (cf. ; ; ). Between the guardrooms is a distance of five cubits. On the other side of the gate, on the side of the other porch, the last room before stepping out of the gate into the outer court, is a threshold one rod long. After the threshold, He measures the porch of the gate facing inward ( ). The porch is an additional room after the guardrooms. It is located after the last guardroom and next to the opening at the end of the gate through which one enters the outer court. The width of the porch is one rod, that is 3.15 m, which is as wide as the guardroom. Then He measures the length of the porch. It is eight cubits ( ), that is 4.20 m. The thickness of the side pillars of the opening is two cubits, that is 1.05 m. Then it is mentioned again that the porch of the gate faces inward. There are six guardrooms in the gate ( ). Of these, three are on one side and three on the other side of the corridor. They are all the same size and so are the side pillars. A gate serves to protect the temple. Someone who wants to enter must go through the gate and past the guards. Thus there is constant control of who enters and who leaves the temple. The gate is there to determine someone that he is entering sacred ground through the gate. The three guardrooms with gatekeepers recall the principle we encounter in both the Old and New Testaments that two or three witnesses are needed to give an acceptable testimony ( ; ; ; ; ). Again, the acceptance of a stranger into a local church occurs not only on the basis of his own testimony, but also on the basis of that of other believers ( ; ; ; ; ). The Man then measures the width of the gateway ( ). It is ten cubits or 5.25 m. That is also the width of the entire gateway. The length of the gate is thirteen cubits. In front of the guardrooms there is an additional space of one cubit ( ), possibly as a kind of “security area” because the guardrooms have no door. The waiting areas are six cubits long and six cubits wide. The roof is also measured ( ). The measurement is made in connection with the guardrooms below. The roof is twenty-five cubits wide. A roof provides protection from weather effects from above. In the spiritual application the roof provides protection from demonic powers in the heavenly places. It should be noted that the entrances to the guardrooms are directly opposite each other. One entrance is not wider or narrower than the other. God’s standards are always the same when it comes to welcoming His people into His house. He does not change as times change and does not adjust as people change. The side pillars He also measures ( ). They are “sixty cubits [high]”. The pillars are added to the gate as a reinforcing part. That it is added “the gate [extended] round about to the side pillar of the courtyard” seems to indicate that the side pillars as the front part of the gate are not in front of, but as the only part of the gate are on the court. The length of the gate, from the entrance gate to the opening of the porch which is on the side of the outer court, is fifty cubits ( ), which is twice its width ( ). In the gate, where the guardrooms are, and at the side pillars, are shuttered windows ( ). The windows are beveled inwards, they face inward, that is, they are narrow on the outside and wide on the inside, that is, in the guardroom itself. The windows illuminate the guardrooms with sunlight shining in and provide fresh air. There are also windows in the pillars of the front halls at the front and back of the gate. In the spiritual application, we see that New Testament gatekeepers, such as overseers or shepherds, believers with a supervisory task, do not have light within themselves for the proper exercise of their function, but that this light must come “from outside”, from God’s Word and God’s Spirit. In that light they can see who has access to the church and who does not. On the side pillars are “palm tree ornaments”. They are mentioned in the same breath as the windows. Among other things, a palm tree speaks of kingship and victory ( ; ). The connection with the windows brings to mind that victory is the result or a fruit of living in the light. We see this connection in what Paul says to the Ephesians: “The fruit of the Light [consists] in all goodness and righteousness and truth” ( ). The manifestation of this fruit in a believer’s life means that victories of faith have been won over darkness. The church is a place for people who know what it is to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints and are victorious in that contention ( ). What we read about the gates in Psalm 118 connects to this in a beautiful way. This psalm is what can be called a “thanksgiving after victory”. We read the following in this psalm about the gates in connection with righteousness: “Open to me the gates of righteousness, I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter through it” ( ). What is also nice to point out in this context is that the righteous is compared to a palm tree: “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree” ( ).

‏ Ezekiel 40:7

The Outer East Gate

After measuring the wall, the Man comes to “the gate which faced east” (Eze 40:6). In the wall, the symbol of separation, which ensures that sin stays out, are three gates. The gates give access to the dwelling place of God. They speak of God inviting His people to come to Him. The description of the east gate – which also applies to the other gates – shows what God sets as conditions for coming to Him.

Because the main entrance to the temple complex faces east – as with tabernacle and Solomon’s temple – the description begins with that gate. No less than eleven verses are devoted to that description. The east gate is also the gate through which the glory of the LORD departed (Eze 10:19 ; Eze 11:23). This gate is special because of the entry and exit of the glory of God (Eze 43:2 ; 4).

The east is the side of the rising of the sun and the side from which the Lord Jesus will come (Mt 24:27). The description of the east gate is repeated when describing the north gate (Eze 40:20-23) and the south gate (Eze 40:24-27). Each gate is long and resembles a short tunnel or a kind of passage. Also, as we will see in a moment, there are guardrooms, which makes the gate look like a small house.

By way of a staircase the Man comes – while Ezekiel follows Him closely and we as readers with him – into the porch of the gate that gives access to the outer court. It does not say here how many steps the staircase has, but it does say how many steps it has for the north gate and the south gate (Eze 40:22 ; 26). That there are steps to climb implies that the outer court where one comes after passing through the gate is higher than the ground before the gate outside around the wall. The man measures the width of the threshold of the gate. It is one rod or 3.15 m. There is a second threshold, which is equally wide.

In the gate are guardrooms one rod long and one rod wide, that is 3.15 m square (Eze 40:7). These guardrooms are for the gatekeepers (cf. Eze 44:11; 1Kgs 14:28; 2Chr 12:11). Between the guardrooms is a distance of five cubits. On the other side of the gate, on the side of the other porch, the last room before stepping out of the gate into the outer court, is a threshold one rod long.

After the threshold, He measures the porch of the gate facing inward (Eze 40:8). The porch is an additional room after the guardrooms. It is located after the last guardroom and next to the opening at the end of the gate through which one enters the outer court. The width of the porch is one rod, that is 3.15 m, which is as wide as the guardroom. Then He measures the length of the porch. It is eight cubits (Eze 40:9), that is 4.20 m. The thickness of the side pillars of the opening is two cubits, that is 1.05 m. Then it is mentioned again that the porch of the gate faces inward.

There are six guardrooms in the gate (Eze 40:10). Of these, three are on one side and three on the other side of the corridor. They are all the same size and so are the side pillars. A gate serves to protect the temple. Someone who wants to enter must go through the gate and past the guards. Thus there is constant control of who enters and who leaves the temple. The gate is there to determine someone that he is entering sacred ground through the gate.

The three guardrooms with gatekeepers recall the principle we encounter in both the Old and New Testaments that two or three witnesses are needed to give an acceptable testimony (Deu 17:6 ; Deu 19:15; Mt 18:16; 2Cor 13:1; 1Tim 5:19; 1Jn 5:7-8). Again, the acceptance of a stranger into a local church occurs not only on the basis of his own testimony, but also on the basis of that of other believers (Jn 5:31; Acts 9:26-27 ; Acts 18:27; Rom 16:1; 2Cor 3:1; Col 4:10).

The Man then measures the width of the gateway (Eze 40:11). It is ten cubits or 5.25 m. That is also the width of the entire gateway. The length of the gate is thirteen cubits. In front of the guardrooms there is an additional space of one cubit (Eze 40:12), possibly as a kind of “security area” because the guardrooms have no door. The waiting areas are six cubits long and six cubits wide.

The roof is also measured (Eze 40:13). The measurement is made in connection with the guardrooms below. The roof is twenty-five cubits wide. A roof provides protection from weather effects from above. In the spiritual application the roof provides protection from demonic powers in the heavenly places. It should be noted that the entrances to the guardrooms are directly opposite each other. One entrance is not wider or narrower than the other. God’s standards are always the same when it comes to welcoming His people into His house. He does not change as times change and does not adjust as people change.

The side pillars He also measures (Eze 40:14). They are “sixty cubits [high]”. The pillars are added to the gate as a reinforcing part. That it is added “the gate [extended] round about to the side pillar of the courtyard” seems to indicate that the side pillars as the front part of the gate are not in front of, but as the only part of the gate are on the court. The length of the gate, from the entrance gate to the opening of the porch which is on the side of the outer court, is fifty cubits (Eze 40:15), which is twice its width (Eze 40:13).

In the gate, where the guardrooms are, and at the side pillars, are shuttered windows (Eze 40:16). The windows are beveled inwards, they face inward, that is, they are narrow on the outside and wide on the inside, that is, in the guardroom itself. The windows illuminate the guardrooms with sunlight shining in and provide fresh air. There are also windows in the pillars of the front halls at the front and back of the gate.

In the spiritual application, we see that New Testament gatekeepers, such as overseers or shepherds, believers with a supervisory task, do not have light within themselves for the proper exercise of their function, but that this light must come “from outside”, from God’s Word and God’s Spirit. In that light they can see who has access to the church and who does not.

On the side pillars are “palm tree ornaments”. They are mentioned in the same breath as the windows. Among other things, a palm tree speaks of kingship and victory (Jn 12:13; Rev 7:9). The connection with the windows brings to mind that victory is the result or a fruit of living in the light.

We see this connection in what Paul says to the Ephesians: “The fruit of the Light [consists] in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (Eph 5:9). The manifestation of this fruit in a believer’s life means that victories of faith have been won over darkness. The church is a place for people who know what it is to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints and are victorious in that contention (Jude 1:3).

What we read about the gates in Psalm 118 connects to this in a beautiful way. This psalm is what can be called a “thanksgiving after victory”. We read the following in this psalm about the gates in connection with righteousness: “Open to me the gates of righteousness, I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter through it” (Psa 118:19-20). What is also nice to point out in this context is that the righteous is compared to a palm tree: “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree” (Psa 92:12a).