<< Ezekiel XL >>

 1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, the hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me thither.
 2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south.
 3 And he brought me thither; and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.
 4 And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart upon all that I shall show thee; for, to the intent that I may show them unto thee, art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.
 5 And, behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a handbreadth each: so he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
 6 Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the steps thereof: and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed broad; and the other threshold, one reed broad.
 7 And every lodge was one reed long, and one reed broad; and the space between the lodges was five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.
 8 He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.
 9 Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.
 10 And the lodges of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.
 11 And he measured the breadth of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
 12 and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the lodges, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
 13 And he measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a breadth of five and twenty cubits; door against door.
 14 He made also posts, threescore cubits; and the court reached unto the posts, round about the gate.
 15 And from the forefront of the gate at the entrance unto the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.
 16 And there were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches; and windows were round about inward; and upon each post were palm-trees.
 17 Then brought he me into the outer court; and, lo, there were chambers and a pavement, made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.
 18 And the pavement was by the side of the gates, answerable unto the length of the gates, even the lower pavement.
 19 Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, a hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north.
 20 And the gate of the outer court whose prospect is toward the north, he measured the length thereof and the breadth thereof.
 21 And the lodges thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
 22 And the windows thereof, and the arches thereof, and the palm-trees thereof, were after the measure of the gate whose prospect is toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.
 23 And there was a gate to the inner court over against the other gate, both on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits.
 24 And he led me toward the south; and, behold, a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.
 25 And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
 26 And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them; and it had palm-trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.
 27 And there was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits.
 28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;
 29 and the lodges thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
 30 And there were arches round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
 31 And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
 32 And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures;
 33 and the lodges thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
 34 And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
 35 And he brought me to the north gate: and he measured it according to these measures;
 36 the lodges thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof: and there were windows therein round about; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
 37 And the posts thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
 38 And a chamber with the door thereof was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt-offering.
 39 And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt-offering and the sin-offering and the trespass-offering.
 40 And on the one side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.
 41 Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew the sacrifices.
 42 And there were four tables for the burnt-offering, of hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high; whereupon they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt-offering and the sacrifice.
 43 And the hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened within round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the oblation.
 44 And without the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south; one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.
 45 And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house;
 46 and the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to Jehovah to minister unto him.
 47 And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was before the house.
 48 Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.
 49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; even by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

 
1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, the hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me thither.

1. Respecting a new church from the Lord, after the Jewish church has been destroyed. P. P.
1 et seq. The prophet saw upon a high mountain the structure of a city to the south, and an angel measured the wall, the gates, the chambers, the porch of the gate, and the name of the city was Jehovah there. By cities in the spiritual sense are meant doctrines. R. 194.
    The name of the city was "Jehovah is there." City means the doctrine of truth. E. 223.

2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south.

2. The new Jerusalem, or the Lord's kingdom, being in the light of wisdom and intelligence, is on the south. A. 1458.
    The prophet says that he was in the visions of God, which is being in the spirit. L. 52.
    Ezekiel was in the visions of God, and the spirit took him up. R. 36.
    The foregoing statement repeated. He saw the new temple, and a new earth, and an angel measuring them. R. 945.
    By being in the spirit, which is sometimes said in the Word, is meant a state of mind separate from the body. In that state the prophets saw such things as exist in the spiritual world, it is called the vision of God. T. 157.
    See Chapter XX., 40. Add: from these considerations it may also appear why the new Jerusalem, in which was the temple, was seen by Ezekiel constructed upon a high mountain. E. 405.
2-5. What its quality will be. P. P.
2 et seq. The Holy Jerusalem was seen in the form of a city, because a city signifies doctrine. The church is similarly described, where it is said that the prophet was led away in the visions of God upon a very high mountain, and saw a city on the south, which the angel measured. R. 896.
2, 6, 19-46. Concerning the gates of the New Jerusalem see Revelation XXI., 13 - it is manifest that the four quarters of the world in the internal sense signify states of good and truth in the Lord's kingdom. A. 3708.

3 And he brought me thither; and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

3. By linen is signified truth pure and genuine. R. 671.
    An angel was seen like the appearance of brass. Brass signifies the natural and the Israelitish people were merely natural. R. 775.
    Because the angel measured the wall and the gates at the house of God, which signify the externals of the church, he was seen with an aspect as the aspect of
brass. Brass signifies the external of the church, which in itself is natural. E. 70.
    By the mensuration of the temple is described the new church, as to its quality, which is signified by the number of measures. All quality of the church is known by means of Divine truth, hence it was that a linen thread (line of flax) was in his hand. By linen is signified truth, and by a girdle the all of it. E. 951 .
3-17. To measure means to know and search out the quality, because by a measure is signified the quality of a thing or a state. The angel measured the temple, the house of God, the altar, the court, the chambers. R. 486.
3 et seq. See Chapter IX., 2. A. 7601.
3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 17. By the measuring reed is understood the mode of exploring the church as to truth and good.
    The angel measured every thing of the temple, length, breadth, and height. By length is signified good, by breadth truth, and by height, the degrees of good and tru th from the supreme or inmost .to the lowest or ultimate. A reed means truth in ultimates by which exploration is effected. This is also shown by a thread of flax being in the hand of the angel, whereby truth is signified. The reed being six cubits, six being the same as the number three, namely, truths in the whole complex. By ultimate truth is meant sensual truth, such as is in the literal sense of the Word. E. 627.
    To measure signifies to explore the quality of a thing, also to designate it. He measured the temple, the lintel over the door, the wall of the house, the house itself, etc. E. 629.
3, 5, 7 et seq. Numbers and measures in the Word signify things celestial and spiritual. This is evident from the measurement of the new Jerusalem and of the temple in Ezekiel and in Revelation. The numbers regarded in themselves signify nothing, but the holy, celestial, and spiritual abstractedly from the numbers. A. 648.

4 And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart upon all that I shall show thee; for, to the intent that I may show them unto thee, art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.
5 And, behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a handbreadth each: so he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

4. The Son of Man signifies the Lord as to the Word. L. 28.

6 Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the steps thereof: and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed broad; and the other threshold, one reed broad.

6. Six may also mean the holy of faith, the reed of the man with which he measured the holy city of Israel was six cubits. A. 737.
    Six means full and all, and is mentioned where the truths of good are treated of. R. 610.
6-23. All things of doctrine in respect to celestial good and truth. P. P.
6-49. The gates of the New Jerusalem, and the gates of the new temple are much treated of in Ezekiel, also by John in Revelation. Nothing else is meant but the entrances to heaven. A. 2851.
6, 8-11, 13-15, 19, 20, 24, 27, 28, 32, 35, 36. Introductory truths as to their quality are described by the measures in numbers of the doors and gates of the house. of God, and of the temple in Ezekiel. E. 208.
6, 22, 26, 31, 34. By steps in the Word is signified ascent to higher things, that is, to interior things. A. 8945.

7 And every lodge was one reed long, and one reed broad; and the space between the lodges was five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.
8 He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.

7, 11, 48. That all numbers signify things in the spiritual world is plainly manifest from the numbers in Ezekiel, where is described the new earth, the new city, and the new temple, which the angel measured in detail. The numbers ten and five occur here, besides the multiplied numbers 25, 50, 500, and 5000. By a fifth part are signified goods and truths stored up in man by the Lord, and reserved for use when there shall be a famine, that is, when there shall be a failing and privation of good and truth. Unless such things were stored up in man by the Lord, there would be nothing to uplift him in a state of temptation and vastation, consequently nothing by which he could be regenerated. Thus he would be without the means of salvation in the other life. A. 5291.

9 Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.

9, 10, 14, 16, 24. The measuring would have been without importance, unless the lintels, signified something of the church, also the numbers. The posts and lintels signified truths and goods in the natural, which serve for introduction, therefore in the new temple they were made square to view. A. 7847.
9, 31, 41. Eight means what is full and in every way. A new house is described, by which is signified a new church of the Lord. Truths which lead to good and from good to truths are signified by the porch and by the steps. A. 9659.

10 And the lodges of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.
11 And he measured the breadth of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
12 and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the lodges, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
13 And he measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a breadth of five and twenty cubits; door against door.
14 He made also posts, threescore cubits; and the court reached unto the posts, round about the gate.
15 And from the forefront of the gate at the entrance unto the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.

10, 21, 48. In the new temple there were to be three chambers of the gate on this side, and three on that side, and they three should have one measure. At the porch of the house the breadth of the gate should be three cubits on this side and three on that side. A. 2788.

16 And there were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches; and windows were round about inward; and upon each post were palm-trees.

16, 22, 25, 33, 36.. The intellectual of man is called a window - whether it be reason or mere reasoning that is his internal sight. A. 655.
    The windows of the temple at Jerusalem represented nothing but what was of intellectual, and thus of spirtual things. The like is signified by the windows of the new temple described in Ezekiel. A. 3391.
16, 26. The new temple, the new Jerusalem, and the new earth, with Ezekiel are nothing else than the kingdom of the Lord. The things mentioned in regard to them are such as are of His kingdom. A. 3391.

17 Then brought he me into the outer court; and, lo, there were chambers and a pavement, made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.
18 And the pavement was by the side of the gates, answerable unto the length of the gates, even the lower pavement.
19 Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, a hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north.
20 And the gate of the outer court whose prospect is toward the north, he measured the length thereof and the breadth thereof.
21 And the lodges thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
22 And the windows thereof, and the arches thereof, and the palm-trees thereof, were after the measure of the gate whose prospect is toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.
23 And there was a gate to the inner court over against the other gate, both on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits.

17-31-44 et seq. By a court in the Word the external of the church is signified. R. 487.
    The new church which was to be established by the Lord is signified the chambers, the bed chambers, the porticos, and the rest mean such things as appertain to the church, its doctrine and worship. The dimensions mean their qualities. The courts mean the external things of heaven and the church, and thence the externals of the Word and worship. E. 630.
17, 31, 34 et seq. In the outmost heaven, which is represented by the outer court of the temple, the good of faith constitutes it. The inner heaven, which was
represented by the inner court, it is the good of mutual love. Good reigns in the celestial kingdom, but truth in the spiritual kingdom. A. 9741.

24 And he led me toward the south; and, behold, a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.
25 And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
26 And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them; and it had palm-trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.
27 And there was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits.
28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;
29 and the lodges thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
30 And there were arches round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
31 And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
32 And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures;
33 and the lodges thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
34 And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

24-34. All things of doctrine in respect to spiritual good and truth. P. P.

35 And he brought me to the north gate: and he measured it according to these measures;
36 the lodges thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof: and there were windows therein round about; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
37 And the posts thereof were toward the outer court; and palm-trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
38 And a chamber with the door thereof was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt-offering.
39 And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt-offering and the sin-offering and the trespass-offering.
40 And on the one side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.
41 Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew the sacrifices.
42 And there were four tables for the burnt-offering, of hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high; whereupon they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt-offering and the sacrifice.
43 And the hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened within round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the oblation.
44 And without the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south; one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.
45 And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house;
46 and the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to Jehovah to minister unto him.
47 And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was before the house.
48 Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.
49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; even by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

35-49. All things of doctrine in respect to external good and truth. P. P.
43. The new temple is described, by which the worship of the Lord in His kingdom is signified. Flesh is the proprium, vivified by the Lord's Divine good. A. 3813.
    The flesh of the offering, which was to be upon the Lord's tables in His kingdom. E. 1082.
46. The reason why the priesthood was given to the tribe of Levi was because it represented, and thence signified love and charity. E. 444.

Author: Emanuel Swedenborg (Compiled by Robert S. Fischer 1925)