Ezekiel 40:15

Ezekiel 40:15 says, And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.  This verse tells the distance from the gate and to the porches and the size of the area surrounding them.  This would give the size of the porch.

Verse sixteen adds, And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, 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.  Ezekiel then returns to the little chambers and speaks about their windows and the arches and windows that seemed to look inward.  God will cause us to look inward at our lives to see if we are being obedient to Him, no matter what we may see in the world outside.  Ezekiel also said that the posts were engraved with palm trees.  Matthew Henry says that these palm trees signified that the righteous would flourish like palm trees.  I believe that this would tell us as righteous people, those who are made righteous by accepting God’s gift of salvation and not those who are self-righteous, that we should be flourishing spiritually today and every day.  

Verse seventeen continues, Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.  Ezekiel said he was then brought into the outward court, the one where the people would gather.  There were also thirty chambers there and a paved area.  Matthew Henry says the courtyard was paved with prophyry-stone, which would glow like burning coals.  I am not sure what this stone was, but I do know that when we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit that our lives should shine for God. 

Verse eighteen states, And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.  This verse and the next continue to give the size of the paved courtyard.  

Verse nineteen adds, Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.   These dimensions were set by God and not Ezekiel or anyone else.  We should never try to limit the size of God’s kingdom to what we or anyone else might want it to be but must accept the fact that God alone can set the dimensions.  

Ezekiel 40:11

Ezekiel 40:11 says, And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.  Ezekiel then gives the dimensions of the gate, as determined by the man of brass and not by Ezekiel himself.  It will always be God Who determines the size of heaven, but it will be more than large enough, and Jesus Christ will always be the only gate that we can enter by.  

Verse twelve adds, The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.  Ezekiel then stated the size and location of the little chambers, once more stating that they were to be of equal size.  I don’t know if there will be different size dwelling places in heaven, but I do know that they will be what God declares them to be.  

Verse thirteen continues, He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.  This verse and the next give the size of the gate measured from the roof of one chamber to another.  

Verse fourteen concludes, He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.  Here, Ezekiel gives the height of the posts of the temple, which were to be quite tall.  When we get to our heavenly home, it will be more than ample to meet the needs of all the people there.

Ezekiel 40:6

Ezekiel 40:6 says, Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.  The man of brass continued to measure the size of the temple.  He began by measuring the east gate, because, as Matthew Henry says, that was the normal way to enter the temple.  Today there is only one gate to the kingdom of God, and that is faith in Jesus Christ.   

Verse seven continues, And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.  Ezekiel then specified the size of and distance between the little chambers in the temple.  These were for those who served in the temple and were all of the same size.  We as followers of Christ will one day have a home in heaven, and whatever that may be, we will all enter the same way, and that is by faith in Jesus Christ and we will be content no matter how big or small it may be.  

Verse eight states, He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.  Then the porch was measured.  

Verse nine adds, Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.  This continues with listing the size of the porch and the height of the posts, which was said to be two cubits.  When we enter God’s promised land of heaven, it will not matter what size it is, because it will be large enough for all of God’s people.  

Verse ten continues, And the little chambers 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.  Ezekiel continued by listing the number of chambers and their location and noted once more that they were of equal size. Spiritually, none of us should consider himself or herself to be greater than any other Christian, since we are all sinners saved by grace.   

Ezekiel 40:1

Ezekiel 40:1 says, 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 the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither.  Ezekiel is very specific about when God’s word came to him this time.  It was in the twentieth year and day after the captivity of Isreal began and was also fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem.   This would imply that Ezekiel was taken away captive eleven years before the fall of Jerusalem.  We have not all been captives of sin for the same amount of time, but until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are all captives of sin.  

Verse two adds, In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.  Ezekiel said that on this occasion, that in a vision God brought him to the land of Israel and set him on a high mountain overlooking Jerusalem.  The first time Ezekiel was brought to Jerusalem in a vision, it was to see their shame.  This time, it was to see the hope of their restoration.  I won’t say that God doesn’t speak to us in dreams or visions today, but if He does, it won’t be to give us some new revelation about Who He is or what is going to occur when He comes in judgment.  He has already revealed this.  

Verse three continues, 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.  Ezekiel said in this vision he saw a man like a man of brass, which would refer to Jesus Christ and not an angel, who stood at the gate of Jerusalem with line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand.  These were instruments to make sure that a building was erected correctly.  Jesus Christ is our measuring standard today, and if we would be cleansed spiritually, He is the One Who will set us straight.   

Verse four states, And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.  Ezekiel was told to see and hear what was revealed to him and set his spirit on declaring these things to the people of Israel.  He was also told that this was the reason he had been brought there.  We as Christians need to share with the world what God revealed to us when we came to Him by faith, and that is that Jesus Christ is the only One Who can set us straight spiritually.  

Verse five adds, And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.   Ezekiel said that God then revealed to him the dimensions of the building that was going to be erected.  Matthew Henry points out that there was no outer courtyard, because there was no longer a difference between the Jew and the Gentile, I believe.  We don't need to know the dimensions of heaven, but we can be certain that it is large enough to contain all of the followers of Christ.