Tyndale Open Study NotesEzekiel 42

The prophet’s tour of the new temple began outside the building. He then moved step by step toward its center.

After reaching the inside, he walked outward again. The tour ended at the kitchens located in the corners of the outer courtyard (Ezekiel 46:19–24).

Ezekiel reached the center of the temple complex and then started moving outward again.

The priests' rooms were on three levels at the back of the sanctuary. Priests entered from the top level in the inner court (Ezekiel 42:12) and exited at the bottom in the outer court (42:9). These rooms served as transition spaces for the priests' duties as they moved between the inner and outer courts.

The priests stored and ate the most sacred offerings in these rooms. They also kept their holy clothes there. When not serving in the Lord's presence, the priests changed into other clothes because the holy clothes were special. These rules show more care in separating the holy from the ordinary compared to similar laws in Leviticus (see Leviticus 6).

After finishing his tour of the inner courtyard, Ezekiel saw the overall dimensions of the area. The entire complex was square, symbolizing holiness. This shape set it apart from Solomon's Temple and the tabernacle, where only the Most Holy Place was square. The description of the temple ends where it started, mentioning a wall surrounding it (see Ezekiel 40:5). Ezekiel reminds us that the wall's purpose was to separate the holy from the common.