Ezekiel 41:12 - Meaning and Application

Here is, first, an account of a building that stood before the separate place, that is, in front of the temple, on the west side (Ezekiel 41:12). Its size is measured here and compared with the size of the main house (Ezekiel 41:13), and it turns out to be the same. This building stood in a court of its own, which is measured in (Ezekiel 41:15), along with its side rooms or galleries, its doorposts, windows, and their decorations (Ezekiel 41:15-17).

We are not told what use this other building served. In this vision, it may point to the setting up of a church among the Gentiles, one that would not be smaller than the Jewish temple, but would be different in kind and soon take its place.

Second, we have a description of the ornaments of the temple and the other building. The inside walls, from top to bottom, were decorated with cherubim and palm trees placed one after another, just as in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:29). Each cherub is said here to have two faces, the face of a man toward the palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side (Ezekiel 41:19).

These seem to picture the angels. They have more than human wisdom and the courage of a lion. In both, they look toward the palm branches of victory and triumph set before them, and they are sure to share in every struggle against the powers of darkness. In the gatherings of the saints, angels are present in a special way (1 Corinthians 11:10).

Third, there is a description of the doorposts of both the temple and the sanctuary, the most holy place. They were square (Ezekiel 41:21), not round like pillars, and the appearance of one was the same as the other. In the tabernacle and in Solomon’s temple, the door into the sanctuary was narrower than the door into the temple, but here it is just as wide. This shows that in gospel times, the way into the holiest place is made clearer than it was under the Old Testament (Hebrews 9:8), and so the door is broader.

These doors are described in (Ezekiel 41:23-24). The temple and the sanctuary each had a door, and both were double doors that folded open.

Fourth, we have the altar of incense, here called an altar of wood (Ezekiel 41:22). There is no mention of it being covered with gold, but it was surely meant to be, or it would not have stood up to the fire used for burning incense, unless it was only meant to hold the censers. Or this may suggest that the incense in the gospel temple will be wholly spiritual, and the fire will be spiritual too, so it will not destroy a wooden altar.

This is why the altar is also called a table. It is “the table that is before the Lord.” As before, we see the altar turned into a table. Since the great sacrifice has now been offered, our duty is to feast on that sacrifice at the Lord’s table.

Fifth, the doors and windows are decorated with palm trees so that they match the walls of the house (Ezekiel 41:25-26). In this way, the living temples are adorned, not with gold, silver, or costly clothes, but with the hidden person of the heart, with what does not fade or decay.