Old/New Testament
The Vision of the Outer Court
42 Then he brought me to the outer, north-facing courtyard into the chamber that stood opposite the structure that was facing north. 2 It stood 100 cubits[a] long and 50 cubits[b] wide, with a door in the middle.[c] 3 Opposite the 20 cubits[d] wide inner court, and opposite the paved area that comprised the outer court, there were three stories of galleries that faced each other. 4 In front of the chambers there was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and 100 cubits[e] wide, the openings to which were on the[f] north. 5 The upper chambers were narrower, since the galleries required more space than did the lower and middle portions of the building. 6 The three part structure had no columns, unlike the courts, which is why the upper chambers were offset from the ground upward, more so than the lower and middle chambers.
7 The outer wall by the side of the chambers toward the outer court and facing the chambers was 50 cubits[g] long. 8 While the chambers in the outer court were 50 cubits[h] in length, the chambers facing the Temple were 100 cubits[i] long. 9 Below these chambers, as one might enter from the outer court, was the east side entrance. 10 There were chambers built into the thick part of the wall of the court facing the east; that is, facing the separate area toward the front of the building, 11 with a passageway in front of them, similar in appearance to the chambers that were on the north, proportional to their length and width, with all of their exits according to their arrangements and doorways. 12 Corresponding to the chamber doorways facing the south was an opening at the beginning of the passage; that is, the passage in front of the corresponding part of the wall facing east as one might enter.
The Place for Holy Things
13 Then he told me, “The north and south chamber, which are opposite the courtyard, are consecrated areas where the priests who approach the Lord will eat consecrated offerings and lay the consecrated grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings, because the area is holy. 14 When the priest enters, they will not enter the outer court from the sanctuary without having removed their garments worn during their time of ministry, because they are holy. They will put on different clothes, and then they will approach the area reserved for the people.”
15 After he had finished measuring the inner temple, he brought me out through the east-facing gate and measured it all around. 16 He measured the east side at 500 reeds,[j] according to the length of the measuring stick, 17 the north side at 500 reeds, according to the length of the measuring stick, 18 the south side at 500 reeds, according to the length of the measuring stick, 19 and the west side at 500 reeds, according to the length of the measuring stick. 20 He measured a wall that encompassed all four sides, 500 hundred long and 500 wide, dividing between the sacred and common areas.
The Vision of the Gates
43 Next, he brought me to the east-facing gate, 2 and the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. His voice sounded like roaring[k] water, and the land shimmered from his glory. 3 His appearance in the vision that I was having was similar to what I observed in the vision where he had come to destroy the city, and also like the visions that I saw by the Chebar River. I fell flat on my face 4 while the glory of the Lord entered the Temple through the east-facing gate. 5 Just then, the Spirit lifted me up and carried me into the inner courtyard, where the glory of the Lord was filling the Temple! 6 I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple, and a man appeared, standing beside me!
God to Live among His People
7 “Son of Man,” the Lord God told[l] me, “This is where my throne is, where I place the soles of my feet, and where I will live among the Israelis forever. The house of Israel will no longer defile my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their unfaithfulness, by the lifeless idols[m] of their kings on their funeral mounds,[n] 8 by their setting up their threshold too close to my threshold and their door post too close to my door post, with a wall between me and them. After all, they have defiled my holy name by the loathsome things that they did, so I devoured them in my anger. 9 But now let them send their unfaithfulness—that is, the lifeless idols[o] of their kings—far away from me, and I will live among them forever.”
Ezekiel Describes the Temple
10 “And now, Son of Man, describe the Temple to the house of Israel. They will be ashamed because of their sin. They will measure its pattern. 11 If they are ashamed of everything that they’ve done, you are to reveal to them the design of the Temple, its structure, its exits and entrances, its plans, its ordinances, and all of its regulations. Write it down where they can see it and remember all of its designs and regulations, so they will implement them. 12 This is to be the regulation for the Temple: the entire area on top of the mountain is to be considered wholly consecrated. This is to be the law of the Temple.”
The Altar
13 “Here are the measurements of the altar in cubits that were a cubit and a handbreadth[p] long: its base is a cubit[q] long and a cubit[r] wide, and its border around the edge at one handbreadth[s] is to be the height of the altar. 14 From the base on the ground to its lower edge is to be two cubits,[t] with its width to be one cubit.[u] From the lesser ledge to the larger edge is to be four cubits.[v] Its width is to be one cubit.[w] 15 The hearth is to be four cubits high,[x] and four horns are to extend upwards from the hearth. 16 The hearth is to be twelve cubits[y] long and twelve cubits[z] wide; that is, it will be a four-sided square. 17 It is to have a ledge fourteen cubits[aa] long by fourteen cubits[ab] wide around the four sides. Its border is to be half a cubit[ac] and its base is to be a cubit[ad] all around, with its steps facing east.”
The Offerings
18 Then he told me, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘These are the regulations for the altar, starting the day that it is constructed for presenting burnt offerings and sprinkling blood. 19 You are to present to the Levitical priests, Zadok’s descendants, who will approach me to serve me, a young bull for a sin offering,’ declares the Lord God. 20 You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar,[ae] on the four corners of its ledge, and on the border that surrounds it, thus cleansing it and making an atonement for it. 21 You are also to present a bull for a sin offering, incinerating it in the appointed place at the Temple, outside the sanctuary.
22 ‘The second day following commencement of offerings,[af] you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering to cleanse the altar the same way they cleansed it with the bull. 23 After you’ve finished the cleansing, you are to present a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect. 24 You are to present them in the Lord’s presence, and the priests are to throw salt on them and then present them as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25 ‘Every day for a week, you are to prepare a goat for a sin offering, a young bull, and a ram from the flock, each[ag] without defect. 26 For a seven day period they are to make atonement for the altar, purifying it and consecrating it. 27 When they will have completed this period,[ah] starting the next day,[ai] the priests are to offer your burnt offerings on the altar, along with your peace offerings, and I will accept you,’ declares the Lord God.”
The Vision of the Outer Gates
44 Then the Lord God[aj] brought me back through the east-facing outer gate of the sanctuary. But it was shut. 2 The Lord told me, “This gate is to remain shut. It will not be opened. No man is to enter through it, because the Lord God of Israel entered through it, so it is to remain shut. 3 The Regent[ak] Prince[al] will be seated there,[am] as Regent Prince, and will dine in the Lord’s presence, entering through the portico of the gate and exiting through it also.”
The Front of the Temple
4 Then he brought me through the north-facing gate to the front of the Temple. As I looked, the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s Temple, and I fell flat on my face! 5 Then the Lord told me, “Son of Man, watch carefully,[an] listen closely,[ao] and remember[ap] everything I’m going to be telling you about all the statutes pertaining to the Lord’s Temple and all of its laws. Pay careful attention to the entrance to the Temple, along with all of the exits from the sanctuary.”
A Rebuke to the Rebellious
6 “You are to tell the Resistance—that is, the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I’ve had enough of all of your loathsome behavior, you house of Israel! 7 You kept on bringing in foreigners, those who were uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to profane my sanctuary by being inside my Temple, and by doing so you’ve emptied my covenant, all the while offering my food—the fat and the blood—in addition to all of the other loathsome things you’ve done.[aq] 8 Furthermore, you haven’t paid attention to the requirements for my holy things. Instead, you placed foreigners in charge of my sanctuary.”’
9 “This is what the Lord God says, ‘No foreigner who is both uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the Israelis is to enter my sanctuary. 10 But the descendants of Levi, who went far away from me when Israel abandoned me, who left me to follow their idols, are to bear the punishment of their iniquity. 11 Nevertheless, they are to serve in my sanctuary, overseeing the gates of the Temple, taking care of the Temple, slaughtering the burnt offerings and the sacrifices presented for the people, standing in the presence of the people, and ministering to them. 12 Because they kept serving them in the presence of their idols, becoming a sin-filled stumbling block to the house of Israel,’ declares the Lord God.
“‘I have sworn to them that they are to bear the consequences of their iniquity. 13 They are not to come near me to serve me as a priest, nor approach any of my holy things, including the most holy things. Instead, they are to bear the shame of the loathsome things that they have done. 14 Nevertheless, I will appoint them to take care of my Temple, including all of its service and everything that is to be done inside of it.’”
Levitical Ordinances
15 “The descendants of Zadok, Levitical priests who took care of my sanctuary when the Israelis wandered away from me, are to come near me to minister to me. They are to stand before me to offer the fat and the blood to me,” declares the Lord God. 16 “They are to enter my sanctuary, approach my table to minister to me, and carry out my requirements. 17 Whenever they enter at the gates of the inner court, they are to be clothed with linen garments. They are not to wear wool when they are ministering within the gates of the inner courtyard or in the Temple. 18 Linen turbans are to be on their heads, and they are to wear linen undergarments. Also, they are not to clothe themselves with anything that makes them perspire.
19 “When they enter the outer courtyard, that is, the outer courtyard where the people are, they are to take off their garments in which they were ministering, lay them in the consecrated chambers, and put on different garments so they will not transfer[ar] holiness to the people through their garments. 20 Also, they are not to shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. Instead, they are certainly to trim the hair on[as] their heads. 21 None of the priests are to drink wine after entering the inner courtyard. 22 They are not to marry[at] a widow or a divorced woman. Instead, they are to marry[au] virgins from the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.”
Duties of Ministry
23 “They are to teach my people how to discern[av] what is holy in contrast to what is common, showing them how to discern between what is unclean and clean. 24 When disputes arise, they are to serve as a judge, adjudicating matters according to my ordinances. They are to enforce my laws, my statutes, all of my appointed festivals, and they are to sanctify my Sabbaths. 25 They are not to come in contact with a dead body, so they don’t defile themselves, except in the case of their father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or for an unmarried sister, on whose behalf they may defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed from that contact,[aw] he is to not to minister for seven days. 27 On the day that he returns to the sanctuary’s inner court to minister, he is to offer his own sin offering,” declares the Lord God.
Ministerial Inheritances
28 “Now with respect to the priests’[ax] inheritances, I am to be their inheritance, and you are to give them no possession in Israel, since I am their possession. 29 They are to eat the grain offerings, sin offering, and guilt offering. Everything consecrated in Israel is to belong to them. 30 The first portion of all the first fruits of every kind and every offering of any kind is to be for the priests. You are to give the priest the first portion of your grain. As a result a blessing will rest on your household. 31 However, the priests are not to eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or that has been torn apart.”
Jesus, the Word of Life
1 What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands—this is the[a] Word of life! 2 This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. 3 What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.[b] 4 We are writing these things[c] so that our[d] joy may be full.
Living in the Light
5 This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness—none at all! 6 If we claim that we have fellowship with him but keep living in darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. 7 But if we keep living in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves and we’re not being truthful to ourselves. 9 If we make it our habit to confess our sins, in his faithful righteousness he forgives us for those sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have never sinned, we make him a liar and his word has no place in us.
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