Ezekiel's Vision of the Spiritual Temple

Ezekiel was among the Jews taken into captivity to Babylon before its desolation by Nebuchadnezzar in 607 B. C. E.

Fourteen years after that destruction Ezekiel was taken in vision to a high mountaintop to behold the great temple of Jehovah. He recorded that vision in his record found in chapter 40-48.

He was told to write down the measurements of the temple and those are still written down for us more than 2,500 years later. These measurements show us that the vision is true and sure.

I've been doing some study into the Ezekiel temple vision lately and found a really good video someone did on YouTube to represent its measurements:




The temple vision has 4 main components: (1) The temple; (2) The Priesthood; (3) The Chieftains; (4) The land.

While Jehovah's temple was rebuilt when thew Jews returned from exile to Jerusalem in 537 B. C. E. (the rebuilding did not begin right away), and it appears that it was rebuilt to some of the specifications of the Ezekiel vision, that was not the fulfillment of the vision. For example the temple was rebuilt where the old one was in Jerusalem, while in the vision the temple is built outside the city at some distance. Also a river flows from inside the temple outwards. The temple in Jerusalem did not have a river flowing from it.

It appears because of these facts and others some ancient rabbis didn't like the book of Ezekiel, some even trying to take it out of the Hebrew cannon, describing such a temple as beyond human comprehension.

Yet others, including today, think there will be a literal fulfillment of that prophecy when it will be rebuilt in the Middle East at some modern for future time.

Yet scripture shows us that that is NOT to be the case.

If one investigates further, there are some very awe-inspiring facts about what this temple really represents and how the prophetic vision is being fulfilled in our days.

First some interesting points which are quite timely especially viewing the time of year we are in. When Jesus Christ the Messiah died in Nisan 14, 33 C. E. There were several signs that showed without a shadow of a doubt he was indeed God's son. The entire heavens went dark, even though it was the middle of the day, for 2 hours. This was a supernatural event, as no solar eclipse was recorded as happening at that time. There was a great earthquake that even threw up ancient burials out of the ground exposing dead corpses on the road to Jerusalem. In fact after seeing these events one of the Roman soldiers who helped put Jesus to death said that he was indeed God's son.

Another supernatural event that took place was the renting in two of the curtain that separated the Holy from the Most Holy inside the temple.

What did that symbolize? The Most Holy was shut off from the world. And only the High Priest could enter into it on the day of atonement, once a year. It represented the presence of Jehovah God himself. The fact that the curtain was rent in two represented the fact that the Most Holy was no longer on earth.

The real temple and the real Most Holy, or Holy of Holies was in heaven. And the high priest Jesus Christ, after his resurrection and ascension to heaven, entered into that Most Holy into the presence of God himself to offer up the blood he shed as a perfect man as a perpetual sacrifice, once and for all times for all mankind.

So there was no need for the earthly representation since the reality began to function.

(Hebrews 9:23, 24) 23 Therefore, it was necessary for the typical representations of the things in the heavens to be cleansed by these means, but the heavenly things require far better sacrifices. 24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears before God on our behalf.

Yes, the temple vision Ezekiel saw was a spiritual temple and represents spiritual realities that are now taking place.

The Most Holy represents the presence of Jehovah and it is in heaven where he resides, and where Jesus rules as king and high priest in perpetuity, he never dying.

Regards the dimensions of that spiritual temple one Biblical Encyclopedia states:

The entire temple area was evidently a square 500 cubits to a side. It contained an outer courtyard, an elevated inner courtyard, the temple with its altar, various dining rooms, and a building to the W, or rear, of the temple. Providing access to the temple’s outer and inner courtyards were six huge gateways, three for the outer courtyard and three for the inner courtyard. These faced N, E, and S, each inner gate being directly behind (in line with) its corresponding outer gate. (Eze 40:6, 20, 23, 24, 27) Inside the outer wall was the lower pavement. It was 50 cubits (25.9 m; 85 ft) wide, the same as the length of the gateways. (Eze 40:18, 21) Thirty dining rooms, likely places for the people to eat their communion sacrifices, were located there. (Eze 40:17) At each of the four corners of this outer courtyard were locations where the people’s portions of their sacrifices were cooked by the priests, according to the Law’s requirement; then they were apparently consumed in the provided dining rooms. (Eze 46:21-24) The remainder of the outer courtyard between the lower pavement and the gates to the inner courtyard was apparently 100 cubits in width.—Eze 40:19, 23, 27. Insight on the Scriptures V. II p. 1082.

In order to enter into the outer courtyard of the temple one had to pass through some very lofty gates guarded by three guards on each side as they passed through and there were also high palm trees carved into the sides.

This represents the high moral standards God has for entrance into his earthly courtyard. For a person to become a part of Jehovah's people they must meet his high moral standards. The guards are there to prevent anyone unworthy, and any unclean person from entering.

The temple itself was situated on a high mountain.

(Ezekiel 40:2) . . .By means of visions from God, he brought me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain, on which there was a structure like a city to the south.


Mountains in prophecy often refer to governments. And this reminds us of Micah's vision of the last days:

(Micah 4:1, 2) . . .In the final part of the days, The mountain of the house of Jehovah Will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, And it will be raised up above the hills, And to it peoples will stream.  2 And many nations will go and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah And to the house of the God of Jacob. He will instruct us about his ways, And we will walk in his paths.” For law will go out of Zion, And the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem.

This mountain no doubt refers to Jehovah's established kingdom in Jesus' hands that began to rule from heaven in 1914 C. E.

Upon that mountain people from all nations would stream and be allowed entry into Jehovah's great spiritual temple where they would all of them serve Jehovah shoulder to shoulder. They would be united by God's one word of truth, the pure language as spoken of in Holy Scripture. They are a people who learn war no more. A people united from all nations that give up warfare and praise Jesus as king and high priest and are taken into his kingdom rule while still in the last days.

cont.... ran out of room.

There are steps between the gates and the entrance to the outer courtyard where the people sit down to eat at tables. (30 in total).

There are a total of 7 steps:

(Ezekiel 40:22) . . .Its windows, its porch, and its palm-tree figures were the same size as those of the east gate. People could reach it by climbing seven steps, and its porch was in front of them.

These 7 steps represents the steps a man must take to approach Jehovah God in pure worship. (1) Study the Bible, take in knowledge about Jehovah and his son Jesus, (2) Exercise faith in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus' shed blood, (3) Repent of their former thoughts and conduct, (4) Convert, that is turn around from their bad ways and begin to practice righteousness, (5) become a preacher about God's kingdom, (6) Dedicate their lives to Jehovah in personal prayer to do his will, (7) and symbolize that dedication by water baptism.

Once one has fulfilled all of these requirements and meets Jehovah's high moral standards he is allowed entrance into the courtyard of Jehovah's spiritual temple.

The tables symbolize the spiritual food prepared by Jehovah's anointed class, the priests, while still on earth. They represent congregations of Jehovah's people where they gather together to enjoy spiritual nourishment provided by Jehovah.

While the wicked world is in a spiritual famine God's people rejoice at a spiritual paradise they have, because of the good condition of the heart. While the world thirsts and hungers for spiritual truths, God's people are satisfied with an abidance of good spiritual food:

(Isaiah 25:6) . . .In this mountain Jehovah of armies will make for all the peoples A banquet of rich dishes, A banquet of fine wine, Of rich dishes filled with marrow, Of fine, filtered wine.

(Isaiah 65:13, 14) . . .Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Look! My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. Look! My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. Look! My servants will rejoice, but you will suffer shame. 14 Look! My servants will shout joyfully because of the good condition of the heart, But you will cry out because of the pain of heart And you will wail because of a broken spirit.

The priests are Christians who have been anointed to rule in heaven as kings and priests with Jesus for the thousand years. While they are still on earth they still sin and still can become disapproved by wrong conduct. That is why in the vision they still must offer sacrifices both for themselves and for all the people. And they take off their priestly clothes when coming into the congregations, at the dining tables and sit down with their fellow brothers to partake of the spiritual food which nourishes them as well as the other sheep.

No one that has not received the seal and token of their anointing may pass beyond the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard of God's spiritual temple. And between them there are 8 steps:

(Ezekiel 40:37) 37 Its side pillars faced the outer courtyard, and there were palm-tree figures on both of its side pillars, and eight steps led up to it.

The first seven steps are the same requirements as the former. The eighth is the anointing which Jehovah himself does. No one can chose it for themselves.

The Cheiftians are responsible men who are not anointed that take the lead in helping the faithful slave dispense spiritual food.

The land is God's spiritual paradise on earth. Anyone who becomes approved before Jehovah and enters into his courtyard wherever they are on earth are in this blessed spiritual estate. And they are also guaranteed a portion of land after Armageddon where they will build their own houses and grow their own food.


The water that flows from the sanctuary are the words of truth that emanate from God himself. They start as a trickle and as they flow outwards they get stronger and deeper. And wherever they reach they heal and nourish.

(Ezekiel 47:1-9) . . .Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and there I saw water flowing eastward from under the threshold of the temple, for the front of the temple was facing east. The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then led me out by way of the north gate and took me outside and around to the outer gate that is facing east, and I saw water trickling from the right side. 3 When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off 1,000 cubits and had me pass through the water; the water was ankle deep. 4 Then he measured off another 1,000 and had me pass through the water, and it was up to the knees. He measured off another 1,000 and had me pass through, and the water was up to the hips. 5 When he measured off another 1,000, it was a torrent that I was unable to walk across, for the water was so deep that one had to swim, a torrent of water that could not be crossed on foot. 6 He asked me: “Have you seen this, son of man?” Then he had me walk and return to the bank of the stream. 7 When I returned, I saw that on the bank of the stream were very many trees on both sides. 8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region and continues down through the Arʹa·bah and enters the sea. When it enters the sea, the water there will be healed. 9 Swarms of living creatures will be able to live wherever the waters flow. There will be an abundance of fish, because this water will flow there. The seawater will be healed, and everything will live wherever the stream goes.


Whoever God's word of truth, dispensed by his witnesses goes, people become alive spiritually. But not all accept the life-giving water. These ones who are witnessed to, but who do not accept God's healing waters of truth are given over to the salt:

(Ezekiel 47:11) . . .It will have swampy places and marshy places, and these will not be healed. They will be abandoned to salt.


This is but a glimpse of the glorious temple vision given to Ezekiel. It is being fulfilled as God's word will always come true, in our times.

It also teaches us a valuable lesson. God is a clean and a righteous God, and he is a God of order. He uses his organization to accomplish his will. He has his people. And if we are our avail ourselves of his temple provisions, and the ransom sacrifice of Jesus we must worship him the way he requires and together in unity with his people.

a reply to: RobertConrad

Also a river flows from inside the temple outwards.

A nuclear power reactor has a river flowing out of it, the coolant water. Maybe he saw the future and it was a modern reactor that (to him) looked like a temple.

.o2

a reply to: intrptr

John also received a vision of water that flowed from God's throne and wrote it down at the end of his Revelation:

(Revelation 22:1, 2) . . .And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of its main street. On both sides of the river were trees of life producing 12 crops of fruit, yielding their fruit each month. And the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations.

Jesus when talking to a Samaritan woman said he had water that if you drunk from it you would never die:


(John 4:13, 14) . . .In answer Jesus said to her: “Everyone drinking from this water will get thirsty again. 14 Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty at all, but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water bubbling up to impart everlasting life.”


And Jehovah is freely offering that water to everyone right now:

(Revelation 22:17) . . .And the spirit and the bride keep on saying, “Come!” and let anyone hearing say, “Come!” and let anyone thirsting come; let anyone who wishes take life’s water free.

The water is free. And readily available to anyone who wishes to drink of it.

In the new world of peace its effects will not only be spiritual but they will cleanse mankind of sin and sickness and death itself.

Looks like a Monopoly game.

sorry, other plans!