Ezek 42.1-20 describes some of the chambers in the north part of the outward court and how the priests used them, the measurements of the area on which the whole building stood, with the wall that surrounds it. All the chambers allude to Yeshua’s statement in John 14.2, “In my father’s house are many mansions.”
v 1…Then he brought me out (after the measurements of the gates and courts have been shown, the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place and its decorations) into the outer court, the way toward the north; and he brought me to the chamber which is opposite the separated area (to the north of it) and opposite the building toward the north (this begins a description of the four chambers in the outer court).
v 2…Along the length, which was a hundred cubits, was the north door, the width was fifty cubits.
v 3…Opposite the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement (between the sanctuary and this building) which belonged to the outer court, gallery on the face of the gallery, in three stories (opposite each other).
v 4…And before the chambers was an inner walk ten cubits wide leading to the inner space through a path of one cubit (the “narrow way”-Matt 7.14); and their openings were on the north.
v 5…Now the upper chambers were smaller (narrowed as it got taller) because the galleries took more space away from them than the lower and middle ones in the building (the pillars inside the chamber “consumed” space from the lower and middle floor; the building got narrower as it rose in height).
v 6…For they were three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones.
v 7…As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length was fifty cubits.
v 8…For the length of the chambers which were in the outer court was fifty cubits, and behold, the length of those facing the Temple was a hundred cubits.
v 9…And below these chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one enters from the outer court.
v 10…In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, facing the separate area and facing the building, there were chambers.
v 11…And the way in front of them was like the appearance of the chambers which were in the north, according to their length so was the width; and all their exits were both according to their arrangements (fashions) and openings (doors).
v 12…And corresponding (according) to the openings of the chambers which were towards the south was an opening (door) at the head of the way (just like the north side), the way in front of the wall toward the east, as one enters them.
v 13…Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers which are opposite the separate area (since they ran along in front of the long side), they are the holy (they had a kedusha only for the priests) chambers where the priests who are near to the Lord shall eat the most holy things (kodshai kodeshim). There they shall lay the most holy things (for later use), the grain offering (minchah), the sin offering (chata), and the guilt offering (asham); for the place is holy (it had a kedusha of the azarah or courts).
v 14… When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy (they had a kedusha). They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people (these chambers were used to store the garments of the priests also; before leaving, they had to change their clothes; you could not just throw away articles that had a kedusha and that is why they are searching for Temple articles).
v 15…Now when he had finished measuring the inner house (the Temple building proper), he brought me out by the way of the gate which faced toward the east, and measured it all around (the area of ground on which the building stood).
v 16…He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, by the measuring reed (one side).
v 17…He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.
v 18…On the south side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
v 19…He turned to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
v 20…He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, the length five hundred and the width five hundred, to divide between the holy (what had a kedusha) and the profane (Hebrew “chol” or common area and did not have a kedusha. The Temple garments cannot have contact with street garments; once holy, they cannot go backwards in kedusha. This concept is also true of the Temple articles, altar stones and furniture. That is why we believe the Ark of the Covenant is still on the Temple Mount hidden away beneath the sanctified area because it had a kedusha, as described in the Mishnah, Shekalim 6.1-2).
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