The Millennial Temple!
That’s what Ezekiel has been describing for us, in great detail.
Today we come to his statement about the overall dimensions of the outer court, outer wall.
“Now when he (an angel) had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east (the eastern gate), and measured it round about. He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.” Ezekiel 42:15-20
All four directions of the compass, east and north and south and west, in that order.
Clearly the Temple area is a “square,” equidistant in length and breadth.
So was the “Holy of Holies” a square!
So will “New Jerusalem” be a square!”
Consistency, a picture of our great God!
But (best we can tell) how long is a “reed?”
Ezekiel 40:5 answered that question, if you remember. “And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring REED of six cubits long … by the cubit (18 inches) and an hand breadth (3 more inches): so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.”
A reed is six cubits long, with a cubit being the standard cubit PLUS a handbreadth! So we’re talking 21 inches times six … just a little over ten feet in length! (Say ten and a half feet.)
And the Temple (Ezekiel 40-48) is how wide, how long at its greatest dimension? At its outer wall?
Five hundred (500) reeds which equals approximately 5,250 feet, if I’ve done my math correctly!
Right at a mile!
A mile long, each of the Temple’s walls!
Wow!
If we take this literally, which I’m going to do, the coming Millennial Temple will NOT even fit on the current Temple Mount in Jerusalem!
An expansion program will have to be initiated!
Which I think will happen (or at least begin to happen) when Jesus returns to earth, the second time! Not the Rapture now, mind you, but at His glorious Revelation!
Zechariah tells us: “And his (Jesus at His Return) feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” Zechariah 14:4, an earthquake! Rearranging the topography of the City of Jerusalem!
Then … there will be room enough for this Temple!
Wow!
It’s a fact, during the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth … the Temple (and its associated worship of the Lord our God) will be a major part of life!
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
That last verse is Revelation 22:20, the very last prayer in the Bible!