Chapter 42
The measurements continue until 42:13. Beginning there, the "man" speaks to Ezekiel, and tells him something of how things are to be done respecting the holy chambers on the north and south. Only the priests that approach the Lord are allowed there. The clothes they wear in there are also holy, and they must lay them aside before going out to the people.
There is a very large outer area around this temple area that is 500 cubits square. A large court perhaps, where people can gather. But still, it is only the priests who go into the inner sanctuary and offer sacrifices.
(The man also explains in 41:22 that "This is the table that is before the Lord".
Since the Millennial is the fulfillment of all God's promises to the Jews, and since they will have hearts to worship Him, we could look at this as the covenant between God and Israel performed in reality as it was meant to be performed at from Sinai on. Maybe the people never really did that right (in fact we know they broke that covenant almost from the second it was made). If the Millennial is God's specific performance of His part of the covenant, then surely it is not unusual to expect the Jews at last to also perform their part of the covenant in heart and soul and sacrifice to the Living, present God.
So this finally makes sense to me as to why it should be there, and why they would still offer sacrifices. It looks back at the covenant agreed upon. Jesus will be King at this time, and they will know who He is, that He is Messiah. There will be no confusion as to why these sacrifices are being made.
But...where is this temple, and who builds it?
2020 - The dimensions of Solomon's Temple were given to David in great detail. David passed them on to Solomon, who built the temple according to those instructions. God commissioned the building of that first temple, in all its details. Nehemiah rebuilt that temple. They didn't raze it all to the ground and start from scratch, but instead, rebuilt Solomon's Temple. Somewhere along the line, there was Herod's temple. I have always assumed that Herod's temple was also built according to those original instructions to David. It was a remodel perhaps, but it was not a "new" temple. At least I don't think so. In 70 AD not one stone was left upon another. Solomon's temple was completely destroyed. So now we have Ezekiel's temple. Note that there are no instructions on how to build it. There is no veil. There is no ark. Since it does not say "build it like this", but instead says measure what has been built, then we might say that man conceived this design. A very learned man familiar with the original temple. In Revelation 11, John is given a rod to measure the Temple of God. Ezekiel isn't told to measure, but to observe and report the measurements. This verse:
4 And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel." [Eze 40:4 ESV] Measurements are given in great detail.
Compare to this verse:
1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. [Rev 11:1-2 ESV] But no measurements are given. This happens during the sixth trumpet, and is done just before we are told about the two witnesses. So this temple is on earth, before the Millennial. And John is told to measure it.
And then this one:
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. ... 15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. [Rev 21:10-11, 15-17 ESV] So this city, measured by an angel and recorded by a man, comes down pre-built from heaven. Note that there is a great high mountain, as in Ezekiel's vision. Perhaps it was given to Ezekiel to see the temple of God that will descend from heaven, and it was given to John to see the city itself.
So...The temple that Ezekiel saw was not a temple for him to build, and the temple and the New Jerusalem that John saw were not for him to build. An "angel" measured Ezekiel's temple, and an angel measured the New Jerusalem come down from heaven. But John himself measured the Temple of God in Revelation.
There is nothing in the Bible "by chance". I think there is meaning in the similarities and differences in the way these things are measured. One possible interpretation is that angels measure what God has made. Men measure what man has made. If so, then Ezekiel saw a temple made in heaven and come down, as John saw the Jerusalem made in heaven. And the temple John measured is a man made temple on earth, that is present during the Tribulation period during the 6th trumpet. This is way past the seals.
There have to be shelves and shelves of books written by very smart people and addressing the possible interpretations of this temple. Need to see if I can find that Ironside book and see what it says about all this.