Ezekiel Chapter 40
Showing all 49 verses for Ezekiel Chapter 40.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. "
"This happened in the twenty-fifth year of the exiles' captivity in Babylon, on the tenth day of the month, at the start of the year - fourteen years after Jerusalem had been captured and destroyed. On that exact day, the power of the LORD took hold of Ezekiel and carried him away."
Even after years of waiting, when everything you built has been torn down and nothing seems to be moving, I haven't stopped working on what comes next for you. Notice the date - this vision isn't wishful thinking, it's meant to be taken as real.
"In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. "
"In these visions from God, Ezekiel was set down in the land of Israel, on a very high mountain. Looking south from there, he saw what looked like the layout of a city."
When your view is clouded by what's right in front of you, I want to lift you somewhere you can see the bigger shape of your life - not to escape reality, but to finally see it clearly.
"And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. "
"There Ezekiel saw a man whose appearance shone like polished bronze, holding a linen cord and a measuring rod, standing at a gateway."
I don't do things carelessly. Whatever I'm building in your life, however slow it feels, is being measured out with real intention, not left to chance.
"And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel. "
"The man told him: Son of man, look closely with your eyes, listen carefully with your ears, and pay full attention to everything I'm about to show you - because that's exactly why you were brought here. Then go and tell the whole house of Israel everything you see."
Whatever you're shown or given isn't only for you to keep - pay it proper attention, and then let it help someone else too.
"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 and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. "
"Ezekiel then saw a wall running all the way around the outside of the temple area. The guide's measuring rod was six long cubits (each about a cubit plus a hand's width), and with it he measured the wall: one rod thick, one rod high."
Healthy boundaries aren't about shutting people out for no reason - they're what makes it possible to have somewhere safe and clear on the inside. Get your outer wall right first, and the rest can be built with confidence.
"Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad. "
"Then the man went to the gate that faced east, climbed its steps, and measured its threshold: one measuring rod wide. He measured the other threshold too - also one rod wide."
Some doorways in your life matter more than others - the ones through which something real is meant to come in. Don't be careless about which entrances you keep open and watched.
"And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed. "
"Each small guard room along the gate passage was one measuring rod long and one rod wide, with five cubits of space between the rooms. The threshold nearest the inner porch of the gateway was one rod."
Some things worth reaching aren't meant to be rushed. Slow down through the entrance, and let the approach itself do some of the work in you.
"He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed. "
"He also measured the porch at the inner end of the gateway: one measuring rod."
Care about the small, easily overlooked parts of your life too - they add up to the whole structure, even when nobody else is watching that closely.
"Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward. "
"Then he measured the porch of the gateway: eight cubits, with its supporting pillars two cubits thick; this porch stood at the inner end of the gate."
Give yourself proper transitions between the different parts of your life, rather than crashing straight from one thing into the next.
"And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side. "
"The small guard rooms of the east gate were three on one side and three on the other, all the same size, and the pillars on both sides matched each other too."
I don't run things with favourites at the back door. Whatever standard applies to one side of your life should apply evenly to every part of it.
"And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. "
"He measured the width of the gate's entrance passage: ten cubits, and the length of the whole gateway: thirteen cubits."
Make room for people to come to you, but let it still be a real, considered step for them - not something so wide open it means nothing.
"The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. "
"In front of the small guard rooms there was a one-cubit ledge on each side, and the rooms themselves were six cubits square on either side of the passage."
Excellence isn't only about the headline achievements - it's caring about the details nobody else will ever comment on.
"He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door. "
"He measured the gateway from the roof of one guard room to the roof of the room facing it: twenty-five cubits across, doorway facing doorway."
Straight, honest alignment matters - say what you mean, and let your actions face the same direction as your words.
"He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate. "
"He measured the pillars: sixty cubits, reaching up to the pillar of the court that surrounded the gateway."
Don't be afraid to think bigger than feels comfortable about what your life could become - some things are worth building on a grand scale.
"And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits. "
"From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch of that same gateway was fifty cubits."
Anticipation isn't wasted time. The walk towards something good is part of what prepares you to actually receive it well.
"And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees. "
"The small guard rooms and their pillars inside the gateway had narrow windows all round, and so did the archways; there were windows facing inward all the way round, and palm tree carvings decorated each pillar."
Let some light into even your most guarded, private spaces, and don't be afraid to make them beautiful too - protection and beauty aren't opposites.
"Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement. "
"Then he brought Ezekiel into the outer court, where he saw rooms built around the edge and a paved area surrounding the court; thirty rooms opened onto that pavement."
A good life needs practical, functional spaces as much as impressive ones - don't neglect the unglamorous rooms that keep everything running.
"And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement. "
"The pavement ran alongside the gates, level with their length; this was called the lower pavement."
Know your level in any situation - where you stand isn't a fixed value judgement, but understanding your place helps you move through life sensibly.
"Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward. "
"He measured the distance from the front of the lower (outer) gate to the front of the inner court: a hundred cubits, both on the east side and the north side."
Don't expect to arrive at the deepest, most meaningful parts of your life instantly. Real closeness is usually reached gradually, one court at a time.
"And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof. "
"He also measured the gate of the outer court that faced north - both its length and its width."
Treat people the same however they come to you - from whichever direction or background - because the standard I set doesn't shift depending on the entrance used.
"And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. "
"Its small guard rooms were three on each side, and its pillars and archways matched the measurements of the first (east) gate exactly: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide."
Be the same person whichever way people come at you - consistency is a quiet but real form of integrity.
"And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them. "
"Its windows, archways, and palm tree carvings matched the measurements of the east gate; seven steps led up to it, with its archways in front."
Let approaching what matters most to you cost you a little effort. A short climb can be exactly what focuses your attention before you arrive.
"And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits. "
"The gate of the inner court stood directly opposite the north gate, just as it did opposite the east gate; he measured a hundred cubits from one gate to the other."
Live with that kind of straightforwardness - let people see a clear, honest line through to who you really are, without deliberate obstruction.
"After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures. "
"Then he led Ezekiel towards the south side, and there was a gate facing south too; he measured its pillars and archways to the same standard as before."
Consistency repeated three times over isn't boring - it's trustworthy. Be someone whose fairness people can predict and rely on.
"And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. "
"This gate too had windows all around its archways, just like the others; it measured fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide."
Wherever you show up from, know that the door is built the same way for you as for anyone else.
"And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof. "
"Seven steps led up to this gate too, with its archways in front, and palm tree carvings on its pillars, one on each side."
Repetition isn't always dull - sometimes it's how a truth gets embedded deep enough that you actually live by it.
"And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits. "
"There was also a gate in the inner court on the south side; he measured a hundred cubits from this gate to the outer south gate."
When your life has that kind of underlying consistency, people can trust it - trust isn't built by grand gestures alone, but by a pattern that holds steady.
"And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures; "
"He brought Ezekiel into the inner court through the south gate, and measured it to the same standard as before."
Every stage of getting closer to what matters most is still worth paying attention to, not rushed past.
"And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. "
"Its small guard rooms, pillars, and archways matched the same measurements; it too had windows all around, fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide."
The closer you get to the heart of things, the more the same honest standards should apply - not fewer.
"And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad. "
"The archways all around measured twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide."
Faithfulness in the small print of your life matters just as much as the big decisions - don't let either go unattended.
"And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps. "
"Its archways faced the outer court, palm trees decorated its pillars, and eight steps led up to it."
Expect the cost of going deeper to rise a little each time - that's not a discouragement, it's a sign you're actually getting closer to something real.
"And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures. "
"Then he brought Ezekiel into the inner court on the east side, and measured that gate to the same standard."
Some things you set up now are preparation for something even bigger still to come - keep building even before you see the full purpose.
"And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. "
"Its guard rooms, pillars, and archways matched the same measurements, with windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide."
Let your integrity be so consistent that people stop being surprised by it - that's when it becomes truly trustworthy.
"And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps. "
"Its archways faced the outer court, palm trees decorated its pillars on both sides, and eight steps led up to it."
The nearer you draw to what really matters, expect the climb to keep gently increasing - and keep climbing anyway.
"And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures; "
"Then he brought Ezekiel to the north gate of the inner court and measured it to the same standard."
Finish what you start on every side - completeness matters as much as the individual pieces.
"The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. "
"Its small guard rooms, pillars, and archways, along with windows all around, matched the same measurements: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide."
When you've built something on solid, repeated principles, you don't need to reinvent it every time - you can trust the pattern to hold.
"And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps. "
"Its pillars faced the outer court, palm trees decorated its pillars on both sides, and eight steps led up to it."
Consistency carried all the way to the end of a task is what makes the whole thing trustworthy, not just the parts people notice first.
"And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering. "
"There was a room with its own entrance built by the pillars of the gateways, where they washed the animals for the burnt offering."
Whatever you're offering up - your work, an apology, your best effort - prepare it properly first. Care in the preparation is part of what makes an offering genuine.
"And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering. "
"In the porch of the gateway stood two tables on one side and two on the other, on which the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering were slaughtered."
Don't be ashamed to deal with your mistakes openly and practically. There's a proper table for that too - bring your failures into the light rather than burying them.
"And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables. "
"Outside, beside the steps going up to the entrance of the north gate, there were two more tables, and two more on the other side of the gate's porch."
Make space for honest reckoning a normal, regular part of your life, not a rare emergency measure you reach for only once in a while.
"Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices. "
"In total there were four tables on one side and four on the other, beside the gate - eight tables in all, on which the sacrifices were slaughtered."
Build enough capacity into your life for the real, ongoing work of putting things right - not just a single token gesture.
"And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice. "
"Four of the tables were made of cut, dressed stone for the burnt offering, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit high; the tools used to kill the burnt offering and other sacrifices were laid on them."
Take the difficult, necessary work of your life seriously enough to have the right tools ready, rather than scrambling when the moment comes.
"And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering. "
"Hooks a hand's width long were fixed all around inside; the flesh of the offerings was placed on the tables."
The sacred and the practical aren't opposites - meaningful things in your life often get carried by very ordinary, unremarkable means.
"And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north. "
"Outside the inner gate, in the inner court, were rooms for the singers - one beside the north gate facing south, and another beside the east gate facing north."
Make room in your life for joy and expression, not only duty. Beauty and song deserve their own real place, not just an afterthought squeezed in around obligation.
"And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house. "
"The man told Ezekiel: this room facing south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple building itself."
Know your specific role and take real ownership of it - clarity about what's actually yours to look after makes you more useful, not less free.
"And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him. "
"The chamber facing north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar - these are the descendants of Zadok, the only ones among the Levites permitted to come near and minister directly to the LORD."
Staying faithful when it costs you something, even when others compromise, is never wasted - it shapes what you're trusted with later.
"So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house. "
"He measured the inner court: a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide, a perfect square, with the altar standing in front of the temple building."
Keep the things that matter most - where you make things right - front and centre in your life, not tucked away out of sight.
"And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. "
"Then he brought Ezekiel to the porch of the temple building itself and measured its pillars: five cubits on each side, and the gateway was three cubits wide on each side."
The long way round to something meaningful isn't wasted time - it's what makes finally arriving feel like it actually means something.
"The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side. "
"The porch of the temple measured twenty cubits long and eleven cubits wide; he brought Ezekiel up the steps leading to it, and there were pillars beside the doorposts, one on each side."
Some of the most important moments in life are the ones right at the threshold, just before you step into what you've been working towards - don't rush past that moment; let it register.