Ezekiel 41:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The length was not thirty-three cubits, but rather twice that amount, totaling sixty-six. In Leviticus, it is written that when a male child is born, the mother and child shall be purified for thirty-three days after a week (Lev. 12). In contrast, the birth of a female child requires a purification period of sixty-six days. Thus, to enter the holy of holies, one must experience not just the first birth but also the second, allowing for rebirth in the spirit following the flesh, rendering the number significant—not merely sixty-six but twice thirty-three. This signifies our reliance on God as the source of both births, encircled by a dual wall that supports the structure of the temple.

According to the Hebrew scriptures, there were ledges along the house's walls, designed to support but not touch the temple walls. This illustrates that righteous individuals emerge from among the faithful surrounding the temple, supporting the foundation of the Church while refraining from direct contact with the temple walls, content to observe and worship the ineffable ordinances from a distance. Currently, we perceive divine truths as though through a mirror and cannot fully grasp the truth itself. The courtyard was circular, accessible via a spiral staircase leading to the upper room in a circular manner, indicating that the upper temple area was broader; thus, one ascended from below into the middle area. It becomes clear that what is below, entwined with fasting and earthbound humility, offers a more intimate experience, and as we progressively rise, a broader path unfolds before us, fulfilling the promise: "In tribulation, thou hast expanded me" (Psal. 4:2). Through the circular ascent of the staircase, we reach the higher places of the temple.

This circular shape is regarded, even by contemporary philosophers, as the most beautiful form, found in the heavens, the sun, the moon, and other celestial bodies, as well as in human features: the eyes, akin to stars, the head, which houses all senses, rounded fingers, thighs, and hands—all reflecting this circularity. The upper room we ascend to from these constricted spaces can be likened to the spaces Elijah and Elisha inhabited, as well as to Tabitha, known in the Acts of the Apostles as Dorcas, who achieved heights through righteous deeds (3 Kings 17; 4 Kings 4; Acts 9). The Apostle Peter, upon whom Christ established the Church's foundation, entered the upper room and ascended to the roof, referred to in Greek as the terrace, learning the Church's profound mysteries that had previously been undisclosed to the world (Acts 10). The Savior also observed the Passover in an upper room—spacious, cleansed of impurities, and prepared for a spiritual meal—where He taught His disciples about the sacrament of His body and blood, thus establishing the eternal commemoration of the Unblemished Lamb.

Furthermore, the addition concerning the middle area and the three dwellings, as I interpret, necessitates an obelisk. What is the need to speculate about ambiguous and unwritten matters when we have the sacred writings of the Jews to consult? Next, it mentions the measurements of the house, which encompassed a base dimension of six cubits at the foundation, with a wall width of five cubits. Between the storerooms, identified as ἑξε'δρας by Simmachus, there was a breadth of twenty cubits surrounding the house. These figures signify that from this world, through earthly senses, and by acknowledging the double number of two decades—twenty—we achieve the capacity to enter not only the holy of holies but also the upper rooms. We must remember that through the six days of Creation, our five senses, and twenty cubits in breadth, we rise to the heightened experience of the Church, leaving behind earthly limitations and moving to spiritual heights, rejoicing in communion with the Holy Spirit.

Moreover, the Lord specifies that a door is located to the north, where calamities arise upon the earth (Jer. 1), yet He assures us of their removal, declaring, "And from the north I will remove from you" (Joel 2:20). The northern door features a place for prayer, enabling us, as the Apostle urges (1 Thess. 5), to pray without ceasing, echoing Jeremiah: “Let not the apple of your eye be silent” (Lamentations 2:18), whether seeking shelter from current woes or offering gratitude for past mercies. While residing within this bodily temple, we lament, "I am a wretched man! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom. 7:24). Similarly, there existed a door on the southern side, which, as the Hebrew text describes, also included a prayer area extending five cubits. Here, we move from the cold north to the warmth of the south, seeking a space for prayer—one door to evade dangers, and the other to express gratitude for past events, reinforcing our hope for victory. The five cubits here also symbolize the divine senses leading us from the worldly to the exalted.

The structure was designated to face the path toward the sea, extending seventy cubits in width. Thus, after enduring the trials, hazards, and tumultuous waves of this world, symbolized by the seventy years noted by Jeremiah (Jer. 25 and 29) and by Daniel (Dan. 9) and Zechariah (Zech. 9), we ultimately reach the true and righteous Sabbath of seven decades, granting us eternal rest. Through the five cubits in breadth, we achieve a length of ninety cubits, paralleling the age at which Sarah bore a son in accordance with God’s promise, uniting with Abraham, who was a hundred years old (Gen. 21), that is, he who bore the profound number of ten decades. The significance of this numerical representation will be illuminated by the subsequent words of Scripture.