Ezekiel 41:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We access the temple of God through understanding this, as well as the principles and image of creation, which reveal the Creator through the order and harmony of the universe. The temple gate's width being ten cubits represents a sacred and complete number; thus, in the seventh month, on the tenth day, fasting and atonement occur. Furthermore, on the tenth day of the first month, known as Nisan, a lamb is chosen for sacrifice in preparation for the Passover. This is why, in the seventh month, tithes are gathered into God’s barns, often referred to in Scripture as the furnace. Therefore, the apostle also exhorts the faithful to open themselves (2 Cor. 6:13); after entering ten cubits into the temple, we can then measure the sides of the gate, or as the Hebrew text refers to them, the shoulders, which are inherently tied to works. Issachar also chose wisely, seeing rest as good and the land fruitful, he dedicated himself to labor, becoming a tiller of the earth (Genesis 49:14-15). The high priest wore a breastplate attached to his garment, signifying that the works might be united with understanding, allowing the minister to proclaim, “Of Thy commandments I have understanding” (Psalm 118:104). The shoulders of the gate featured five galleries on each side, facilitating our entry into the temple through both earthly and divine comprehension, a distinction I have discussed previously. The guide for the prophet was tasked with measuring the temple’s dimensions: a length of forty cubits and a breadth of twenty cubits, referring to either the gate’s size or its specifics, as only its breadth and shoulders were mentioned before. Notably, multiplying forty by twenty yields eight hundred, which is close to the octal number. Thus, Ecclesiastes instructs: “Give a portion to seven, and also to eight” (Ecclesiastes 11:2). Despite my awareness of the mysterious significance of this number, or how through the trials and tribulations of this life we can access the Lord’s sanctuary, the gate measuring forty cubits signifies toil. This explains why Moses and Elijah abstain from bread for forty days and do not drink water (Deuteronomy 9; 1 Kings 19), and why the Israelites endure forty years of suffering and tests in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. The Lord and Savior, after assuming mortal flesh, faced temptation for forty days in the desert, culminating in the arrival of angels who came to minister to Him (Matthew 4). When we endure tribulations and can affirm the apostolic words, “in all things we are experiencing distress, yet we are not crushed” (2 Cor. 4:8), alongside the prophetic assertion, “in distress, you have enlarged me” (Psalm 4:2), a broad entrance opens to us, measuring forty cubits in length. This allows us, by triumphing over worldly and earthly challenges—which is, notably, a dual number—to enter the temple and heed the Lord's directive to the disciples: “Go forth, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

At the center stood the temple of God, which was entirely adorned with skins—this included not just the walls but also the floor and ceiling. The windows were lattice-style, allowing light to filter through like mrezhi. The carvings on the walls and doorposts depicted cherubim and dates, with each cherub exhibiting two faces: one of a lion and another of a human, each turned toward different dates. The Prophet observed two faces carved rather than four, as creating an exact likeness on the tablets was impossible. He further stated that he saw a book positioned before the sanctuary; this book measured three cubits in height, two cubits in length, and the same in width, forming an equilateral shape. From the one who revealed this to him, the Prophet learned that this is the supper presented before the Lord. It is noteworthy that while he referred to the table upon which the showbread was laid as a table, great Moses referred to it simply as a supper; thus, through this prophecy, the gateway to our sacraments is opened ahead of time. Furthermore, the door leading to the holy place was not constructed with double leaves but instead had four, so that when opened, the sashes folded over each other, and the carvings on them were consistent with those found throughout.