THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And he said to me, This is the feast before the Lord. There were two doors in both the temple and the sanctuary, with two additional doors on each side, aligned together. On each side of the main doors were two more doors, adorned with carvings of cherubim and images of palm trees, which were also depicted on the walls. Furthermore, there were more robust trees at the front of the vestibule outside, featuring diagonal windows above them, along with representations of palm trees along the sides of the vestibule and the breadth of the walls.
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The Septuagint significantly diverges from the Hebrew source, substituting thicker trees with "σπουδαῖα," implying those that are essential or deserving of care, and replacing diagonally placed windows with "hidden." Lastly, it concludes by stating that the upper jambs or vestibule and the house joined together were represented by "ἐζυγωμε'να," which also conveys a similar weight.
The man guiding the prophet into the innermost part of the temple, among other things, revealed to him a wooden altar with corners and horns, and wooden walls, telling him, This altar you see is the feast before the Lord, burning like a bush of thorns, yet not consumed (Exodus 3:2), of which the saint says to God, You have prepared a feast for me in the presence of those who trouble me (Psalms 22:5). There were also two doors within the temple and the sanctuary, symbolizing the two covenants, with two doors on each side that were interconnected, allowing the historical narrative to reveal spiritual significance, while the allegory conveys historical truth, each one complementing the other; without one, complete understanding is unattainable.
The repeated mention of two doors on either side of the entrance is clearly grasped in a literal sense. In large dining areas, it is customary to have two adjoining doors, resulting in an entrance through four smaller doors rather than two large ones that can open and close. On these temple doors, or those leading into the holy of holies, were intricately carved cherubim and palm tree sculptures, depicting the eventual victory bestowed upon those who enter after much to learn. The palm trees also adorned the temple walls, providing insight into why cherubim were etched onto the doors and the likeness of palm trees represented. The trees in the outer vestibule were sturdier, allowing for substantial carvings.
Symbolically, the doors were strong and beautifully crafted, signifying that they possessed both strength and elegance, preventing anyone, as Hosea warned, from intruding on the holy space and improperly claiming the priesthood (2 Chronicles 26). Above these doors were slanted, concealed windows, ensuring that the light entering would not reveal complete understanding nor be fully accessible but partially obscured from the majority. For we currently view through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12), and our knowledge remains incomplete, but once perfection comes, partial understanding will be dismissed (1 Cor. 13:10). There were representations of palm trees on either side.
Within the temple and the holy of holies, the right and left sides were not distinguished, lest it imply isolation within the holy and mysterious; rather he stated: on this side and that side, as recorded in the Gospel: If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:39). Why not mention the left? In this context, when the right one is struck, another right one responds, for in a holy individual, both sides are just, and both are complete. Concerning the shoulders of the narthex, along the sides of the house and the width of the walls, the Septuagint translated it as On the coverings of the vestibule (προπυ'λον), indicating that the structure of the upper jambs or vestibule—pertaining to this context—along with the sides of the house and the breadth of the walls, exemplifies that all are constructed with purpose and measure, revealing that nothing in the Lord’s temple is designed without wisdom and proportion.