THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And He said to me, This is the table before the Lord. The temple and the sanctuary featured two doors, with an additional door on each side, all connected to each other. Each side of the entrance had two doors, intricately adorned with carvings of cherubim and palm trees, mirroring the designs that appeared on the temple walls. The vestibule's exterior was enhanced by substantial trees, with inclined windows positioned above and palm tree images decorating the sides (in humerulis) of the vestibule, in addition to the house’s walls and width. The translation of the Septuagint (LXX) diverges notably from the original Hebrew text.
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Notably, instead of "sturdy trees," it employs the term σπουδαῖα, suggesting those worthy of attention, and for "oblique windows," it uses the term "hidden." Furthermore, at the conclusion of the testimony, it states: he measured on both sides the panels of the upper door or vestibule, and the sides of the house that were joined, expressed as ἐζυγωμε'να, which signifies a similar weight. Therefore, the man who guided the prophet into the innermost section of the temple showed him the wooden altar, which had corners and horns made of wood. He said, This altar you see is the table before the Lord, which, akin to a burning bush (Exodus 3:2), burns yet is not consumed, and of which the saint declares to God, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Psalms 22:5).
The two doors in both the temple and the sanctuary symbolize the ordinances of the two covenants; each door had two additional doors on each side, interconnected, allowing for spiritual understanding alongside historical truth, reinforcing the necessity of both for completeness of knowledge. It is clear in the literal sense that there are two doors on either side of the entrance, common in larger gathering spaces (tricliniis), often designed with two adjacent doors that create a broader access point through four smaller doors, which can either open or close. The temple's doors, or those of the holy of holies, displayed the aforementioned cherubim and palm tree carvings, illustrating that through abundant learning, victory was represented to entering visitors. The palm trees were similarly found on the temple walls, reflecting the artistic choice to carve cherubim directly on the doors, signifying spiritual significance. The outer vestibule’s thicker trees were crafted to be robust, appreciating the carvings' importance.
In a spiritual sense, it was fitting that the doors possessed both strength and beauty, ensuring that nobody could intrude upon the holy of holies or claim the priesthood illegitimately, as seen with Hosea (2 Chronicles 26). Above the doors were inclined or hidden windows designed so that the light entering would not reveal complete knowledge or truth to everyone but remain partially concealed from the majority. Currently, we see as through a mirror (1 Cor. 13:12), lacking full understanding; yet when completeness arrives, partial knowledge will be set aside (1 Cor. 13:10). The likeness of palm trees was present on both sides, with the arrangement avoiding specifying right and left to maintain a sense of reverence; rather, it stated: on this side and on that side, consistent with the Gospel’s teaching: If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:39). It could have mentioned the left, yet when the right is struck, the other right is offered, reflecting that in a righteous individual, both aspects are in harmony, both being complete.
On the shoulders of the narthex, along the sides of the house, and across the breadth of the walls, the LXX articulated: On the coverings of the vestibule (προπυ'λον), indicating that the structural supports of the upper door or vestibule (interpreted as the shoulders) along with the sides and breadth of the walls are unified in wisdom and measurement, showing that all within the temple of the Lord is arranged with order and purpose.