Ezekiel 41:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Hebrew text indicates that from the middle storey, one ascended to three upper rooms, although the term thrael is not present in Hebrew. The Jewish interpreters substituted it with the term uraithi, which we have rendered.

I observed the heights of the house on all sides; at its base, the walls measured six cubits long, with the outer wall's breadth being five cubits. An inner area was set within the outer walls, creating a space of twenty cubits in width surrounding the house. There was a door designated for prayer, though the LXX omits this detail—one door to the north and another to the south, with the prayer space's width being five cubits all around. The set-apart area facing the sea was seventy cubits wide, while the wall of the building measured five cubits thick all around, spanning ninety cubits in length. Upon reaching the Holy of Holies, as mentioned earlier, the esteemed man measured the wall of the Holy of Holies, which, due to the world's creation accomplished in six days, equaled six cubits, and the width of each side was four cubits—not just on one side, but uniformly around. The wall's width of four cubits indicated the elements that make up all things, particularly the bodies of humans, against which the saints struggle and, through the strength of the spirit, gain access to understanding the mysteries of the Lord.

The sides surrounding the house, separated from the temple's walls by four cubits, connected with one another, allowing each side to touch the next. It was not thirty-three cubits in length but rather sixty-six. Leviticus states that following the birth of a male child, both the mother and the child should be purified for thirty-three days, whereas for a female child, a double number of sixty-six days is required. Therefore, to enter the Holy of Holies, both births are necessary: the physical birth and the rebirth in spirit, reflecting that the number should be seen as sixty-six, indicating that by both births we owe our existence to God’s grace. This is symbolized by the double wall encircling the house, providing support for the temple.

The aforementioned ledges, which aligned along the wall of the house, symbolize how holy men emerge from the congregation of believers around the temple's wall and support the foundations of the Church, while remaining distant from the temple's wall, content to observe and worship the divine mysteries from afar. Currently, we see through a mirror, in an obscure manner, lacking full comprehension of the truth. The court's rounded shape, ascending via a spiral staircase, leads into the upper room of the temple, illustrating that those engaged in fasting and humility, through gradual ascent, discover broader pathways ascending to higher spiritual truths. It is acknowledged that as we rise from earthly trials, a wider path is opened, fulfilling the verse: “In tribulation hast Thou enlarged me” (Psalm 4:2).

The rounded stairway facilitates our ascent into the upper chamber of the temple. This shape is considered aesthetically pleasing by philosophers, reflecting the cycles of the heavens, the sun, moon, stars, and even the human form—eyes like shining stars, the head as a vessel for senses, and the rounded contours of hands and limbs. The upper room of the temple, to which we ascend from constricting spaces to elevated heights, can be likened to the spaces enjoyed by Elijah and Elisha as noted in the books of Kings, and also by Dorcas, as documented in the Acts of the Apostles, who through good works reached higher spiritual heights.

Moreover, the Apostle Peter, whom the Lord entrusted with establishing the Church, ascended into the upper room where he gleaned the mysteries of the Church, previously unknown to the world (Acts 10). The Savior celebrated Passover in an upper room, a spacious and purified place prepared for the spiritual feast, where He instructed His disciples in the sacrament of His body and blood, establishing for us the ongoing celebration of the Unblemished Lamb.

The reference to three upper dwellings from the middle section needs to be approached cautiously, as we must focus on the content of the Jewish writings. Subsequently, I perceived the height of the house on every side, noting that at the base, the measures revealed six cubits and the side walls were five cubits wide, with a width of twenty cubits between the treasuries. These measurements signify our privilege in moving beyond earthly confines to the Holy of Holies and the exalted upper rooms, reminding us that through the six days of creation and five senses, we elevate to the temple's upper room, transcending worldly limitations in the communion of the Holy Spirit.

The door, as stated by the Lord, is situated at the side designated for prayer toward the north, a direction from which troubles arise (Jeremiah 1), but the Lord promises relief from this calamity (Joel 2:20). The prayer space near the northern door aims to shield us from adversity, while the door on the southern side, according to the Hebrew text, also includes a prayer area extending five cubits around it. Here we transition from the cold north to the warmth of the southern spaces, reaffirming our search for a place to pray: at the northern door seeking refuge from dangers, and at the southern door offering gratitude for past mercies and assurance of victory. The five cubits symbolize divine senses that assist our ascent from the earthly to the divine.

The structure described, positioned toward the path leading to the sea, is seventy cubits wide, representing our journey through the trials and uncertainties of this life, likened to seventy years—a testimony found in the accounts of Jeremiah and Daniel—culminating in the true and lawful Sabbath of seven decades, granting us everlasting rest. This is equaled by the breadth of five cubits leading to a length of ninety cubits, wherein Sarah, at ninety years of age, bore a son by promise and gave birth to Isaac while united with Abraham, who was one hundred, symbolizing the sacred significance of these numbers as portrayed in Scripture.

At the center stands the temple of God, which is entirely covered with skins, encompassing the walls, floor, and ceiling. The windows are described as lattice windows, translucent like certain types of coverings. The sculptures adorning the walls and doorposts depict cherubim and palm trees, with each cherub featuring two faces—one resembling a lion and the other a human—with each face oriented toward a palm tree. The Prophet observes that instead of four faces, there are merely two carved representations, as a precise image could not be rendered on the surfaces. Furthermore, the Prophet recounts seeing a book positioned before the sanctuary; this book measured three cubits in height, two cubits in length, and was equally broad, forming a perfect square. From the being who revealed this to him, the Prophet understood that it represents the supper situated in the presence of the Lord. Notably, he refers to the table where the showbread is placed as a supper, while Moses designated it solely as a supper. This distinction indicates that through this prophecy, the gateway to our sacraments has been opened beforehand. The doors to the holy place, he notes, were not of double-leaf construction but rather four-leafed, so that when opened, the panels folded upon one another, and the carvings upon them mirrored those found throughout.