THEOSISJerome of Stridon
But you, son of man, reveal to the house of Israel the temple, allowing them to feel remorse for their transgressions, and let them examine its foundation, instilling in them a sense of shame for all their deeds. Present to them the structure of the house, its arrangement, its exits and entrances, its design, and all its precepts, statutes, and regulations, and inscribe before their eyes that they may adhere to all its specifications and commands. This is the law of the house situated atop the mountain: all the boundaries surrounding it will be recognized as the holy of holies.
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And you, son of man, indicate to the house of Israel the temple, that they might abandon their sins, and reflect upon its appearance and layout, bearing the weight of their guilt for all they have committed. You shall describe the temple and its features, its exits and entrances, all that encompasses it, and all its precepts, statutes, and laws, demonstrating these to them so that they may maintain all that justifies them and fulfill my commandments. The hallmark of the house is located at the mountain's summit; its perimeter belongs to the holy of holies. This is the law of the house.
It is significant that which one perceives with the physical eye or ponders in the mind, illustrating it in such a way that others might envision it alongside you. Thus, Josephus recounts that those dispatched by Jesus, the son of another, to describe the land were surveyors, skilled in geometry, knowledge that now defines the expertise of philosophers. Therefore, to the house of Israel—those who perceive God with the intellect—is revealed a temple seen by Ezekiel, on the mountain's apex, which must not be confounded with what Solomon built as described in the books of Kings and Chronicles. For that temple had a distinct arrangement and design and varied significantly in details, being so inferior that not only those who revered and protected it, but even its builder, Solomon, fell into sin and provoked God's anger, though he later repented, as expressed in Proverbs, wherein he says, “Afterward I repented: I looked up to choose punishment.”
The vision shown to Ezekiel and by him to the house of Israel is such that anyone who sees it with the mind's eye will renounce their sins—indeed all of them, or as articulated in Hebrew, will feel shame and bear the weight of all their past actions. The individual who turns away from sin experiences remorse for their wrongdoing, making it profoundly beneficial for the sinner to witness the house of God, to comprehend its blueprint so that they desist from sinning and yearn after it, uttering to the Lord, “I love the beauty of Your house, the place of the dwelling of Your glory,” and affirming their desire to petition the Lord, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
The exits and entrances signify the passageways into the community; the exits are for those outside, while the entrances are for those who are invited in through the teachings of instructors. Moreover, the comprehensive outline referred to is not merely about the properties of the temple but also concerns its vessels and treasures. Present all the decrees, all the statutes, and all the regulations of the temple to those who have undergone suffering due to their transgressions and have abandoned or are ashamed of their former ways. Reveal these things so that they may follow all that is commanded, as knowing the shape of the house and its divisions serves no purpose if the commands are not obeyed.
The house, the law encompassing all of God's commandments, and the city positioned atop the mountain should be recognized as the one about which it is written, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden,” and “The river of God is full of water,” clearly highlighting the Church; it stands on the mountain that surpasses all others. This mountain struck the prince of Tyre, and all its ends and boundaries are deemed the holy of holies. In that house, specifically the tabernacle constructed by Moses and the temple raised by Solomon, only the inner sanctum where the cherubim were situated, the place of purification, the ark of the covenant, and the altar of incense were referred to as 'the holy of holies.' However, in the house that is revealed to Ezekiel and that stands atop the mountain, all its boundaries are acknowledged as the Holy of Holies.
This law of the house is pertinent either to the previous one described or to what is about to be addressed later.