THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
The Lord revealed to me, declares the Prophet, the gates oriented to the east, which He ordered to remain shut indefinitely, reserved for Him, the Sovereign of all, not due to any necessity for entrance through doors, since He is the omnipresent and eternal God. How could He enter through locked gates if it were part of His nature to rely on doors? Rather, in His compassion towards our frail understanding, He offers this representation, perhaps providing us with a vision of the virgin womb, through which no one has traversed, except the Lord Himself. Concerning this gate, He instructed the elder, meaning the high priest, to consume offerings, yet to pass through the vestibule he referred to as elam when entering and exiting.
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After these revelations were granted to the Prophet, he once more beheld the glory of God at the northern gate and was directed to inform the people who were angry, curious, or obstinate (as other interpreters have conveyed) that he had been empowered to pardon their past transgressions, which he consistently endeavored to do by admitting outsiders and the uncircumcised into God's temple. Their gravest error lay not only in the uncircumcision of the flesh, but even more critically, in the uncircumcision of the heart. It becomes clear that true circumcision lies within the heart, while the circumcision of the flesh serves only as a symbol and confirmation of the purity of mind. Thus, the God of all demands that those uncircumcised in spirit, who are outsiders in body, remain away from the sacred precincts of God. The Levites who participated in the people's wrongdoing and delighted in idol worship shall be removed from their positions and shall not stand at the temple gates. They did not offer the burnt offerings or the sin offerings, nor did they approach the sacrificial rites; rather, they reaped disgrace from the fruits of their wickedness. Yet there was one line of the Sadoks, who upheld genuine piety, that both served in and protected the temple and performed all necessary duties. It is written by the Prophet that they shall not don woolen garments at all, but shall instead wear linen during the priestly services; each one shall cover his head and secure his waist with a belt. The people, however, must exit to join the others and, after removing their priestly vestments and donning different attire, shall proceed to the gates, for it is forbidden for someone outside the priestly order to approach the priestly clothing.