THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
The Prophet was shown by the Lord that the eastern gates should remain closed and reserved for Him, the Sovereign of all, not due to a necessity for doors, as He, the eternal and omnipresent God, can enter freely. If it were customary for Him to use doors, how could He have passed through locked gates? Instead, in His grace, He uses imagery that resonates with our limited understanding, perhaps depicting the virgin womb, through which no one else has entered or exited, save the Lord Himself. At this gateway, He instructed the elder, specifically the high priest, to partake of the offerings, while entering and exiting through the area known as elam.
Read more (263 words)
After these revelations, the Prophet sees once more the glory of God at the northern gate and is directed to communicate to the people—who may be angry, curious, or obstinate—that they might be forgiven for their past transgressions, committed by bringing the uncircumcised and outsiders into the temple of God. Their greatest transgression was not merely in fleshly uncircumcision, but in the crucial matter of an uncircumcised heart. This illustrates that the true circumcision of the heart signifies the essence of truth, while the physical act is merely a sign reflecting that inner transformation. Therefore, the Lord of all commands that those with uncircumcised souls, who are foreign in body, must refrain from approaching His sacred boundaries. He decrees that the Levites, who have engaged in the sins of the people and have preferred idol worship, shall be removed from their positions, and not permitted to stand at the temple gates. They failed to perform the burnt offerings or sin offerings properly, and did not even approach the sacrifices, thus earning dishonor from their wicked deeds. In contrast, one lineage of the Sadoks remained steadfast in their ancestral faith, serving in the temple and upholding all other responsibilities. According to the Prophet’s words, they shall wear only linen garments during their priestly duties, while each one is to don a kidar on their head and be wrapped with a girdle. The people are to exit the area, remove their priestly clothing, and don other attire before departing through the gates, for it is prohibited for a foreigner to come near the priestly vestments.