Ezekiel 46:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Surrounding these four courts was a wall, and in proximity to the dining areas were ovens arranged beneath the galleries, as Aquila translated as ‘beds’ and Simmachus as ‘fences’. He then declared this was the cooking house where the servants prepare the offerings for the people. The one who held the measuring rod and cord to assess the structure brought me in through the side entrance of the gate without specifying which side it was—east, south, or otherwise—leaving it ambiguous. He guided me to the priests’ quarters facing north and west, as Scripture typically associates the west with the sea, given the geographical context of the Jewish land. It’s relevant to note that the location for the priests, where offerings for sin and ignorance are cooked to avoid being presented raw, is situated in the outer court oriented north and west, the direction where the coldest breezes arise and where the sun descends. This indicates that all matters pertaining to nourishment require a sacrifice for transgression or sin. If ignorance warrants a sacrifice, how much more does conscious wrongdoing necessitate one! Hence, Job offered daily morning sacrifices for his children, concerned they might have sinned unknowingly. The directive to refrain from bringing offerings into the outer court and the importance of the people’s sanctification imply that such matters should not be casually given to the unsanctified, akin to the Gospel teaching of not casting pearls before swine nor handing holy things to dogs.

Moses commands the people to purify themselves before approaching Mount Sinai, needing to be cleansed from all uncleanness and marital relations to receive sacred things. The command to purify speaks to the apostolic instruction regarding married couples abstaining from one another for prayer, as reflected in 1 Corinthians 7:5. He then led me out through the outer court and around its four corners again, revealing a courtyard in each of the four corners. The individual he routinely references brought him out from the priests’ area to the outer court of the sanctuary. Thus, we recognize that the court from which he exited was an inner space, and the text indicates various courts of which it is written: "Standing in the temple of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God" (Psalm 134:2). John also mentions, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16), where the term ‘fold’ refers to this particular court while hinting at another realm distinct from Israel, thus suggesting a heavenly court separate from earthly spaces.

The specific courts in question, situated at each of the four corners, are referred to in the Septuagint as smaller courts, and we have termed them as courts for clarity. They measured forty cubits by thirty cubits, indicative of trials and the fullness of life experiences. We recall that this pattern aligns with the fast of forty days observed by Moses, Elijah, and Christ (Exodus 34; 1 Kings 19; Matthew 4; Luke 3). One enters the priestly office only after reaching thirty years of age, which corresponds to the time Jesus began His public ministry. Where sustenance exists, there is also tribulation and test, as the act of acquiring sustenance is fraught with challenges. When achieving the maturity of manhood, we must remember that having food and clothing is sufficient (1 Timothy 6:8) and to trust that “if the Lord will give me bread to eat and clothes to put on” (Genesis 28:20). In the future, we will not partake in earthly eating and drinking but will be nourished by the bread that descends from heaven, echoed in the Psalmist’s proclamation: “The bread of angels is food for man” (Psalm 77:25) and “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me” (John 4:34). The equal measurements of the four corner courts symbolize the entirety of the world, illustrating that through toil, we secure our daily bread. Each of these four courtyards may have been enclosed by a single wall with ovens strategically placed nearby to facilitate the preparation of meals. It is perhaps for clarity that the prophet is informed this is the house of the cooking space where the servants of God prepare the offerings of the faithful, illuminating that these offerings, intended for guilt, sin, and ignorance, serve as nourishment for the priests, reminding them that only what is sanctified should be sought after, even as meals are prepared for their sustenance.