What significance do the "entrance" and "width" have in understanding God's dwelling place? The Verse in Focus “The width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the projecting walls on either side of the entrance were five cubits deep. And he measured the length of the nave to be forty cubits and the width twenty cubits.” (Ezekiel 41:2) Literal Dimensions, Eternal Message God gave Ezekiel concrete measurements for a real, future temple. Yet He also wove spiritual meaning into those numbers. By noticing both the entrance and its width, we discover what God intends life in His presence to look like. Entrance: God Provides a Single Way • Every worshiper had to pass through one doorway. • This pictures the exclusive access God sets: “I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). • The doorway leads straight into the nave, the very heart of the sanctuary—God wants relationship, not maze-like religion. • Hebrews 10:19-20 speaks of “a new and living way” opened by Jesus; Ezekiel’s door foreshadows that privilege. Width: God Makes the Way Wide Enough • Ten cubits (about 17½ ft / 5.3 m) is spacious for a single door in ancient architecture. • The number ten often signals completeness (Ten Commandments, ten plagues). God’s complete provision meets every need of every worshiper. • A broad entrance answers the fear that God might restrict sincere seekers. While the way is single, it is not stingy. • Psalm 118:19-20: “Open to me the gates of righteousness… This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter through it.” God’s doorway welcomes all who come His way. Width Balanced by Walls: Safety at the Threshold • Five-cubit side walls frame the door—solid boundaries that keep the entrance distinct from common space. • Boundaries remind us that holiness protects as well as separates (Leviticus 10:3). • “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” (Psalm 100:4). The worshiper steps from ordinary ground into sanctified space, moved by gratitude, not casualness. The Pattern Predicts the Person • Ezekiel’s measurements point ahead to Christ, the true sanctuary (John 2:19-21). • In Him the way is neither cramped nor vague. Revelation 21:25 notes the gates of the New Jerusalem “will never be shut,” echoing the generosity of Ezekiel’s entrance. • Yet Revelation 21:27 warns that nothing unclean enters—width never cancels holiness. Living the Lesson • Approach God through the one entrance He has provided—His Son. • Come confidently; the doorway is wide enough for every repentant heart. • Honor the boundaries; treat holy things as holy. • Celebrate that the God who sets the measurements also invites, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). |
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