Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_200.lzh/6_219.TXT

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north; another row of chambers for the singers was in
that part of the inner court which was on the side of
the east gate, on the north side of it, and so faced the
north part of the court. The Scptuagint version, if
admitted, makes the sense of it more clear, but dif-
ferent, "and he brought me into the inner court, and
"behold two chambers in the inner court; one at the
"back of the gate that looks to the north, bearing to
"the south; and one at the back of the gate to tim
"south,. looking to the north."
Vet. 45. And he said unto me, &c.] The illustrious
Person that appeared in a human form, measuring the
several parts of the temple, said to the prophet, as fol-
loWs: this chamber, whose prospect is toward the south;
the row of chambers that were on the side of the north
gate, facing the south: is for the priests, the keepers of
the charge of the house; that observe the keeping of it;
observe all the laws and ordinances of God's house,
and are careful that the worship of God may be main-
tained and preserved, to his glory, and their mutual
edification: and which is, or should be, the concern,
not of ministers only, but of all true believ. ers, who are
priests unto God; that present their bodies and souls
before him, as a holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice,
which is their reasonable service; and offer up the spi,
ritual sacrifices of prayer and praise to him, through
Christ, Rev. i. 6. I Pet. ii. 5. Rom. xii. 1.
Ver. 46. And the chamber whose prospect is towards
the north, &c.] The row of chambers on the side of
the east gate; that side of it that was towards the
north, and which the chambers in it faced: is for the
priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar; the mi-
nisters of the Gospel, that take care of the altar, of
public worship; that preach the Gospel, and admi-
nister ordinances; and who are to be. taken care of
themselves, and live of the Gospel, and have every
thing provided for them that is necessary, 1 Cor. ix.
13, 14: these are the sons of Zadok, among the sons of
Levi; these Levites, or priests, were of the family of
Zadok; who descended from Aaron, and was the
eldest house of Aaron, to whom the priesthood be-
longed; though it had been usurped a long time by
the family of Ithamar; but, in Solomon's time, Abia-
that, of that family, was dispossessed of it, and Zadok
was placed in his stead, whose name signifies just, or
righteous; and was a type of Christ, the holy and just
One, whose spiritual children and offspring are here
meant: which come near to the Lord to minister unto
him; both preachers and people, who have near access
to God through Christ, and minister before him in holy
things, in praying, preaching, administering ordinances,
and attending on the same.
Ver. 47. So he measured the court, &c.] The inward
court, where the prophet and his guide now were; and
the gates leading to which he had been measuring,
with the chambers, arches, and tables belonging there-
unto: an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits
broad, four-square; the floor, or area of this court,
which was a hundred cubits in length and breadth;
so that it was a perfect square, equilateral, east, west,
north, and south, and above fifty yards each way; such
a court as never was in any temple whatever: hence
Kimchi observes, there was no such court in the se-
cond temple; no, nor in the first neither: in the second
temple, the length of the court of Israel, according to
Abarbinel, was a hundred and thirty-five cubits, and
the breadth eleven, but this was a hundred by a hun-
dred; these things, says Lipman {}, are wonderful in
my eyes: this denotes the large increase of the church,
and of spiritual worshippets, in the latter day; and the
four-square of it signifies the order, perfection, and
stability of it; see Rev. xxi. 16: and the altar that was
before the house; the altar of burnt-offering, which
stood before the house or temple, in the midst of the
inward court; so that it might be seen by all in the
inward court and chambers; and even by all in the
outward court, through the several gates, which di-
rectly opened and led to it. This was typical of
Christ, the altar, we Christians have a right to eat
of; which sanctifies every gift offered upon it, and
which every worshipper should by faith look unto
for the expiation of their sins. The dimensions of
this altar were now taken, and are given in ch. xliii.
13--17.
Ver. 48. And he brought me to the porch of the house,
&c.]] Having passed through the inner court, and
measured that, he came to the body of the fabric, the
principal part of it, the house or temple; to the porch
that led into it. Here of right a new chapter should
begin, for this and the next verse more properly belong
to the following chapter. This porch was a large
roof, and was a covering both from cold winds and
storms, and from the scorching heat of the sun; and
was an emblem of Christ, the hiding-place from the
wind, and the covert from the tempest of divine jus-
tice and vengeance, and the wrath of God; and from
the heat of a fiery law, of Satan's fiery darts or tempta-.
lions, and of the persecutions of men: it was also, as is
thought, a place for the priests to pray in, before they
went into the temple; as Christ is the way in which
the priests of the Lord go unto him., and pray before
him; in whose name, and for whose righteousness-
sake, they present their supplications to him. And
measured each post of the porch,five cubits. on this side,
and five subits on that side; these posts stood, one on
the north side of the porch, and the other on..the .south,
and were each five cubits thick: and the breadth.o. f the
gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on
that side; this gate signifies Christ, the door, or gate,
or way of entrance into the spiritual temple the church,
John x. 1, 7, 9. and it had two leaves, that on the north
was three cubits broad, and that on the south was of
the same measure: this two-leaved gate may shew,
that both Jews and Gentiles, being converted, may
enter into the Gospel church ; as they w,ill in the latter
day, when the Jews shall be called, and the fulness of
the Gentiles brought in; here will be an open door
set; the gate will be wide enough to let them all in,
Rev. iii. 8, 9.
Ver. 49. The length of tke porch was twenty cubits,
&c.] From east to west; from the first gate of it to
the last; which led directly into the house, or temple:
and the breadth eleven. cubits; which may be thus ac-
counted for; two cubits apiece being allowed for each

{u} Tzurath Beth Hamikdash, sect. 27.