The Inner Sanctuary

Ezekiel says the guide moved from the outer areas to the temple itself, measuring the porch, the nave, and the inner sanctuary. The inner room was twenty by twenty cubits, the same size as the most holy place in Solomon's temple. The guide entered alone and said, This is the most holy place. Ezekiel, though a priest, did not go in, a reminder of the holiness of God's presence.

Three stories of side rooms, thirty per story, surrounded the temple, possibly for storage. Their width increased with each story as the temple wall stepped inward. The temple sat on a raised platform six cubits high. A large building stood to the west behind the temple, its purpose not explained.

The decoration recalls Eden and Solomon's temple: cherubim and palm trees alternating along the walls. Each cherub had two faces, a man and a young lion. Cherubim guarded Eden in Genesis 3, and palm trees suggest life and abundance. The wooden altar, called the table before Yahweh, may be the table for the bread of the presence. In the New Testament, Hebrews 10:19-20 speaks of boldness to enter the holy place by a new and living way.