Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 

Timeline of the Bible

God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---  God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.---► The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---  ◄This book of the Bible happens during this time The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- Christianity spreads. --- Paul write letters to Christians in other places. In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

 


 Ezekiel 41 -43

Continuing to measure the temple
God comes to the temple.
 Measurements of the altar


Ezekiel was one of the Israelites who got sent away (exiled) to Babylon.  He had lived in Jerusalem before the exile. He was in the first group to be exiled to Babylon.  His book starts 5 years after the exile. He was 30 years old when he began to see visions and became a prophet. Ezekiel and some of the other Israelite exiles had a camp by the river named Chebar.

 

This is a picture of the temple in Ezekiel's vision. There is a very nice and detailed slide show of the temple on this site: 
https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/ezekiel-40-temple/
Continuing to measure the temple

Ezekiel 41

Then, we went into the main room of the temple. The doorway of this room was 3 yards wide and 5 yards long. The distance from the doorway to the wall on each side was 2 and a half yards. The main room was 20 yards by 10 yards.
[1] Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.
[2] And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits.
Then, he measured the post of the door.  It was 1 yard. The door was 2 yards. The width of the door was a little more than 2 yards.
[3] Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.
[4] So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place.
The wall was 3 yards. The width of the side room was 2 yards. There were rooms on each side.
[5] After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side.
There were 3 rooms on the sides. There were 3 levels. There were 30 rooms in all. They were not built into the walls. They were on ledges.
[6] And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house.

There were rooms upstairs. They were wider than the rooms downstairs because their walls were thinner.
[7] And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst.

The foundation was 3 yards high. The walls were 2 and a half yards thick.
[8] I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.
[9] The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chamber without, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within.

There was 10 feet of open space around the temple. There were some smaller buildings. There were doors that faced the smaller buildings.  One door faced north, and one door faced south. That area was 2 and a half yards wide.
[10] And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.
[11] And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about.
There was a building in front. It was about 30 yards wide. The wall was 2 1/2 yards thick and 45 yards long.
[12] Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits.
Then, he measured the house. It was 15 yards long.  The other buildings and their walls were 15 yards long.
[13] So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long;
The front of the house was 15 yards long.
[14] Also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, an hundred cubits.

 The building was 15 yards long.
[15] And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court;

 There was a lot of woodwork around the doors and windows. There were carvings in the wood - palm trees and cherubim with 2 faces.
 [16] The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered;
[17] To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure.
[18] And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces;
The cherubim had 2 faces. The face of a man faced toward the palm tree on one side. The face of a young lion faced the palm tree on the other side. These were carved all around the house.
[19] So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about.
There were cherubims and palm trees carved from the floor to above the doors and on the temple walls.
[20] From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple.
The temple posts were square. The front of the sanctuary looked the same.
[21] The posts of the temple were squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other.

The wood altar was 1 1/2 yards high and 1 yard long.  It was made entirely of wood. He told me that this is the table that is in front of the Lord.
[22] The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.
The temple and the sanctuary had 2 doors.
[23] And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.

Each door had 2 parts.  There were palm trees and cherubim on each door. They were the same palm trees and cherubims that were on the walls. There were thick boards on the outsides of the porch.
[24] And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door.
[25] And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without.
The walls had narrow windows with palm trees on both sides.
[26] And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks.


Then, he brought me to the outside area on the north side. There were some rooms that were by the north building.
[1] Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.
The part by the north door was 50 yards long and 25 yards wide.
[2] Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.
The empty space in the courtyard was 10 yards.  The building was 3 stories tall. 
[3] Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.
The walkway in the front was 5 yards wide. The doors faced the north.
[4] And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.
The upper story was the narrowest. The middle story was a little wider. The bottom story was the widest.
[5] Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.

 The upper story did not have pillars because the lower stories supported it.
 [6] For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.

 There was a wall around the outside of the front. It was 25 yards long.
[7] And the wall that was without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.
The rooms in the outer court were 25 yards.  The front of the temple was 50 yards.
[8] For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.
There was a gate on the east going inside.
[9] And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.
There were rooms in the walls on the east side near the building.
[10] The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building.

 The front of them looked liked the ones facing north. They were the same size.
 [11] And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.
There were doors facing south in the east wall.
[12] And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.

 Then, the man said to me, "The north and south rooms are holy. These are the places where the priests are with God and eat the the holy food. These are the places where they give the offerings.
[13] Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.
When the priests go in, they should not go out into the outside area. They should first take off their priest clothes and put on regular clothes.
[14] When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.

 After he finished measuring the inside, he brought me outside to the gate that faces east. He measured that gate. It was 250 yards long.
 [15] Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.
[16] He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
He measured the north side, the south side, and the west side. They were all 250 yards long.
[17] He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
[18] He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.
[19] He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
All 4 sides were 250 yards. It was a perfect square. It divided the holy place from the ordinary place.
[20] He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

Ezekiel 43

God comes to the temple.

He took me back to the east gate. I saw the glory of God coming toward us. He was coming from the east. His voice was loud like the oceans. The ground was shining from His glory light.
[1] Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
[2] And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
He looked the same as in my first vision when I was by the Chebar River. I fell down on my face to worship Him.
[3] And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

 The Lord went through the east gate and went into the temple
 [4] And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
He picked me up and took me into the inner courtyard. I saw His glory fill the entire temple.
[5] So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
I heard God talking to me from the house.  The man was standing by me.
[6] And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
God said, "Son of man, the house of Israel will no more make My throne and the place where I walk dirty. They will not dirty My place where I live with the children of Israel forever. They will not make My holy name dirty. They will not make these dirty with their kings and their sins.
[7] And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.
The Israelites and their kings built their palaces too close to My place. Their sins have made My holy name dirty. Now, I have destroyed them with My anger.
[8] In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

 Now, if they stop sinning and keep the bodies of their sinful kings far away from Me, I will dwell in the middle of them forever.
[9] Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

 Son of man, show this house to the Israelites so they will be ashamed of their sins. If they are ashamed of their sins, tell them the measurements of the temple. Tell them the rules for worshiping here so that they can obey Me and worship in My house again.
[10] Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.
[11] And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.
This is the most important law of the house. The whole mountain should be kept holy and clean.
[12] This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
Measurements of the altar

Next, he measured the altar. The bottom of the altar was about 1 1/2 feet square. It had a ledge around the edle. The ledge was about 8 inches.
[13] And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.

 The altar sat on a base. The base had 3 square sections. The bottom section was 8 yards square. It was 1 yard high.
[14] And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

 The top section had horns like a bull.
[15] So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.
The altar was 6 yards on each side.
[16] And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.
The ledge will be 7 yards square. The stairs will face the east.
[17] And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.
He said to me, "Son of man, this is what the Lord God says. These are the measurements of the altar when they make it. They will use it for making offerings.
[18] And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.
You should bring a young bull for an offering. Bring it to the Levites that are descendants of Zadok. They will brin it to Me.
[19] And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.
You will take the blood and put it on the 4 horns on the altar. Also, put blood on the 4 corners of the ledge and on the border that goes around it. The blood will make the altar clean..
[20] And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

Take the bull sin offering. Burn it in the special place outside the temple.
 [21] Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.
On the second day, offer a young goat that is perfect. It will be a sin offering. It will make the altar clean like the bull did.
 [22] And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.
After you have cleaned the altar, offer a young, perfect bull and a perfect ram (male goat). The priests will put salt on them and offer them as burnt offerings to the Lord.
 [23] When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.
[24] And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

For seven days, you will prepare a goat for a sin offering. You will also prepare a young bull and a ram. They should be perfect with nothing wrong with them.
 [25] Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

 The priests will clean the altar for 7 days, and they will clean themselves.
 [26] Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.

 After the 7 days are finished, the priests will make your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. I will accept you, said the Lord God.
 [27] And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.