Ezekiel 42:15-20

Ezekiel 42:15-20

[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  reeds,  with the measuring  reed  round about.  [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.  [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. 

What does Ezekiel 42:15-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

When the man had finished measuring the temple and the structures immediately associated with it, he led Ezekiel out the east outer gate. He measured the exterior of the temple wall, and it was500 cubits (about833feet4inches) on each of its four sides (cf. Revelation 21:13). The Hebrew text has "rods" rather than "reeds." This would result in the walls being3 ,000 cubits (5 ,000 feet) on each side and the temple enclosure being almost one mile square. This seems much larger than what the dimensions of courts and structures inside the wall picture (cf. Ezekiel 45:2). This enclosed area is about18 acres, larger than13American football fields. [1] The man measured the wall with his measuring reed. The wall around the temple area separated what was holy inside from what was common outside.
"The entire area was much too large for Mount Moriah where Solomon"s and Zerubbabel"s temples stood. The scheme requires a great change in the topography of the land which will occur as indicated in Zechariah 14:9-11, the very time which Ezekiel had in view." [2]
How do less literal interpreters understand chapters40-42? One answer follows.
"He [3] views it [4] as a metaphor for God"s new work of liberation and restoration for his people." [5]