Yehezkel 40-41

Perek 40 begins the last section of the book, which deals with the vision of the future temple and the borders of the land inheritances of the tribes after the redemption. In perakim 40-42 we find a description of Yechezkel's visionary tour through the temple "in the visions of God", which parallels the tour described in the first section of the book, in perakim 8-11. While the first tour is meant to demonstrate to the prophet the sins which defiled the temple and caused the Shechina (spirit of God) to leave and the destruction of the temple, here the tour is meant to herald the return of the Shechina to the temple, and the rebuilding of the temple in the future. The unique characteristics of the future temple embody the trend of repair and sanctification as compared to the first temple which was defiled and destroyed.

The vision opens with an introduction which describes the time setting of the vision and the encounter with the man (40:1-4). This is followed by the man and Yechezkel beginning to tour the wall which surrounds the temple through the eastern gate, the hall (ulam) of the gate and the cells on the sides of the gate (5-16), and entering the outer court (17-27). In the next stage he enters the inner court and its various gates (28-37), sees the tables and other implements in the court for the purpose of the sacrifices (38-43) and the chambers of the priests in the inner court (44-46). Subsequently, Yechezkel enters the temple and sees the hall of the temple, the inner temple and the holy of holies (40:47-41:26).