Now we come again to the latticed windows with the palm trees. We have pointed out that the latticed windows are for letting in air and light and for blocking out the negative things (41:16). These signify Christ as the life-giving Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17b). The life-giving Spirit is so free and liberated, yet there are the lattices. On the one hand, there is liberty; on the other hand, there is the screen. Whatever is heavenly, of life, of light, and of the pure, clear air can come in. But whatever is unclean, evil, and negative will be blocked out by the lattice, by the screen. This is how Christ as the life-giving Spirit operates within us.
Palm trees were carved on the walls next to the windows (Ezek. 41:18-19). Palm trees grow in the wilderness and are evergreen in summer and in winter. This indicates that in trial and temptations Christ is always victorious, having everlasting power and everlasting strength. Victory and everlasting power and strength always go together with air and light. This means that our victory and power are related to the life-giving Spirit. If we enjoy the life-giving Spirit, we will also enjoy Christ’s victory, power, and strength.
Ezekiel 41:9 says that outside the side chambers there is a space, or place, left. This signifies the surplus of the riches of Christ. No matter how much we need Christ and no matter how much He fills our needs, something will be left. Twelve baskets will be left over, as when the Lord Jesus satisfied the hungry ones (John 6). We may say that the place left on the three sides of the chambers is the twelve baskets. The Lord is never scarce; He is always rich with something left over. Christ is always abundant, and the grace of Christ is also abundant. Christ and His grace are inexhaustible. No matter how much we enjoy Him, there is always a surplus.
The spaces outside the side chambers that are left free are five cubits in breadth (Ezek. 41:11), the same measurement as the thickness of the outer wall. Once again, the number five indicates the receiving of the Lord’s grace resulting in our bearing responsibility. Here we need to see that no matter how much we bear responsibility by the grace of God, there will always be a surplus of grace. When we bear five cubits of responsibility, God will give us five cubits of grace in surplus. As we bear our responsibility, God will always give us an abundance of grace. This is God’s principle.
Between the space left of the side chambers and the holy chambers, there are open spaces twenty cubits in width (v. 10). These twenty cubits of open space indicate that the grace of Christ is not only sufficient but also rich. The number twenty is composed of ten times two and of five times four. This indicates a perfect (ten) testimony (two) obtained by the creature receiving grace to bear complete responsibility before God. From this we see that the Christ whom we experience and the grace which we enjoy are spacious, broad, rich, full, and with much surplus.
If we see this, we will realize that after we have the twelve baskets left over and we feed others again, we will have many more baskets left over. This is because Christ is always richer and richer; He is inexhaustible. When we enjoy Him once, we have five cubits left. When we enjoy Him again, twenty cubits are left. Christ will never become less; rather, He will always become more and more. Because Christ is so rich, the minister continues to become richer as the years go by.
Although there were ninety chambers, there were only two doors. This indicates that, since there are not many exits, it is easy to get in, but it is not easy to get out. There is no back exit or side exit. There are many windows but only two doors. Furthermore, the doors are toward the spaces that are left. If there were no space left, there would be no way to open the door.
We need to pay attention to the fact that the doors are open to the spaces that are left free. If there were no free spaces, there would be no doors and thus no entrance. This indicates that there can be an entrance only when there is a surplus of grace. If we are exhausted in our service and are barely overcoming, then with us there is no surplus of grace. As a result, there is no door, no entrance. The entrance is based on the surplus of grace. If we live in the Lord, our meeting and serving should be with space left over, that is, with a surplus of grace. Then a door will be open to us which no one can shut (Rev. 3:8).