According to the record in Ezekiel, all the parts of the building related to the temple, including the temple proper, the porch, the side chambers, the building at the back, and all the walls, are covered, wainscoted, with wood (41:16). Thus, when we enter into the temple, we can see nothing but wood. This is altogether different from the tabernacle raised up by Moses, in which one could see gold everywhere. Every part was overlaid with gold (Exo. 26:29). Here in Ezekiel, on the contrary, every part is overlaid with wood. Whereas gold signifies divinity, wood signifies humanity, especially the proper humanity of the Lord Jesus.
Ezekiel is a book full of humanity. In chapter one Christ on the throne is a man. Upon the throne is a man. Even in His glory, Christ is revealed as a man. In chapter forty-three, when the glory comes back to the temple, the man is there (vv. 2, 6). This man is the Lord Himself. In God’s building the primary material is humanity. This indicates that we need to be human but not in a natural way; rather, we need to be “Jesusly human.” The proper humanity is not our natural humanity; the proper humanity is the crucified, resurrected, and ascended humanity of Jesus.
In the record concerning the temple, the number six is used many times. Nearly every entrance, gate, and threshold has the number six. The guard chambers are six by six, and the thirty chambers on the pavement are five by six. Once again I would point out that the number six here signifies the humanity of the man Jesus. The wood that covered the inside of the temple signifies the humanity of the Lord Jesus.
The record does not tell us what kind of wood was used for the wainscoting. In like manner, it is difficult to describe what kind of humanity the Lord Jesus has. The humanity of Jesus is marvelous. We cannot describe it, but we can see it and we can possess it.
On all the wooden wainscoting, cherubim and palm trees were carved (41:18-20). The cherubim are the four living creatures described in chapter one. They signify the glory of the Lord manifested upon the creatures. Among the cherubim are palm trees, signifying the victory of Christ and the everlasting and ever-existing power of Christ. In chapter one the cherubim had four faces, but in the carvings on the walls, they have only two faces—the face of a man and the face of a lion. The man’s face signifies and expresses humanity, and the lion’s face signifies the victory in humanity.
Ezekiel 41:18-19 says, “It was made with cherubim and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces; 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.” Here we are told that between every two cherubs there was a palm tree. This signifies that we manifest the victory of Christ in the manifestation of the glorious image of Christ. Every palm tree has the face of a man on one side and the face of a young lion on the other. This signifies that the glory and victory of Christ are manifested on a victorious man. This means that if we have fellowship with Christ and enjoy Christ and if we manifest Christ and are victorious because of Christ, then others will see on us the face of both a man and a lion. Upon us there will be the image, glory, and victory of Christ.
We need to pay attention to the fact that the cherubim and palm trees are not painted on the wood but are carved into the wood. This reveals that, as the wainscoting, we need to be “carved” by the Lord. To be carved means to suffer something. When we meet certain brothers and sisters, we have the impression that upon them there is something carved of the Lord. The victory of Christ and the glory of the Lord have been carved into them. The everlasting power, the freshness, and the evergreen life have been carved into their being. Because of the Lord’s carving, they bear this kind of image and impression wherever they go.