The holy chambers are connecting buildings which connect the inner court with the outer court. These chambers are located both on the north side and the south side (42:13). The holy chambers are fifty cubits wide and one hundred cubits long, with a walkway ten cubits wide between them. Each of these buildings consists of two rows which face each other with a walkway between. Thus, the many doors in the south building open toward the north, and the many doors in the north building open toward the south. This makes it a connecting building.
The important point is that the holy chambers are for the priests to eat the offerings. We have seen that the chambers on the pavement in the outer court are for the people to eat the offerings. Now we see that the holy chambers are for the priests to eat the offerings and also to place and store the offerings. It is here that the priests lay their priestly clothing (v. 14).
In the chambers on the pavements, the people can enjoy Christ, but they cannot express Christ, because they do not have the priestly clothing. The priestly clothing signifies Christ expressed and lived out. Whereas the offerings signify Christ as our enjoyment, the clothing signifies Christ as our expression. Those in the outer court can only enjoy Christ, but they cannot live out Christ and express Him. The situation with the priests is much improved. The priests not only enjoy Christ but also express Christ. They not only eat Christ but also live out Christ. In addition, they have the storage of Christ. In all these things we can see much improvement in the experience of Christ.
It is here in the holy chambers that one reaches the highest peak of spiritual experience. To live in the holy chambers is to live in Christ. To eat the offerings in the holy chambers is to eat Christ. To wear the holy garments is to wear Christ. From this we see that in the holy chambers we live in Christ, we enjoy Christ, and we express Christ.
The holy chambers located on the north and south face one another. This signifies fellowship, testimony, and confirmation. The storage, supply, and enjoyment of Christ are a matter of fellowship, testimony, and confirmation.
The holy chambers are one hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide. The number one hundred signifies perfect completeness in fullness, and the number fifty signifies man bearing full and complete responsibility after receiving God’s grace. Also, if we combine the holy chambers on the north and on the south, we have another square with one hundred cubits on each side, signifying perfect storage, supply, and enjoyment. Furthermore, these holy chambers testify for each other, and when they are combined, there is absolute and perfect completeness. This indicates that when the mutual testimonies are added together, there is the absolute enjoyment and storage of Christ. We cannot have this individually but with all the saints (Eph. 3:18).
The holy chambers, like the side chambers, are of three stories (Ezek. 42:5-6). In height they are equal to the side chambers, indicating that they correspond to the fullness of Christ. The priests enjoy Christ, wear Christ, store Christ, and possess Christ to such an extent that the height of their chambers equals the height of the side chambers, which signifies the fullness of Christ.
Verse 6 says, “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.” Although the holy chambers were in three stories, they did not have any pillars. As far as spiritual experience is concerned, this indicates that those who enjoy Christ to such a high degree are not like those who are on a comparatively lower level. Those in the holy chambers do not express the power of Christ, which is signified by the pillars. Instead, there is an emphasis on the excellency and superiority of Christ. The chambers on the pavement and at the four corners emphasize the lowliness and applicability of Christ; the porch indicates the availability of Christ; the buildings linked to the temple and the free space next to the side chambers point to the fullness and surplus of Christ; and the separate area around the temple and the vacant building show forth the riches and abundance of Christ. Now we need to realize that the holy chambers emphasize the excellency and superiority of Christ. For this reason, the holy chambers are in three stories but have no pillars like the pillars of the courts.
The galleries on the third story, the highest level, faced each other. This indicates that the more we enjoy Christ, the more confirmation we will have. The higher we ascend in the enjoyment of Christ, the more fellowship and mutual confirmation we will have.
When we have the enjoyment of Christ signified by the third level, we appreciate fellowship, confirmation, and being open to others. We do not want to be alone or to be closed. However, those who are young in the Lord and who do not have much spiritual growth do not sense the same need for fellowship and confirmation and may prefer to be alone. Those who enjoy Christ, store Christ, put on Christ, live by Christ, and serve God because of Christ will mature and reach a level of spiritual experience where they live a life full of fellowship and of mutual testimony, confirmation, and openness.
Because of the space taken by the galleries, the chambers on the third story are smaller than those on the first and second stories. This indicates that when our experience and enjoyment of Christ reach the third level, we will open wider to others in fellowship and confirmation and will have less to keep from others than we had when we were on the lower stories.