After we have passed the altar, which signifies the all-inclusive death of Christ, we come to the temple itself. The temple is mainly composed of three sections: the porch, the outer temple, which is called the holy place, and the inner place, which is called the Most Holy or the Holy of Holies. In addition to this, there is an attachment which Ezekiel called the side chambers. The side chambers surrounded the whole building of the temple. Thus, the temple is composed of three sections with an attachment.
Ten steps lead up to the porch, which tells us that the compound of the temple has three levels (40:49, some versions). It has the first level in the outer court, the second level in the inner court, and the third level in the temple. The ground floor of the temple is on the third level. Remember also that the street outside the wall of the temple compound is at an even lower level. Thus, the street is the first level, the outer court is the second level, the inner court is the third level, and the ground floor of the temple is the fourth level. This picture shows us the elevation of the temple. This also shows us that the further inward we travel in the temple, the higher we rise. When we are outside the wall, we are on the lowest level. But when we enter and progress inward, we continue to rise higher. When we go from the street to the outer court, we must ascend seven steps higher; when we go from the outer court to the inner court, we must ascend another eight steps higher; when we go from the inner court into the temple, we must ascend an additional ten steps higher. The temple is twenty-five steps above the street level. As we travel inward, we also ascend higher. Although we must climb twenty-five steps from the street level to the level of the temple, we actually ascend only fifteen cubits in height. We can calculate this because the ten steps to the temple are equal to the height of the platform of the temple. In 41:8 Ezekiel said that he saw an elevation of the temple which was six cubits high. This equaled the height of the ten steps. The platform, which was six cubits high, was the base of the whole building of the temple and the side chambers. The ten steps in height equaled the six cubits. Thus, the twenty-five steps from the street level to the level of the temple should be fifteen cubits.
Again, the numbers mentioned in these chapters are very significant. Twenty-five is five times five, which indicates responsibility within responsibility. Fifteen is five times three, indicating the responsibility borne by the Triune God in resurrection. By putting these pieces of the puzzle together, we can understand that the way to ascend higher and higher in the temple is by the responsibility within the responsibility borne by the Triune God in resurrection. We have no way to ascend higher and to progress further inward apart from the Triune God bearing responsibility in resurrection.
From the steps we go on to the two pillars, which we must differentiate from the posts of the temple (41:21). The posts are square, whereas the pillars are round. While the measurements of the posts are given, they are not given concerning the two pillars. Ezekiel gave us no measurement of the pillars, indicating that they must be unlimited. The pillars signify Christ as God's witness bearing the house of God in the universe with a strength which is unlimited and immeasurable.
Now we come to the porch itself. Ezekiel 40:48 says, "And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side." Here we have two posts which measure five cubits each. The number five indicates responsibility, and the number two indicates testimony; thus, the meaning of these two posts is responsibility in testimony. The height of the porch was twenty cubits, and the entry of the porch was fourteen cubits. The number fourteen is composed either of seven times two or of ten plus four. Seven means completion; two means a testimony; ten means fullness; and four means the creatures. Thus, the porch also signifies that the creatures bear a complete testimony in fullness.
I would like to point out one more thing concerning the porch. The porch is used as a lobby. This makes the temple easy to approach. In the church life we must have a lobby, a porch, making it easy for people to come in. We must have an atmosphere that is stretching out and making it easy for people to touch and contact us. A proper lobby enables us to take people in and to hold people.