Tova Ganzel - Ezekiels Visionary Temple in Babylonian Context

Ezekiels visionary temple holds a unique place within the biblical canon. As revealed in its text, Ezekiels persona bridges two roles priest and prophet at a momentous period, that of the Temples destruction and the exile. The visionary temple is exceptional in the prophetic literature both in its subject matter and in its detailed and methodological descriptions. The vision represents the only instance in the biblical sources in which a prophet lays out a comprehensive system of rules and regulations that are parallel to, yet different from, those set forth in the other texts.

The last nine chapters of the book of Ezekiel begin by noting the date: In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, the fourteenth year after the city had fallen, at the beginning of the year, the tenth day of the month (40:1). Besides the chronological date (the tenth of Nisan in the year 573 BCE), this introduction also indicates the significant dates of that period, which serve as markers for counting years: the exile of Jehoiachin and the destruction. In fact, this is the only prophecy in Ezekiel which is dated in relation to the destruction. Throughout the book, Ezekiel counts years based on the exile of Jehoiachin, which may attest to its significance as a turning point: fourteen years after the destruction of Jerusalem, its grave ramifications are seeping into the consciousness of the exiles in Babylonia. Many were exiled with Jehoiachin prior to the destruction, and therefore largely cut off from what was happening in the land of Israel. Perhaps with new exiles joining their communities in Babylonia, the community may have begun to internalize the significance of the Temples destruction in Jerusalem. It may be no coincidence that Ezekiels prophecy of a visionary temple comes once the nation has become accustomed to the reality of life in exile. In their new reality, the exiles are left uncertain about their future and their status.

To our knowledge, this prophecy may have been a lone voice, making it a prophecy of great significance. This is emphasized by the text itself: On that very day the hand of the Lord came upon me, and He brought me there (40:1). The prophets vision is of his return to the land of Israel: He brought me, in visions of God, to the land of Israel, and He set me on an extremely high mountain on which there was a structure like of a city to the south (40:2). The description of the place where he is set down gives no indication as to whether the prophecy is referring to somewhere within the boundaries of the city of Jerusalem or elsewhere; the descriptions of land of Israel, an extremely high mountain, a structure like of a city, and to the south are vague. Is the city Jerusalem? We are left with no answer. The question is even intensified in the following chapters, which make no explicit mention of the citys name. Immediately upon arrival in the unnamed city, the prophet sees a man whose job is to measure, using a thread of flax and a measuring rod (40:34). God brings the prophet to the place where the land surveyor awaits him and emphasizes the importance of conveying the upcoming vision to all of Israel.

From chapter 40, the units of this distinctive vision describe the temple complex (40:143:12). These verses present a multitude of difficulties. At first the prophet outlines the dimensions of the wall surrounding the temple and of the eastern gate (40:516). The prophet then describes the dimensions of the outer courtyard and the gates (the northern gate, the southern gate, and the inner court gate; 40:1737). The end of chapter 40 includes a description of the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering upon tables at the entry to the northern gate, as well as the chambers of the priests who keep the charge of the temple and keep the charge of the altar (40:3846). These priests are henceforth referred to as the descendants of Zadok, who, out of the descendants of Levi, may approach YHWH to serve Him (40:46). In verse 48, the prophet moves on to a description of the inner plan of the temple. He first describes the porch (40:4849), followed by the holy of holies, the inner chamber, and the decorations on the walls (41:126). In the midst of this description the prophet notes the wooden altar and the table (41:22). In chapter 42, the prophet is brought to the outer courtyard, where he describes the chambers in between the outer courtyard and the inner one as well as the holy chambers (42:114). The chambers are meant to be places where the priests can eat the sacrificial meat and change their garments. Emphasized here is the distance between the priests (and their garments) on one hand, and the people, on the other. The people are not involved with the sacrifices in these verses, nor do they even see the priests in the garments in which they minister. This section of the temple tour concludes with a description of the perimeter of the Temple Mount and the wall around the temple (42:1520).

Next, the text describes Gods glory returning to the rebuilt temple (43:15). These verses create an exalted sense of Gods complete presence. The transition to the next four verses reminding that the house of Israel and their kings must not again defile My holy name (43:7) is therefore sharp and unexpected. The sudden fall from lofty exaltation to the depths seems to reflect the fact that one of the conditions for the return of Gods glory to the temple is the prevention of desecration. The aim of this prophecy is to highlight the cause of the Temples defilement in the years in which Gods glory left the Temple and the edifice was destroyed. The cessation of such activity is a necessary condition for God dwelling in the nations midst forever. In the verses that follow, Ezekiel notes that they must be ashamed of their iniquities (43:10) and ashamed of all they have done (43:11). Although these are chapters devoted to the vision of the future temple, following the chapters of restoration, the text nevertheless emphasizes once again the severity of the sins that brought about the destruction of the First Temple. The conclusion of this prophecy represents the end of the rebuke to the nation in the book of Ezekiel. The prophet now returns to the plan of the temple, the command given to the prophet to make known the plan for the temple, to set it down in writing before them and present it in detail (43:1012). But here, too, there is no precise mention of the location of the temple, which is conveyed with the rather vague expression, on the top of the mountain.

The next prophecy is devoted to the ceremony of purification of the altar (43:1327) and to setting out laws relating to the temple and the sacrificial order, the temple functionaries, the Levites and priests, and the temples ceremony of inauguration (44:146:24). Some of its striking, unique features include its interior design and the near-total absence of temple vessels (the instruments for sacrifice and a number of other vessels), with the exception of the altar, as well as the new territorial allotments around the temple. In addition, the description of the sacrificial offerings in the future temple diverges from injunctions found in legal texts of Scripture, as do the roles of the temple personnel.