The Holy Square of Ezekiel 45:2 is given in cubits and not rods because the temple of Ezekiel 40-42 naturally adds up on the inside to 500×500 cubits, and the word “cubits” is never assumed where a measurement is given in these chapters. Furthermore, the open space of Ezekiel 45:2 is given in cubits and not rods.
Boundaries of geometric objects can be thought of as abstractions regarding their dimensions. By using an abstraction, i.e., a “square,” to describe the temple, the outer temple wall width can be discounted (become an abstraction without width) in the overall measurement so that the 500×500 measurement could theoretically describe the dimensions of the inside wall of the outer temple wall if there were compelling evidence of this being the case.
Gate to Gate Measurements
In the following four paragraphs, including this one, we want to show that the gate-to-gate measurements of Ezekiel 40:23, 27 are inside measurements because of Ezekiel 40:15, 19.
The outer and inner court gates face each other and are mirror images of each other for all gates. We deduce this from the overall presentation/tenor found in Ezekiel 40. Therefore, the exterior wall of the inner court must face the exterior wall of the outer court creating the interesting condition of making the inside wall of the outer temple the exterior wall regarding measurements.
The front of the lower gate (v 19) and the front of the entrance gate (v 15) are in the same location. This means that the lower gate of verse 19 is the entrance gate of verse 15. Therefore, from the inside wall of the outer temple to the exterior of the inner court, the length is 100 cubits (v 19).
The Lower Gate
The entrance of the lower gate (40:15, 19) is the actual gate going through the 6 cubits wall width of the outer temple (40:5). This gate is unique in that it has two thresholds: an outer threshold and an inner threshold (40:6-7). The inner threshold faces inward towards the inner court (v 7). Therefore, the front of the entrance gate (40:15) is the boundary that exists between this gate and the rear of the inner threshold. This boundary is adjacent to the inside wall of the outer temple.
The inner threshold is 6 cubits; the porch is 6 cubits (40:8); the gate is 13 cubits (40:11); the length of the inner porch is 25 cubits (a deduction deduced by subtracting the sum of the lengths of the inner threshold, porch, and gate from Ezekiel 40:15). Therefore, from the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch, the length is 50 cubits.
Note that this measurement of 50 cubits began at the inside wall of the outer temple. We believe this rationale applies to all the gates of the outer courts. The same is true for the gates of the inner courts facing the outer court gates: there is the same 50 cubits measurement, which begins at the boundaries between the gates going through the inner court wall and their thresholds that face the outer court. These boundaries are adjacent to the exterior of the inner court (40:19). Therefore, for all gates from the front of their entrance gates to the exterior of the inner court the distance is 100 cubits.
Let’s Do The Addition
Let’s do the addition: From east to west, the measurement for the east outer and inner court gates is 100 cubits (40:23); the inner court is 100 cubits (40:47); the temple is 100 cubits (40:13); the building together with the separate area behind it is 100 cubits; the upper pavement that is in front of the building (the building faces west) together with the lower pavement is 100 cubits. This brings us to a total of 500 cubits and also to the inside west wall of the temple.
From north to south, the gate-to-gate measurements are 100 cubits for the north and south gates, respectively (40:23, 27). The inner court length north to south, temple length north to south (including the separate areas on either side), and building length north to south (the length north to south across the separate area located behind the building between the galleries) is sandwiched between these gates and is 100 cubits each (see Ezekiel 40:47, 41:14, 41:15 respectively for these measurements).
These lengths are not summed. Therefore, in a north to south direction these structures account for only a total length of 100 cubits. The two lengths between these three structures and the north and south gates respectively are 100 cubits each for a total of 200 cubits (42:2). This brings the total to 500 cubits in a north to south direction from the north inside wall to the south inside wall of the outer temple.
The 500×500 measurement given in Ezekiel 45:2 equals and confirms these sums (if measured in cubits and not rods) in an east to west and north to south direction of the individual structures given in Ezekiel 40:5-42:14 to arrive at the overall measurement of 500×500 cubits for the outer wall of the temple, which for measurement purposes is the interior (inside) wall of the outer temple wall. Regarding measurements, the inside wall of the exterior temple wall is considered to be the outside wall of the temple.
The tenor of Ezekiel 42:15-20 is very different than Ezekiel 45:2. There is no suggestion of abstraction by employing a geometric shape (a “square”) to describe the temple measurement. In Ezekiel 42:15-20 each side of the temple is measured and reported as 500 rods. Since it is clear that it is the outside/exterior wall of the outer temple that is being measured in these verses, for the number “500×500” in these verses to equal the sum (given without overlap in cubits in an east to west and north to south direction in Ezekiel 40:5-42:14) of the lengths of individual structures, their individual lengths in an east to west and north to south direction would have to add up to 488×488 cubits, because the outer temple wall width is 6 cubits (40:5).
500 X 500 Cubits
However, we have seen the beauty of the interior whole numbers of the temple (25, 50, and 100 cubits) and have seen that they add up to 500×500 cubits without overlap. Hence both the number 500×500 and the unit of measure (rods) are incorrect for the wall of Ezekiel 42:15-20 to be the wall of Ezekiel 40:5.
At Dr. Ruark’s (ISOW Temple Designer) suggestion, Dr. Don Wilkins of The Lockman Foundation had rods inserted into Ezekiel 42:20 to make it even more clear that the unit of measurement used in Ezekiel 42:15-20 was given in rods.
“He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, the length five hundred rods and the width five hundred, to divide between the holy and the common.” —Ezekiel 42:20 NASB 2020
Therefore, the conclusion is that there is an extreme outer temple wall of length/width 3,000×3,000 cubits (500×500 rods), with height and wall width (from the exterior to interior of the wall) not specified. This is the wall that Ezekiel 42:15-20 is describing. And another outer temple wall inside the wall of Ezekiel 42:15-20 of length/width 500×500 cubits from interior wall to interior wall, the wall of Ezekiel 40:5, which is the wall that Ezekiel 45:2 is describing.
Since the height and wall width (from the exterior to the interior wall) of the wall of 3,000×3,000 cubits (500×500 rods) is not given, in our opinion, it may be assumed that the height and wall width (from exterior to interior) of this wall is the same as the wall of Ezekiel 40:5 whose height and wall width from exterior to interior is 6 cubits but whose circumference is not given.
It is an easy yet fatal mistake to assume that the circumference of the wall of Ezekiel 40:5 is given in Ezekiel 42:15-20; whereas its height and width from exterior to interior are given in verse 5. It requires a careful, detailed, thoughtful analysis of temple numbers and dimensions to discover the truth.
This is the kind of analysis that the “man” (40:3) taking the measurements requires if one is to arrive at the correct conclusion, i.e., the wall of Ezekiel 42:15-20 and the wall of Ezekiel 40:5 are different walls. It turns out that the overall temple and all the individual structures inside it are first geometric objects/abstractions with dimensionless boundaries as suggested by Ezekiel 45:2, and second true physical structures whose walls (boundaries) take on height and width as they are further resolved.
—Dr. Charles Ruark