Ezekiel 40:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The hand of the Lord was upon me— The temple here described by Ezekiel is, in all probability, the same which he saw before his captivity, and which had been burned by the Chaldeans fourteen years before this vision. On comparing the books of Kings and Chronicles with this prophet, we shall find the same dimensions in the parts described by both; for instance, the temple, or place which comprehended the sanctuary, the holy place, and the vestibule or porch before the temple, are found to measure equally both in Ezekiel and the Kings. Compare 1 Kings 6:3-16 and chap. Ezekiel 41:2, &c. The inside ornaments of the temple are intirely the same: in both we see two courts; an inner one for the priests, and an outer one for the people. Compare 1 Kings 6:29; 1 Kings 6:36. 2 Chronicles 4:9 and Ezekiel 41:16-17; Ezekiel 8:7; Ezekiel 8:16. So that there is room to suppose, that, in all the rest, the temple of Ezekiel resembled the old one; and that God's design in retracing these ideas in the prophet's memory, was to preserve the remembrance of the plan, the dimensions, the ornaments, and whole structure of this divine edifice; that, at the return from captivity, the people might more easily rebuild it, agreeably to this model. The prophet's applying himself to describe this edifice, was a motive of hope to the Jews, of seeing themselves one day delivered from captivity, the temple rebuilt, and their nation restored to its ancient inheritance. Ezekiel touches very slightly upon the description of the temple, or house of the Lord, which comprehended the holy place and sanctuary, and which are so correctly described in the books of Kings. He dwells more largely upon the gates, the galleries and apartments of the temple, concerning which the history of the Kings had not spoken, or only just taken notice of by the way. This vision of the prophet happened in the year of the world 3430, on Tuesday the 30th of April, fourteen years after the taking of Jerusalem. See Calmet, Usher's Annal. A.M. 3430 and the note on chap. Ezekiel 48:35.