Day 354 – December 20, 2022

Ezekiel 40:24-41:26; Psalm 140; Proverbs 30:6–10; Revelation 11

Ezekiel 40:24-41:26

24 Then he brought me toward the south, and behold, a gate was facing south; and he measured its gate chambers, gateposts, and archways according to these same measurements. 25 There were windows in it and in its archways all around like those windows. Its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 26 Seven steps led up to it, and its gateposts were within; and it had palm trees on its gateposts, one on this side and one on that side. 27 There was also a gate on the inner court, facing south, and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, one hundred cubits, in the southerly direction.
The Inner Court
28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the southern gate, and he measured the southern gate according to these same measurements. 29 Also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements, and there were windows in it and in its archways all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30 There was the porch into the outer court, and palm trees were on its gatepost, and going up to it were eight steps.
31 Then he brought me to the gate facing east, and he measured it according to these same measurements. 32 Its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements. There were windows in it and in its archways all around, and it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 33 There were porches opening into the inner court, and palm trees were on its gateposts, on this side and on that side; and going up to it were eight steps.
34 Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it according to these same measurements— 35 also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways. It had windows all around, and its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 36 Its porches were toward the outer court, and there were palm trees on its gateposts, on this side and on that side, and going up to it were eight steps.
A Place for the Sacrifices and the Priests
37 There were its chambers and its gateposts at its gate, 38 and a drain for the second gate, so they might slay in it the sin offerings and trespass offerings. 39 Behind the drain line for the whole burnt offerings of the gate which faces north, there were two tables placed toward the east, and behind the second gate and its gate chamber, there were two tables toward the east. 40 Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side, and behind the gate, there were eight tables on which they slaughtered the sacrifices. 41 There were also four tables of hewn stone for the whole burnt offerings, two cubits long, one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high. On these they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the whole burnt offerings and the sacrifices. 42 Inside were projections hewn out, a handbreadth wide, all around, and over the tables above, there were little roofs to cover from the rain and the drying wind.
43 Then he led me into the inner court, and behold, there were two halls in the inner court, one behind the gate which faces north and bearing to the south, and the other behind the gate which faces to the south and bearing to the north. 44 So he said to me, “This hall which faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple. 45 The hall which faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near the Lord to minister liturgically to Him.” 46 Then he measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, foursquare. The altar of sacrifice was in front of the house.
  47 Then he brought me to the entrance chamber of the house and measured the doorpost of the entrance chamber, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the width of the doorway was fourteen cubits; and the sills of the door to the entrance chamber were three by three on each side. 48 The length of the entrance chamber was twenty cubits, and the width twelve cubits, and one would ascend it by ten steps; and there were pillars by the entrance chamber, one on this side and another on that side.
The Temple Interior
1 Then he brought me into the temple and measured its entrance, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side. 2 The width of the entryway was ten cubits, and the sills of the gate were five cubits on this side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits. 3 He also went into the inner court and measured the posts of the doorway, two cubits; and the doorway itself, six cubits high; and the width of the sills, seven cubits. 4 He measured the length of the doors, forty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, in front of the sanctuary; and he said to me, “This is the holy of holies.”
The Wall and Its Chambers
5 Next he measured the wall of the house, six cubits. The width of each side all around was four cubits on every side. 6 The side chambers were thirty-two in number, each next to the other, and the layout along the wall of the house all around was so one could see that all of them went together, and that nowhere did they touch the walls of the house. 7 As one went up from story to story, the side chambers became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore, the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest, by way of the middle one. 8 The side chambers of the house all around were of a high layout of sides, equal in measurement to one measuring stick. The layout was six cubits. 9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits, and the open spaces between the sides of the house 10 and the halls measured twenty cubits in width, all around the sides of the house. 11 The doors of the halls led to the open space: the one door led north, and the other door led south; and the width of the light of the open space was five cubits in width all around. 12 That which made a boundary before the open space, like the edge of the sea, was seventy cubits wide; and the width of the wall which bordered was five cubits all around, and its length ninety cubits.
13 Then he measured in front of the house, one hundred cubits long, and the open spaces and their boundaries and walls were one hundred cubits long. 14 Also the width of the face of the house, along with the open spaces before it, was one hundred cubits. 15 Then he measured the length of the boundary in front separating the open space, with its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits. The temple, its corners and the outer entrance area, 16 their thresholds and the latticed doors, were set so the narrow openings would give light through narrow openings to all three stories, like that of a fishnet. The house and all the neighboring structures all around were paneled with wood, the floor and from the floor up to the doorways, and the doorways opened up all three stories into the shaded light.
The Holy Images
17 As far as the nearby wall of the inner and outer courts and along upon the wall all around within and without 18 were depicted cherubim and palm trees, between cherub and cherub. Each cherub had two faces, 19 the face of a man toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a lion toward a palm tree on the other side. Thus it was depicted throughout the house all around. 20 From the floor to the threshold, the cherubim and the palm trees were interspersed upon the walls.
21 The holy place and the temple were laid out square, and along the face of the sanctuary was what looked like a wooden altar. 22 Its height was three cubits, and its length and breadth, two cubits. It had horns, and its ascent and walls were wooden. Then he said to me, “This is the table that is before the presence of the Lord.” 23 The temple and the holy place had two doors. 24 The doors had two panels apiece, two folding panels on hinges: two panels for one door and two panels for the other door. 25 Depictions were upon them, cherubim and palm trees upon the doorways of the temple, like the depiction of the sanctuary, and excellent kinds of wood, as in front of the entrance without, along with hidden windows. 26 He measured from one side to the other along the canopies of the entrance chamber, and the sides of the house were joined together.


Psalm 140

1 A psalm by David.
O Lord, I have cried to You; hear me;
Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You.
2 Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth,
A door of enclosure about my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to evil words,
To make excuses in sins
With men who work lawlessness;
And I will not join with their choice ones.
5 The righteous man shall correct me
With mercy, and he shall reprove me;
But let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head,
For my prayer shall be intense in the presence of their pleasures.
6 Their judges are swallowed up by the rock;
They shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As a clod of ground is dashed to pieces on the earth,
So our bones were scattered beside the grave.
8 For my eyes, O Lord, O Lord, are toward You;
In You I hope; take not my soul away.
9 Keep me from the snares they set for me,
And from the stumbling blocks of those who work lawlessness.
10 Sinners shall fall into their own net;
I am alone, until I escape.


Proverbs 30:6–10

6 Do not add to His words,
That He might not reprove you, and you become a liar.
7 Two things I ask from You:
Do not take away grace from me before I die;
8 Make a vain word and a lie be far from me;
But give me neither riches nor poverty,
And appoint what is necessary and sufficient for me;
9 Lest being full, I become a liar and say, “Who sees me?”
Or being poor, I steal, and swear by the name of God.
10 Do not deliver a servant into the hands of his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be destroyed.


Revelation 11

1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
2 “But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
3 “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
The Witnesses Killed
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
  13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed
15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17 saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

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