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MOST HOLY [SANCTUARY.] PORTION,
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FOR THE PRIESTS.
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FOR THE PRINCE.
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HOLY PORTION,
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FOR THE PRINCE.
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FOR THE LEVITES.
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COMMON [CITY.] PLACE.
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Bible Handbook:
Jerusalem, the ancient capital of the kingdom, is named in the Scriptures upwards of 800 times, and although she has suffered more than any city on the face of the earth, having been besieged and pillaged about 20 times, and her present degradation under the Turk is complete, and her restoration humanly impossible, yet, a little while, and Jerusalem will rise from the dust of ages, and become the earthly metropolis and center of the coming era of glory (Isa. 60). This wonderful city — wonderful in its very ruins and sacred associations, will be rebuilt in a style of surpassing magnificence. The whole extent of the “oblation” or holy part of the land lying between the portions assigned to Judah and Benjamin, has been computed to form a square of about fifty miles; within this area, the temple, gardens, and city will be situated, the latter forming a square of about thirty-six miles (Ezek. 48:8-228And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. 9The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. 10And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst thereof. 11It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 12And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites. 13And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. 14And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the Lord. 15And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof. 16And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. 17And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty. 18And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city. 19And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. 20All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city. 21And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof. 22Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince. (Ezekiel 48:8‑22)). The temple, not on the site of the old one, will be a costly structure, and may be about a mile in length (for these and other particulars, consult the prophet Ezekiel, last nine chapters). Jehovah Shammah, meaning “the Lord is there,” will be Jerusalem’s new name in the day of her gladness.
1887 Description of the City
Jerusalem is naturally an object of interest to the Christian. Whether we contemplate its importance in the Old Testament history, or as a place visited by our Lord, in which stood the temple that He called “My Father’s house,” the city where He was tried and condemned, and near to which He was crucified; or if we view it as a place still to come into prominence and blessing, it is full of interest to the Christian. Many passages speak of the prosperity of this city: “The Lord doth build up Jerusalem” (Psa. 147:22The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. (Psalm 147:2)); “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psa. 122:66Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. (Psalm 122:6)); “The joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion” (Psa. 48:22Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. (Psalm 48:2)).
Alas! for the present all is the reverse. On our Lord’s last visit He wept over the city, and foretold its destruction: it should be laid even with the ground; there should not be left one stone upon another (Luke 19:41-4441And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. (Luke 19:41‑44)). Elsewhere we have described its destruction by Titus; since which it has been rebuilt and destroyed more or less completely several times. It has had many masters, and is now owned by the Sultan of Turkey. Though the houses are built of stone, very little is done to keep many of them in repair. If a room becomes uninhabitable, another is used; if a staircase is unsafe it is propped up, until at last the whole house is deserted, and perhaps becomes a stable. Thus desolation reigns supreme. Some of the streets being steep cause them to be somewhat cleaner than in other eastern cities, but little care is taken to keep the city clean, and it has been described as filthy: the part inhabited by the Jews is declared to be the worst! Now a railway is opened to Jerusalem, it is anticipated that improvements will take place in the city, if only to accommodate the increase of visitors.
Jerusalem is divided into sections devoted to particular classes. As might be expected, the Mahometans occupy the largest portion, situated on the north-east; the Christians (mostly of the Greek and Latin churches) on the north-west; the Armenians on the south-west; and the Jews on the south-east. There are also a few Copts, Syrians, and others found in Jerusalem.
The principal streets are discernible in a map. Any one entering at the Jaffa Gate faces David Street; at the end of which is Temple Street, both running nearly due east and reaching to the large Mosque enclosure, called Haram es-Sherif, ‘The noble sanctuary.’ On it is built the Mosque of Omar, or Mosque-es-Sakhra. If we enter Zion Gate on the south, and go a little to the right, a direct road reaches to the north through Mount Zion Street and Damascus Street, which leads to the Damascus Gate on the north. These two roads divide the city into four parts, agreeing in the main with the four sections named above. A street running west from St. Stephen’s Gate on the east is called Via Dolorosa, so named because it is said that the Lord passed down it when on His way to Golgotha. (The monks, among other numberless absurdities, point out a place where they say the Saviour fainted, and leaning against a wall, left the impression of His shoulder, preserved unto this day!) Several of the minor streets may be seen in a map. All the above names are what are given by the Christians, and differ from the names by which they are known to the Mahometans.
Besides the four gates mentioned above there is a small one on the south-east, called Dung Gate, little used; and others that are walled up. On the north there is Herod’s Gate; on the east the Golden Gate.
The only gate (or market) distinctly referred to in the New Testament is in John 5:2,2Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. (John 5:2) near to which was the Pool of Bethesda. This is the name now given to a reservoir near the St. Stephen’s Gate, called ‘Birket Israil.’ But this is judged to be much too deep to have been the pool alluded to by the evangelist. Though partly filled with rubbish it is still 40 feet deep. There are, however, the remains of other pools nearby. The Bordeaux Pilgrim says: “More within the city are two twin pools, having five porches, which are called Bethsaida.” He wrote A.D. 333.
If St. Stephen’s Gate existed at the time of our Lord it was doubtless by this gate that He entered into Jerusalem when seated upon the ass, after coming round the mount of Olives by the lower road, and ascending up to the city.
Besides the Pool of Bethesda, the only other named in the New Testament is the Pool of Siloam, and that doubtless refers to the one which still bears that name, on the slope of the Ophel hill on the south. It is known to be supplied with water from a fountain higher up the hill, called the Virgin’s Fountain, supposed to be the only fountain in or near Jerusalem. Several travellers have crawled through the passage from the Fountain to the Pool, and an inscription was found, which however merely stated that the tunnel was begun at both ends and met in the middle within a few feet. Though what it records is not of importance, it is believed by some (by the form of the letters) to have been written in the time of Hezekiah, who made alterations in the watercourses (2 Chron. 32). The flow of water is intermitting, as if regulated by an underground siphon; at intervals it rises so as to fill the smaller part of the channel. In the winter it rises three or four times a day; but in the autumn, after the rains, only once in several days. The rising of the water at various intervals has caused some to connect this with the troubling of the water by the angel, recorded by the evangelist John in John 5, and to believe that the Virgin’s Fountain is the Pool of Bethesda. But then the apostle John would be calling the same pool by two different names. Nothing must be allowed in any way to change the miracle recorded into a mere natural phenomenon: the effort to do this is, alas! too much the spirit of the age. God had preserved a witness in Jerusalem in the angel troubling the water and the cures that followed.
The remains of ancient aqueducts can be traced: their course may be seen on a map; but for the most part Jerusalem depends upon the rain for its supply of water, which is preserved in large tanks under the houses, but is often very impure. A large pool, called the Pool of Hezekiah, is near the Jaffa Gate.
There can be little doubt that the temple was situated on some part of the Mosque enclosure. There seems no other suitable place in Jerusalem, and if so, this defines for us the position of mount Moriah (2 Chron. 3:11Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. (2 Chronicles 3:1)). The dome of the rock rises above the raised platform on which the mosque of Omar is built. Another mosque (el-Aksa) is built at the south-west corner, and trees occupy other parts. On what part of the enclosure the temple stood is not known, for the Lord, when asked to view its massive stones, prophesied that one stone should not be left upon another, and this has been literally fulfilled; nothing of it remains.
This level space being so large — about thirty-five acres — and being on the top of a hill, walls had to be built up from the rock on all sides, joined by arches. The chambers which were thus formed still exist, and show signs of great antiquity. There are hundreds of pillars and many vaults, with steps here and there to lower vaults and cisterns.
The south-west portion of the city is held by most to be Zion, or the city of David. It was to be plowed as a field (Mic. 3:1212Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. (Micah 3:12)), and it is plowed, and cereals are grown there, but outside the present wall. Between Zion and the Mosque enclosure runs the Tyropoeon valley. This would have separated Zion from the temple. But Josephus speaks of a bridge, and on the western wall of the Mosque enclosure are the remains of an arch, about 40 feet from the south-west angle. It is called the Robinson arch, because some jutting stones were judged by that traveller to be the remains of an arch. When the Palestine Exploration was carried on, the remains of a pier were discovered on the other side of the valley, which evidently formed a part of the same arch. The width of the bridge was 51 feet. The stones of the arch are lying on the pavement where they fell. Below the pavement was another arch and an aqueduct. Farther to the north, about 580 feet from the S.W. angle, has been discovered a similar arch, but in perfect preservation, and its crown is but little below the present surface. This is called the ‘Wilson’ arch, because Captain Wilson, R.E. discovered it. Below this is also an aqueduct.
These two bridges connected the temple area with the city when the valley was not so filled up with rubbish as it now is. The Lord may have often travelled over them.
The west side of the city is the highest, and it slopes towards the east; this fact, with the Tyropoeon valley running through the city from south to north, but turning west to about the Jaffa Gate, renders some of the streets very steep.
On the western side of the Mosque enclosure, not far north from Robinson’s arch, is the JEWS’ WAILING PLACE. Here they are allowed to assemble and read, weep, and pray. A high wall, apparently forming part of the original structure of the enclosure, hides them from those who frequent the mosques above. On Fridays and festivals they collect in numbers, and deplore the loss of their city and temple, they kiss the stones and weep while they pray for its deliverance and restoration.
Psalm 79 is often read: “O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; Thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps ... . How long, Lord? wilt Thou be angry forever? shall Thy jealousy burn like fire? ... Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Thy name’s sake.” Others join in with, “Here sit we now, lonely, and weep.” But, alas! the veil is on their hearts still, and they see not what the blessed Lord, their Messiah, has done for them, and how ready He is to bless them.
The north wall of the city (measuring in a straight line from corner to corner) extends about 3,930 feet; the east 2,754 feet; the south, without noticing minor irregularities, 3,245 feet; and the west 2,086 feet. The circumference is about 2⅓ English miles, and its area about one-third of a square mile. One is struck with the smallness of the city.
Josephus, in describing the destruction of Jerusalem, speaks of various walls which so separated the city into sections that when one part was taken the people entered into another part, and further siege operations had to be instituted. Much interest has arisen as to where those walls stood. Josephus seems to trace all the walls from near one spot, which he calls the Hippicus. This is supposed to be the same as the Citadel, or Castle, on the west side near the Jaffa gate. At this spot there are ancient foundation stones which agree with the signs of antiquity elsewhere.
Let us suppose the first wall to start from the citadel and proceed to the S.W. corner as at present, and then still continue south, and sweep round the brow of the hill until it joins the south-east corner of the Mosque enclosure, somewhat as sketched in a map. Detached ledges of the rock have been traced that would agree with the above.
Another wall, called the second, started from the citadel and proceeded towards the Damascus Gate, and thence to the north-east corner of the city. Large ancient stones are found at the Damascus Gate, but the rest of the wall cannot be traced owing to the ruins.
A third wall started from the citadel or some portion of the second wall named above, and went much farther north to the brow of the hill, and swept round to the north-east corner of the second wall. On the west traces of the foundation of this wall are found; but it is attributed to Herod Agrippa, and was built some ten or twelve years after the time of the Lord.
Josephus says the circumference of the city equalled 33 stadia, that is, more than 3¾ English miles. As we have seen, the present city is less than 2½ miles: the above additions would make the extent of the city approximately the same as the dimensions given by Josephus.
The second wall has been a subject of great controversy, because of the modern site of the Holy Sepulchre, so-called. Christians are naturally surprised to find this within the city, and great efforts have been made to fix the course of the second wall so that it would leave that spot outside the city at the time of the crucifixion.
Respecting His tomb we gather from Scripture that, (1) it was in a garden, which was “in [or near] the place where He was crucified”: the “sepulchre was nigh at hand” (John 19:41-4241Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. (John 19:41‑42)). (2) “The place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city” (John 19:2020This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. (John 19:20)). Jesus “suffered without the gate” (Heb. 13:1212Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Hebrews 13:12)). (3) It was a place designated “of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha” (John 19:1717And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (John 19:17)). This is called in Luke 23:33,33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. (Luke 23:33) ‘Calvary,’ but this also signifies ‘a skull.’ From these references we learn that the true site of the sepulchre must be near to a place suitable for the execution, and near to a garden in which a sepulchre could he hewn. It is never called a ‘mount’ or ‘hill’ in Scripture, though often so called in poetry. The Bordeaux Pilgrim called it ‘Monticulus Golgotha.’
Some engaged in the explorations in Israel believe traces of the second wall have been found which show pretty clearly that the present site was not outside the city walls at the time of the Lord.
Great stress is laid upon the record that Constantine the Great, or his mother Helena, as early as about A.D. 320, built a church on the present site; it is thought that at that early date the true place must have been known. But tradition says that the site was miraculously pointed out, and that the true cross was found there. Another account says that three crosses were found, and the inscription also, but detached: the true cross was discovered by its healing a sick woman! Does not this prove that it was not well known at that time, or no pretended miracle would have been needed to disclose it?
If it be conceded that the situation has been handed down, of what value is that? The site of the Ascension is said to have been handed down from the time of the apostles; and that it was on the summit of the mount of Olives; and that Helena built a chapel there. No doubt a chapel was built there; but we know it is not the true site, for in Luke 24:50-51,50And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. (Luke 24:50‑51) we read that our Lord led the disciples out as far as to Bethany, and blessed them; and while He blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. Acts 1:1212Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. (Acts 1:12) seems to imply that the ascension was from Mount Olivet, but adds that it was a sabbath day’s journey from Jerusalem (that is, three-quarters of a mile). The mount is nearer than this, and Bethany is farther. Bethany may be said to be built on the eastern declivity of the Mount of Olives: it is most probable that our Lord ascended from a retired spot on some part of the mount near Bethany, and not from so public a place as the summit.
As to the Holy Sepulchre, the Jews fix the site on the north of the city, at the place marked as the ‘Grotto of Jeremiah,’ and it is said that near that spot certain rocks, seen from a distance, much resemble a human skull.
May we not well believe that the true site of the sepulchre has been hidden by God that it should not be regarded as a source of sanctity and blessing. The contention, strife, and bloodshed over the possession of the present site should convince all unprejudiced persons that instead of any blessing being attached to the place, it is rather a curse.
And this is not confined to the place simply. Let any one witness the crowd of professing Christians at Easter, with their candles — many waiting as long as ten hours for the ‘holy fire’ (supposed to be sent from heaven), and then the eager contention and hustling (‘like furies,’ though some are women with infants) to light their candles — he might well wonder what such a scene could have to do with Christianity! It is as much as the Turkish guards can do to keep the crowds in anything like order and prevent them trampling one another under foot. How contemptible must such an exhibition professedly Christian appear to the poor Mahometans. To make the ceremony appear a reality, a horseman, waiting at the gate of the church, gallops off with a lighted torch to communicate the fire to the lamps of the Greek convent at Bethlehem! The Roman Catholics have now nothing to do with the ‘holy fire,’ and denounce it as a delusion: but their own mode of keeping Easter at Jerusalem is even more revolting. With an image of the Saviour a dramatic representation of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of the Lord is gone through in detail. Would it not be well if the whole building were destroyed, as Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent, because the children of Israel burnt incense to it (2 Kings 18:44He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. (2 Kings 18:4))?
Scripture speaks of the mountains round about Jerusalem (Psa. 125:22As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. (Psalm 125:2)) as its security: “So the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.” It will be seen in a map that there are valleys and mountains on three sides of the city; so that any attack upon it would always have been made on the north, where the ground is comparatively level.
On the east is the valley of Jehoshaphat, with the brook Kidron running at the bottom, though the brook is really dry, except after heavy rains, and then is soon dry again.
On the south is the valley of Hinnom. Where this valley joins the Valley of Jehoshaphat is held to be the place where the children were burnt in the fire to Moloch. It was defiled by Josiah, and became the depository of all kinds of refuse and filth, which was burnt by a perpetual fire, and thus became a type of hell (Gehenna) as a place of torment. On the west is the valley of Gihon.
The mount on the east of the city is the Mount of Olives, from which the best view of the city can be had.
To the south of the Mount of Olives is the Mount of Offence, so called because it is supposed that Solomon there practiced idol worship.
On the south of the city is the Hill of Evil Council, so called because it is said that Caiaphas had a villa there, in which the Jews took counsel to put our Lord to death. But for these things and the names of places there is nothing but tradition.
Though Jerusalem, as foretold in Scripture, has been laid in heaps (Jer. 9:1111And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. (Jeremiah 9:11)), being wholly or in great part destroyed seventeen times, yet apparently some of the stones are the original stones of the foundation walls, which may have been displaced and afterward relaid. They are very large, one measures 24 feet long, 6 feet broad, and 3 feet high. Round the edges of the ancient stones is a narrow band made smooth, while all the rest of the surface is left rough, but beautifully square and straight, so that no filling up was needed. It is judged that there are four different ways in which the stones have been dressed, marking four different periods of construction.
The ruins are of great depth, from the city having been destroyed so many times; and houses are built upon the former ruins, which indeed seems to have been foretold in Jeremiah 30:18: “I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.”
About 100 yards east of the Damascus Gate is the entrance to an extensive quarry, which extends a long way under the city. Its great size, cut in the solid rock, shows that an immense quantity of stone has been extracted. There is also proof that a great deal of the dressing of the stones was effected in the quarry by the immense quantity of small chips; as if indeed the stones of Solomon’s temple had been cut and prepared there, ready for fixing in their places (1 Kings 6:77And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. (1 Kings 6:7)). Little blackened nooks show where the lamps were placed, by the light of which the workmen laboured. The marks of the chisels and picks are plainly to be seen, and some blocks are only partially separated: all looking as if the workmen had simply left for the night, except that there are no tools lying about. There seems evidence to show that the blocks of stone were partially cut round, that wood was then rammed into the crevices, and this by being saturated with water forced away the block.
Many passages speak of Jerusalem as being rebuilt, when “it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever” (Jer. 31:38-4038Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner. 39And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath. 40And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the Lord; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever. (Jeremiah 31:38‑40)). “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof” (Zech. 8:4-54Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. (Zechariah 8:4‑5)).
As we learn from Scripture, the temple will be again rebuilt, but on a spot farther north, in a place called most holy and set apart for the priests: adjoining this will be the portion for the Levites, a holy portion; and adjoining this a profane (or common) place, in the midst of which will stand Jerusalem (Ezek. 48:8-208And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. 9The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. 10And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst thereof. 11It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 12And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites. 13And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. 14And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the Lord. 15And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof. 16And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. 17And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty. 18And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city. 19And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. 20All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city. (Ezekiel 48:8‑20)).
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It will be seen that the passage does not say whether ‘reeds’ or ‘cubits’ is the measure intended. The first measure named is an enlarged cubit, embracing a cubit and a hand breadth (Ezek. 40:55And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. (Ezekiel 40:5)), and where no measure is named cubits may be meant, ‘reeds’ being specified where reeds are intended. Ezekiel 45:33And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place. (Ezekiel 45:3) is more definite: verse 2 has just named cubits, and verse 3 says, “Of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand” etc. The most holy portion is 25,000 by 10,000, in which is to be the sanctuary. The next portion for the Levites is of the same measurements. The most southern part is 25,000 by 5,000, in which is to be the city of Jerusalem.
It may seem strange that the sanctuary should be thus separated from Jerusalem and Mount Zion, but they are really connected, for of the whole of the above space (namely 25,000 by 25,000) it is said, “Ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city” (Ezek. 48:2020All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city. (Ezekiel 48:20)). Though in one sense the portion for the city is called ‘common,’ yet it is really a part of the ‘holy oblation.’ Isaiah 2:2-32And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2‑3); Micah 3:12-4:212Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. 1But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Micah 3:12‑4:2) also speak of the temple, Zion, and Jerusalem being associated together.
If the cubit be taken to be 21 inches, and the handbreadth be a sixth of this, the enlarged cubit would be 24½ inches, and the whole oblation would be about ten miles square, which would allow two miles north to south for the city and its suburbs; four miles for the Levites; and four miles for the sanctuary and its suburbs.
The size of the city itself would be 4,500 cubits, about 1.8 mile on each side, leaving a margin all round, with a large space east and west, for its suburbs (Ezek. 48:30-3530And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures. 31And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. 32And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. 33And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. 34At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. 35It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there. (Ezekiel 48:30‑35)), as may be seen in the diagram.
In Ezekiel 40, where the future temple is described, before its details are given, the prophet is set upon a very high mountain, “by which was as the frame of a city on the south” (verse 2), showing that the temple and the city are connected, and pointing out the direction in which the city was situated towards the temple.
On each side of the ‘holy oblation’ east and west there is a large space for the prince. The width of the land near Jerusalem from the sea to the river is about fifty miles. There will be physical changes in Israel and Jerusalem in coming days, living waters will flow from the city, half of them running into the Western Sea, and half of them into the Eastern Sea: see Zechariah 14:8-108And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. 10All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. (Zechariah 14:8‑10).
The prophecy of Ezekiel closes with the joyful news: “the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.”
Jerusalem
Fallen is thy throne, O Israel!
Silence is o’er thy plains;
Thy dwellings all lie desolate,
Where are the dews that fed thee
That fire from heaven that led thee
Now lights thy path no more.
Lord, Thou didst love Jerusalem;
Once she was all Thine own:
Her love Thy fairest heritage,
Her power Thy glory’s throne,
Till evil came and blighted
And Salem’s shrines were lighted
For other gods than Thee.
Then sank the star of Solyma,
Then pass’d her glory’s day,
The light wind whirls away.
Silent and waste her bowers,
And sunk those guilty towers
Where Baal reign’d as God.
“Go,” said the Lord, “ye conquerors,
Steep in her blood your swords,
For they are not the Lord’s.
O’er kindred bones she’ll tread,
And Hinnom’s vale of slaughter
Shall hide but half her dead.”
But soon shall other pictured scenes
In brighter vision rise,
When Zion’s sun shall sevenfold shine
On all her mourner’s eyes;
And on her mountains beauteous stand
The messengers of peace;
“Salvation by the Lord’s right hand,”
They shout and never cease.
Moore
Its Names
Described
Its wealth, population, industry Isa. 22
Its Future
Greatly enlarged
Greatly beautified
Largely populated
The earth’s metropolis
Its people saved and righteous
Universal center of blessing
Its riches and wealth
Characterized by holiness
The Gentiles build its walls
Its gates ever open
Served by nations and kingdoms
Joy of many generations
A place of perfect security
Jehovah its rest and glory
Longevity of its inhabitants
Peace within its borders
No more weeping
No more sickness
No more idolatry
No more death
Jerusalem’s future is the special testimony of the Hebrew Prophets (see especially that magnificent millennial description, Isaiah 60).
Besieged
By Shishak, king of Egypt 2 Chron. 12:1-41And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, 3With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. 4And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 12:1‑4)
By Jehoash, king of Israel 2 Kings 14:13-1413And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 14And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. (2 Kings 14:13‑14)
By Nebuchadnezzar three 2 Kings 25
History records no less than thirty-four instances of Jerusalem being besieged. Besides the foregoing, Jerusalem has been attacked by the Grecians, Syrians, Egyptians, Parthians, Romans, and Europeans.
Its Desolation
Under Divine judgment Lam. 1
Restored Jerusalem
Jerusalem, when reconstructed anew, will cover the site of the old and present city, but will be greatly enlarged, probably occupying with its suburbs and gardens an area of about fifty miles (Ezek. 48), and lying between the portions assigned to Judah and Benjamin. The city proper, will probably be about thirty-six miles in circumference. The millennial temple will be built anew from its foundation, and according to Divine patterns and measurements — not on the site of the old one, nor on that to be erected and afterward destroyed, upon the removal of the church to heaven. Zechariah 14, also the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, supply particulars of deep and abiding interest as to the Jewish future.
“Joy to His ancient people!
Your bonds He comes to sever —
And now, ‘tis done! the Lord hath won,
And ye are free forever.”
Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:
dual peace shall be taught: lay (set) ye double peace