以西結書40:28-43

40:28 他帶我從南門到內院，就照先前的尺寸量南門。

40:29 衛房和柱子，並廊子都照先前的尺寸。門洞兩旁與廊子的周圍都有窗櫺。門洞長五十肘，寬二十五肘。

40:30 周圍有廊子，長二十五肘，寬五肘。

40:31 廊子朝著外院，柱上有雕刻的棕樹。登八層臺階上到這門。

40:32 他帶我到內院的東面，就照先前的尺寸量東門。

40:33 衛房和柱子，並廊子都照先前的尺寸。門洞兩旁與廊子的周圍都有窗櫺。門洞長五十肘，寬二十五肘。

40:34 廊子朝著外院。門洞兩旁的柱子都有雕刻的棕樹。登八層臺階上到這門。

40:35 他帶我到北門，就照先前的尺寸量那門，

40:36 就是量衛房和柱子，並廊子。門洞周圍都有窗櫺；門洞長五十肘，寬二十五肘。

40:37 廊柱朝著外院。門洞兩旁的柱子都有雕刻的棕樹。登八層臺階上到這門。

40:38 門洞的柱旁有屋子和門；祭司（原文是他們）在那裡洗燔祭牲。

40:39 在門廊內，這邊有兩張桌子，那邊有兩張桌子，在其上可以宰殺燔祭牲、贖罪祭牲，和贖愆祭牲。

40:40 上到朝北的門口，這邊有兩張桌子，門廊那邊也有兩張桌子。

40:41 門這邊有四張桌子，那邊有四張桌子，共八張；在其上祭司宰殺犧牲。

40:42 為燔祭牲有四張桌子，是鑿過的石頭做成的，長一肘半，寬一肘半，高一肘。祭司將宰殺燔祭牲和平安祭牲所用的器皿放在其上。

40:43 有鉤子，寬一掌，釘在廊內的四圍。桌子上有犧牲的肉。

Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others.  Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.  And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad.  Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.

  Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others.  Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.  Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

  Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it. It had the same size as the others.  Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.  Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

  There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate, where the burnt offering was to be washed.  And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered.  And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables.  Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, on which to slaughter.  And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered.  And hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid.

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    內院是進行獻祭的地方，獻祭的目的就是說明來敬拜上帝的人是有罪的，若沒有經過獻祭是無法除罪，沒有除罪就沒有平安，因為上帝是恨惡罪惡，是不容許罪惡來汙染按祂形象所造的人。

    祂從前藉由羔羊和牛的犧牲來說明基督為我們犧牲的必要性，今天若沒有基督的犧牲，我們就一直活在上帝的憤怒之下！如今我們可以到上帝面前，並且敬拜上帝，領受祂的話語，都是因為耶穌基督的死，這是耶穌基督十字架的犧牲所帶來的恩典！

    也因此，我們需要透過認信來進入這恩典，更要帶人透過認信來進入上帝的家，使他們也透過耶穌基督來到上帝面前！也因此，我們的禮拜就是「內院」，這是耶穌基督為我們犧牲得來的！