以西結書40:44-49

40:44 在北門旁，內院裡有屋子，為歌唱的人而設。這屋子朝南（南：原文是東）；在南門旁，又有一間朝北。

40:45 他對我說：「這朝南的屋子是為看守殿宇的祭司；

40:46 那朝北的屋子是為看守祭壇的祭司。這些祭司是利未人中撒督的子孫，近前來事奉耶和華的。」

40:47 他又量內院，長一百肘，寬一百肘，是見方的。祭壇在殿前。

40:48 於是他帶我到殿前的廊子，量廊子的牆柱。這面厚五肘，那面厚五肘。門兩旁，這邊三肘，那邊三肘。

40:49 廊子長二十肘，寬十一肘。上廊子有臺階。靠近牆柱又有柱子，這邊一根，那邊一根。

44 On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers in the inner court, one at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south gate facing north. 45 And he said to me, "This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone among the sons of Levi may come near to the Lord to minister to him." 47 And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple.

48 Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate were three cubits on either side. 49 The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps. And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side.

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    而在內院裡重要的人物就是「看守殿宇的祭司」和「看守祭壇的祭司」，分別住在祭壇的南邊和北邊的房子。這些祭司都是撒督的子孫，近前來事奉耶和華的。表示這些人都是重要的祭司，是上帝所命定的！

    同樣，我們屬耶穌基督的人，也透過上帝的命定，成為這世代的祭司，是有君尊的祭司，因為屬基督的人，更是上帝的兒女，是上帝所寶貴、所鍾愛的重要祭司。

    也因為如此，我們既有上帝所賜的聖靈，也有上帝所頒布的聖經，更是要靠著主耶穌的恩典，讓聖靈將聖經的精義放在我們心中，專心在上帝面前建造祂的教會，使人看見基督的榮美！沒有比這事更是要緊！也因此，我們不要受到別人的愚弄，凡是透過禱告在基督裡尋求上帝的面，才能在外院將上帝的話語宣講出來！

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！

以西結書40:20-27

40:20 他量外院朝北的門，長寬若干。

40:21 門洞的衛房，這旁三間，那旁三間。門洞的柱子和廊子，與第一門的尺寸一樣。門洞長五十肘，寬二十五肘。

40:22 其窗櫺和廊子，並雕刻的棕樹，與朝東的門尺寸一樣。登七層臺階上到這門，前面有廊子。

40:23 內院有門與這門相對，北面東面都是如此。他從這門量到那門，共一百肘。

40:24 他帶我往南去，見朝南有門，又照先前的尺寸量門洞的柱子和廊子。

40:25 門洞兩旁與廊子的周圍都有窗櫺，和先量的窗櫺一樣。門洞長五十肘，寬二十五肘。

40:26 登七層臺階上到這門，前面有廊子；柱上有雕刻的棕樹，這邊一棵，那邊一棵。

40:27 內院朝南有門。從這門量到朝南的那門，共一百肘。

20 As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. 21 Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty- five cubits. 22 And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. 23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.

24 And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. 25 Both it and its vestibule had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty- five cubits. 26 And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 27 And there was a gate on the south of the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.

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    以西結的聖殿是四四方方的結構，並且開口面向東方，南方與北方是互相對應的，使我們感受到敬拜上帝的人，凡事要照規矩來形，不是以我們的思想為中心，是以上帝為中心！

    我們的生命也應該是如此，讓上帝成為我們生命之中心，使上帝的愛子耶穌基督成為我們的遮蓋和拯救，我們才能來親近上帝！

    我們不需要別的遮蓋與拯救，單單需要耶穌基督的救贖！沒有耶穌基督，就沒有永生，就沒有辦法與上帝有正確合宜的關係！

以西結書40:17-19

40:17 他帶我到外院，見院的四圍有鋪石地；鋪石地上有屋子三十間。

40:18 鋪石地，就是矮鋪石地在各門洞兩旁，以門洞的長短為度。

40:19 他從下門量到內院外，共寬一百肘，東面北面都是如此。

17 Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.

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    外院是會眾敬拜的地方，只有祭司可以進入內院。這也相當是我們平常的生活空間，我們與人接觸，帶領人聽見福音，就是外院的狀況。

    基督徒不僅是上帝的兒女，也是上帝的祭司，我們要透過我們的生活表現引導人來親近主。所以，我們待人要恭敬，言語要如同調過鹽一般，使人感受到上帝的慈悲！

    教會不僅要看重內院——主日禮拜，也要看重外院——日常生活，使上帝的榮光被世人看見，使人願意透過上帝的兒子耶穌基督，來成為上帝的兒女，好成為上帝永恆的祭司，來事奉上帝和上帝所愛的人！