THE VISION OF EZEKIEL.

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the world; some ; some of which have been already fulfilled, and others yet remain to be accomplished. He foretold the ruin of many kingdoms; he warned kings and nations of their approaching doom, and though he predicted many fearful visitations and judgments which were to come upon the Jewish people, and their city, no prophetic historian is more full and explicit in the cheering promises of restoration to the ancient people of the Lord, or the temporal prosperity and power, together with the spiritual blessings that are in store for them under the THEOCRACY that is yet to flourish in the country of their forefathers.

While this prophet, whose name was Ezekiel, slept by the river of Chebar,* he was carried in a vision to the land of Israel, and there appeared to him the frame or form of a city, situated on a mountain, or raised ground, to the south of where he stood; and there met him a man of a bright or shining appearance, having in his hand a line of flax, and a measuring reed of six cubits long.† This man was prepared to show and explain to the prophet the different parts of this building, and describe to him the pattern after which it should be constructed, in order that he might declare all that he saw unto the house of Israel. After describing the form, the dimensions, and the

*Chebar, a river of Mesopotamia, which falls into the Euphrates, near Karkemish. Strabo mentions it under the name of Abonas; Animianus, as Aboras; Ptolemy, as Chaloras.

† Ezekiel, chap. xl.

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THE CITY-LIKE TEMPLE.

uses of each particular part, as well as the ceremonies to take place there, he informed the prophet that the circuit of this four-sided building was two thousand reeds, or five hundred on every side. Now allowing the cubit to be eighteen inches of our measure, which multiplied by nine, the number of cubits in a reed; and then by two thousand, we have the circumference of the city in inches, which reduced to feet, gives us the scale that is laid down in this map, corresponding exactly with the lines of the four-sided city of Jeremiah and Zechariah marked yellow on the map. Nay more, take up any tolerably well constructed map, that gives any thing like an outline of the former city and the surrounding elevations, and measure according to its scale a square of 2000 cubits, taking the tower of Hananeel as the north-east point, and it will enclose the space mentioned by the two last prophets, so that "Jeremiah's 'city of Jehovah,' and Ezekiel's city-like temple are found to occupy the same space. ""*

It is but fair to state that objections have been urged against this literal interpretation of these prophecies. It is said that they are but emblematical and refer to spiritual matters; but if so, of what manner of use would be the reference to the topography of ancient Jerusalem; what spiritual import or meaning could there be in the towers, the gates, the hills and valleys, brooks and

* Fry, page 562.

ITS SYMBOLICAL INTERPRETATION.

267

wine-presses described by the prophets? What mystical or symbolical meaning can possibly be attached to the courts, the gates, the pavements, the porches, the chambers, the houses, altars, arches, palm trees, and decorations spoken of, and minutely detailed in the vision of the Babylonish captive? To get rid of this argument, another class of commentators have supposed that the prophet referred to the temple of Solomon, built on Mount Moriah, and restored by Zerubbabel, after the return from the captivity, or that rebuilt and beautified by Herod. But a comparison of the measures of both will prove their dissimilarity; besides Mount Moriah itself, on which Solomon's, Zerubbabel's, and Herod's temples were built, is not one-eighth of the space to be occupied by this "city-like temple," which is to be twenty-eight stadia in circumference, or nearly a mile every way. *

An object of very great moment leads us to make

* Among this class of interpreters is Sir Isaac Newton, who has gone so far as to give a description of Solomon's temple from the very lines and boundaries shown to the prophet when conducted to a city raised up and set upon a very high mountain. This view of the subject appears to us extraordinary when we consider the great knowledge of prophecy possessed by this eminent and highly gifted philosopher as seen in his luminous interpretations of the prophecy of Daniel. The plates of this temple figured in his work, will, however afford most valuable and useful information to all who study this remarkable prophecy. In further proof of the fallacy of the opinion as to its mystical meaning and its applicability to Solomon's and Zerubbabel's temple, I would refer my readers to the preliminary remarks on the 40th to 48th chapters of Ezekiel by Archbishop, afterwards primate Newcombe.

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THE EASTERN GOLDEN GATE.

a further examination of the eastern wall.

About

midway between St. Stephen's Gate and the south-west corner, are the remains of a most remarkable gate, built up in the wall, and originally opening into the court of the Hareem Shereef, or the outward enclosure of Solomon's temple.

This is called by the Mooslims Bab el Derahie, and is supposed to be the golden gate mentioned in the time of our Saviour. The upper part of this gateway consists of a double arch, with part of the capitals and pillars, but all the rest is built up in the wall, and guarded with the greatest care by the Mooslims, not only because it is in the outer wall of the mosque, but because they have a tradition that through this very gate the Christians and the Jews are one day to enter in, and retake Jerusalem. The Turks, therefore, regard with a certain degree of jealousy

ITS ARCHITECTURE.

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and aversion all Christians whom they see approaching near it; and they would in all probability inflict a severe punishment on the Jew whose temerity might lead him to inspect it too closely. I never approached it but some Mooslim soon appeared, looking upon me with suspicion; especially as I generally went with a measuring line and a note-book in my hand. It can be plainly distinguished from Mount Olivet; though much mutilated, enough yet remains to show that but little of the Greek or Roman architecture was used in its construction, the capitals of the pillars being surrounded with leaves, rather in the style of the Egyptian, and the architrave being adorned with some of the floral ornaments peculiar to Hebrew architecture, and so well defined in sacred history, in which the pomegranate, the vine, and the lily-work were blended so as to produce the most beautiful effect. These ornaments are well exhibited in the tombs of the kings, which are of undoubted Hebrew origin, and in other specimens of similar architecture about Jerusalem; but they are very much defaced on this gate. The principal cemetery of the Mohammadans is placed beneath this gate, on a strip of level ground that intervenes between it and the steep declivity of the valley of Jehosaphat; and in it are generally to be seen some Mooslim women mourning over the graves of their relatives. The large stones I before described, are seen in the vicinity of this gate; while