Ezekiel 40:39

(Verse 35 and following) 'And he brought me to the gate that faced the north, and he measured it according to the higher measurements: its chamber, its facade, its vestibule, and its windows all around: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its vestibule faced the outer court, and its palm tree engravings on its facade on both sides, and its staircase with eight steps.' And at each treasury there shall be a door in the gates (or fronts) of the doors: there they shall wash the holocaust.

And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, that the holocaust might be immolated upon them, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering. What are we to say about the mystical meanings of the prophet Ezekiel, when we can scarcely grasp the very words of his narrative? For behold he says: "And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, that the holocaust might be immolated upon them, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering. And at the outer side, which goes up to the entrance of the gate that looks toward the north, were two tables; and at the other side before the vestibule of the gate, two tables. Four tables on this side, and four tables on that side, by the sides of the gate. There were eight tables, upon which they immolated." In these words, indeed, a great fog of uncertainty arises, whether these things are said about any one gate, or about two, or about each of the gates. But since four tables are described on each side, and afterward it is said in the sum of the conclusion: "There were eight tables upon which they immolated," it is clear that the Spirit does not say this about each of the gates he had described above, because if the six gates enumerated above had four tables on each side, all together they would be called not eight, but forty-eight. […]

And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, that the holocaust might be immolated upon them. For by the name of gates, as was said above, the holy preachers can be understood, so that the vestibule of the gate is the people. When they receive the words of preaching with a humble mind, tables for sacrifice are constructed in them from virtues. Again, nothing prevents us from understanding the gate as that which is opened to us through the mouths of preachers—the understanding of sacred eloquence—so that the vestibule of the gate may be for us those words of preaching which we first humbly receive, so that afterward we may come to the understanding of sacred eloquence. Let the interior gate therefore be for us the New Testament, and the exterior gate the Old Testament, because the former opens spiritual understanding, while the latter preserved for minds still unlearned the letter in the history of sacred eloquence. Now the interior gate has, in the already great multitude of faithful peoples, two sides, namely the love of God and the love of neighbor. And there are two tables on each side, because in the love of God faith and life must necessarily be maintained, while in the love of neighbor patience and kindness must be especially guarded. For in the love of God faith and life are necessary, because it is written: "Without faith it is impossible to please God." And again it is written: "Faith without works is dead." But in the love of neighbor patience and kindness must be preserved by us, because concerning that same love it is written: "Charity is patient, is kind." Patient, that is, so as to bear with equanimity the evils inflicted by neighbors, and kind, so as to bestow its own goods upon neighbors with eager desire. The exterior gate also, namely the law, has two sides: the spiritual fathers and the carnal people. […]

And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side. For our gate has four tables in the inner vestibule, because the holy Church has been instructed by the preaching of the four evangelists, through whose teaching it learned to raise the heart in love of almighty God and to sacrifice its thoughts to Him as an offering. Of these, two are reported to be on one side and two on the other, because two evangelists attested to what they saw concerning the Lord, and two narrated those things which they learned by hearing from their predecessors. Or certainly there are four tables of the inner vestibule, as we plainly perceive, because the holy Church receives four orders of rulers for the instruction of faithful peoples, which Paul enumerates from the gift of almighty God, saying: "He gave some indeed as apostles, some as prophets, others as evangelists, and others as pastors and teachers." But he names pastors and teachers as one order of rulers, because he truly feeds the flock of God who teaches. The outer gate also had four tables, because clearly the Synagogue maintained the observance of external service through the chief priests and elders of the people, through the Scribes and Pharisees. These Pharisees were also called teachers of the law. Whether of the outer or inner gate, two tables are on one side and two on the other, because in her beginnings the holy Church had apostles and prophets. By prophets, however, we mean not those who were among the ancient people, but those who arose in the holy Church after the apostles. In later time also, which is now, she has evangelists and teachers. Since indeed "Gospel" means good news, we certainly call evangelists those who announce to unlearned peoples the good things of the heavenly homeland. […]

That the holocaust might be slain upon them, and for sin, and for trespass. Concerning the four tables of the inner vestibule it is said: "That the holocaust might be slain upon them, and for sin, and for trespass." For there is this difference between sin and trespass: sin is to do evil things, while trespass is to abandon good things which ought especially to be maintained. Or certainly sin is in deed, trespass in thought.