Ezekiel 40:3

Our Redeemer held this cord and measuring reed in His hand when He deigned to admonish the apostle Paul through a man of Macedonia appearing to him, so that this same Macedonian man said: "Come over and help us." And yet when the apostles wished to go into Asia to preach, the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. What does it mean that the holy apostles are both called to go where perhaps they had not thought to proceed, and are forbidden to go where they desired to proceed, except that the cord of hidden judgment and the measuring reed is held in the hand, so that some may hear the words of life, while others may by no means deserve to hear? Therefore there is a cord of measure, which was drawn to one place and withdrawn from another.

We have also learned from the testimony of the Holy Gospel that one came who said: "Master, I will follow You wherever You go." To whom the answer was given: "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Another came who said: "Master, let me first go and bury my father." To whom it is said: "Let the dead bury their dead, but you follow Me and proclaim the kingdom of God." What does it mean that the one who promises to go is abandoned, while the other who wishes to return home is nevertheless commanded to follow? The former is not received, the latter is not released from service even for a moment. Therefore, by the internal dispensation of hidden judgment, the measuring line and the measuring rod are drawn out, by which this one is drawn in and that one is left behind, so that the heavenly structure may be built not without a devout and just examination.

The measuring rod can also be understood as Sacred Scripture for this reason: that whoever reads it measures himself in it—either how much he advances in spiritual virtue, or how far removed he remains from the good things that are commanded; how much he now rises up to do good, how much he still lies prostrate in wicked deeds.

And he stood in the gate. Whoever stands in a doorway is partly inside and partly outside, because one part of him is seen outside while another part is hidden within. And so our Redeemer, mercifully incarnate for us, stood as if in a doorway before human eyes, because through his humanity he appeared visible, yet kept himself invisible in his divinity. Hence the Jews, who had awaited him according to the promise of the prophets, were troubled by the confusion of their own faithlessness, because they saw as mortal the one whom they had believed would come for their deliverance. Therefore he who stands in a doorway, as was said above, is seen partly outside and partly inside. Hence even the faithlessness of the Jews was not left without a display of divine power. For seeing his miracles, they were drawn to believe, but then again, weighing his sufferings, they disdained to believe that he was God whom they saw mortal in the flesh; whence it came about that they doubted in their knowledge of him. For they saw him hungering, thirsting, eating, drinking, growing weary, sleeping, and they supposed him to be merely a man. They saw him raising the dead, cleansing lepers, giving sight to the blind, casting out demons, and they perceived him to be more than human. But his humanity, considered in their hearts, disturbed their understanding of his miracles. Hence holy Church, in the voice of the bride, desiring now to see him openly, says: "Behold, he stands behind our wall." For he who showed to human eyes what he assumed from mortal nature, and remained invisible in himself, stood as if behind a wall for those seeking to see him, because he did not offer himself to be seen with his majesty revealed. For he stood as if behind a wall, who showed the human nature which he assumed but hid the divine nature from human eyes. […]

But since this man is said to stand in the doorway, we must ask whether his face was toward the inside and his back toward the outside. In this matter, if we consider what precedes and what follows, we quickly discover how he stood. For first it says: "There was something like a building of a city facing toward the south, and he led me there." And a little later it is added about this same man: "And he was standing in the doorway." And immediately it is added: "And the same man spoke to me." For he who spoke to the prophet when he was introduced into the building, standing in the gate, certainly stood with his face inward and his back outward. But the prophet who was introduced, to whom the man standing in the gate spoke, without doubt held his face toward the gate, from where he heard the words of the speaker. What does it mean, then, that the man looks inward while the prophet looks outward? What does it mean that the face of that same man is toward the building, but the eyes of the prophet are toward the gate, except that the Only-begotten of the Father became incarnate for this reason: that he might introduce us into the spiritual building, that is, into faith in the holy Church? His eyes always look upon his building, because they unceasingly observe how much each person advances in virtues. But the prophet looks toward the gate, because he who hears the words of God must always place the eyes of his heart upon his departure, and meditate without ceasing on when he will leave this present life and reach eternal joys. For God became incarnate for this very reason: that he might introduce us to faith and lead us back to the sight of his vision. […]

For often the mind is so suspended in divine contemplation that it now rejoices to perceive something of that eternal liberty which eye has not seen nor ear heard, through a certain image; yet nevertheless, struck back by the weight of its mortality, it slips back to the depths, and is held bound by certain chains of its punishment. Therefore he strains toward the gates who beholds the joys of his true liberty, and now desires to go out, but is not yet able. Hence it is that the Hebrew people, freed from the servitude of Egypt, when they beheld the pillar of cloud as God spoke, each one stood at the doors of his tabernacle and worshiped. Of whom it is said a little earlier: "When Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and each one stood at the door of his tent." For we stand there where we fix the eyes of our mind. Whence Elijah says: "The Lord lives, in whose sight I stand." He surely stood there where he had fixed his heart. But what is it for the people to gaze upon the pillar of cloud and to stand at the doors of their tabernacle and worship, except that when the human mind somehow beholds those higher and heavenly things in an enigma, it now exits the enclosures of its bodily habitation through uplifted thought, and humbly adores him whose substance it cannot see, yet now marvels at his power through the illumination of the spirit? And when Moses enters the tabernacle, the people gaze upon his back, and stand at the doors of their tents, because when any holy preacher speaks lofty things about God, he somehow enters the tabernacle of the heavenly dwelling. Though the weak cannot fully weigh the power of his preaching, nevertheless they gaze upon his back as it were, because they follow through understanding the last things they are able to grasp. […]

But now he who stands in the entrance of the cave and perceives the words of God in the ear of his heart must cover his face, because while we are led through heavenly grace to understand higher things, the more subtly we are raised up, the more we must always press ourselves down through humility in our understanding, lest we strive to be wiser than we ought to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety; lest while we examine invisible things too much, we go astray; lest in that incorporeal nature we seek something of corporeal light. For to extend the ear and cover the face is to hear the voice of the inner substance through the mind, and yet to turn away the eyes of the heart from every corporeal form, lest the soul fashion for itself anything corporeal in that which is everywhere whole and everywhere uncircumscribed. Therefore, dearest brothers, we who have already learned of eternal joys through the death and resurrection of our Redeemer, and his ascension into heaven, we who know that our fellow citizens the angels appeared outwardly in testimony of his divinity, let us long for the King, let us desire the citizens whom we have come to know, and standing in this edifice of holy Church let us keep our eyes on the door; let us turn our back of the mind to this corruption of temporal life, let us direct the face of our heart toward the freedom of the heavenly homeland. But behold, there are still many things that press upon us from the care of corruptible life. Therefore, since we cannot go out perfectly, let us at least stand in the entrance of our cave, destined to go forth prosperously someday through the grace of our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.

And behold a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He Himself is signified in the man who is figured on the mountain. Moreover, this man is said to measure the building. And rightly is the Lord signified by the man and the mountain, because He Himself arranges all things within holy Church by judging, and He Himself bears that same holy Church, and by bearing it raises it up to heavenly things. So also in the holy Gospel our same Redeemer speaks, saying: "He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep." And shortly after: "I am the door." And again after a little He adds: "I am the good shepherd." If therefore He Himself is the shepherd, and He Himself is the door, and the shepherd enters through the door, why is it not understood in this place that He Himself is both the mountain and the man who measures the building on the mountain?

A man - The same no doubt that appeared to the prophet, chap. i, 26, whose name is the branch, and who builds the temple, Zech vi, 12, 13, whose colour was like burnished brass; Rev. i, 15, which speaks glory and strength.

), not a created angel, but Jesus Christ, who should be found in fashion as a man, that he might both discover and build the gospel-temple. He brought him to this city, for it is through Christ that we have both acquaintance with and access to the benefits and privileges of God's house. He it is that shall build the temple of the Lord, Zech. vi.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And he brought me thither,....

The temple of God is built by line and rule; and those that would let others into the knowledge of it must do it by that line and rule. The church is formed according to the scripture, the pattern in the mount. That is the line and the measuring reed that is in the hand of Christ.

The appearance of brass - Brightly shining. A line of flax - For measuring the ground plan. A measuring reed - For the walls (compare Jer 31:38-39). To measure implied a separation for sacred purposes. The measurements are: (1) exact, to show that the promise is certain; (2) equal, to denote harmony; (3) vast, to mark majesty and grandeur.

A man, whose appearance was like - brass - Like bright polished brass, which strongly reflected the rays of light. Probably he had what we would term a nimbus or glory round his head. This was either an angel; or, as some think, a personal appearance of our blessed Lord.