What was the Court of the Gentiles in the Jewish temple?

The THIRD Temple was that of Herod the Great, the Idumean king, which was forty-six years in building; and whilst, no doubt, it retained some portions of the original structure, it differed from both Solomon's and Ezra's, especially in the arrangement of the courts. From the account given by Josephus, it seems to have been larger than Solomon's, and was built according to his own taste, much being added. There were added the Court of the Gentiles and the Court of the Women, of which the Word of God says nothing. This is the Temple which was in existence when our Lord was upon earth. There is much confusion in the minds of some as to the place where our Lord and His disciples worshipped. They could not enter the Courts of the Priests or draw near to the altar. When we read of the Lord and His disciples going up to the Temple, we are not to suppose that they entered beyond the exterior courts. The Holy Ghost has employed two distinct words in the original Greek of the New Testament in speaking of the Temple: one is Hieron (from hieros, sacred or priestly), which refers to the whole Temple, its courts and other buildings — the external structure. The other word, Naos (from nais to dwell) signifies the inner building, embracing the porch, the holy and most holy places — the sanctuary. It was into the external courts our Lord went, for, not being of the tribe of Levi, He could not enter the inner Temple. "Christ is not entered into holy places made with hands" (Heb. 9:24). Into the holy place the priests entered to trim the lamps in the morning and light them in the evening; to burn incense, morning and evening, on the golden altar; and to arrange, once a week, the shewbread on the tables. Consequently, Zacharias (Luke 1:8-10) was alone in the Temple, while the people prayed without, at time of incense.

A special word is used here for the word, temple. In the Greek language there are two words translated temple. Hieron is a word used to describe the temple as a whole, precincts and all. Any Jew could go into the court of the Jews. Any Gentile could go into the court of the Gentiles. There were places where cattle and sheep were sold for the sacrifices, and where money changers carried on their business. All was included under the word, hieron.

There are two words for Temple in the Greek New Testament. Hieron embraces the whole of the Temple area, the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Jews, the Place where they bought and sold the animals for sacrifice, the Place where the money-changers had their seat (Matt. 21:12). This word occurs 71 times. The other word, naos, has an exclusive meaning, designating the inner sanctuary of the Temple, the Holy Place where the priests ministered, the Holiest of all to which the High Priest alone had access on the great Day of Atonement. This word occurs 45 times. These two words are carefully distinguished in Scripture. For instance we read of Peter and John going into the Temple [hieron] to pray (Acts 3:3). They were Galileans, and not priests, so therefore the wider word was used. When our Lord cried on the cross those triumphant words, “IT IS FINISHED,” which have brought peace to the hearts of millions, “the veil of the Temple [naos] was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Matt. 27:51), thus showing that the way into the holiest was made manifest. It is very reassuring to see the care Scripture takes to present these shades of meaning. No uninspired writings would exhibit this care.

There is confusion in the minds of some regarding the place where our Lord and His disciples prayed and taught. Not being of the tribe of Levi, they could not enter into the court of the priests, nor draw near to the altar, nor enter the Holy Place. The Holy Ghost, in speaking of the Temple, uses two distinct words in the original Greek. One is Hieron (from hieros, sacred), which refers to the entire Temple, its courts and other buildings, the whole external structure. The other word is Naos (from naio, to dwell), and signifies the inner building, the Holy and Most Holy Places, the sanctuary. Where our Lord and His apostles prayed and taught was in Hieron, the external courts alone.

These courts are only Mentioned in 1 Kings 6:36, and 2 Chron. 4:9; their dimensions are fully given in Ezekiel, chapter 40. The Court of the Gentiles and the Court of the Women, said to have been connected with Herod's Temple, were an innovation of Herod himself. There is nothing said about them in the Word of God.

To Israel indeed pertained the service of God (worship), but it was a worship of relative nearness to God: the high priest the nearest, the priests next — these were inside worshippers; the Levites next to them — they were attendants on the priests, and employed about the tabernacle; and then the people who were outside worshippers, as it is said, "the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense" (Luke 1:10). But even there, even in the outer court, no Gentile could approach (Acts 21:28).

To Israel indeed pertained the service of God (worship), but it was a worship of relative nearness to God. The high priest the nearest, the priests next — these were inside worshippers; the Levites next to them — they were attendants on the priests, and employed about the tabernacle; and then the people, who were outside worshippers, as it is said, "the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense." (Luke 1:10.) But even there, even in the outer court, no Gentile could approach. (Acts 21:28.)

It is said there was a wall of partition in the court of the temple, pierced with gates, which admitted a Jew, but which meant death to a Gentile, if he ventured to pass through. How sweet that all restraint is gone, and that Jew and Gentile are lifted into heights that are outside of every feeling of racial animosity and pride, so that we read, Through Him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18).

But the coming kingdom has a heavenly side to it as well as an earthly. It is more a sphere than a plain. When the Son of Man shall have sent forth His angels and gathered out of His kingdom every evil thing that it has accumulated in its present aspect, and shall have cast them that do iniquity into a furnace of fire, “then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” This I do not doubt is the heavenly side of the kingdom, which, in its administrative character, is set before us in the holy city (Rev. 21, 22). In this city are the throne of God and of the Lamb, and in it the saints of this dispensation shall reign with Christ over the kingdom under the whole heaven (Dan. 7:27). All on the heavenly side are in their ultimate and glorified condition. The city is the whole assembly of the glorified saints of this dispensation. Taking the tabernacle in the wilderness as typical of the order of the world to come, the heavenly city is “The Holiest,” the earthly Jerusalem “The Holy Place,” and the court, the court of the Gentiles. The heavenly city has the Shekinah, “The glory of God,” and the sphere where His face is seen (Rev. 21:11; 22:4), and in the light of this the nations walk. The glory of the earthly Jerusalem owes its brightness and wealth of blessing to the heavenly. It will minister both light and nourishment to the nations.

12 And they came to Jerusalem, and He enters then into the temple. Yesterday, the full survey of their condition, and the condition of His Father's, Jehovah's house, had been made, and to-day judgment is to be executed with all the authority, the condemning authority of Jehovah's King, bearing with none of this evil now. Long had grace been patient. He had retired to a distance, to give time for repentance. He being thus manifested (in the way with them) and after John's warnings, but now, this past, with all righteous authority and indignation, at headquarters, there was no more but to get rid of them. What authority in the righteousness of God! "He began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves." This den of thieves! And in Jehovah's house! How free from idolatry! How full of sin! He would sanctify it. He suffered no man to pass through, to carry anything through the temple, making it just a passage for his convenience. He maintained the holiness of God's house, and while He maintained its holiness as Jehovah's house, not the mere convenience of Jewish pride, as Jehovah's house, His Father's house, it had all its wide claim and value in His eyes - a house of prayer for all nations. The holiness of God's house gives it its extension, because it makes it properly God's house, and His claim is over all, and it is a claim of grace. But, while the Lord does this, His judgment and charge on the Jewish people is distinct and conclusive: "Ye have made it a den of thieves." His word too is from Scripture, so that the truth and guilt was plain. It had the force of God's word to them. We have also to note that the title of God, and the moral charge always has its force in the subject it applies to; thus the passage of Isaiah has its accomplishment in the latter day, when the house shall be so as God's house. Yet the claim of God was at least from its utterance by the Prophet. Yet it was then, after all, judgment, when sin had made it impossible (for all tended to the blessed end when Christ shall be there) and the charge was made in Jeremiah's time actually, but as it hung over their heads, so was it accomplished by their hands, and they are charged with it - they had done the thing, i.e., He puts it as a question: Did not their conduct amount to their considering it so? "Ye have made it a den of thieves." How plain, and bold, and unmoved in judgment is the Lord now, for He had taken the pronouncing of judgment in His own hand now. And the Lord applied the testimony of the Prophets now in judgment.