Then said he unto me, The north cells and the south chambers, which
are before the separate place, they be holy cells, where the priests
that approach unto the Lord shall eat the most holy things: there
shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the
sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy. When
the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy
place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments
wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other
garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the
people (verses 13-14).
The cells on the North and South, facing the separate place are
especially mentioned as being holy chambers. Here the priests who
approach unto the Lord are to eat the most holy things and there they
shall lay the most holy things, the meal offering, the sin offering and
the trespass offering. They were set apart for this purpose. For this
reason at the end of these two cell-buildings towards the west were the
places where the offerings were boiled and the meal offering baked. They
were the kitchens of the priests. Of this we read in chapter xlvi:19,
20: "Then he brought me through the passage which was at the side of the
gate, into the holy cells which were for the priests, which looked
toward the North; and behold a place was there at the end westward. And
he said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the
trespass offering and the sin offering and where they shall bake the
meal offering, that they bring them not out into the outer court, so as
to hallow the people." In these chambers they put the garments of their
ministry. The priests are not to wear their holy garments outside of the
inner court lest they should be profaned. Why these Levitical ordinances
are maintained in the millennial temple with a priesthood still
ministering, the purpose of all this, we shall take up more fully in the
exposition of the chapters which follow.