Ezekiel 42

He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common. v.20

Read chapter 42
Ezekiel's vision of the temple continues.  Here we see the dimensions of both the inner and outer courts.  The inner court is more like a rectangle with the dimensions given of the length of the chambers facing the temple and the outer units (50 x 100 cubits).  The out court is a perfect square 500 x 500 cubits. 

The wall that was built outside was to separate the holy areas from the common.  Israelites had access to the outer court but only priests had access to the inner court.  But the wall around was to keep the clean and unclean separate, also a protection again enemies.  Other nations were not allowed to enter the court but I wonder if this is the vision of the heavenly temple what unclean thing will there still need to be protection from?  For even the non Israelite nations will enter the Kingdom and visit the temple.  Yet I think of the vast space in the outer court  and wonder what the people would do there.  Maybe it was used a place of prayer, meditation, worship, gathering with others and a safe place.  Sometimes when one goes to a church today you can get lost or unsure of what place you are to take and how you should act, wondering about going up to the altar or seeking sanctuary somehow.  Do you have a space wherever you are as a place of worship and protection?