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Ezekiel 43

Ezekiel43

American Standard Version · Public Domain

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1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east.

2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory.

3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

4 And the glory of Jehovah came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

5 And the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house.

6 And I heard one speaking unto me out of the house; and a man stood by me.

7 And he said unto me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places;

8 in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their door-post beside my door-post, and there was but the wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me; and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

10 Thou, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.

11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the egresses thereof, and the entrances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

12 This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

13 And these are the measures of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar.

14 And from the bottom upon the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit.

15 And the upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns.

16 And the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.

17 And the ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad in the four sides thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit round about; and the steps thereof shall look toward the east.

18 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

19 Thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that are of the seed of Zadok, who are near unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord Jehovah, a young bullock for a sin-offering.

20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse it and make atonement for it.

21 Thou shalt also take the bullock of the sin-offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.

22 And on the second day thou shalt offer a he-goat without blemish for a sin-offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.

23 When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

24 And thou shalt bring them near before Jehovah, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah.

25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin-offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

26 Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it.

27 And when they have accomplished the days, it shall be that upon the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt-offerings upon the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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Ezekiel 43

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 43. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The Vision of the Temple. (1-27).

vv1-27

After Ezekiel had surveyed the temple of God, he had a vision of the glory of God. When Christ crucified, and the things freely given to us of God, through Him, are shown to us by the Holy Ghost, they make us ashamed for our sins. This frame of mind prepares us for fuller discoveries of the mysteries of redeeming love; and the whole of the Scriptures should be opened and applied, that men may see their sins, and repent of them. We are not now to offer any atoning sacrifices, for by one offering Christ has perfected for ever those that are sanctified, Heb. 10:14; but the sprinkling of his blood is needful in all our approaches to God the Father. Our best services can be accepted only as sprinkled with the blood which cleanses from all sin.

Cross References

Ezekiel 43
v2Revelation 1:15allusion

The description of His voice like the sound of many waters matches John's vision of glorified Christ.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v2Revelation 18:1allusion

Verbal echo of the earth shining with the brightness of His glorious presence.

Supported by JFB

v2Ezekiel 11:23contrast

The glory returns from the east, the exact path by which it departed the city in Ezekiel 11.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v3Ezekiel 1:28thematic

Direct connection to the glory and falling on his face seen by the river Chebar.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v21Hebrews 13:11typology

The burning of the sin offering bullock without the sanctuary prefigures Christ suffering outside the gate.

Supported by JFB

v51 Kings 8:11thematic

The glory of Jehovah filling the house as it did in Solomon's temple.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v7Leviticus 26:30thematic

The defilement of God's holy space by placing the carcasses of dead idols/kings near Him.

Supported by JFB

v7Jeremiah 16:18thematic

Parallels the pollution of God's land with the detestable carcasses of their idols.

Supported by JFB

v17Exodus 20:26contrast

Ezekiel's altar features steps (stairs), which were previously forbidden in Exodus 20.

Supported by JFB

v26Exodus 29:36thematic

Aligns with the original Mosaic mandate for seven days of purging and purifying the altar.

Supported by JFB

v7Revelation 21:3fulfillment

The ultimate realization of God dwelling in the midst of His people forever.

Supported by JFB

v15Isaiah 29:1allusion

Links to the Hebrew name for the altar fireplace, 'Ariel' (lion of God).

Supported by JFB

v19Ezekiel 40:46thematic

Identifies the sons of Zadok as those who specifically draw near to minister to Jehovah.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v24Leviticus 2:13thematic

The requirement to cast salt upon the burnt offering according to the law of the covenant.

v26Exodus 29:24allusion

Translates the Hebrew idiom for consecration, literally 'to fill the hands' with offerings.

Supported by JFB

v4Ezekiel 44:2thematic

Confirms that the eastern gate remains shut because the glory of Jehovah entered by it.

v7Jeremiah 3:17thematic

Jerusalem is explicitly designated as the throne of Jehovah's glorious presence.

Supported by JFB

v13Ezekiel 40:5thematic

Defines the measuring unit used: a cubit plus an handbreadth.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v20Exodus 29:12thematic

The ritual pattern of applying sacrificial blood to the horns of the altar for cleansing.

v27Ezekiel 20:40thematic

The promise that God will accept the offerings of a restored house of Israel.

Supported by JFB