Ezekiel 43NASB
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Ezekiel43

New American Standard

1Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east;

2and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone from His glory.

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

4And the glory of the Lord entered the house by way of the gate facing east.

5And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner courtyard; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

6Then I heard Him speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me.

7And He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their prostitution and by the corpses of their kings when they die,

8by putting their threshold by My threshold, and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger.

9Now let them remove their prostitution and the corpses of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell among them forever.

10“As for you, son of man, inform the house of Israel of the temple, so that they will be ashamed of their wrongdoings; and have them measure the plan.

11And if they are ashamed of everything that they have done, make known to them the plan of the house, its layout, its exits, its entrances, all its plans, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its entire plan and all its statutes and execute them.

12This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

13“And these are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a hand width): the base shall be a cubit and the width a cubit, and its border on its edge all around one span; and this shall be the height of the base of the altar.

14And from the base on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits, and the width one cubit.

15The altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth shall extend upward four horns.

16Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.

17And the ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides, the border around it shall be half a cubit, and its base shall be a cubit all around; and its steps shall face east.”

18And He said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it.

19You shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the descendants of Zadok, who come near to Me to serve Me,’ declares the Lord God, ‘a bull as a sin offering.

20And you shall take some of its blood and put it on its four horns and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; so you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.

21You shall also take the bull as the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.

22‘And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish as a sin offering, and they shall cleanse the altar from sin as they cleansed it with the bull.

23When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a bull without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock.

24You shall offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall throw salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.

25For seven days you shall prepare a goat as a sin offering daily; also a bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish, shall be prepared.

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

27When they have completed the days, it shall be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings on the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you,’ declares the Lord God.”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 43.

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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