Ezekiel43
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east.
2Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
3It was like 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 on my face.
4Yahweh’s glory came into the house by the way of the gate which faces toward the east.
5The Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, Yahweh’s glory filled the house.
6I heard one speaking to me out of the house, and a man stood by me.
7He 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 children of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their prostitution and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places;
8in their setting of their threshold by my threshold and their door post beside my door post. There was a wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed. Therefore I have consumed them in my anger.
9Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings far from me. Then I will dwell among them forever.
10“You, 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.
11If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, its fashion, its exits, its entrances, its structure, all its ordinances, all its forms, and all its laws; and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form of it, and all its ordinances, and do them.
12“This is the law of the house. On the top of the mountain the whole limit around it shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
13“These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a hand width): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the width a cubit, and its border around its edge a span; and this shall be the base of the altar.
14From the bottom on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the width one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the width a cubit.
15The upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns.
16The altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
17The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and its bottom shall be a cubit around; and its steps shall look toward the east.”
18He said to me, “Son of man, the Lord Yahweh says: ‘These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they make it, to offer burnt offerings on it, and to sprinkle blood on it.
19You shall give to the Levitical priests who are of the offspring of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me,’ says the Lord Yahweh, ‘a young bull for a sin offering.
20You shall take of its blood and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around. You shall cleanse it and make atonement for it that way.
21You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary.
22“On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull.
23When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without defect and a ram out of the flock without defect.
24You shall bring them near to Yahweh, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to Yahweh.
25“Seven days you shall prepare every day a goat for a sin offering. They shall also prepare a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without defect.
26Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it. So shall they consecrate it.
27When they have accomplished the days, it shall be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings. Then I will accept you,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 43.
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.
Key Words
יָלַךְ: to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
שַׁעַר: an opening, i.e. door or gate
קָדִים: the fore or front part; hence (by orientation) the East (often adverbially, eastward, for brevity the east wind)
הִנֵּה: lo!
כָּבוֹד: properly, weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
קוֹל: a voice or sound
Cross References
Ezekiel 43The description of His voice like the sound of many waters matches John's vision of glorified Christ.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Verbal echo of the earth shining with the brightness of His glorious presence.
Supported by JFB
The glory returns from the east, the exact path by which it departed the city in Ezekiel 11.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct connection to the glory and falling on his face seen by the river Chebar.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The burning of the sin offering bullock without the sanctuary prefigures Christ suffering outside the gate.
Supported by JFB
The glory of Jehovah filling the house as it did in Solomon's temple.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The defilement of God's holy space by placing the carcasses of dead idols/kings near Him.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the pollution of God's land with the detestable carcasses of their idols.
Supported by JFB
Ezekiel's altar features steps (stairs), which were previously forbidden in Exodus 20.
Supported by JFB
Aligns with the original Mosaic mandate for seven days of purging and purifying the altar.
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The ultimate realization of God dwelling in the midst of His people forever.
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Links to the Hebrew name for the altar fireplace, 'Ariel' (lion of God).
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Identifies the sons of Zadok as those who specifically draw near to minister to Jehovah.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The requirement to cast salt upon the burnt offering according to the law of the covenant.
Translates the Hebrew idiom for consecration, literally 'to fill the hands' with offerings.
Supported by JFB
Confirms that the eastern gate remains shut because the glory of Jehovah entered by it.
Jerusalem is explicitly designated as the throne of Jehovah's glorious presence.
Supported by JFB
Defines the measuring unit used: a cubit plus an handbreadth.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The ritual pattern of applying sacrificial blood to the horns of the altar for cleansing.
The promise that God will accept the offerings of a restored house of Israel.
Supported by JFB