Ezekiel43

Ezekiel witnesses the glorious return of the Lord to the new temple, entering from the east gate and filling the house. God declares this temple to be His eternal dwelling place, condemning Israel's past defilement and calling for repentance. He then instructs Ezekiel to show the people the temple's pattern and the specific measurements and consecration rituals for the altar.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

The Return of God's Glory

1
Then the man brought me back to the gate that faces east,
2
and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. ​
3
The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown, ​
4
and the glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. ​
5
Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
6
While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple,

The Lord Establishes His Dwelling

7
and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile My holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and by the funeral offerings for their kings at their deaths. ​
8
When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy name by the abominations they committed. Therefore I have consumed them in My anger. ​
9
Now let them remove far from Me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will dwell among them forever. ​
10
As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure the plan, ​
11
and if they are ashamed of all they have done, then make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement and its exits and entrances—its whole design along with all its statutes, forms, and laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its complete design and all its statutes and may carry them out.
12
This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain will be most holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple. ​

Measurements of the Great Altar

13
These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits (a cubit and a handbreadth): Its gutter shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this is the height of the altar: ​
14
The space from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide. The space from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide.
15
The altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and four horns shall project upward from the hearth. ​
16
The altar hearth shall be square at its four corners, twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide.
17
The ledge shall also be square, fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide, with a rim of half a cubit and a gutter of a cubit all around it. The steps of the altar shall face east.” ​

Ordinances for Altar Consecration

18
Then 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 constructed, so that burnt offerings may be sacrificed on it and blood may be sprinkled on it: ​
19
You are to give a young bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the family of Zadok, who approach Me to minister before Me, declares the Lord GOD. ​
20
You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim; thus you will cleanse the altar and make atonement for it. ​
21
Then you are to take away the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the appointed part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.
22
On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering, and the altar is to be cleansed as it was with the bull.
23
When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull and an unblemished ram from the flock.
24
You must present them before the LORD; the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the LORD.
25
For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished. ​
26
For seven days the priests are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; so they shall consecrate it.
27
At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.’” ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 43

Verse 2

The Glory (*Kavod*) returns from the east, the same direction it had departed in the vision of judgment (Ezek. 10:19; 11:23). The sound of God's voice like 'many waters' emphasizes His majesty and overwhelming power (cf. Rev. 1:15).

Verse 3

Ezekiel explicitly links this vision of divine restoration to his earlier, terrifying visions of judgment, confirming that the same God who judged Israel is the one now restoring His presence.

Verse 4

The return of God’s presence through the East Gate symbolizes the reversal of the judgment pronounced upon the first Temple. This entry establishes the new Temple as the site of God's permanent dwelling.

Verse 7

God declares that the rebuilt Temple is the 'place of my throne' and where He will dwell 'for ever.' This signifies a permanent, unbreakable covenant relationship, provided Israel maintains holiness.

Verse 8

The defilement of the former Temple included syncretism and idolatry. 'Setting their threshold by my thresholds' likely refers to kings building their palaces or burying their dead immediately adjacent to the sacred Temple area, blurring the distinction between the holy and the common.

Verse 9

The promise of God’s permanent dwelling is conditional upon the people’s repentance, requiring them to remove all remnants of idolatry and ritual impurity.

Verse 10

The detailed architectural plan serves a theological purpose: to induce repentance. By comparing the perfect divine blueprint to their past flawed practices, the people are meant to be 'ashamed of their iniquities.'

Verse 12

This verse establishes the 'Law of the House,' defining the entire surrounding mountain area as 'most holy.' This expansive definition emphasizes absolute separation and purity required of the restored community.

Verse 13

The cubit standard used throughout the vision is the longer, royal cubit ('a cubit and an hand breadth,' approximately 20.6 inches), confirming the immense scale and divine origin of the design.

Verse 15

The altar is described in three tiers (base, lower settle, upper settle) leading up to the main hearth, which is four cubits high and features four horns for the application of sacrificial blood.

Verse 17

The stairs facing east would have allowed the priests to ascend without violating the prohibition in Mosaic law against exposing their nakedness (Ex. 20:26). The altar’s overall dimensions make it a large, perfect square (12x12 cubits at the top hearth).

Verse 18

The vision now shifts from the structure's physical dimensions to the rituals required to sanctify it, making it fit for offering sacrifices to the Lord.

Verse 19

As mandated earlier (Ezek. 40:46; 44:15), only the priests of the line of Zadok—who remained faithful during the apostasy—are authorized to perform the sacred ministry.

Verse 20

The application of blood to the corners and borders cleanses and purges the inanimate altar structure itself, preparing it to be a consecrated instrument for worship.

Verse 25

The seven-day purification ritual mirrors the dedication periods for the Mosaic Tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple, emphasizing the profound holiness required for the new sanctuary.

Verse 27

Upon completion of the seven-day consecration, the altar is ready for regular use. The concluding promise, 'I will accept you,' links proper ritual obedience directly to God’s gracious acceptance of His people.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options