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.
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The Return of God's Glory

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 a noise 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. ​
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And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. ​
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So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
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And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

The Lord Establishes His Dwelling

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And he said unto me, Son of man, 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 my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. ​
8
In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. ​
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Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. ​
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Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. ​
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And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in 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. ​

Measurements of the Great Altar

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And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar. ​
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And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.
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So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns. ​
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And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.
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And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east. ​

Ordinances for Altar Consecration

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And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; 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. ​
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And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering. ​
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And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it. ​
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Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.
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And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.
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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.
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And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
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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. ​
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Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.
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And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith 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.

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