Ezekiel 43:25

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.

Seven {H7651} days {H3117} shalt thou prepare {H6213} every day {H3117} a goat {H8163} for a sin offering {H2403}: they shall also prepare {H6213} a young {H1121}{H1241} bullock {H6499}, and a ram {H352} out of the flock {H6629}, without blemish {H8549}.

Every day, for seven days, you are to prepare a goat as a sin offering; they are also to prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock without defect.

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.

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.

Commentary

Ezekiel 43:25 details a specific ritual for the consecration of the altar in the visionary Temple, emphasizing the profound need for purity and atonement before God. This verse is part of a larger prophetic vision given to Ezekiel concerning the restored worship of Israel.

Context of Ezekiel 43:25

This verse is situated within a detailed section of Ezekiel's prophecy (chapters 40-48) that describes a future, ideal Temple, its intricate architecture, and the worship protocols within it. Following the precise measurements and features of the altar, Ezekiel 43:25 outlines the specific seven-day consecration period for this altar. This lengthy purification process was essential to sanctify the altar, making it fit for divine service and acceptable for offerings to the holy God. It highlights the immense holiness required for anything that would be used in God's presence, especially after the defilement of the previous temple and the people's sins that led to exile.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Holiness and Purity: The meticulous instructions for daily sin offerings and the "without blemish" requirement underscore God's absolute holiness. Everything associated with His worship must be consecrated and purified from defilement.
  • Atonement and Cleansing: The repeated "sin offering" (Hebrew: chatta'th, Χ—Φ·Χ˜ΦΌΦΈΧΧͺ), which literally means "purification offering," signifies the continual need for cleansing from sin. Even the altar itself, a sacred object, needed to be purified, symbolizing the pervasive nature of sin and the necessity of atonement for all things to be made holy for God's use.
  • Perfection of Sacrifice: The requirement for offerings to be "without blemish" (e.g., a young bullock and a ram) is a recurring theme in Old Testament law (see Leviticus 1:3). This standard of perfection foreshadows the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was without sin and offered Himself once for all.

Linguistic Insights

The term "sin offering" in Hebrew is chatta'th (Χ—Φ·Χ˜ΦΌΦΈΧΧͺ). While it certainly deals with sin, its primary function in many contexts was purification from ritual impurity or consecration. It served to cleanse and make holy what was defiled or to dedicate something for sacred use, making it acceptable before God. Thus, the daily chatta'th in Ezekiel 43:25 was not just for forgiving specific transgressions but for ritually purifying and sanctifying the altar for its holy purpose.

Practical Application

Ezekiel's vision, while pointing to a future literal temple or a symbolic representation of God's dwelling among His people, also carries profound spiritual truths for believers today. Just as the altar needed purification, so too do we, as God's spiritual temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), require cleansing. The daily sin offerings in Ezekiel's vision highlight the constant need for atonement. For Christians, this is fulfilled not through repeated animal sacrifices, but through the once-for-all perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was the Lamb "without blemish" (1 Peter 1:19). Our response should be a life of ongoing sanctification, striving for holiness as we draw near to God, relying on His grace and the finished work of Christ.

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Cross-References

  • Leviticus 8:33

    And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation [in] seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.

  • Exodus 29:35

    And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all [things] which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.

  • Exodus 29:37

    Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.

  • Leviticus 8:35

    Therefore shall ye abide [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.
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