Ezekiel chapter 43

The glory of the LORD God returns. The altar of burnt offering.

 


 

Note: Many people find it morally objectionable that a religion requires the killing of innocent animals.

 


 

THE GLORY OF THE LORD GOD RETURNS

 

VERSE 1. Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east.

looks toward the east. In our day, some churches are built to face the east.

 

VERSE 2. Behold, 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.

NASB translation. and 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 with His glory.

behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming. In his mystical experience, Ezekiel is at the gate facing the east. There, he beholds the glory of the Most High God.

This is a dramatic reversal. Back in chapters 10 and 11, the glory of the LORD God had departed.

 

VERSE 3. It 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.

 

VERSE 4. The LORD’s glory came into the house by the way of the gate which faces toward the east.

 

VERSE 5. The Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the LORD’s glory filled the house.

NASB translation. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

the Spirit lifted me up and brought me. Ezekiel has another experience of “transport.”

into the inner court. Ezekiel is back in the Inner Court. Mystics say that is the place where we encounter God the Father.

the glory of the Lord filled the house. Ezekiel beholds the glory of the Most High God in a new way.

We never grow tired of beholding the glory of God. It is always new.

 

VERSE 6. I heard one speaking to me out of the house, and a man stood by me.

 

VERSE 7. 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 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;

NIV translation. He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the lifeless idols of their kings at their high places.

this is the place of my throne. Ezekiel truly is in the Inner Chambers, the throne room of the Most High God.

This is where I will live. Ezekiel is beholding the dwelling place of the Most High God.

This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. Forever is a long time.

From our human perspective, it is the same as “permanent.”

 

VERSE 8. in 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.

 

VERSE 9. Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings far from me. Then I will dwell among them forever.

The Most High God gives them a fresh start.

 

VERSE 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.

NIV translation. Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan,

describe the temple to the people. The LORD God wants his people to know about himself.

Our knowledge of God is not to be kept a secret. He wishes for people to know about himself.

Our knowledge of God is not to be kept a secret. Our task is to speak. We are to tell people about the LORD God.

 

VERSE 11. If 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.

 

VERSE 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.

The Message Translation. This is the law of the Temple: As it radiates from the top of the mountain, everything around it becomes holy ground. Yes, this is law, the meaning, of the Temple.

NIV translation. This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple.

In these chapters, Ezekiel is given a mystical vision of the temple. There are many ways to interpret these visions. Here are three:

Interpretation 1. It was fulfilled was in the reconstruction of the Temple, when the exiles returned from Babylon after 70 years.

Interpretation 2. It is yet to be fulfilled. It is possible that the Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt in the days to come.

Interpretation 3. It will be fulfilled in heaven. There, all things are made new and perfect.

 

THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING

 

VERSE 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.

cubit. A normal cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. A hand width is about 4.3 inches or 11 cm.

span. A span is the length from the tip of a man’s thumb to the tip of his little finger when his hand is stretched out (about half a cubit, or 9 inches, or 22.8 cm.)

 

VERSE 14. From 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.

 

VERSE 15. The upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns.

 

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

 

VERSE 17. The 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.”

 

VERSE 18. He said to me, “Son of man, the Lord GOD 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.

These are the ordinances of the altar. The LORD God provides the requirements for the priests who will sacrifice at this new altar.

 

VERSE 19. You 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 GOD, ‘a young bull for a sin offering.

 

VERSE 20. You 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.

 

VERSE 21. You 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.

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 23. When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without defect and a ram out of the flock without defect.

 

VERSE 24. You shall bring them near to the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to the LORD.

the priests shall cast salt on them. In ancient times, the spiritual offerings of God’s people were to be seasoned with salt. In our day, our conversations are to be seasoned with salt. Read more »

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 26. Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it. So shall they consecrate it.

 

VERSE 27. When 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 GOD.”

 


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EZEKIEL

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 1516, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48

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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.