1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east. 2 Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory. 3 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 on my face. 4 The glory of Yahweh came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5 The Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house. 6 I heard one speaking to me out of the house; and a man stood by me. 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 in the midst of the children of Israel forever. The house of Israel shall 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; 8 in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their doorpost beside my doorpost, and there was (but) the 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. 9 Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me; and I will dwell in the midst of 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. 11 If they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, and its fashion, and its exits, and its entrances, and all its forms, and all its ordinances, and 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 measures of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and its border around its edge a span; and this shall be the base of the altar. 14 From the bottom on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit. 15 The upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns. 16 The altar hearth shall be twelve (cubits) long by twelve broad, square in the four sides of it. 17 The ledge shall be fourteen (cubits) long by fourteen broad in the four sides of it; 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. 18 He said to me, Son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh: 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. 19 You shall give to the priests the Levites who are of the seed of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me, says the Lord Yahweh, a young bull for a sin offering. 20 You shall take of its blood, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around: thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. 21 You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary. 22 On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bull. 23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. 24 You 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 blemish. 26 Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it. 27 When they have accomplished the days, it shall be that on the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings on the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, says the Lord Yahweh.
The consecration of the new temple Ezekiel 43:1-11. The glory of the God of Israel must take possession of the new sanctuary, as, in time past, of the tabernacle and of Solomon's Temple. But it is in a different form. The glory was of old veiled in a cloud resting on the mercy-Seat of the ark between cherubim of carved wood. Now the glory appears in the form with which Ezekiel is familiar, in all its symbolic significance (see Ezekiel 1:1 note). A personal and living God enters the sanctuary Ezekiel 43:2, condescending to occupy it, not merely as a fixed dwelling-place, but as a center from where His Power and mercy radiate freely to the utmost ends of the earth. Hence, amidst the detailed preparations of the house no mention is made of the ark or mercy-Seat, so important a part in the former sanctuary. The living cherubim, the firmament and the rainbow of mercy, replace the cherubic figures and the golden chest.
The ark, having been in some way destroyed in Nebuchadnezzars siege, was never replaced. In its stead there was within the veil a flat stone on which the high priest poured the blood on the Day of Atonement.
The glory of the Lord is represented as returning to the temple, Ezekiel 43:1-6; where God promises to fix his residence, if the people repent and forsake those sins which caused him to depart from them, Ezekiel 43:7-12. Then the measures of the altar, and the ordinances relating to it, are set down, Ezekiel 43:13-27.
INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 43
The temple or house of God being measured, the worship of God in it is pointed out and observed in this and the following chapter; and which, though evangelical, is expressed in the language of the Old Testament. An account is given of the glory of the Lord returning to the house, and the way he did, and his taking possession of it, which the prophet was favoured with a view of, Ezekiel 43:1, a promise is made of his continuance there, provided his people behaved as they should, Ezekiel 43:6, an order is given to the prophet, to show them the form and fashion, the laws, orders, and ordinances of the house to them, to be observed by them, Ezekiel 43:10, then follows the measuring of the altar of burnt offerings; which, though measured before in chapter forty, the dimensions are here given, Ezekiel 43:13, and the chapter is concluded with directions about the consecration of it, Ezekiel 43:18.
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, Hebrews 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.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.