Ezekiel 43)
1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east:
2 And, behold, the glory (in 11:23 he had seen this glory quitting the Temple) of the God of Israel (see Isa. 29:23) 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 (see 1:28; 3:23), 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.
4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house (not Solomon's Temple, but the Temple which he had been shown in vision [ch. 41 & 42]) by the way of the gate (not the present gate on the east side of the Temple area, but that of the future Temple [40:6; 42:15; 44:1; 46:1]) whose prospect is toward the east.
5 So the spirit (see 8:3) took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
6 And I heard Him speaking to me out of the house; and the man was standing by me.
7 And He said to me, "Son of man, [This is] the place of My throne (not the ark, as in Solomon's Temple. There is no ark here), and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel for ever (cp. Pss. 68:18; 132:14. Joel 3:17. Showing that this prophecy yet waits for its fulfillment), and My holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom (always put for idolatry), nor by the carcasses of their kings (cp. Lev. 26:30) in their high places (or, in their death).
8 In their setting of their threshold by My thresholds, and their post by My posts, and the wall between Me and them (cp. 2 Kings 16:14,15; 21:4-7; 23:11,12. 2 Chron. 33:4,7), they have even defiled My holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in My anger.
9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their kings, far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.
10 You therefore son of man (this is yet future, and involves the fulfillment of ch. 37, for Ezekiel and the whole nation), show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the arrangement. (This will be the evidence, to the new nation, that all this prophecy, and Ezekiel's part in it, is of Yehovah.)
11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the exits thereof, and the entrances thereof, and all the models 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 will be the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be the holy of holies (cp. Ps. 93:5. Joel 3:17. Zech. 14:20,21. Rev. 21:27). Behold, this is the law of the house.
F2 R1 13-17. The Altar. Itself.
R1 18-27. The Altar. Its ordinances.
13 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 pit of the altar. (I.e. the ash-pit)
14 And from the hollow upon the ground even to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit. (The altar will be thus narrowed at the top. The height and breadth will be the same as Solomon's, except that this will have these ledges for the priests to walk round.)
15 So the hearth shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.
16 And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.
17 And the ledge 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. (Steps were forbidden in Ex. 20:26: but may be permitted here.)
R2 o 18-21. 1st day. Separate
p 22-24. 2nd day. "
o 25,26. 7 days. Collective.
p 27. 8 days. "
18 And he said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD; 'These are the ordinances of the altar in the day (this day is yet future) when they shall make it (compared with the Mosaic tabernacle, the ritual began with the consecration of the priests [Lev. 8:1-10]; here, they are already consecrated [vv.19,16]. In Lev. 8:11, the altar was anointed with the holy oil; here, no anointing, and the priests are only from Zadock's line [cp. 40:46; 44:15]. In Ex. 39:26, a bullock offered on 7 consecutive days; here only once, and on the other days a kid of the goats. The offering here [vv.18-27] are National and Priestly [the Priest representing the Nation]; not individual, for there will be no day of atonement. The sacrifices will not therefore be as when under the law), to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to dash (or throw. This expression is exclusively technical) blood thereon.
19 And you (testifying to the share of Ezekiels "in the day when", &c.) shall give to the priests the Levites (referring to the distinction between the Levitical priests and all other priests [heathen, Israelitish, or tribal]. See Deut. 17:9) that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach to Me, to minister to Me, says the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.
20 And you 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 shall you cleanse and purge it.
21 You shall take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary. (See Ex. 29:14)
22 And on the second day you shall 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.
23 When you have made an end of cleansing it, you shall offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.
24 And you shall offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them (this was not done in this case under the Mosaic law. Cp. Lev. 2:13), and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to the LORD.
25 Seven days shall you 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.
26 Seven days shall they atone for the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate it. (See Ex. 28:41. Lev. 9:17)
27 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 (nationally, not individually), says the Lord GOD."