Ezekiel Chapter 43
1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks towards the east.
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.
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 LORD's glory came into the house by the way of the gate which faces towards the east.
5 The Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the LORD's glory 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 amongst 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;
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.
9 Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me. Then I will dwell amongst 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 are 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 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.
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.
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 wide, square in its four sides.
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 towards the east."
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.
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.
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.
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 defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull.
23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without defect, and a ram out of the flock without defect.
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.
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.
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. Then I will accept you,' says the Lord GOD."
Footnotes
- Verse 13 (Cubit)
- A 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 centimetres.
- Verse 13 (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.)
Version: World English Bible
- About World English Bible (WEB)
- WEB Glossary
- WEB Web Site (source documents)
- Bible on one web page
- Download WEB (for MS Word)
Audio
To Listen to this Chapter
The mp3 Audio File should start to play in a new Tab. Then return to this Tab to follow the text whilst listening.
Ezekiel Chapter 43 Guide
The prophet's next vision was of Jehovah's return to the Temple. Again he beheld a vision and heard a voice. The visions which he had seen by the river Chebar appeared again. The same glory on which he had gazed when he came to destroy the city, that is, to utter his predictions concerning its destruction, appeared in this great hour of restoration, when Jehovah, so long exiled from His Temple, returned to it. The voice of Jehovah was as the sound of many waters, but in speaking to Ezekiel it became the voice of a man, and declared that Jehovah had taken up His abode in the house, that He would dwell in the midst of Israel forever, and that she should no more defile His holy name.
In the sequence of the prophecy a parenthesis occurs in which Ezekiel was charged to show the house of Israel this future glory, in order that they might be ashamed of their iniquities. To those who were ashamed, he was, moreover, charged to make known in detail the form and fashion of the house, and to declare its law.
Returning to the sequence of the message concerning the return of Jehovah, the prophet described the altar of burnt-offering, giving its measurements and a description of the ceremonies of its consecration and of its use.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Ezekiel Chapter 43 Commentary
Verses 1-27
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, Heb. 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.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.