Ezekiel 43

The Glory of the LORD Returns

The Glory Fills the Temple

1 Then he brought me to the gate that faces east.

2 And I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice sounded like roaring waters, and the earth shined with His glory.

3 The vision I saw was like the vision I saw when He came to destroy the city, and like the visions I saw by the Kebar River. I fell facedown.

4 The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate that faces east.

5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and look, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

6 Then I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple while the man stood beside me.

7 He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no longer defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their prostitution and by the corpses of their kings at their high places.

8 When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorpost beside My doorpost, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy name by the disgusting things they did. So I consumed them in My anger.

9 Now let them put away their prostitution and the corpses of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell among them forever.

The Law of the Temple

10 As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel so they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them measure its plan.

11 If they are ashamed of everything they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its layout, exits, entrances, whole design, statutes, and laws. Write it down in their sight so they may keep its whole design and carry it out.

12 This is the law of the temple: All the area on top of the mountain all around will be most holy. This is the law of the temple.

The Altar Described

13 These are the measurements of the altar in cubits, each cubit a cubit and a handbreadth. The base was one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim of one span around it. This was the height of the altar.

14 From the base on the ground to the lower ledge was two cubits high and one cubit wide. From the smaller ledge to the larger ledge was four cubits high and one cubit wide.

15 The altar hearth was four cubits high, and from the altar hearth rose four horns.

16 The altar hearth was twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide, square on all four sides.

17 The ledge was fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide on all four sides. The rim around it was half a cubit wide, and its base was one cubit all around. Its steps faced east.

The Altar Consecrated

18 Then He said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, for offering burnt offerings on it and for sprinkling blood on it.

19 You are to give a bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests from the sons of Zadok, who come near to Me to minister to Me,” declares the Lord GOD.

20 “You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim all around. So you will cleanse it and make atonement for it.

21 Then take the bull of the sin offering and burn it in the appointed place of the temple, outside the sanctuary.

22 On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect as a sin offering, and they are to cleanse the altar as they cleansed it with the bull.

23 When you finish cleansing it, offer a bull from the herd without defect and a ram from the flock without defect.

24 Bring them before the LORD, and the priests are to throw salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.

25 For seven days you are to prepare a goat daily as a sin offering. They are also to prepare a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, both without defect.

26 For seven days they will make atonement for the altar, purifying it and consecrating it.

27 When the days are completed, from the eighth day on, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you,” declares the Lord GOD.