1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:

2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel 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, 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 by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

5 So the spirit 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 unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

7 And he said unto me, Son of man, 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 for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

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 goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms 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 is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

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 higher place of the altar.

14 And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

15 So the altar 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 settle 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.

18 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God; 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 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord God, a young bullock for a sin offering.

20 And thou 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 shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.

22 And on the second day thou shalt 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 thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

24 And thou shalt offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the Lord.

25 Seven days shalt thou 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 purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.

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, saith the Lord God.

Commentary

Verse 1

Bible Cross References
Ezekiel 10:19 Ezekiel 40:6 Ezekiel 42:15 Ezekiel 43:4 Ezekiel 44:1 Ezekiel 46:1

Verse 2

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Came - When the glory departed, it went eastward, and now it returns, it comes from the east. And his voice - Though by the voice of God, thunder is sometimes meant, yet here it was an articulate voice.
McArther Bible Commentary
the glory of the God of Israel. In earlier chapters of this prophecy, emphasis was given to the departure of God's glory from the temple (see chs. 8-11). Thus, the Lord abandoned His people to destruction and dispersion. Here, in the millennial temple, the glory of God returns to dwell. His glory will be manifest in fullness in the future kingdom, after the Lord's second advent, which is also to be glorious (Mat 16:27; Eze 25:31). Verses Eze 43:1-12 describe God's glorious entrance into the sanctuary. came from … the east. The glory had been in the tabernacle (Exo 40:34-35) and the temple (1Ki 8:10-11), though not in Zerubbabel's temple. Here, the Lord returns to be Israel's King. The glory departed to the east from Israel (Eze 11:23) when God judged them, so the glory returns from the east when He has regathered them and is restoring their worship.
Bible Cross References
Revelation 1:15 Revelation 14:2 Revelation 18:1 Revelation 21:11 Isaiah 6:3 Isaiah 17:12 Ezekiel 1:24 Ezekiel 1:28 Ezekiel 3:23 Ezekiel 10:4 Ezekiel 10:18 Ezekiel 10:19 Ezekiel 11:22 Ezekiel 11:23 Ezekiel 43:4 Ezekiel 44:2

Verse 3

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
And it - This glory of the God of Israel. To destroy - To declare, that their sins would ruin their city, (Ezekiel 9:3-4) . I fell - Overwhelmed, and as it were swallowed up.
McArther Bible Commentary
like the … vision. This appearance of God to Ezekiel is glorious, just as the vision in chapters 8-11, which pictures His coming, by angels, to judge Jerusalem (cf. Eze 9:3-11; Eze 10:4-7). like the vision … by the River Chebar. God's appearance is also glorious as in the vision of Eze 1:3-28. I fell on my face. Just as in the other visions of God's glory (Eze 1:28; Eze 9:8). Cf. Rev 1:12-17.
Bible Cross References
Jeremiah 1:10 Ezekiel 1:3 Ezekiel 1:4 Ezekiel 1:28 Ezekiel 3:23 Ezekiel 9:1 Ezekiel 9:5 Ezekiel 10:20 Ezekiel 32:18 Ezekiel 44:4

Verse 4

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Came - The sins of Israel caused the glory of the Lord to go out of his house, now the repentance of Israel is blest with the return of this glory.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 40:34 Ezekiel 1:28 Ezekiel 10:19 Ezekiel 11:23 Ezekiel 43:1 Ezekiel 43:2 Ezekiel 44:4

Verse 5

McArther Bible Commentary
the glory … filled the temple. The future kingdom glory of God will fill His temple (Zec 2:5), as He filled Moses' tabernacle (Exo 40:34) and later Solomon's temple (1Ki 8:11; Psa 29:9).
Bible Cross References
Acts 8:39 2 Corinthians 12:2 Ezekiel 1:28 Ezekiel 3:14 Ezekiel 8:3 Ezekiel 10:4 Ezekiel 11:1 Ezekiel 11:24 Ezekiel 37:1 Ezekiel 44:4

Verse 6

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
The man - Christ. Stood - To encourage, and strengthen him.
Bible Cross References
Ezekiel 1:26 Ezekiel 40:3

Verse 7

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
He - The glorious God of Israel. My throne - The throne of his grace is in his temple; in the dispensations of grace, God manifests himself a king. My feet - Speaking after the manner of men, and expressing his abode and rest, in his temple, as the type, in his church, as the antitype. In their high places - Perhaps some kings were buried in the temples of their idols, near the idols they worshipped.
McArther Bible Commentary
the place of My throne. The King of glory (Psa 24:7-10) claims the millennial temple as His place to dwell. Cf. 1Ch 29:23; Zec 6:13. There will be human, unresurrected people in the kingdom, who entered when Christ returned and destroyed all the wicked. They will worship at this actual temple.
Bible Cross References
Leviticus 26:30 Psalm 46:5 Psalm 47:8 Jeremiah 3:17 Ezekiel 1:26 Ezekiel 6:5 Ezekiel 6:13 Ezekiel 20:39 Ezekiel 37:26 Ezekiel 37:28 Ezekiel 43:9

Verse 8

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Their threshold - The kings of Judah and Israel, built temples and altars for their idols, and these are called their thresholds. They erected these in the courts, or near the courts of the temple. Abominations - Idolatries, and wickednesses not to be named.
McArther Bible Commentary
The future temple will be most holy, protected from (1) harlotry such as the Israelites had engaged in (2Ki 23:7) and (2) defiling tombs of kings that Israel had allowed in the sacred temple area (Eze 21:18).
Bible Cross References
Exodus 12:7 Judges 19:27 Ezekiel 8:3 Ezekiel 8:16

Verse 9

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Far from me - From my temple.
Bible Cross References
Psalm 46:5 Ezekiel 18:30 Ezekiel 18:31 Ezekiel 37:26 Ezekiel 43:7

Verse 10

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Son of man - Ezekiel, who is called thus above eighty times in this book. Shew - Describe it to them in all the parts. To the house - To the rulers, prophets, and priests especially, not excluding others. Their iniquities - When they shall blush to see what glory their iniquities had ruined.
McArther Bible Commentary
Here is the key to the entire vision of chapters 40-48. These glorious future plans show how much Israel forfeited by their sins. Every detail should produce repentance in Ezekiel's hearers and readers.
Bible Cross References
Ezekiel 16:61 Ezekiel 16:63 Ezekiel 28:12 Ezekiel 40:4 Ezekiel 43:11 Ezekiel 44:5

Verse 11

Bible Cross References
Ezekiel 11:20 Ezekiel 12:3 Ezekiel 36:27 Ezekiel 43:10 Ezekiel 44:5

Verse 12

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
The law - This is the first comprehensive rule: holiness becomes God's house; and this relative holiness referred to personal and real holiness. The top - The whole circuit of this mountain shall be holy, but the top of it on which the temple stands, shall be most holy.
Bible Cross References
Ezekiel 20:40 Ezekiel 40:2 Micah 4:1

Verse 13

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
The altar - Of burnt - offerings. And an hand - breath - The sacred cubit, three inches longer than the common cubit. The bottom - The ledge or settle, fastened to the altar on all sides at the bottom, shall be a cubit in height. The breadth - From the edge of this bench on the outside to the edge where it joined the body of the altar, a cubit, and this the breadth, twenty one inches, broad enough for the priests to walk on. Border - A ledge going round on all the squares. The edge - On the outer edge of this settle a span high. The back - As the back bears burdens, so this was to bear the weight of the whole altar.
McArther Bible Commentary
the altar. The measurements of the altar of burnt offering are given in verses Eze 43:13-17, then the offerings are described (Eze 43:18-27). These offerings are not efficacious, nor were the OT sacrifices. They were all symbolic of death for sin. They do not take away sin (cf. Heb 10:4). They were prospective; these will be retrospective.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 25:25 Exodus 27:1 2 Chronicles 4:1 Ezekiel 40:5 Ezekiel 41:8

Verse 14

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
From the bottom - From the first ledge, which was a cubit broad, and a cubit high from the ground. To the lower - To the top of that square settle, which is called lower, because another settle is raised upon it. Two cubits - In height. The lesser - From the highest edge of the uppermost settle, down to the cubit broad ledge about the lower settle. The greater - So called, because it exceeded the upper settle a cubit in breadth. Four cubits - ln height.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 27:5 Ezekiel 43:17 Ezekiel 43:20 Ezekiel 45:19

Verse 15

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Four cubits - In height. From the altar - From the top of the altar.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 27:2 Leviticus 9:9 1 Kings 1:50 Psalm 118:27 Ezekiel 43:20

Verse 16

Bible Cross References
Exodus 27:1 1 Kings 8:51

Verse 17

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Stairs - Or steps, for such they needed, (probably each stair about one fourth of a cubit,) to carry them, up to the first and second settles.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 20:26 Ezekiel 40:6 Ezekiel 43:14 Ezekiel 43:20 Ezekiel 45:19

Verse 18

Bible Cross References
Hebrews 9:21 Hebrews 9:22 Exodus 40:29 Leviticus 1:5 Leviticus 1:11 Ezekiel 2:1

Verse 19

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Give - Direct, or command that it be given.
McArther Bible Commentary
a young bull for a sin offering. Exact offerings, in language just as definitive as the literal descriptions in Moses' day, are also just as literal here. They are of a memorial nature; they are not efficacious any more than OT sacrifices were. As OT sacrifices pointed forward to Christ's death, so these are tangible expressions, not competing with, but pointing back to the value of Christ's completely effective sacrifice, once for all (Heb 9:28; Heb 10:10). God at that time endorsed OT offerings as tokens of forgiving and cleansing worshipers on the basis and credit of the great Lamb they pointed forward to. He alone could take away sins (Joh 1:29). The tangible expressions of worship, which the Israelites for so long failed to offer validly (cf. Isa 1:11-15), will at last be offered acceptably, then with full understanding about the Lamb of God to whom they point. The bread and the cup, which contemporary believers find meaningful, do not compete with Christ's cross, but are tangible memorials of its glory. So will these sacrifices be. seed of Zadok. Cf. Eze 40:46 and Eze 44:10, and see notes there.
Bible Cross References
Hebrews 7:27 Leviticus 4:3 Leviticus 8:14 Numbers 16:5 Numbers 16:40 1 Kings 2:35 Ezekiel 40:46 Ezekiel 43:23 Ezekiel 44:15 Ezekiel 45:4 Ezekiel 45:18 Ezekiel 45:19

Verse 20

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Shalt take - Appoint it to be taken.
Bible Cross References
Leviticus 8:15 Leviticus 9:9 Leviticus 16:18 Leviticus 16:19 Ezekiel 43:14 Ezekiel 43:15 Ezekiel 43:17 Ezekiel 43:22 Ezekiel 43:26 Ezekiel 45:19

Verse 21

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
He - The priest. In the appointed place - That is, in the court of the house, and on the altar appointed; this is the first day's sacrifice.
Bible Cross References
Hebrews 13:11 Exodus 29:14 Leviticus 4:12

Verse 22

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
They - The priests in attendance.
Bible Cross References
Leviticus 1:10 Leviticus 16:18 Ezekiel 43:20 Ezekiel 43:25 Ezekiel 43:26 Ezekiel 45:18

Verse 23

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Shalt offer - On the third day, and so on, through seven days.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 29:1 Exodus 29:10 Ezekiel 43:19 Ezekiel 45:18

Verse 24

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Shalt offer - Direct them to offer. Salt - It may allude to the perpetuity of the covenant thus made by sacrifice.
McArther Bible Commentary
salt. Cf. Lev 2:13. burnt offering. As the sin offering is a part of future millennial worship (Eze 43:19), so there are other offerings also (cf. LeEze 43:1-7). The burnt offering, denoting full consecration to God is one; the peace offering expressing gratitude for peace with God in covenant bonds is another (Eze 43:27).
Bible Cross References
Mark 9:49 Mark 9:50 Colossians 4:6 Leviticus 2:13 Numbers 18:19

Verse 25

McArther Bible Commentary
without blemish. Commemorative of Christ's unblemished perfection.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 29:35 Leviticus 8:33 Leviticus 8:35 Ezekiel 43:22 Ezekiel 43:26

Verse 26

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
They - The priests in course.
Bible Cross References
Ezekiel 43:20 Ezekiel 43:22 Ezekiel 43:25 Ezekiel 43:27 Ezekiel 45:18

Verse 27

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
I will accept you - Those that give themselves to God, shall be accepted of God, their persons first, and then their performances, through the mediator.
Bible Cross References
Leviticus 3:1 Leviticus 9:1 Leviticus 17:5 Ezekiel 20:40 Ezekiel 43:26 Ezekiel 45:17