top of page

Ezekiel 43

Ezekiel 43 describes a powerful vision Ezekiel received of God’s glory returning to the temple. After many chapters detailing the future temple’s layout and the restored worship system, this chapter focuses on God’s re-establishment of His presence among His people. This return signifies God’s renewed relationship with Israel and His blessing over the people in their land. The chapter emphasizes the holiness of God’s presence and the importance of purity and obedience in Israel’s worship practices.

Ezekiel 43:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east.
2 And 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 shone with His glory.
3 It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
4 And the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.
5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

Ezekiel sees the glory of God returning to the temple from the east, reminiscent of his earlier visions by the River Chebar. The sound of God’s voice is overwhelming, symbolizing His authority and power. God’s glory illuminating the earth highlights the extent of His holiness. This divine re-entry into the temple emphasizes the significance of God’s presence with His people, as Ezekiel is awestruck and humbled by the sight.

Ezekiel 43:6-9 (NKJV)
6 Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me.
7 And 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. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places.
8 When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger.
9 Now let them put their harlotry and the carcasses of their kings far away from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

God declares the temple as His permanent dwelling, a place of holiness free from past defilements. He calls Israel to abandon idolatrous practices and cleanse themselves from impurity. Instructing them to separate from former ways, God invites a restored relationship, stressing His commitment to dwell among them eternally if they remain faithful. This underscores the seriousness of maintaining holiness in His presence.

Ezekiel 43:10-12 (NKJV)
10 “Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.
11 And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them.
12 This is the law of the temple: The whole area surrounding the mountaintop is most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.

God instructs Ezekiel to reveal the temple’s design to the people as a reminder of their past sins and a call to repentance. By detailing the structure and laws, God aims to inspire reverence and a renewed commitment to obedience. The emphasis on holiness reminds Israel that only through reverence and purity can they maintain a relationship with Him. This description is not only architectural but also deeply symbolic, emphasizing spiritual dedication.

Ezekiel 43:13-17 (NKJV)
13 “These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (the cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth): the base, one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. This is the height of the altar:
14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits; and the width of the ledge, one cubit.
15 The altar hearth is four cubits high, with four horns extending upward from the hearth.
16 The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, square at its four corners;
17 the ledge, fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it; its base, one cubit all around; and its steps face toward the east.”

The altar’s measurements convey precision, symmetry, and care in design, reflecting the importance of orderly worship. The altar, central to sacrificial rituals, emphasizes the purification and atonement necessary to approach God. Each detail serves to instill respect and focus in the Israelites, reminding them that worship is a sacred, structured act set apart from the profane.

Ezekiel 43:18-21 (NKJV)
18 And He said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord God: ‘These are the ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificing burnt offerings on it, and for sprinkling blood on it.
19 You shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,’ says the Lord God.
20 You shall 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 around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.
21 Then you shall also take the bull of the sin offering and burn it in the appointed place of the temple, outside the sanctuary.

God details the sacrificial rites for consecrating the altar, stressing purification as a prerequisite for worship. The ritual of blood application represents atonement, cleansing the altar for its holy purpose. By assigning this duty to the priestly line of Zadok, God emphasizes both lineage and purity in service, reminding Israel of the gravity of approaching Him with respect and reverence.

Ezekiel 43:22-27 (NKJV)
22 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 cleansed it with the bull.
23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish and a ram from the flock, both without blemish.
24 When you offer them before the Lord, the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25 Every day for seven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish.
26 Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so consecrate it.
27 When these days are over, it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord God.”

The seven-day purification process signifies complete dedication and the need for a cleansed altar before any regular sacrifices commence. Salt, symbolizing covenant and preservation, is used to enhance the offerings. After this period, the altar is fully prepared, allowing the people to worship in a manner acceptable to God. Through these steps, Israel is reminded of the sacred nature of worship and God’s willingness to accept them if they follow His ordinances.

bottom of page