Ezekiel 43

Return of the Lord’s Glory

43He led me to the gate, ^uthe one that faces east, ²and I saw the glory of the God of Israel ^vcoming from the east. ^wHis voice sounded like the roar of mighty waters, ^xand the earth shone with His glory. ^y3The vision I saw ^zwas like the one I had seen when He ^acame to destroy the city, ^band like the ones I had seen by the Chebar Canal. ^cI fell facedown. ^d4The glory of the Lord entered the temple by way of the gate that faced east. ^e5Then the Spirit lifted me up ^fand brought me to the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. ^g

⁶While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from the temple. ^h7He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, ⁱwhere I will dwell among the Israelites forever. ^jThe house of Israel and their kings will no longer defile My holy name by their religious prostitution and by the corpses ^klof their kings at their high places. ^mn8Whenever they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they were defiling My holy name by the detestable acts they committed. ^oSo I destroyed them in My anger. ⁹Now let them remove their prostitution and the corpses ^pqof their kings far from Me, and I will dwell among them forever. ^r

¹⁰“As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, ^sso that they may be ashamed of their iniquities. ^tLet them measure its pattern, ^u11and they will be ashamed of all that they have done. Reveal ^vthe design of the temple to them—its layout with its exits and entrances ^w—its complete design along with all its statutes, design specifications, and laws. Write it down in their sight ^xso that they may observe its complete design and all its statutes and may carry them out. ^y12This is the law of the temple: all its surrounding territory on top of the mountain ^zwill be especially holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.

The Altar

¹³“These are the measurements of the altar ^ain units of length (each unit being the standard length plus three inches ^b): ^cthe gutter is 21 inches ^ddeep and 21 inches wide, with a rim of nine inches ^earound its edge. This is the base ^fof the altar. ¹⁴The distance from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge is 3½ feet, ^gand the width of the ledge is 21 inches. ^hThere are seven feet ⁱfrom the small ledge to the large ledge, whose width is also 21 inches. ¹⁵The altar hearth ^jis seven feet ^khigh, and four horns ^lproject upward from the hearth. ¹⁶The hearth is square, 21 feet ^mlong by 21 feet wide. ⁿ¹⁷The ledge is 24½ feet ^olong by 24½ feet wide, with four equal sides. ^pThe rim all around it is 10½ inches, ^qand its gutter is 21 inches ^rall around it. The altar’s steps face east.” ^s

¹⁸Then He said to me: “Son of man, ^tthis is what the Lord God says: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings ^umay be sacrificed on it and blood may be sprinkled on it: ^v19You are to give a bull from the herd ^was a sin offering ^xto the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok, ^ywho approach Me in order to serve Me.” ^zThis is the declaration of the Lord God. ²⁰“You must take some of its blood and apply it to the four horns ^aof the altar, the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim. In this way you will purify the altar and make atonement for it. ^b21Then you must take away the bull for the sin offering, and it must be burned outside the sanctuary in the place appointed for the temple. ^c

²²“On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they did with the bull. ²³When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull ^dand an unblemished ram from the flock. ^e24You must present them before the Lord; the priests will throw salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord. ^f25You will offer a goat for a sin offering each day for seven days. ^gA young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished, must also be offered. ²⁶For seven days the priests are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it. In this way they will consecrate it ^h27and complete the days of purification. Then on the eighth day ⁱand afterward, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar, and I will accept you.” ^jThis is the declaration of the Lord God.