BOOK 26 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Ezekiel 43

Ezekiel book home•Chapter 43 of 48•27 verses

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Ezekiel 43 Overview

The glory of the God of Israel returns from the east with a sound like many waters and fills the temple, reversing the departure seen earlier. The LORD declares this the place of His throne among Israel, commands the people to put away defilement, and gives instructions for the altar’s dimensions, cleansing, and consecration.

EzekielBook

43Chapter

27Verses

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Before you read Ezekiel 43

Coming from

Ezekiel is shown priestly chambers beside the temple courts, with different levels and dimensions. The rooms are designated for priests to eat holy offerings and store holy garments. The man then measures the entire temple precinct as a square, with a wall separating the holy from the common.

In this chapter

Leads into

Because the LORD’s glory entered through the east gate, that gate is shut, while the prince has a special place connected with it. The LORD rebukes earlier admission of uncircumcised foreigners into sanctuary service, distinguishes Levites who went astray from the sons of Zadok who remained faithful, and sets detailed priestly holiness rules.

Key understandingExplore deeper

This is the emotional and theological climax of the temple vision: the same glory Ezekiel saw depart toward the east now returns from the east. The restoration of sacred architecture matters because the LORD’s presence comes back to dwell among His people.

The altar rites create an interpretive challenge for Christians because Hebrews teaches Christ’s sacrifice is once for all. Various views understand Ezekiel’s sacrifices as memorial, ceremonial, symbolic, or belonging to an idealized Old Testament-form vision; no reading should make them rival Christ’s completed atonement.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

God’s restored presence is the heart of true restoration

Measurements alone would be empty without the glory of the LORD filling the house.

Past defilement must not be repeated

The LORD recalls the abominations that caused His sanctuary to be profaned and calls Israel to put them away.

Worship approaches God on His terms

Even in a restoration vision, the altar is measured and consecrated according to revealed instruction.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Ezekiel 10–11

The glory’s eastward departure is now deliberately reversed by an eastward return.

1 Kings 8:10-11

The glory also filled Solomon’s temple at its dedication, preventing priests from standing to minister.

Hebrews 10:10-14

Christ’s one offering perfects forever those sanctified, so Ezekiel’s altar vision cannot be interpreted as a future competing sin-atonement system.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not miss the deliberate reversal of the earlier glory departure.

The book’s movement from defiled temple to returned presence is essential to interpreting chapters 40–48.

Do not say animal blood in Ezekiel’s vision replaces or supplements Christ’s atonement.

The New Testament explicitly teaches the final sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice; proposed temple interpretations must honor that clarity.

Read Ezekiel 43 watching for…

the glory coming from the east

the sound like many waters

the house filled with glory

the throne/dwelling declaration

the altar measurements and seven-day consecration

Chapter outline4 sections

1-6The glory of the God of Israel returns from the east and fills the house 7-12The LORD declares the house the place of his throne and calls Israel to put away defilement 13-17The altar’s measurements and structure are given 18-27Seven days of sacrifices consecrate the altar so offerings may be accepted

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

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.

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.

And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.

And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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Ezekiel 43:7

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