Ezekiel 43:1-12

Return of the divine glory

1 Then he led me to the East Gate,
2 where the glory of Israel's God was coming in from the east. Its sound was like the sound of a mighty flood, and the earth was lit up with his glory.
3 What appeared when I looked was like what I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and also like what I saw at the Chebar River, and I fell on my face.
4 Then the LORD's glory came into the temple by way of the East Gate.
5 A wind picked me up and brought me to the inner courtyard, and there the LORD's glory filled the temple.
6 A man was standing next to me, but the voice that I heard came from inside the temple.
7 He said to me, Human one, this is the place for my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, with their disloyalties and with their kings' corpses at the shrines.
8 When they set their plazas with mine and their doorposts next to mine, the wall was between us. They defiled my holy name with their detestable practices, so I consumed them in my anger.
9 Now let them remove their disloyalties and their kings' corpses from me, and I will dwell among them forever.
10 You, human one, describe the temple to the house of Israel. Let them be humiliated because of their guilt when they think about its design.
11 When they feel humiliated by all that they have done, make known to them the shape of the temple and its adornment, its exits and its entrances, its entire plan and all of its regulations. Write them down in their sight so that they may observe all of its entire plan and all its regulations and perform them.
12 These are the instructions for the temple: the top of the mountain, as well as its boundaries all around, are most holy. These are the instructions for the temple.

Ezekiel 43:1-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 43

The temple or house of God being measured, the worship of God in it is pointed out and observed in this and the following chapter; and which, though evangelical, is expressed in the language of the Old Testament. An account is given of the glory of the Lord returning to the house, and the way he did, and his taking possession of it, which the prophet was favoured with a view of, Eze 43:1-5, a promise is made of his continuance there, provided his people behaved as they should, Eze 43:6-9, an order is given to the prophet, to show them the form and fashion, the laws, orders, and ordinances of the house to them, to be observed by them, Eze 43:10-12, then follows the measuring of the altar of burnt offerings; which, though measured before in chapter forty, the dimensions are here given, Eze 43:13-17, and the chapter is concluded with directions about the consecration of it, Eze 43:18-27.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Vulg; MT I
  • [b]. Or prostitution
  • [c]. Or thresholds
  • [d]. LXX; MT adds and all of its structures and all of its instructions.
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