Ezekiel 43

The Lord 's Glory Returns to the Temple

1The man took me back to the east gate of the temple,

2where I saw the brightness of the glory of Israel's God coming from the east. The sound I heard was as loud as ocean waves, and everything around was shining with the dazzling brightness of his glory.[#Ez 10.3,4,18,19; 11.22,23; Rev 1.15.]

3This vision was like the one I had seen when God came to destroy Jerusalem and like the one I had seen near the Chebar River.

I immediately bowed with my face to the ground,

4and the Lord 's glory came through the east gate and into the temple.[#43.4 This was the same gate the 's glory went through when it left Jerusalem (see 10.19 and 11.22,23).]

5The Lord 's Spirit lifted me to my feet and carried me to the inner courtyard, where I saw that the Lord 's glory had filled the temple.

6The man was standing beside me, and I heard the Lord say from inside the temple:[#43.6 Hebrew “a voice.”]

The Altar

13According to the official standards, the altar in the temple had the following measurements: Around the bottom of the altar was a gutter 50 centimeters wide and 50 centimeters deep, with a 25-centimeter ledge on the outer rim.[#Ex 27.1,2; 2 Ch 4.1.]

14-15-16-17The altar rested on a base and had three sections, each one of them square. The bottom section was 8 meters on each side and one meter high. The middle section was 7 meters on each side and 2 meters high, and it had a 25-centimeter rim around its outer edge. The top section, which was 6 meters on each side and 2 meters high, was the place where sacrifices were burned, and the four corners of the top section looked like the horns of a bull. The steps leading up to the altar were on the east side.

The Dedication of the Altar

18The Lord God said:[#Ex 29.35-37; 1 Macc 4.52-56.]

Ezekiel, son of man, after the altar is built, it must be dedicated by offering sacrifices on it and by splattering it with blood. Here is what you must do:

19The priests of the Levi tribe from the family of Zadok the priest are the only ones who may serve in my temple—this is my law. So give them a young bull to slaughter as a sacrifice for sin.

20Take some of the animal's blood and smear it on the four corners of the altar, some on the corners of the middle section, and some more on the rim around its edge. That will purify the altar and make it fit for offering sacrifices to me.

21Then take the body of the bull outside the temple area and burn it at the special place.

22The next day, a goat that has nothing wrong with it must be offered as a sacrifice for sin. Purify the altar with its blood, just as you did with the blood of the bull.[#43.22 Hebrew “male goat.”]

23Then choose a young bull and a young ram that have nothing wrong with them,

24and bring them to my temple. The priests will sprinkle salt on them and offer them as sacrifices to please me.[#43.24 See Leviticus 2.13.; #43.24 See the note at 40.38,39.]

25Each day for the next seven days, you must offer a goat and a bull and a ram as sacrifices for sin. These animals must have nothing wrong with them.

26The priests will purify the altar during those days, so that it will be acceptable to me and ready to use.

27From then on, the priests will use this altar to offer sacrifices to please me and sacrifices to ask my blessing. Then I will be pleased with the people of Israel. I, the Lord God, have spoken.[#43.27 These sacrifices have traditionally been called “peace offerings” or “offerings of well-being.” A main purpose was to ask for the 's blessing, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called “sacrifices to ask the 's blessing.”]

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Published by: American Bible Society