Ezekiel 43
[Ezekiel 43:1] AFTERWARD HE BROUGHT ME TO THE GATE, EVEN THE GATE THAT LOOKETH TOWARD THE EAST:
[Ezekiel 43:2] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:3] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:4] AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD CAME INTO THE HOUSE BY THE
WAY OF THE GATE WHOSE PROSPECT IS TOWARD THE EAST.
[Ezekiel 43:5] SO THE SPIRIT TOOK ME UP, AND BROUGHT ME INTO THE INNER
COURT; AND, BEHOLD, THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE HOUSE.
Ezekiel in a vision is taken into the courtyard of the future Temple.
[Ezekiel 43:6] AND I HEARD HIM SPEAKING UNTO ME OUT OF THE HOUSE; AND THE MAN STOOD BY ME.
[Ezekiel 43:7] 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.
<<WHERE I WILL DWELL IN THE MIDST OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
FOR EVER>>: God will once again make His presence intensely felt in
the midst of His people. The center of this feeling will be in the future
Temple in Jerusalem. God is indeed everywhere and can be (and should be)
approached from anywhere. Nevertheless, God so wants for reasons of His own
that His presence should be more intensely accessible from the Holy Land
and within the Holy land from Jerusalem and within Jerusalem from the future
Temple after it has been rebuilt.
[Ezekiel 43:8] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:9] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:10] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:11] 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.
<<ASHAMED OF ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE>>: We have all sinned. Both
Judah and Israel (the Ten Tribes) have offended grievously. We all must
repent. On a national level the fact that the Temple was destroyed and has
not yet been rebuilt is somehow due to the sins of both Houses of Israel.
The Return of the Lost Ten tribes is connected with the rebuilding of the
Temple. As long as this does not take place indicates that we are lacking
and have not repented sufficiently of our misdeeds and wrong attitudes both
as individuals and as communities. The Spread of Brit-Am identity knowledge
is a first step in national repentance. It is an obligation. We all have a
duty to do the utmost we can to help spread this knowledge.
[Ezekiel 43:12] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:13] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:14] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:15] SO THE ALTAR SHALL BE FOUR CUBITS; AND FROM THE ALTAR AND UPWARD SHALL BE FOUR HORNS.
[Ezekiel 43:16] AND THE ALTAR SHALL BE TWELVE CUBITS LONG, TWELVE BROAD, SQUARE IN THE FOUR SQUARES THEREOF.
[Ezekiel 43:17] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:18] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:19] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:20] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:21] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:22] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:23] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:24] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:25] 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.
[Ezekiel 43:26] SEVEN DAYS SHALL THEY PURGE THE ALTAR AND PURIFY IT; AND THEY SHALL CONSECRATE THEMSELVES.
[Ezekiel 43:27] 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.
<<AND I WILL ACCEPT YOU>>: We will cause offerings to be made in the future
Temple and these shall atone for our sins and shortcomings. This is a
psychological factor in repentance. We do something bad because we allow
lust, or bad moods, or even carelessness to overtake us. In principle if we
repent we can be forgiven. It is not always so easy however. It is often
difficult to feel really sorry for what we have done. We can never be sure
that we would not do the same thing, or something worse, in similar
circumstances. Also, we do not always realize the gravity of what we have
done or we cannot be sure how much of what happened was our own fault and
how much was beyond our control or the fault of others. Sacrifices come to
solve this problem. In Hebrew the word for sacrifice is "korban" from
the root "KRB" to draw closer. We repent by wanting to make things
better, by wanting to draw closer to God and in general regretting whatever
faults we have and our bad deeds. We then offer sacrifice and God forgives
us even though we were unable to forgive ourselves. We are purified. We are
drawn closer. In our time we do not have a Temple and cannot offer up a
physical sacrifice BUT we can offer up time, energy, money for good causes.
We can always turn things around in a positive direction. God wants your
good. Charity begins at home. Good comes out of good people. We can learn
to be good people by being better towards those around us. A person who
tries to be good to his family and to others will feel good and will be
able to be good towards himself.
home
Ezekiel Index
chapter 44