Ezekiel 43:1-12

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

1 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,

2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.

3 The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he^[a] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.

4 The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east.

5 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple.

7 He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings^[b] for their kings at their death.^[c]

8 When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger.

9 Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.

10 “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider its perfection,

11 and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations^[d] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.

12 “This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of 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.

Cross References

• 1. S 1 Chronicles 9:18; S Ezekiel 8:16; Ezekiel 10:19; Ezekiel 42:15; Ezekiel 44:1; Ezekiel 46:1
• 2. S Psalms 18:4; S Revelation 1:15
• 3. Isaiah 6:3; Ezekiel 11:23; Revelation 18:1; Revelation 21:11
• 4. Ezekiel 1:28
• 5. Ezekiel 10:19; Ezekiel 44:2
• 6. S Ezekiel 11:24
• 7. S Ezekiel 3:12; Ezekiel 8:3
• 8. S Exodus 16:7
• 9. S Isaiah 6:4
• 10. S Jeremiah 3:17
• 11. S Ezekiel 37:23
• 12. S Leviticus 26:30; S Ezekiel 20:29,39
• 13. Ezekiel 37:26-28
• 14. S Ezekiel 16:61
• 15. Ezekiel 44:5
• 16. Ezekiel 42:20; Ezekiel 40:2
• 17. S Ezekiel 17:22

Footnotes

• [a]. Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts "I"
• [b]. Or "the memorial monuments" ; also in verse 9
• [c]. Or "their high places"
• [d]. Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts "regulations and its whole design"