The glory returns, and the altar is made holy

43:1 Then he brought me to the gate that faced toward the east. 43:2 I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east; the sound was like that of rushing water; and the earth radiated his glory. 43:3 It was like the vision I saw when he came to destroy the city, and the vision I saw by the Kebar River. I threw myself face down. 43:4 The glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate that faces east. 43:5 Then a wind lifted me up and brought me to the inner court; I watched the glory of the Lord filling the temple. 43:6 I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man was standing beside me. 43:7 He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will live among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no longer profane my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their spiritual prostitution or by the pillars of their kings set up when they die. 43:8 When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorpost by my doorpost, with only the wall between me and them, they profaned my holy name by the abominable deeds they committed. So I consumed them in my anger. 43:9 Now they must put away their spiritual prostitution and the pillars of their kings far from me, and then I will live among them forever. 43:10 “As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they will be ashamed of their sins and measure the pattern. 43:11 When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design – all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire design and all its statutes and do them. 43:12 “This is the law of the temple: The entire area on top of the mountain all around will be most holy. Indeed, this is the law of the temple. 43:13 “And these are the measurements of the altar: Its base is 1¾ feet high, and 1¾ feet wide, and its border nine inches on its edge. This is to be the height of the altar. 43:14 From the base of the ground to the lower edge is 3½ feet, and the width 1¾ feet; and from the smaller ledge to the larger edge, 7 feet, and the width 1¾ feet; 43:15 and the altar hearth, 7 feet, and from the altar hearth four horns projecting upward. 43:16 Now the altar hearth is a perfect square, 21 feet long and 21 feet wide. 43:17 The ledge is 24½ feet long and 24½ feet wide on four sides; the border around it is 10½ inches, and its surrounding base 1¾ feet. Its steps face east.” 43:18 Then he said to me: “Son of man, this is what the sovereign Lord says: These are the statutes of the altar: On the day it is built to offer up burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it, 43:19 you will give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are descended from Zadok, who approach me to minister to me, declares the sovereign Lord. 43:20 You will take some of its blood, and place it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; you will cleanse it and make atonement for it. 43:21 You will also take the bull for the sin offering, and it will be burned in the appointed place in the temple, outside the sanctuary. 43:22 “On the second day, you will offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they purified it with the bull. 43:23 When you have finished purifying it, you will offer an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. 43:24 You will present them before the Lord, and the priests will scatter salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord. 43:25 “For seven days you will provide every day a goat for a sin offering; a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish, will be provided. 43:26 For seven days they will make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, so they will consecrate it. 43:27 When the prescribed period is over, on the eighth day and thereafter the priests will offer up on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; I will accept you, declares the sovereign Lord.”

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

God’s glory returns to the temple by the east gate. He explains that his holy presence means Israel must turn from sin and obey his pattern exactly. The altar is then purified and consecrated before regular worship can begin.

Ezekiel sees the glory of the God of Israel coming back into the temple. This is the same holy glory that had departed in judgment. When it returns, Ezekiel falls face down. God’s presence is powerful, and it must be treated with reverence.

God says the temple is the place of his throne and the place where he will live among his people. But that promise is joined to holiness. Israel had defiled his name through idolatry and other sins. Those sins had driven him away. Now they must put those defilements far from him.

God also tells Ezekiel to describe the temple to Israel so that they will be ashamed of their sins and obey his design. The pattern matters. Worship is not left to human invention. It must follow what God has revealed.

The chapter then turns to the altar. Before any regular offerings can be made, the altar itself must be cleansed and set apart. Sin offerings are made for seven days, and the altar is purified, atoned for, and consecrated. Only after that can burnt offerings and peace offerings be accepted. The final promise is clear: God will accept his people when worship is offered in the way he has commanded.

• God’s glory returns to the temple, showing restored divine presence.
• God is holy, and his presence cannot be treated casually.
• Israel’s sin, especially idolatry, had profaned God’s name.
• Shame over sin should lead to obedience, not excuses.
• The temple and altar must be purified before worship can continue.
• Acceptable worship depends on God’s revealed pattern, not human invention.
• God promises to dwell among his people, but only in holiness.

• Warning: sin and idolatry profane God’s holy name and bring judgment.
• Warning: sacred things must not be treated casually.
• Command: put away idolatry and all defilement.
• Command: describe the temple exactly as shown, so the people may observe it.
• Command: cleanse and consecrate the altar before regular worship begins.
• Promise: God will dwell among his people forever.
• Promise: after purification, God will accept their offerings.

This vision closes the temple section by showing God returning to dwell with his people after judgment. It fits the Bible’s larger theme of God restoring his presence among a holy people through atonement and obedient worship. In its own setting, it speaks first to Israel and the restored sanctuary promised there.

We should not treat God’s holiness lightly. Real repentance means being ashamed of sin and turning from it. Worship must be shaped by God’s word, not by our preferences. And restoration depends on God’s mercy, not on human effort.

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