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Then he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces east.
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And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east, and the sound was like the sound of rushing waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
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What I saw was like what I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and like what I had seen by the river Kebar; and I fell on my face.
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As the glory of the LORD entered the house through the gate that faces east,
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the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the house was filled with the glory of the LORD.
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Then I heard him speaking to me from within the house—while the man who was measuring the house stood beside me—
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and he said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet; here I will dwell among the people of Israel forever, and the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry or by the corpses of their kings when they die;
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nor by setting their threshold beside my threshold or their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They defiled my holy name by their abominations, so I consumed them in my anger.
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Now let them put away their unfaithfulness and the corpses of their kings far from me, and I will dwell among them forever.
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As for you, son of man, describe the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure its design.
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And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, and its whole design; make known to them all its statutes and all its laws, and write them down before them, so that they may keep all its statutes and all its laws and do them.
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This is the law of the house: the whole territory on the top of the mountain shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
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These are the measurements of the altar in cubits, the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth longer than the common cubit: its base shall be one cubit high and one cubit broad, and around its edge there shall be a rim one span high. And this is the height of the altar:
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from the trench in the ground to the lower surrounding ledge was two cubits, and the width of the surrounding ledge was one cubit. From the lower surrounding ledge to the upper surrounding ledge there were four cubits, and the width of the surrounding ledge was one cubit also.
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The hearth was four cubits high, and from the hearth rose upward four horns.
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The hearth was twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide, so it was square.
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The surrounding ledge was fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide, so it was square also. Around the altar there was a trench, one cubit wide, and around the trench there was a rim, half a cubit wide. The altar steps were on the east side.
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Then He said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances for the altar: When it has been completed and you are to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it,
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you shall give to the Levitical priests of the descendants of Zadok a young bull for a sin offering, for they alone may come near to Me to minister, declares the Lord GOD.
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You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the surrounding ledge and on the rim all around; thus you shall cleanse the altar and make atonement for it.
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Then you shall take the bull for the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.
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On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering, and they shall cleanse the altar as they cleansed it with the bull.
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When you have finished the cleansing, you shall offer a young bull without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish.
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You shall bring them before the LORD, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to the LORD.
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For seven days you shall prepare each day a goat for a sin offering; a young bull and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall also be prepared.
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For seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so consecrate it.
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When these days are over, then on the eighth day and thereafter the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar, and I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.”
🔥🌈🏛️ Summary of Ezekiel 43 – The Glory of the LORD Returns to His House
Ezekiel 43 is the climax of the visionary architecture that began in chapter 40. In this chapter, the glory of God that had once departed from the temple (Ezekiel 10–11) now returns and fills the new house of the LORD. This is a great moment of spiritual restoration for Israel. The LORD also gives instructions concerning the altar and sacrifices, and emphasizes the importance of obedience and holiness in worship.
📌 1. The Glory of the Lord Returns to the Temple (verses 1–5)
➡️ Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord coming from the east, like his first vision by the Kebar River (Ezekiel 1)
➡️ The glory of the LORD entered the house through the east gate, and filled the whole temple
➡️ Ezekiel fell facedown, and the Spirit brought him into the inner court
🎯 The Lord’s presence returning is a sign of true restoration and the joy of His people.
📌 2. God Dwells Forever in the Midst of His People (verses 6–9)
➡️ God declared: “This is the place of My throne… I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.”
➡️ But God warned: do not again defile His holy place with idols and sin
🎯 The glory of God cannot dwell alongside uncleanness.
📌 3. The Altar’s Measurements and Offerings (verses 10–17)
➡️ God told Ezekiel to describe the form and measurements of the house to the people, so they would be ashamed of their sins
➡️ The altar was measured in detail, consisting of 3 levels and steps facing east
➡️ All this was to show that worship of God must be according to His command, not done carelessly
🎯 True worship is based on repentance and obedience.
📌 4. The Consecration of the Altar and the Holy Offerings (verses 18–27)
➡️ God gave the procedure for consecrating the altar for 7 days
• First day: a bull as a sin offering
• The following days: a male goat and a ram
➡️ On the eighth day, the altar would be considered clean, and peace offerings and thank offerings could be presented
🎯 Offerings are a symbol of repentance and the restoration of the people’s relationship with God.
📖 Main Teaching
- The glory of God will return to His people if they turn away from sin
- The place of worship must be honored and sanctified according to God’s will
- True worship is not enough merely to be physically magnificent — it must be accompanied by holiness and obedience
- The altar is the center of relationship with God: a place of repentance, reconciliation, and sanctification
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 John 1:14
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory…”
➡️ Christ is the glory of God dwelling among humanity, the fulfillment of the glory that returned to the temple.
📖 Hebrews 10:10–14
“By one sacrifice He has perfected…”
➡️ The altar and sacrifices in Ezekiel 43 are fulfilled in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, which is perfect and everlasting.
📖 1 Corinthians 3:16–17
“You are God’s temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you.”
➡️ Now, the body of the believer becomes the place where God’s glory dwells.
📖 Revelation 21:3
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with humanity…”
➡️ God will dwell forever with His people — the fulfillment of Ezekiel 43:7.
🕊️ “The glory of the LORD entered the house through the east gate.” – Ezekiel 43:4
🕊️ “This is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet…” – Ezekiel 43:7
🕊️ “They will be ashamed because of all their deeds.” – Ezekiel 43:10
🕊️ “On the eighth day… I will accept you.” – Ezekiel 43:27
