The
Glory Returns To The Temple
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 came to Destroy the City
And
like the Visions I had seen by the Kebar River,
I FELL
FACE DOWN.
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 FOR THE SOLES OF MY FEET.
THIS
IS WHERE I WILL LIVE AMONG THE ISRAELITES FOREVER.
The
House of Israel will never again Defile My Holy Name--
Neither
they nor their kings—By their Prostitution
And
the lifeless Idols of their kings at their high places.
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 lifeless Idols of 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 THE PLAN,
AND IF
THEY ARE SHAMED 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 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:
AL THE
SURROUNDING AREA ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
WILL
BE MOST HOLY.
SUCH
IS THE LAW OF THE TEMPLE.
The
Altar
13
'These are the measurements of the Altar in long cubits,
That
cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth:
Its
gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide,
With a
rim of one span around the edge.
And
this is the height of the Altar:
14
From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge
It is
two cubits high and a cubit wide,
15 The
Altar hearth is four cubits high,
And
four horns project upward from the hearth.
16 The
Altar hearth is square,
Twelve
cubits long and twelve cubits wide.
17 The
upper ledge also is square,
Four
cubits long and fourteen cubits wide,
With a
rim of half a cubit and a gutter of a cubit all around.
The
steps of the Altar face east.'
18
Then he said to me, 'Son of man,
THIS
IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
These
will be the Regulations for the Sacrificing Burnt Offerings
And
sprinkling blood upon the Altar when it is built:
19 You
are to give a young bull as a Sin Offering to the Priests,
Who
are Levites, of the family of Zadok,
Who
come near to Minister before Me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
20 You
are to take some of its blood
And
put it on the four corners of the upper ledge
And
all around the rim, and so Purify the Altar
AND
MAKE ATONEMENT FOR IT.
21 You
are to take the bull for the Sin Offering
And
burn it in the designated part of the Temple area
Outside
the Sanctuary.
22 'On
the second day you are to offer a male goat
Without
defect for a Sin Offering,
And
the Altar is to be Purified as it was Purified with the bull
23
When you have finished Purifying it,
You
are to offer a young bull and a ram form the flock,
BOTH
WITHOUT DEFECT.
24 You
are to offer them before the Lord,
And
the Priests are to sprinkle salt on them
And
Sacrifice them as a Burnt Offering to the Lord.
25
'For seven days
You
are to provide a male goat daily for a Sin Offering:
You
are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock,
BOTH
WITHOUT DEFECT.
26 For
seven days
They
are to make Atonement for the Altar and cleanse it;
Thus
they will Dedicate it.
27 At
the end of these days, from the eighth day on,
The
Priests are to present
Your
Burnt Offerings and Fellowship Offerings on the Altar.
THEN I
WILL ACCEPT YOU, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD.'
(Ezekiel
43)
We
know that this description of the Temple
Given
to Ezekiel here, is Symbolic,
And
for the Israelite's of that day,
As
Christ Jesus Sacrifice of Himself, was Once for All;
Putting
an End to animal sacrifices that could never take away Sin.
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