Ezekiel 43:13-17

The Altar Of Sacrifice Is To Be The Connection Between the Heavenly Temple and the Earthly Temple Yet To Be Built And Is To Be Copied For That Purpose (Ezekiel 43:13).

The heavenly visitant had now finished his measuring. But note that he was not ever told, and is not now, to measure the altar. Although the altar was mentioned for completeness in Ezekiel 40:47, it was pointedly not measured. It was basically almost ignored as not being an important part of the heavenly temple from the point of view of its message. This was very significant. As demonstrated by its non-measurement the heavenly altar was not to be brought into use. For the brazen altar spoke of what man was, and of man's approach to God, and not of what God was.

But the altar is now described as a pattern for an altar to be built by man (Ezekiel 43:18) and Ezekiel is told its details for this specific purpose. Then it is to be used as a means of approach to God and His heavenly temple. Any measuring is thus to be done by man, for man will bring it into use. It is in absolute contrast to what has gone before.

We can compare this with Jacob at Bethel. There too he had witnessed ‘the house of God, the gate of Heaven', a heavenly conception. Then he too erected a means of worship, a pillar, an earthly symbol of what he had seen. And it was there that he offered his worship (Genesis 27:17). And like that pillar so with the altar here. It is to be the connection between the earthly and the heavenly.