Ezekiel 43:1-12

G. The Return of the Divine Glory 43:1-12

TRANSLATION

(1) Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east: (2) and behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory. (3) And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. (4) And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. (5) And the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. (6) And I heard one speaking unto me out of the house; and a man stood by me. (7) And he said unto me, Son of man, this is the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever; and the house of Israel shall no more defile My holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places; (8) in their setting of their threshold by My threshold, and their door-post beside My door-post, and there was but the wall between Me and them; and they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in My anger. (9) Now let them put away their whoredom, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from Me; and I will dwell in the midst of (hem for ever. (10) As for you, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. (11) And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the entrances thereof, and all the forms thereof and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. (12) This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

COMMENTS

After he had witnessed the measuring of the outer wall, the interpreting angel brought Ezekiel back to the east gate of the Temple where he was privileged to witness an awe-inspiring scene (Ezekiel 43:1). Nineteen years earlier Ezekiel had seen the glory of God leaving the Temple by that east gate (Ezekiel 10:18-22; Ezekiel 11:22-24). Now the prophet sees the glory of God returning to sanctify the new structure as His holy dwelling. The roar of the cherubim in their flight sounded like the roar of many waters. The splendor of the divine presence illuminated the earth (Ezekiel 43:2). On two previous occasions Ezekiel had seen this vision of the throne-chariot once at his call by the river Chebar (chap. 1), and again when he saw in vision the destruction of Jerusalem (chaps. 8-11). The prophet attributes the destruction of Jerusalem to himself in Ezekiel 43:3 because he had prophesied it. Ezekiel was awestricken at the sight of the divine glory entering that eastern gate (Ezekiel 43:4).

After viewing the divine throne-chariot Ezekiel was whisked away into the inner court by the Spirit (cf. Ezekiel 2:2; Ezekiel 8:3). From that vantage point Ezekiel could see that the glory of God completely filled the Temple (Ezekiel 43:5). A man probably the interpreting angel of the previous Chapter s stood beside Ezekiel there. The voice of God could be heard from within the sanctuary (Ezekiel 43:6).

The voice from the Temple spoke of the significance of that new Temple. The former Temple had served as God's footstool; His throne was in heaven (Isaiah 60:13; Psalms 132:7; Lamentations 2:1; 1 Chronicles 28:2). The new Temple would be the throne room of God as well as His footstool. There He would dwell with His people forever.

In the new Temple age the Israel of God would no longer defile God's holy name by their disgusting harlotry, i.e., idolatry. In days gone by kings were buried in close proximity to the Temple, and their graves apparently became pagan high places where idolatrous rites were performed (Ezekiel 43:7). In the pre-exilic Jerusalem the royal palace abutted the Temple; only a wall separated the holy sanctuary from the royal palace. The abominations (idolatrous practices) of the palace defiled the Temple. This was the reason God had consumed them (Ezekiel 43:8).

The sanctity of the new Temple would be safe-guarded by a large area of outer and inner courts wherein the priests and other sacred personnel would dwell. Furthermore, in that new age the people of God would be dominated by a new spirit, one which abhorred idolatry. God can and will dwell forever in the midst of such a purified and regenerated people (Ezekiel 43:9).

A new commission is given to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 43:10. He is commanded to describe the Temple of his vision to his fellow exiles in all its particulars. This vision would, among other things, serve to remind those exiles of the 10SS of their former sanctuary. Their hearts would be filled with contrition as they contemplated the reasons why God allowed their former Temple to be destroyed. Ezekiel is to urge the exiles to note carefully every measurement of the structure. Thus they would learn the standard of God's holiness which is clearly set forth in the structure and design of the Temple.

If the people appeared to be moved to repentance by Ezekiel's Temple preaching he was to give them all the details concerning the new structure: the form of the house, i.e., the general appearance of the new Temple; the fashion of it, i.e., the various sections, chambers and cells; the gates and entrances; the ordinances of it, i.e., the function and use of the various parts of the Temple complex; the forms of it, i.e., the cherubim and palms which decorate it; and all the laws which regulated the use of that facility. All of this was to be written down publicly. The Jews were expected to keep the whole form of that Temple, i.e., remember the shape and design of the structure; and to implement the ordinances pertaining to those sacred precincts (Ezekiel 43:11).

One other detail is added about the future Temple in Ezekiel 43:12. Whereas Solomon's Temple occupied the slope of a hill, the future Temple was to crown the summit. In comparison to the rest of Jerusalem which was considered holy, the Temple area would be considered most holy (Ezekiel 43:12).