Visions of the Kingdom: Week 46

Ezekiel 43:1-27: The Glory Returns

• 43:1 "the gate that faces East" - the gate by which Ezekiel first entered in chapter 40.
• 43:2 "coming from the East" - as the Glory departed into the East in 11:23 The Glory comes in quickly - as it left hesitatingly.
• 43:4 "entered through the East gate" - the gate by which it left.

  “The Shekinah glory is never mentioned in connection with the restoration (Zerubbabel’s) temple, so that temple cannot be the fulfillment of what is predicted here.” (Feinberg)

• 43:7 "Israel will never again defile My Name" - this temple has no division between Jew and Gentile, only between Holy and Ordinary.
• 43:8 "with only a wall between Me and them" - to dwell near Holiness, one must be holy.

The New Torah

• 43:12 "this is the Torah of the temple" - Torah means "instructions", rather than "laws". "These are the instructions for the temple." "the whole area surrounding the mountain top is most holy" - The Presence of God abides in holiness.
• 43:13 "measurements of the altar" - very similar to Solomon's altar.
• 43:17 "steps of the altar" - the Law of Moses required no steps Exodus 20:26
• 43:19 "family of Zadok" - only this family remained faithful during the 500 years of idolatry.
• 43:22 "sin offering" - the blood of bulls and goats could not save from sin before Christ, nor does it afterward. In a future temple, these sacrifices are to be taken as memorial.
• 43:26 "for seven days" - "... setting the altar apart for its holy function and cleansing it from every taint of the secular, a process which takes a full seven days.” (Alexander)