Ezekiel 43

In Ezekiel 43, we witness a pivotal moment: the powerful return of God's glory to the temple, a stark contrast to its departure described earlier in the book.

Join me as we explore the profound significance of this event, examining the conditions for God's enduring presence and the intriguing question of why the detailed temple vision wasn't immediately reconstructed. We'll also delve into how the imagery of Ezekiel's vision finds resonance and transformation in the book of Revelation.

This episode offers insightful perspectives on themes of restoration, divine presence, and the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy.

Transcript

Welcome to Bible Fiber, where we are encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry through twelve Minor Prophets, two reformers, and one exile. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. I am also the author of the Bible Fiber book. Check it out on Amazon. This week, we are studying Ezekiel 43. If you believe that every story needs a happy ending, this chapter will satisfy that craving. 

In Chapter 11, written nineteen years earlier, Ezekiel had witnessed the glory of the Lord departing the temple, the lowest point in the entire book (10:18; 11:22-23). Without the blessed guarantee of Yahweh’s protection, Jerusalem was a hollow structure that the Babylonian army easily overran. When the Babylonians looted enemy temples, they often stole the patron idol to both insult and disarm the conquered people. In Jerusalem’s case, anything the Babylonian army managed to steal from the temple were powerless objects, emptied of God’s presence.

Ezekiel 43 reverses the tragedy of God’s departing glory. The prophet witnessed the glory of the Lord returning to the newly rebuilt temple with immense power and majesty (43:2-5). The return signified God’s presence and favor upon his people. The temple’s emptiness was not permanent; God’s glory, the very essence of his being and blessing, will once again dwell in their midst.

Return of the Glory

Ezekiel 43 begins with the angelic guide still at the prophet’s side, positioning Ezekiel at the east gate—a strategic vantage point. Ezekiel reports, “And there the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east; the sound was like the sound of mighty waters, and the earth shone with his glory” (43:2). Ezekiel notes the striking resemblance of this vision in Jerusalem to those he had previously experienced by the River Chebar and the vision of God’s glory departing the temple. While he doesn’t specify whether he saw the winged throne chariot, the crystal expanse, or the enthroned glowing metal figure from his initial vision, Yahweh’s radiant presence so overwhelmed him that he fell prostrate.

Then, as had become a familiar occurrence, the Spirit lifted Ezekiel to his feet. The sheer power of God’s glory never lost its impact, no matter how many times Ezekiel witnessed it. The Spirit’s action was necessary for Ezekiel to stand and behold Yahweh’s return to his dwelling place. This moment serves as a powerful bookend to Ezekiel’s entire prophetic ministry in exile. 

The glory of the Lord approached from the east, mirroring the reverse order of its departure. In Chapter 11, Ezekiel had watched with horror as the glory hovered over the east gate before exiting the city over the mountain (11:23). Now, the angel brought Ezekiel to the inner court, granting him an intimate view as “the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (43:5).

Yahweh’s arrival aligns with a well-established biblical pattern. Upon the completion of the tabernacle in the wilderness, the Israelites witnessed the cloud of glory enveloping the tent, a presence so powerful that even Moses could not enter (Exodus 40:34-35). Similarly, after Solomon’s temple was finished, Yahweh’s cloud filled the sanctuary (1 Kings 8:11). In both instances, Yahweh’s glorious presence in these newly constructed sacred spaces represented his approval. They were completed throne rooms awaiting the arrival of the King.

The Lord then made Ezekiel a significant promise: “Mortal, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will reside among the people of Israel forever” (43:7). In the first temple, the Ark of the Covenant served as God’s footstool (1 Chronicles 28:2). However, Ezekiel’s vision makes no mention of the Ark. Instead, the entire temple complex assumes this role.

Ancient Israelites understood that God’s being transcended any physical structure. The tabernacle and temple were understood as earthly reflections, albeit faint ones, of Yahweh’s celestial throne room. During the First Temple’s dedication, Solomon himself humbly declared, “The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). This point is further emphasized in Isaiah, where God proclaims that heaven is his throne and the earth his footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

Conditions

Once the divine glory returned to the visionary temple, Yahweh continued speaking to Ezekiel, outlining the conditions for his enduring presence among the Israelites. Although they had already faced punishment for their transgressions, and his desire was to dwell with them eternally, he still required faithful and righteous living. Specifically, he cautioned against three primary offenses: spiritual harlotry, the profaning of his holy name, and the practice of sacrificing to their deceased kings (43:7).

The reference to “harlotry” as idoloatry is a recurring theme throughout the prophetic books. The prophets frequently depicted Israel's covenant relationship with God in terms of a marriage, highlighting the betrayal inherent in turning to other gods. This spiritual infidelity broke the exclusive bond of loyalty and devotion that Yahweh demanded. 

The third warning, concerning sacrifices offered to deceased kings, presents a bigger interpretive challenge. Some scholars propose that this alludes to the deification of departed rulers, a common custom in the surrounding ancient Near Eastern cultures but strictly forbidden within Israel’s monotheistic framework. This practice would have elevated human authority to a divine level, directly challenging Yahweh’s unique sovereignty. Other interpretations suggest it might relate to specific funerary rites or forms of ancestor worship that had subtly infiltrated Israelite religious practices.

Furthermore, God expressed his displeasure with the close proximity of the royal palace to the temple. He declared, “When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they were defiling my holy name by their abominations that they committed; therefore I have consumed them in my anger” (43:8). During the First Temple period, there was a problematic spatial relationship between the seat of political power and the sacred space of the temple in Jerusalem. 

While during the reigns of more righteous kings like David, this arrangement might not have presented the same level of concern, the subsequent rise of a succession of wicked kings in Judah created an unacceptable situation. The center of political authority began to encroach upon the temple’s sanctity. These kings, who were meant to be subordinate to God’s ultimate authority, increasingly asserted their own power and influence over the temple and its activities. This overreach was a direct affront to God’s sovereignty.

Regardless of the precise meaning of each specific transgression, the overarching message was clear: God’s enduring presence among his people is not an unconditional guarantee. It necessitates their unwavering commitment to the exclusive worship of Yahweh and their adherence to the covenant. In the envisioned new temple, the separation between the sacred and the profane will be even more rigorously maintained. This heightened distinction serves as a safeguard to protect his absolute holiness and to prevent the recurrence of the types of syncretistic and disrespectful practices that had led to his judgment in the past.

Write it down

Following the return of divine glory to the visionary temple, Yahweh instructed Ezekiel to share every detail of this sacred structure with his fellow exiles. His desire was for them to have a comprehensive understanding, encompassing the temple’s form. God commanded, “write it down in their sight so that they may observe and follow the entire plan and all its ordinances” (43:11). This directive raises a significant question: if the exiles were privy to Ezekiel’s detailed plan, why did they not construct it upon their eventual return to Jerusalem?

One compelling explanation posits that the elaborate temple vision spanning Ezekiel 40-48 was not intended as a physical blueprint for immediate construction. Instead, it may have served as an idealized representation of the fully restored community of faith and the presence of God in their midst. The exiles, facing the immediate realities of rebuilding their lives and their land, may have interpreted Ezekiel’s grand vision as a depiction of a future, perhaps even eschatological, reality. It is crucial to note that while God instructed Ezekiel to record the plan, he never issued a direct command to physically build the structure according to these specific specifications, unlike his clear mandates to Moses for the tabernacle or to Solomon for the First Temple. In the absence of such a divine decree, the returnees may have felt authorized to construct the Second Temple based on the more pragmatic constraints and resources available to them.

Faced with limited manpower, financial constraints, and the urgent need to re-establish a functioning religious and communal life, undertaking such a monumental building project would have been deeply impractical. The immediate priority would have been to erect a serviceable temple that allowed for the resumption of essential worship practices. Indeed, the book of Ezra hints at a sense of disappointment and even disillusionment among some of the returnees regarding the Second Temple. It is plausible that they were aware of Ezekiel’s more elaborate temple plan but felt utterly incapable or perhaps even divinely unburdened from the task of replicating it in their current circumstances.

The destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE imbued Ezekiel’s temple vision with a profound new significance for the Jewish people in their subsequent exile. Finding themselves once again without a physical temple, Ezekiel’s chariot and temple visions, offered a vital means of approaching God through careful and meditative reading and study. These texts provided a sense of spiritual connection even in the absence of a physical sanctuary. They assured them that even if earthly temples could be destroyed—as had tragically happened twice in their history—God’s heavenly throne remained eternally secure and untouchable.

Altar

In Ezekiel’s initial tour of the envisioned temple complex, a prominent altar at its center immediately captured his attention (40:47). However, that initial walkthrough provided no specific details regarding the temple furnishings. His divine guide returned with Ezekiel to the altar, this time offering a comprehensive description of its construction and significance (43:13-17).

The guide meticulously detailed the altar’s precise dimensions, specifying the size of its base, the surrounding ledge, and the upper surface. This impressive, tiered structure measured eighteen cubits square at its largest point—approximately 31.5 feet—and stood ten feet tall. Ezekiel’s altar, while similar in scale to the altar in Solomon’s temple, surpassed the size of the altar within the portable tabernacle.

Ezekiel’s altar also incorporated functional elements crucial for sacrificial rites, including a gutter encircling its base designed to collect the blood of the sacrificial offerings. The angelic guide further highlighted the altar’s four prominent horns. Horned altars were a common feature in the religious landscape of ancient Canaan. Archaeologist have discovered them at sites such as Megiddo, Beer Sheva, and Dan providing tangible evidence. However, it is important to note that none of these unearthed altars matched the massive scale and detailed specifications of Ezekiel’s visionary structure.

The divine blueprint for Ezekiel’s altar featured eastward-facing steps, a design that would have oriented the priests conducting sacrifices toward the temple’s holy of holies. This stands in contrast to Mosaic instructions explicitly prohibited the use of steps leading to the altar. The rationale provided in Exodus was the concern that ascending steps might inadvertently expose the worshipper’s nakedness (Exodus 20:23-26). Some scholars propose that Ezekiel’s vision represented a divinely inspired adaptation or symbolic evolution of the altar design, rather than a literal construction mandate. The steps, in this interpretation, might symbolize the spiritual ascent and increasing holiness required of those approaching God in worship. 

Before God would accept sacrifices offered upon this newly constructed altar, he mandated a comprehensive seven-day purification process involving daily sin offerings (43:18-27). On the very first day, God instructed Ezekiel to procure a young bull specifically for the priests to offer as a sin offering, initiating the altar’s consecration (43:18-19). The sacrificial directions given directly to Ezekiel suggest his active and perhaps even symbolic participation in this ritual process within the vision. Given that Ezekiel was exiled before the age at which he could have served in the physical temple, this visionary participation offered him a unique experience of priestly duties.

Over the subsequent six days, the priests continued the work of purification by making daily sin offerings, further cleansing the altar. The divine instructions included specific details regarding the sprinkling of the blood of rams and bulls and the proper disposal of the carcasses. This week-long dedication, God declared, would “make atonement for the altar” and consecrate it for its sacred purpose. On the eighth day and thereafter, the priests were authorized to offer regular burnt offerings and peace offerings. God proclaimed “I will accept you,” in reference to all willing worshippers (43:27). The altar’s ultimate and enduring purpose was the restoration of a relationship between a holy God and his people through the divinely ordained sacrificial system.

Revelation

Writing to persecuted Christians in the first century, John of Patmos skillfully adapted the rich imagery from Ezekiel’s visionary tour of Jerusalem to ignite hope for their future. This underlying motivation closely mirrors that of Ezekiel, who addressed the despair of the exiled Israelites. Just as the exiles had lost their temple and their king, these early Christians had endured the loss of their physical temple and, more significantly, their Messiah.

Revelation 21 and 22 stand as an intentional and transformative reinterpretation of Ezekiel 40-48. Echoing Ezekiel’s experience, John is “carried away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain,” where he beholds the magnificent “holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:10). Similar to the perfectly square layout of Ezekiel’s temple, the New Jerusalem also possesses a symmetrical cubic form. Furthermore, John, like Ezekiel, is accompanied by an angelic guide wielding a measuring rod, who surveys the city’s square gates and towering walls (Revelation 21:16-17). Ezekiel never described the construction materials of his temple, but John described the New Jerusalem as being composed of radiant jasper, pure gold resembling clear glass, and a breathtaking array of precious stones adorning its foundations (Revelation 21:15-21). Even the streets are paved with pure gold and the magnificent gates are each fashioned from a single, lustrous pearl.

In John’s New Jerusalem, the temple is conspiciously absent. John unequivocally states, “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22). John reveals a profound shift: Jesus, the Lamb of God, has become the new and ultimate Temple. Through his sacrifice and resurrection, God’s glory dwells intimately with his people, unmediated by physical structures or earthly boundaries. Although the city is protected by high walls, its gates remain perpetually open to all who are willing to enter (Revelation 21:12, 25),.

In the New Jerusalem, the distinction between sacred and profane dissolves. John reiterates, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). Through his inspired use of Ezekiel’s imagery, John reveals the deeper, Christ-centered meaning of those prophecies. Ezekiel’s temple and his assurances of eternal restoration were not nullified; rather, they are gloriously realized in Christ. 

As Jesus himself declared, “I tell you that something greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:6). His life, atoning death, and triumphant resurrection fulfilled the ultimate purpose and spiritual reality that the earthly temple had always represented within God’s overarching plan. Jesus is the way through which humanity gains access to God. He is the perfect and final sacrifice that has permanently purified the altar of our hearts. Just as God’s glorious presence returned to Ezekiel’s visionary temple, that Holy Spirit now abides within believers, making us the living temples of God.

Thank you for listening and please continue to take part in this Bible Reading Challenge. Next week we are reading Ezekiel 44, regulations for the priests and temple worship.

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Shabbat Shalom and Am Israel Chai