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Ezekiel 43

God fills the temple with his glory and orders its worship around his holy presence among Israel.

Ezekiel’s guide brings him to the east gate, where he sees the glory of Israel’s God approaching and falls on his face. The Spirit carries him into the inner court as God’s glory fills the temple. God declares this house his dwelling among Israel and commands the removal of what has defiled his holy name. Ezekiel must show Israel the temple’s pattern. God then gives measurements for the altar and instructions for its consecration.

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1Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east.
2Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
3It was like 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 on my face.
4The LORD’s glory came into the house by the way of the gate which faces toward the east.
5The Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the LORD’s glory filled the house.
6I heard one speaking to me out of the house, and a man stood by me.
7He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the children of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their prostitution and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places;
8in their setting of their threshold by my threshold and their door post beside my door post. There was a wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed. Therefore I have consumed them in my anger.
9Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings far from me. Then I will dwell among them forever.
10“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.
11If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, its fashion, its exits, its entrances, its structure, all its ordinances, all its forms, and all its laws; and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form of it, and all its ordinances, and do them.
12“This is the law of the house. On the top of the mountain the whole limit around it shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
13“These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a hand width): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the width a cubit, and its border around its edge a span; and this shall be the base of the altar.
15The upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns.
16The altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
17The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and its bottom shall be a cubit around; and its steps shall look toward the east.”
18He said to me, “Son of man, the Lord GOD says: ‘These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they make it, to offer burnt offerings on it, and to sprinkle blood on it.
19You shall give to the Levitical priests who are of the offspring of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘a young bull for a sin offering.
20You shall take of its blood and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around. You shall cleanse it and make atonement for it that way.
21You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary.
22“On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull.
24You shall bring them near to the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to the LORD.
25“Seven days you shall prepare every day a goat for a sin offering. They shall also prepare a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without defect.
26Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it. So shall they consecrate it.
27When they have accomplished the days, it shall be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings. Then I will accept you,’ says the Lord GOD.”
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Ezekiel 43:2The approaching glory illuminates the earth, revealing the majesty of the God who comes to inhabit the temple.
Ezekiel 43:7God names the temple as his throne and dwelling, joining his enduring presence to the holiness of his name.
Ezekiel 43:9The command to remove defilement makes clear that God’s promised presence carries a demand for Israel to abandon its offenses.
Where this chapter reaches

Exodus shares the event of God’s glory filling a sanctuary, while Leviticus shares altar consecration through blood, sacrifices, and a seven-day period. Revelation shares the imagery of a voice like many waters and divine glory giving light, along with the promise of God dwelling among his people.

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After reading the whole chapter

What connection do you see between Israel’s shame over sin and the command to study the temple’s pattern?

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How does the altar’s seven-day consecration shape your understanding of approaching the God whose glory fills the house?

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Questions people ask about Ezekiel 43

What does God’s glory entering the temple mean in Ezekiel 43?

God’s glory enters through the east gate and fills the house, marking it as his dwelling and throne among Israel. Ezekiel recognizes its likeness to earlier visions and falls on his face. God’s speech connects his presence with the removal of practices that have defiled his holy name.

Why are sacrifices offered in Ezekiel 43?

The sacrifices described here cleanse and consecrate the altar for worship. Blood is applied to its horns, ledge, and border, and the rites continue for seven days. From the eighth day onward, the priests offer burnt offerings and peace offerings. The chapter does not explain how this vision’s sacrifices relate to their ultimate fulfillment.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).