Lesson: Ezekiel 43:13-21
Golden Text: “And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon” (Ezekiel 43:18).
I. INTRODUCTION. As a result of God’s people worshipping pagan gods and sinning against God without repentance, the Lord sent the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem---the temple in particular---and to take the people into Captivity. During the Exile, Ezekiel saw the rebuilt future temple in a vision. In this week’s lesson, we will learn of the future reestablishment of the temple altar and sacrifices during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. Although this portion of Scripture is difficult to understand, we must know that the millennial sacrifices will be memorial remembrances of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice at the cross.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON. In Ezekiel chapters 40-43, the details of the future temple are given and conclude with a description of the altar of sacrifice. But in the description of the future temple no pieces of furniture for the sanctuary are mentioned except an “altar of wood,” or “table that is before the Lord” (see Ezekiel 41:22). However, we are not told what that altar would be used for. Both in the tabernacle in the wilderness and in Solomon’s temple there was a lamp stand, a table of showbread, a bronze laver and the Ark of the Covenant. But none of those pieces of furniture are present in the description of the future temple. Jeremiah did prophesy that in the last days the Ark of the Covenant with the cherubim and mercy seat would not even be remembered. The altar of sacrifice is the one piece of furniture that will be restored in the future temple and it will have massive dimensions. Last week’s lesson ended with the Lord commanding Ezekiel to share everything he had seen regarding the future temple with His people which should cause them to be ashamed of their sinful behavior (see Ezekiel 43:11). Then the Lord said that the whole mountain on which the temple will stand shall be holy (see Ezekiel 43:12). This week’s lesson continues with verse 13 as the Lord gives Ezekiel the measurements of the altar of sacrifice.
III. THE DIMENSIONS OF THE ALTAR (Ezekiel 43:13-17)
A. The base of the altar (Ezekiel 43:13). In this verse God said to Ezekiel “And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.” The Lord stated first that the altar would be measured in “cubits.” God defined the “cubit” as “a cubit and an hand breadth.” The regular Hebrew “cubit” was the length from the point of a person’s elbow to the tip of the middle finger which is about 18 inches. But this temple’s measurement was to be what was known as the long cubit. This measurement added a “hand breath” or the length across the base of four fingers. This would make the total length of “a cubit and an hand breadth” to be about 21inches. The Lord described the altar from the bottom up saying “even the bottom shall be a cubit” or 21 inches. The “bottom” was the base of the altar surrounded by a rim around the outside. It supported the whole structure. The “breadth” of the base, or “bottom” was also to be “a cubit.” The “breadth” is the distance which the base sticks out beyond the next level on each side. The “border” is the rim that runs around the base. It was to go upward and was to be a “span” which is half a cubit or about nine inches. The phrase “and this shall be the higher place of the altar” can be translated as “and this is the height of the altar” which is given in the next verse. The Living Bible has a good translation of this verse putting the measurements in feet. It says “And these are the measurements of the altar: The base is 21 inches high, with a 9-inch rim around its edge, and it extends 21 inches beyond the altar on all sides.”
B. The graduations of the sides (Ezekiel 43:14-15).
1. (vs. 14). In this verse, God continues to describe the dimensions of the altar. He said “And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.” The phrase “And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits” means that the distance from the bottom of the base which was on the ground to the “lower settle” is to be 3.5 ft. high. It was the first level of the altar from the bottom upward. The altar is to have 3 levels or platforms. The term “settle” in Hebrew refers to ledge or border. It’s “breadth” or width was to be “one cubit” or about 21in (Remember the cubit measurement used for the altar was not the normal cubit of 18 in. but was the long cubit of about 21in. See verse 13). The distance from the “lesser settle” or the lower platform to the “greater settle” which was the next platform, was to be “four cubits” or 7 ft. high (To get the number of feet multiply 4x21in=84 inches: then divide 84 inches 12 inches=7ft). The “breadth” or width of the “greater settle” or the next level of the altar was also to be “one cubit” or about 21in. The Living Bible translates this verse as “The first stage of the altar is a stone platform 3½ feet high. This platform is 21 inches narrower than the base block on all sides. Rising from this is a narrower platform, 21 inches narrower on all sides, and 7 feet high.”
2. (vs. 15). The Lord continued to say “So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.” This sounds as if the entire altar was to be “four cubits” or 7ft high, but we have already determined that the upper platform was itself 7ft. This verse is referring to the “hearth” of the altar where the animal sacrifices are to be burned. The hearth therefore was to be 7ft high just as the second platform. Projecting from the hearth upward “shall be four horns.” On each corner of the altar hearth (the top of the altar) there are four horns.
C. The overall perimeter of the altar (Ezekiel
43:16-17).
1. (vs. 16).
In this verse God said “And the
altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares
thereof.” The phrase “the altar
shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad” means that each of the four
sides of the altar hearth was to be twelve cubits long. In other
words, the altar hearth was to have 4 equal sides, each side was to be
“twelve cubits” or 21ft.2. (vs. 17). Here God says “And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.” The altar hearth is to sit on a “settle,” a platform or ledge and it is to be “fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof.” In other words, each side of the platform that the altar hearth sets on will be 24.5ft. In addition, “the border about it shall be half a cubit.” The altar hearth has a “border” or rim around it that’s “half a cubit” or 10.5 in. The phrase “the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about” means that the bottom or ledge that the altar hearth sits on extends 21inches on all four sides. The last part of this verse says “and his stairs shall look toward the east.” In other words on the east side of the altar there will be stairs to climb to get to the top of the altar.
IV.THE CONSECRATION OF THE ALTAR (Ezekiel 43:18-21)
A. The role of the priests (Ezekiel 43:18-19).
1(vs. 18). This verse says “And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.” As He did in Ezekiel 43:7, the Lord God referred to the prophet as “Son of man” which describes Ezekiel as a human and how far he was from being divine. The “ordinances of the altar” refers to a ceremonial consecration to be held for the millennial altar just like there was for the tabernacle (see Exodus 40:10, 29) and Solomon’s temple (see II Chronicles 7:7-9). However, here the “ordinances of the altar” refers only to the first day of the ceremony. In verses 18-27 we are told that the ceremony would last seven days. Here in verse 18 the first day of the consecration ceremony is described as “the day when they shall make it” or the day when the altar is finished. On that first day the priests (see verse 19) will “offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.” After the altar is constructed, it must be ceremonially cleansed with the blood of animals. This particular ordinance will only take place on the day the altar is completed and is not to be part of daily worship. 2. (vs. 19). Still speaking of the sacrifices, in this verse God said “And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord God, a young bullock for a sin offering.” The offerings will be given to “the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok.” Zadok was a descendent of Aaron, a Levite through Phineas, with whom the Lord made an everlasting covenant regarding the priesthood (see Numbers 25:1-13; I Chronicles 6:1-8).The last part of this verse says that the priest will approach God or the altar and “minister” or offer “a young bullock for a sin offering.” On this first day of the consecration ceremony the sin offering is to be a young bullock or ox. A “sin offering” was normally required for someone who sinned unintentionally (see Leviticus chapter 4).
B. The offering of the sacrifice (Ezekiel 43:20-21).
1. (vs. 20). In this verse, God continued to say “And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.” The priests are to take the blood from the sacrifice and put it on certain parts of the altar. The priests are to first “put it (blood) on the four horns of it (the altar).” These are the four horns at the top of the altar (see the diagram above). Second, the blood was put “on the four corners of the settle.” As noted in verse 14, “the settle” refers to the three platforms of the altar. Each platform has four corners and blood is to be applied to all four corners. Finally, the blood is to be applied “upon the border round about.” Again, as noted in verse 17, “the border” refers to the rim around the base of the altar (see diagram above). The last phrase of this verse tells us the purpose of the sin offering. It was to “cleanse and purge it.” In other words, the blood from the young bullock or ox is put on parts of the altar to purify it from any defilement caused by human contact. This consecration would set the altar apart for holy use.
2. (vs. 21). In our final verse, God said “Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.” The last action that the priests were to take on this first day of the consecration of the altar is to take the remains of the ox that has been sacrificed and then burn them in a prescribed place set aside for this purpose. That place for burning the remains of the sacrifice was to be “without the sanctuary” meaning outside of the temple building, but still inside its courts. The Mosaic Law also commanded that the burning of the remains of the sacrificial animal should be done outside the camp (see Exodus 29:14; Leviticus 8:17). Note: As Christians our sacrifices are not animal, grain, or drink offerings but rather spiritual offerings of praise (see Hebrews 13:15). This includes our bodies for service (see Romans 12:1-2) and our gift offerings in support of the church and its work (see Philippians 4:15-18).
V. Conclusion. In Israel’s past, the altar was the place where sin offerings were brought and atonement for sin was made. The appearance of the new altar in Ezekiel’s vision was necessary because in the millennial temple, God’s glory will once again dwell among His people, requiring holiness in the temple complex and in those who enter it. Therefore, the altar is a significant sign of hope that Israel will be restored after centuries of exile.
No comments:
Post a Comment