Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

43:6 The Hebrew indicates that the man . . . standing beside me is not the same as the one speaking to me out of the temple; that is, Ezekiel's heavenly guide remains by his side, so the voice is not his. It is the very voice of God, as the first-person speech of vv. 7-9 makes clear.

43:13-17 The altar's design is described, just as the temple architecture was before it (vv. 13-17; cf. vv. 10-11). The altar is square, like the temple itself, with a horned projection at each corner, as Israel's altars had long been (e.g., Ex. 29:12; Ps. 118:27). In spite of (or perhaps because of) the detail, it is surprisingly difficult to visualize the altar. In broad terms, it was layered, with each succeeding layer one cubit less on each side than the one below it. The base is one cubit tall, and the sum of the layers above it totals 10 cubits. The dimensions of the base are 16 cubits square, up to the hearth at the top of the altar, which is 12 cubits square. These dimensions make it slightly smaller than the altar of Solomon's temple in 2 Chron. 4:1. For the cubit measurements, see note on Ezek. 40:5-27.

43:18-27 This section describes the rituals of purification required for the altar before it is fit for regular use. Although the preceding verses have focused on the altar's design, its actual material required consecration for use in the sacred realm. This also explains why the ritual focuses on the application of the blood to the altar rather than on the sacrifice itself. The first day's sacrifice is described in detail in vv. 18-21 when a single bull is offered by the Zadokite priests. Less detail, but more sacrifice on day two (vv. 22-24) sets the pattern for the succeeding days until the seven days (vv. 25-26) of the consecration are complete. Once again a link is forged to Moses and the tabernacle, as a similar pattern is found in Ex. 29:36b-37. This sacred "isolation" of the altar addresses the abomination condemned in Ezek. 43:8.

43:18 The practice of throwing blood against the altar is well attested in the Pentateuch, especially those passages dealing with priests (e.g., Ex. 24:6; 29:20; and 11 more times in Leviticus alone).

43:27 Only after the entire week of purification is the altar ready for the round of sacrificial offerings, which were provided to ensure continuing communion with God.

44:4 The way of the north gate is the one designated for the use of "priests who have charge of the temple" (40:44-45) and is the gate most used by Ezekiel in this vision (e.g., 47:2; cf. 8:3, the starting point for the pre-destruction temple vision).

44:5-8 Access implies participation, and so the task of tending the gates is critical.

44:9 While resident aliens are forbidden a role in temple service, the qualifying phrase uncircumcised in heart and flesh (cf. v. 7) may suggest that aliens with the appropriate inner orientation announced in 36:26-27 could become members of the covenant community. Residence alone, however, was not enough to qualify.

44:10-14 The Levites are gatekeepers and temple attendants but are restricted from service at the altar. The vision maintains these as suitable roles for a class of priests who had previously failed in their sacred duties (v. 12). Priestly conflict and failure are as old as the priesthood itself (cf. Lev. 10:1-7; Numbers 16). Rivalry among priests continued into the period of the monarchy (e.g., 1 Kings 1:7-8). Ezekiel's vision places greater restrictions on Levites than is seen in the books of Chronicles (e.g., in the account of Josiah's Passover, 2 Chronicles 35; cf. also Deut. 18:1-8).

44:15-31 The privilege of serving at the altar and in the sanctuary itself, that is, before the Lord (v. 15), falls to the Zadokite priests. Zadok was a priest of Aaron's line who came to prominence in David's time (2 Sam. 20:25) and remained faithful to David and then to Solomon in the power struggle over succession to David's throne (1 Kings 1:39). He and his successors are thus especially associated with the Jerusalem priests rather than the rural priests from among whom Jeremiah came. The regulations bearing on their activities have a close relationship with Pentateuchal legislation (esp. Leviticus 21 and Numbers 18; see ESV cross-references for parallels). These regulations were intended to maintain the Zadokite priests in a state of readiness for serving before the altar and in the sanctuary, in other words, to be holy. They include instructions concerning clothing and grooming (Ezek. 44:17-20), comportment (v. 21), and marriage (v. 22). They are to be teachers and arbitrators (vv. 23-24; cf. Lev. 10:8-11; Ezek. 22:26). When of necessity they defile themselves by tending to the dead, they must wait a period of seven days (cf. 43:26) before reentering sacred service. Like other priestly groups in antiquity, they do not hold landed property (44:28); their maintenance comes from their temple service itself and the offerings of those in the community who do have property (vv. 29-30). Finally, they are forbidden unclean meat, a restriction Ezekiel himself had long since taken to heart (see 4:14).

45:10-11 At Tell Beit Mirsim, archaeologists uncovered a large storage jar with the Hebrew term "bath" inscribed on it. In Level III of Lachish (late 8th century b.c.), a storage jar had the words "royal bath" written on its neck. The bath is a liquid measure equaling about 5-6 gallons (19-23 liters).

45:13-17 The set of levies on the community includes agricultural produce (vv. 13-14) and livestock (v. 15a), all of which goes toward the offerings given to God (v. 15b) by way of the prince (v. 16). Although the prince makes direct provision for the festivals and regular services (v. 17), the whole community is involved. The tax to be borne by the community is fairly small, at the rate of about 1/60 for cereals, 1/100 for oil, and 1/200 for sheep. It is noteworthy that provision for sin offerings (v. 17) persists into this restoration vision.

45:18-25 There are several calendars of annual festivals in the Pentateuch (Ex. 23:14-17; 34:18-24; Lev. 23:4-44; Num. 28:16-29:39; Deut. 16:1-17), but Ezekiel's schedule matches none of them. It is not even clear if he has in mind the same basic trio of main festivals (Passover, Weeks/Pentecost, Day of Atonement/Tabernacles). The purification ritual assigned for the turn of the year in Ezek. 45:18-20 resembles the inauguration of the altar in 43:18-27, and it is not certain that this rite of purification is meant to be observed annually. However, it remains distinct from the inaugural altar cleansing, is assigned a place on the calendar, and deals with inevitable contamination (cf. Heb. 9:22), so probably it is to be an annual event. The Feasts of Passover (Ezek. 45:21-24) and Tabernacles (v. 25) follow. In both cases, dealing with sin (v. 25) is again integral to the feast. This represents a shift from the nature of Passover elsewhere in the OT, where it has the character rather of a memorial celebration (e.g., 2 Chron. 30:1-27 [Hezekiah]; 35:1-19 [Josiah]).

46:1-15 The instructions for the more frequent observance of the weekly Sabbath and monthly new moon are found in vv. 1-7, with v. 7 substantially repeated in v. 11. Regulations on access to the temple precinct and movement through it are given in vv. 8-10. The actions of the prince at the gate are further specified in v. 12. The most frequent repeating time period for sacrifice concludes the section with the prescriptions for daily offerings in vv. 13-15. Unlike for the annual festivals, instructions for these offerings make no explicit mention of dealing with sin. Activity at the gates recurs throughout these instructions, focusing on the prince in particular. These access points to the holy and the Holy One, in Ezekiel's thinking, are laden with significance for the communal life of sustained communion with God.

46:1-3 The whole community--prince, priests (v. 2), and people (v. 3)--are involved in the weekly and monthly observances, but the prince plays the pivotal role. The east gate of the inner court is the fulcrum for these exchanges between the most sacred and the outer court. The prince takes his place in the gateway but does not enter the inner court, which is exclusive to the priests. It remains open (v. 2), so that the people in the outer court have some visual contact with the inner sanctum (v. 3).

46:4-7 The prince provides the offerings (see 45:17) for the Sabbath (46:4-5) and new moon (vv. 6-7) celebrations.

46:8-10 The movements of prince and people are coordinated for festival gatherings. The prince's use of the east gate is limited to his station there; v. 8 prohibits its use as a thoroughfare. The regulation of crowd movement in v. 9 is clear, although no explanation is offered. It could simply be for practical crowd control. Little in Ezekiel's vision lacks deeper significance, however, and it is possible that this regulation also intends something more. One effect of the regulation is to ensure that the whole community makes use of the whole of the outer court, and thereby must pass the east gate to the inner court, which stands open to the presence of God's glory. By integration of the prince's movements with the rest of the people (v. 10), his special status is given its proper context: although he is the prince of the people, he belongs with them (cf. Deut. 17:14-20).

46:13-15 The daily offerings were to take place morning by morning (repeated three times). Again Ezekiel's vision differs from the practice seen in the Pentateuch, where sacrifices are prescribed for morning and evening (cf. Ex. 29:38-42; Num. 28:3-6).