INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 43 The temple or house of God being measured, the worship of God in it is pointed out and observed in this and the following chapter; and which, though evangelical, is expressed in the language of the Old Testament. An account is given of the glory of the Lord returning to t... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTERWARD HE BROUGHT ME TO THE GATE,.... The dimensions of this wonderful building being finished, the prophet's divine guide brought him from the wall about it, he had last measured, to the gate he first had him to, after he had observed to him the same wall, Ezekiel 40:5: EVEN THE GATE THAT LOOKE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, THE GLORY OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL CAME FROM THE WAY OF THE EAST,.... The God of Israel is Jehovah the Father, the covenant God of literal Israel; and the covenant God and Father of the whole spiritual Israel, or his elect, whether Jews or Gentiles; whom he has taken into covenant, loves, c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT WAS ACCORDING TO THE APPEARANCE OF THE VISION WHICH I SAW,.... Recorded in the first, ninth, and tenth Chapter s of this book; the form in which the glory of the God of Israel now appeared was like to what he then saw; in each of which visions was the likeness of a throne, and on it the appea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD CAME INTO THE HOUSE, e.] Before described and measured and being fitted and prepared, the builder and owner of it comes and takes up his residence in it; as Christ will do in his church, more especially and more visibly in the latter day: BY THE WAY OF THE GATE WHOSE PROSP... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE SPIRIT TOOK ME UP, AND BROUGHT ME INTO THE INNER COURT,.... The prophet was fallen down on his face, upon the sight of the glory of the Lord, and there he lay, until a wind came, as the word signifies; or the Holy Spirit, which is compared to the wind, for its invisible and irresistible power... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I HEARD HIM SPEAKING UNTO ME OUT OF THE HOUSE,.... The holy place, the prophet being in the inward court: this is Jehovah the Father, the God of Israel, whose glory entered into it; who utters his voice out of Zion; who speaks in his church by his word, and the ministers of it; and which is to b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO ME, SON OF MAN,.... A kind, usual, and singular appellation, given to this prophet: these are the words either of the man that stood by him, so the Arabic version; or of Jehovah, speaking out of the house to him: THE PLACE OF MY THRONE, AND THE PLACE OF THE SOLES OF MY FEET: that i... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THEIR SETTING OF THEIR THRESHOLD BY MY THRESHOLD,.... The threshold is the way of entrance into the house; when men open any other way of entrance into the house of God than he has directed, it is setting up their threshold by his: the Gospel way of entrance into the church of Christ is Christ hi... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW LET THEM PUT AWAY THEIR WHOREDOM,.... Idolatry, superstition, and will worship, with which the corrupt church of Rome abounds; and whatever appearance thereof is in the reformed churches: AND THE CARCASSES OF THEIR KINGS FAR FROM ME; their idols; Ezekiel 43:7, AND I WILL DWELL IN THE MIDST OF... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SON OF MAN, SHOW THE HOUSE,.... That is, the house the prophet had seen measured, its gates, courts, and all belonging to it; which he was at first bid to observe, that he might show it to others; the house that the glory of the Lord was now come into, and had filled; and which is no other than... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF THEY BE ASHAMED OF ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE,.... As sinful and, criminal, at least as very imperfect and defective, and not answerable to the pattern shown them, from which they have sadly deviated; if made sensible of this, and they acknowledge it with shame, not only the house in general, bu... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE LAW OF THE HOUSE,.... Which follows, the more general one, which comprehends the rest: UPON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN; denoting the exaltation and visibility of the church of Christ in the latter day, as well as its firmness and stability; see Isaiah 2:2: THE WHOLE LIMIT THEREOF ROUND AB... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THESE ARE THE MEASURES OF THE ALTAR AFTER THE CUBITS,.... Of the altar of burnt offering, which though measured before, the dimensions were not given till now; see Ezekiel 40:47, this altar was a type of Christ, Hebrews 13:10 with respect to his deity, which is greater than the sacrifice of his... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FROM THE BOTTOM UPON THE GROUND, EVEN TO THE LOWER SETTLE,.... From the basis or foundation of the altar, as it stood upon the ground, to the lower settle or "court" w, as it is called, where the priests stood; and in which they could walk round the altar, to do their business: SHALL BE TWO CUB... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE ALTAR SHALL BE FOUR CUBITS,.... That is, from the greater settle; so that in the whole it was ten cubits high, the same with Solomon's, 2 Chronicles 4:1 some make this to be eleven cubits high, one higher than Solomon's; it is here called "Harel", the mountain of God, because it looked like a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ALTAR SHALL BE TWELVE CUBITS LONG, TWELVE BROAD,.... The length of it, from east to west, was twelve cubits; and the breadth, from north to south, was the same; so that it was a proper foursquare, as follows: Christ the altar, or the doctrine of his sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SETTLE SHALL BE FOURTEEN CUBITS LONG AND FOURTEEN BROAD IN THE FOUR SQUARES THEREOF,.... Here Kimchi confesses his ignorance. Jarchi interprets it, the top of the altar, with the place of the horns, and of the feet of the priests, and was twenty eight cubits by twenty eight, the fourteen men... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO ME, SON OF MAN, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... This is the voice of the Lord continued, speaking out of the house to the prophet; see Ezekiel 43:6: THESE ARE THE ORDINANCES OF THE ALTAR: not what go before, concerning the measures of it, but what follow, concerning the sacrifices to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT GIVE TO THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES, THAT BE OF THE SEED OF ZADOK,.... Who, in Solomon's time, was put in the room of Abiathar; see Ezekiel 40:46, his name signifies a "righteous" one, a type he was of Jesus Christ the righteous; and here his seed signify the seed of Christ, such whom he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT TAKE OF THE BLOOD THEREOF,.... Ezekiel being a priest. This must be understood in a visionary way; for, as Kimchi observes, Ezekiel did not live to come up out of the captivity, but died, and was buried in the land of Babylon, and so did not actually do this: though it is a mere dream... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT TAKE THE BULLOCK ALSO OF THE SIN OFFERING,.... Which was appointed for the sin offering, according to the divine direction, Ezekiel 43:19, the prophet was to take it out of the herd, and separate it from the rest for this purpose, and deliver it into the hands of one of the priests: AND... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ON THE SECOND DAY THOU SHALT OFFER A KID OF THE GOATS WITHOUT BLEMISH FOR A SIN OFFERING,.... Jarchi observes, that this was not in the tabernacle, but ordered to be in future time by him that speaks; instead of this, another ram was appointed by the law, Exodus 29:15, this shows the ceremonial... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THOU HAST MADE AN END OF CLEANSING IT,.... The altar, by the sacrifices of the bullock and the kid, on the first and second days; then, on the third day, THOU SHALT OFFER A YOUNG BULLOCK WITHOUT BLEMISH, AND A RAM OUT OF THE FLOCK WITHOUT BLEMISH; all these sacrifices point at the one sacrific... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT OFFER THEM BEFORE THE LORD,.... Upon the altar of burnt offering, which stood before the house or temple where Jehovah dwelt, Ezekiel 40:47: AND THE PRIESTS SHALL CAST SALT UPON THEM; which was to be used in all sacrifices under the law, Leviticus 2:13, this may denote the savoury do... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN DAYS SHALT THOU PREPARE EVERY DAY A GOAT FOR A SIN OFFERING,.... By this it appears that the altar was seven days a consecrating and cleansing; and that on each day a goat was prepared and offered, typical of Christ, as before observed. Here Kimchi owns that this was not according to the order... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN DAYS SHALL THEY PURGE THE ALTAR, AND PURIFY IT,.... Which denotes the perfect purity and sanctification of it; which how to be applied to Christ, Ezekiel 43:20; AND THEY SHALL CONSECRATE THEMSELVES: the priests shall consecrate themselves, or devote themselves to the service of the altar; so... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THESE DAYS ARE EXPIRED,.... The seven days of consecration, and all these rites and sacrifices observed: IT SHALL BE, THAT UPON THE EIGHTH DAY, AND SO FORWARD; that is, on the first day of the week, or Lord's day, the Christian sabbath, the next day after the seventh, and so upon every ret... [ Continue Reading ]