The Glory Returns to the Temple

1Then he brought me to the gate that faced toward the east. 2I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east; the sound was like that of rushing water; and the earth radiated his glory. 3It was like the vision I saw when he came to destroy the city, and the vision I saw by the Kebar River. I threw myself face down. 4The glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate that faces east. 5Then a wind lifted me up and brought me to the inner court; I watched the glory of the Lord filling the temple.

6I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man was standing beside me. 7He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will live among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no longer profane my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their spiritual prostitution or by the pillars of their kings set up when they die. 8When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorpost by my doorpost, with only the wall between me and them, they profaned my holy name by the abominable deeds they committed. So I consumed them in my anger. 9Now they must put away their spiritual prostitution and the pillars of their kings far from me, and then I will live among them forever.

10“As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they will be ashamed of their sins and measure the pattern. 11When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design – all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire design and all its statutes and do them.

12“This is the law of the temple: The entire area on top of the mountain all around will be most holy. Indeed, this is the law of the temple.

The Altar

13“And these are the measurements of the altar: Its base is 1� feet high, and 1� feet wide, and its border nine inches on its edge. This is to be the height of the altar. 14From the base of the ground to the lower edge is 3� feet, and the width 1� feet; and from the smaller ledge to the larger edge, 7 feet, and the width 1� feet; 15and the altar hearth, 7 feet, and from the altar hearth four horns projecting upward. 16Now the altar hearth is a perfect square, 21 feet long and 21 feet wide. 17The ledge is 24� feet long and 24� feet wide on four sides; the border around it is 10� inches, and its surrounding base 1� feet. Its steps face east.”

18Then he said to me: “Son of man, this is what the sovereign Lord says: These are the statutes of the altar: On the day it is built to offer up burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it, 19you will give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are descended from Zadok, who approach me to minister to me, declares the sovereign Lord. 20You will take some of its blood, and place it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; you will cleanse it and make atonement for it. 21You will also take the bull for the sin offering, and it will be burned in the appointed place in the temple, outside the sanctuary.

22“On the second day, you will offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they purified it with the bull. 23When you have finished purifying it, you will offer an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. 24You will present them before the Lord, and the priests will scatter salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.

25“For seven days you will provide every day a goat for a sin offering; a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish, will be provided. 26For seven days they will make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, so they will consecrate it. 27When the prescribed period is over, on the eighth day and thereafter the priests will offer up on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; I will accept you, declares the sovereign Lord.”