Bible Commentaries

Ezekiel 43:1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, [even] the gate that looketh toward the east:

Ver. 1. Afterwards he brought me.] Non nisi dimenso prius montis ambitu. The prophet saw not the glory of God till he had first seen the mount measured, the temple restored. Men must usually wait upon God in the use of means ere they see the King in his glory.

Even the gate that looketh toward the east.] Men must awake out of the west of wickedness, and stand up from dead courses and companies, if Christ, the Day Star from on high, shall give them light. [Ephesians 5:14 Luke 1:78-79]

Ezekiel 43:2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice [was] like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

Ver. 2. And behold the glory,] i.e., The vision of the glory. God, who by the east gate had left the temple and the city, [Ezekiel 10:19] doth now the same way return, and filleth the house with the glory of his presence.

And his voice was like a noise of many waters.] Importing the multitude of his attendants, and his irresistible power, in his gospel especially, which is the power of God to salvation, and, like a mighty torrent, bears down all before it.

And the earth shined with his glory.] How can it do otherwise when the Sun of righteousness cometh in place, and irradiateth both organ and object. [2 Corinthians 4:6] Into Solomon’s temple God came in a thick cloud; not so here. Light is now more diffused than ever. Woe be to those that wink, or who seek straws to put out their eyes with, as Bernard hath it.

Ezekiel 43:3 And [it was] according to 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 upon my face.

Ver. 3. And it was according to the vision.] Being so much the sweeter and the welcomer to me. Hence he so oft repeateth it; and the Jewish doctors observe that eight times in this one verse, visionis ac videndi vocabulum repetitur, the word for vision and to see it is made use of.

When I came to destroy the city,] i.e., To foretell the destruction of it, [Ezekiel 9:2; Ezekiel 9:5] from which time forth it was a done thing. See Jeremiah 1:10. {See Trapp on "Jeremiah 1:10"}

And I fell upon my face.] In reverence to his majesty, in admiration of his mercy, and in the sense of mine own unworthiness. The nearer any one cometh to God, the lower he falleth in his own eyes, and the more doth "rottenness enter into his bones."

Ezekiel 43:4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect [is] toward the east.

Ver. 4. And the glory of the Lord.] See Ezekiel 43:2.

By the way of the gate.] The ordinary entrance into the temple. There, if anywhere, God is to be found. Where should a man be sought for but at his house? Say he be from home a while, yet thither he returneth; so here.

Ezekiel 43:5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

Ver. 5. So the spirit took me up.] Who was fallen upon my face. The lowly shall be lifted up.

And brought me into the inner court.] As being a priest. So is every true believer. [1 Peter 2:9 Revelation 1:6]

Filled the house.] God’s presence is the full glory of each good soul. See Haggai 2:7.

Ezekiel 43:6 And I heard [him] speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

Ver. 6. And I heard him speaking unto me.] The man Christ Jesus, standing by. Here, then, is a meeting and the mystery of the blessed Trinity; yea, here is a double mystery to be taken notice of, viz., those two wonderful unions of three persons in one God, and of Christ’s two natures in one person.

Ezekiel 43:7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, [neither] they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

Ver. 7. The place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet,] i.e., My Church, which is unto me instead of heaven and earth. Behold the place of my throne, &c., [Isaiah 60:1] so some read it; others, As for the place of my throne, &c.

No more defile.] But hallow; for negative holiness alone is little worth.

Nor by the carcases of their kings,] i.e., Their idols; ^(a) not unfitly called "carcases": - (1.) Because void of life; (2.) Stinking stuff. See Leviticus 26:30, Jeremiah 16:18. These were oft brought in, and countenanced by their kings.

Ezekiel 43:8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

Ver. 8. In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds.] By broaching falsehoods for truth, and setting human devices in competition with the good Word of God. That detestable decree of the Council of Trent is well known, whereby the Apocrypha is set cheek by jowl, as they say, with the holy canon; the Vulgate translation with the original; traditions with Scriptures, and unwritten verities with those that are written. This is intolerable presumption. Jews and Turks do the like in their Talmud and Koran; that I speak not of our sect masters, who boldly obtrude their placits without just reproof, and require to be believed.

And the wall between me and them.] Which they have wretchedly set up by their sins, to their singular disadvantage; [Isaiah 59:2] or, They have come under my nose, as it were, to provoke me; or, The nearer they were to Church, the farther from God.

Ezekiel 43:9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

Ver. 9. Now let them put away their whoredom.] So shall all be well between us. See Jeremiah 3:1, Isaiah 1:18. {See Trapp on "Jeremiah 3:1"} {See Trapp on "Isaiah 1:18"} Piscator; Ictus sapiat. Some read it, Now they will put away, &c.; and so they did, after the captivity, but will not be yet drawn to worship the true God aright. The Lord persuade their hearts thereto. Fiat, Fiat! Do it, Do it!

And the carcases.] See on Ezekiel 43:7.

And I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.] This is the same with that in Matthew 28:20, "I am with you to the end of the world."

Ezekiel 43:10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

Ver. 10. Show the house.] Heb., That house - sc., Which I have showed thee in visions; the idea of that temple which shall shortly be set up, its figure and dimensions.

That they may be ashamed.] Of having dealt so unworthily with a God so gracious.

And let them measure the pattern.] Ut metiantur universe; that, by a holy geometry, they may, in the spirit of their minds, take all the dimensions of it, and be transformed into the likeness of the heavenly pattern. These are those holy and heavenly mathematics, which none can learn but those that are taught of God, and without which none can be Christ’s disciple; like as none might be scholar to Plato that had not the grounds of geometry. ^(a)

Ezekiel 43:11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write [it] in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

Ver. 11. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done.] If they blush and bleed at heart for their iniquities. Penitents are to be taught the truth which is according to godliness, and all such are exactly to know and to do the whole will of God, as had not rather be carnally secured than soundly comforted.

Ezekiel 43:12 This [is] the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about [shall be] most holy. Behold, this [is] the law of the house.

Ver. 12. Upon the top of the mountain.] The Church is as a city on a hill, seen far and near, [Matthew 5:14] and the members of it are still ascending from one degree of grace to another, from strength to strength, till they see the face of God in Zion. [Psalms 15:1 Hebrews 12:22-23]

The whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy.] All the Lord’s people are so, at least in profession, first steps, honest endeavour, divine acceptation, and shall be so one day in all perfection. [Revelation 21:8; Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:14-15]

Ezekiel 43:13 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.

Ver. 13. And these are the measures of the altar,] viz., Of burnt offerings, which was in the priests’ court, and not at all spoken of till now.

The cubit,] viz., That of the sanctuary.

Even the bottom.] Heb., The bosom.

This shall be the higher place.] Heb., The back, as that which bore all. "We have also an altar," [Hebrews 13:10] even Jesus Christ, the just one, who is both our Ariel (God’s lion, Revelation 5:5) and our Hareel (God’s mount) of four cubits, as being "preached unto the Gentiles" in all parts, "believed on in the world, received up into glory." [1 Timothy 3:16]

Ezekiel 43:14 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.

Ver. 14. And from the bottom upon the ground.] This so exact measuring of the altar may import, saith Polanus, the faithful and perfect preaching of the gospel by the apostles, and all faithful ministers of God’s word after them. [2 Corinthians 10:13-18 1 Corinthians 4:1,2 Kings 11:1]

Ezekiel 43:15 So the altar [shall be] four cubits; and from the altar and upward [shall be] four horns.

Ver. 15. So the altar.] Heb., Hareel, the hill of God, or the only place of sacrifices.

And from the altar.] Ariel, the lion of God; so called because the fire of this altar devoured the sacrifices, as a lion doth the prey. See Isaiah 29:16.

Ezekiel 43:16 And the altar [shall be] twelve [cubits] long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.

Ver. 16. Square in the four squares thereof.] Christ, the Christian altar, is complete, firm, and fixed.

Ezekiel 43:17 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.

Ver. 17. And his stairs shall look toward the east.] As leading to the Sun of righteousness, and the light of eternal blessedness, arising out of heaven.

Ezekiel 43:18 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.

Ver. 18. These are the ordinances of the altar.] Christians also have their sacrifices, though of another alloy, to offer, and must look to the ordinances of their altar; ministers must especially.

Ezekiel 43:19 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.

Ver. 19. And thou shalt give to the priests.] All this is to be understood spiritually, as being figuratively spoken.

A young bullock.] Together with a goat and a ram. [Ezekiel 43:22-23; Ezekiel 43:25] All that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts, [Galatians 5:24] and are still doing at it.

Ezekiel 43:20 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.

Ver. 20. And thou shalt take of the blood.] Christ, as mediator, was consecrated and qualified for the work.

Ezekiel 43:21 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.

Ver. 2l. Without the sanctuary.] So Christ suffered without the gate. [Hebrews 13:11-12]

Ezekiel 43:22 And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse [it] with the bullock.

Ver. 22. And they shall cleanse the altar.] To set forth how Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth his people. [Hebrews 9:19-24 John 17:19 Hebrews 9:13-14]

Ezekiel 43:23 When thou hast made an end of cleansing [it], thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

Ver. 23. Thou shalt offer.] See on Ezekiel 43:19.

Ezekiel 43:24 And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up [for] a burnt offering unto the LORD.

Ver. 24. And the priests shall cast salt upon them.] Christians must "have salt ^(a) within themselves," [Mark 9:50] and see to it that all their speeches be seasoned with the salt of mortification and discretion; [Ephesians 4:29 Colossians 4:6] so shall God make an everlasting covenant with them, even a "covenant of salt." See Leviticus 2:13.

Ezekiel 43:25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat [for] a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

Ver. 25. Every day a goat.] Mortification must be a Christian’s daily practice.

Ezekiel 43:26 Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.

Ver. 26. They shall purge.] Thou and they together. We must also sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. [1 Peter 3:15]

Ezekiel 43:27 And when these days are expired, it shall be, [that] upon the eighth day, and [so] forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.

Ver. 27. It shall be upon the eighth day.] The services of mortified men shall be accepted, on the eighth day especially, the Christian Sabbath, in the holy assemblies.