Ezekiel chapter 43

Wait, can it be that the architectural class is over?

vs 1

Remember, the gate facing east is the one that faces the temple entrance, I believe.

vs 2

God is coming towards this new temple. This is important, as God's presence left the temple in Jerusalem, you will recall.

vs 3

In other words, beasts, wheels within wheels, storms, total weirdness. I'd fall down too.

vs 4

Bam, I was right.

vs 5

Isaiah has a similar experience of God's glory filling the temple. Ezekiel isn't actually in the temple, of course, but he is there in spirit, and the idea of God filling the temple once more is a great thought after all the woe Ezekiel has brought.

vs 6

The man is the guy with the measuring rod, I am assuming.

vs 7

Now, this is important. A lot of important things said here. For God to say that's never going to happen again pretty much makes it clear that it can't be the second temple, because the Jews still make those mistakes. It also mentions Israel's kings, and they don't have another king from now on - not till Jesus. Sure, he says kings, but that's what people will be expecting, methinks.

Although, having said that, they might have been expecting the Davidic king too, so saying king singular wouldn't have been out of the question.

vs 8

Interesting. I could be misunderstanding this, but I assume it has something to do with the usage of the temple by the kings in a bad way, using some room or other for pagan rituals.

vs 9

It actually sounds like they were making offerings to dead kings. That's pretty screwed up for Israel. But God tells them to stop that, because he will come and live with them in this glorious, massive, well described temple.

vs 10

Now we get to learn why those last few chapters were included. Ezekiel is supposed to describe it to the people so they feel ashamed. So they can see it's perfection.

vs 11

But also that they might rebuild it to those specifications, from the sound of it, and follow the regulations that they didn't really follow before. I think, if memory serves, David designed the last temple. So this one is designed by God.

vs 12

Even the ground around the temple will be sacred. Now, tell me, is this the verse that created the idea of consecrated ground, I wonder?

vs 13-17

I spoke too soon.

vs 18

I will at least try and comment on the regulations and procedures for sacrifice, although they may well be as technical as the building instructions.

vs 19

I believe this is pretty much as set out in Leviticus.

vs 20

The altar needs atoning for! Because even the altar isn't perfect, I guess.

vs 21

If you read your Leviticus, you'll know all about that.

vs 22

I assume that the priests also cleaned the altar off at some point, because as spiritually cleansing as blood is, it's not all that clean in the regular meaning of the word.

vs 23

That's an expensive offering, but if it's on behalf of the whole nation, it's not so bad.

vs 24

Interesting, I don't recall salt.

vs 25

Considering the hundreds of bulls and goats that had been willingly given by kings like David to be slaughtered with every step the ark made, I think this sounds pretty reasonable. It also gives the term 'feast' a reason to be called that, because it provides lots of meat - for the priests, if no-one else.

vs 26

But aha, this is a dedication ritual for the new temple. Now see, this is talking about the new temple, like the actual physical temple they should build. Did they follow the instructions? I wonder.

vs 27

If all it takes is building a temple and offering a bit of livestock to get God to accept you, that's a damn bargain. I'd say we all do that! But in fact, it's even easier for us.