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.
These are the measures of the altar - as to the altar of burnt offering, which was the appointed means of access to God.
Verse 15. The altar - [Hebrew, har'eel (H741 )] i:e., mount of God; denoting the high security to be imparted by it to the restored Israel. It was a high place, but a high place of God (as the Hebrew for "altar" means), not of idols.
From the altar - the Hebrew for "altar" is literally, 'the lion of God' [ 'ªri'eel (H741)], Arieil (in Isaiah 29:1 ['Ariy'eel (H740)] "Ariel" is applied to Jerusalem). Menochius supposes that on "the altar" four animals were carved; the lion perhaps Was the uppermost, whence the horns were made to issue, and that from this the altar was called, as the Hebrew means, "the lion of God." Gesenius regards the two words as expressing the hearth or fire-place of the altar. Verse 16. And the altar shall be ... square in the four squares thereof - square on the four sides of its squares Fairbairn).
Verse 17. The settle - the ledge, (Fairbairn).
And his stairs - rather, 'the ascent,' as "steps" up to God's altar were forbidden in Exodus 20:26.
Verse 18-27. These are the ordinances of the altar ... to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon. The sacrifices here are not mere commemorative, but propitiatory ones; or at least relatively propitiatory. The expressions, "blood" (Ezekiel 43:18 ) and "for a sin offering" ( Ezekiel 43:19; Ezekiel 43:21-22) prove this. In the literal sense they can only apply to the second temple. Under the Christian dispensation they would directly oppose the doctrine taught in Hebrews 10:1-18 - namely, that Christ has by one offering forever atoned for sin. However, it is possible that they, might exist with a retrospective reference to Christ's sufferings, as the Levitical sacrifices had a prospective reference to them: not propitiatory in themselves, but memorials to keep up the remembrance of His propitiatory sufferings, which form the foundation of His kingdom, lest they should be lost sight of in the glory of that kingdom (DeBurgh). The particularity of the directions make it unlikely that they are to be understood in a merely vague figurative sense. See my Remarks on Ezekiel 40:1-49 . The Israelites in the coming Millennial Kingdom shall stand in a special relation, as the elect nation, to Messiah, as at once their Saviour, their God, and their King, and to the Gentile nations of the earth; so that sacrifices may then be introduced as the outward appointed expression of that special connection.
Verse 20. Thus shalt thou cleanse ... it - literally, make expiation for it [wªchiTee'taa ( H2398)].
Verse 21. He shall burn it ... without the sanctuary - ( Hebrews 13:11).
Verse 26. Seven days shall they purge the altar - referring to the original directions of Moses for seven days' purification-services of the altar ( Exodus 29:37 )
They shall consecrate themselves - literally, fill their hands, namely, with offerings: referring to the mode of consecrating a priest (Exodus 29:24; Exodus 29:35 , "Thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron" - namely, "one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord:" "seven days shalt thou consecrate them").
Verse 27. I will accept you - ( Ezekiel 20:40-41, "In mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them;" Romans 12:1 , "I beseech you, brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service; 1 Peter 2:5, "Ye also ... are
... an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ").
Remarks:
(1) The visible glory of God, which had manifested itself in the first temple had withdrawn from Jerusalem just before the destruction of that city by Nebuchadnezzar, and has never since returned. But in this chapter it is explicitly foretold that it shall, in God's good time, return "from the way of the East" (Ezekiel 43:2; Ezekiel 43:4), and fill the house of God again. As Christ withdrew His visible presence from the people of Jerusalem shortly before the destruction of both the city and the temple, and ascended from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12), so shall He come in Like manner as He went, by the way of the mount of Olives (Ezekiel 11:23; Zechariah 14:4 ).
(2) He has declared to the Jews, "Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Luke 13:35 ). When, therefore, He does come, it shall be as the universally recognized King of Israel: every Jew shall hail Him, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest" ( Luke 19:38), as His typical entry as a King into Jerusalem on the Palm Sunday before His crucifixion implies. Then first shall be fully realized the grand idea of the theocracy, which was only in part represented under the old commonwealth of the people, before they set it aside by asking for an earthly king, instead of retaining God as the Head of their nation. Yahweh-Jesus shall set up His throne, and shall dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever (Ezekiel 43:7), and they shall no more defile His holy name with abominations. He shall reign in righteousness over a people all righteous, as their manifested King, at once perfectly human and perfectly divine. Such a blessed reign has never yet been seen in this disordered world, whose politics have heretofore been disgraced by the virtual ignoring of God's supremacy, by self-seeking ambition, pride, and covetousness, and by frequent disregard of the rights of man in respect to justice and mercy.
(3) Ezekiel is directed to show to the house of Israel the house of God, that so they may be ashamed of their iniquities (Ezekiel 43:10 ). Nothing so effectually makes men ashamed of their sins as the revelation to them, by the Holy Spirit, of Christ crucified and Christ glorified, in the hearing of the Word. The height, the depth, the length, the breadth of the love of Christ to His spiritual temple, the elect Church, causes the believer to loathe his past course of life, and henceforth desire to live wholly to Christ, who loved him, and gave Himself for him.
Thus believers are prepared for further discoveries of the blessed laws of God's spiritual house ( Ezekiel 43:11). Its all-pervading feature and prominent law is universal sanctity. Nothing that defileth, or worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, direct or implied, can have place in God's spiritual house. Let the thought of this, its holy and glorious character, constrain us to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1 ).
(4) Whatever may be the nature of the future "burnt offerings," "sin offerings," and "blood sprinklings" (Ezekiel 43:18-19; Ezekiel 43:21), we have no doubt, as concerns ourselves now, that we need no other burnt offering than that one whereby Christ bore for us all the fiery indignation of the righteous God against our sin: His one sin offering whereby God "made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21 ), causes every believer to become the righteousness of God in Him; so that, as we have forgiveness of all sins through Him, there is no more offering for sin ( Hebrews 10:18) needed. We have boldness to enter the holiest by a new and living way (Hebrews 10:19-20), and not by dead sacrifices; and so can draw near, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22). We have the altar (Hebrews 13:10 ) of the cross, whereat we can present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God (Ezekiel 43:27 ; Romans 12:1 ), through Jesus Christ.
(5) As to the future sacrificial service of Israel, we can well afford to wait until God by the event shall clear up every difficulty: and throughout eternity we shall adoringly wonder at the beautiful variety, and, at the same time, perfect unity of the several parts of the mighty scheme of redemption through the incarnate Son of God.