The Glory Returns
43 Then he led me to the gate, the gate looking east, 2 and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters. The earth was radiant with His glory. 3 The appearance of the vision that I saw was like the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar. So I fell on my face. 4 Then the glory of Adonai came into the House by way of the gate facing the east. 5 The Ruach took me up and brought me into the inner court. Then behold, the glory of Adonai filled the House.
6 Then I heard someone speaking to me from the House, while a man was standing beside me. 7 He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne, the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of Bnei-Yisrael forever. The house of Israel will no longer defile My holy Name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution or by the corpses of their kings in their high places. 8 Whenever they set their threshold next to My threshold and their doorpost next to My doorpost, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy Name by their abominations that they committed. So I have finished them off in My fury. 9 Now let them put away their prostitution and the corpses of their kings, far from Me. Then I will dwell among them forever.
10 “You, son of man, describe the House to the house of Israel, so they will be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure accurately. 11 If they are ashamed of all they have done, sketch out the House for them, its layout, its exits and its entrances, its complete design, with all its ordinances and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so they may observe its complete design and all its ordinances and do them. 12 This is the Torah of the House: the whole territory around it on top of the mountain will be most holy. Behold, this is the Torah of the House.
The Altar
13 “These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (a cubit being a normal cubit plus a handbreadth). Its gutter will be a cubit deep and a cubit wide. Its rim will be one span surrounding the edge. This will be the base of the altar. 14 From the base on the ground to the lower ledge will be two cubits and the width one cubit. From the smaller ledge to the larger ledge will be four cubits and the width a cubit. 15 The altar hearth will be four cubits high. Four horns will project upward from the hearth. 16 The hearth will be 12 cubits long by 12 wide, with four sides square. 17 The ledge will be 14 cubits long and 14 wide with four sides square. The border surrounding it will be half a cubit and its bottom will be a cubit all around. Its steps will face east.”
18 Then he said to me, “Son of man, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day when they will construct it, in order to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it. 19 Give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical kohanim who are from the offspring of Zadok, who come near to Me to minister to Me’”—it is a declaration of Adonai. 20 “You are to take some of its blood and put it on its four horns, on the four corners of the ledge and on the border around it. So you will purify it and make atonement for it. 21 Take the bull of the sin offering and burn it in the appointed place of the House, outside the Sanctuary.
22 “On the second day, offer a male goat without blemish as a sin offering. They will purify the altar as they purified it with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, offer a young bull without blemish and a ram out of the flock without blemish. 24 Present them before Adonai. The kohanim will cast salt upon them. They will offer them up as a burnt offering to Adonai. 25 Every day for seven days, prepare a goat as a sin offering. They will prepare a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. 26 They will make atonement for the altar and cleanse it for seven days. This is how they will consecrate it. 27 When they have completed the days, from the eighth day and onward the kohanim will make your burnt offerings upon the altar as well as your fellowship offerings. Then I will accept you”—it is a declaration of Adonai.