The Temple, the Lord’s Dwelling Place
1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gatethat faces toward the east.
2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east.His voicewaslike the sound of many waters;and the earth shone with His glory.
3 Itwaslike the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I cameto destroy the city. The visionswerelike the vision which I sawby the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
4 And the glory of theLordcame into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.
5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold,the glory of theLordfilled the temple.
6 Then I heardHimspeaking to me from the temple, whilea man stood beside me.
7 And He said to me, “Son of man,thisisthe place of My throne andthe place of the soles of My feet,where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or withthe carcasses of their kings on their high places.
8 When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger.
9 Now let them put their harlotry and the carcasses of their kings far away from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.
10 “Son of man,describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.
11 And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all itsordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Writeitdown in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, andperform them.
12 Thisisthe law of the temple: The whole area surroundingthe mountaintopismost holy. Behold, thisisthe law of the temple.
Dimensions of the Altar
13 “These are the measurements of thealtar in cubits(the cubitisone cubit and a handbreadth): the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. Thisisthe height of the altar:
14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits; and the width of the ledge,onecubit.
15 The altar hearthisfour cubits high, with fourhorns extending upward from the hearth.
16 The altar hearthistwelvecubitslong, twelve wide,square at its four corners;
17 the ledge, fourteencubitslong and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it; its base, one cubit all around; andits steps face toward the east.”
Consecrating the Altar
18 And He said to me, “Son of man, thus says the LordGod: ‘Thesearethe ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificingburnt offerings on it, and forsprinkling blood on it.
19 You shall givea young bull for a sin offering tothe priests, the Levites, who are of the seed ofZadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,’ says the LordGod.
20 ‘You shall take some of its blood and putiton the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.
21 Then you shall also take the bull of the sin offering, andburn it in the appointed place of the temple,outside the sanctuary.
22 On the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleanseditwith the bull.
23 When you have finished cleansingit,you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish.
24 When you offer them before theLord,the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them upasa burnt offering to theLord.
25 Every day forseven days you shall prepare a goatfora sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish.
26 Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so consecrate it.
27 When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I willaccept you,’ says the LordGod.”