אתה בן־אדם הגד את־בית־ישׂראל את־הבית ויכלמו מעונותיהם ומדדו את־תכנית׃
"You, human being, describe this house to the house of Isra'el, so that they will be ashamed of their crimes. And let them measure accurately. (Eze 43:10 CJB)
"Describe this house to the house of Isra'el,"
אתה בן־אדם הגד את־בית־ישׂראל את־הבית ויכלמו מעונותיהם ומדדו את־תכנית׃
"You, human being, describe this house to the house of Isra'el, so that they will be ashamed of their crimes. And let them measure accurately. (Eze 43:10 CJB)
WHICH TEMPLE?
It is the 25th year of the prophet's exile, fourteen years after the burning of the Temple when Jerusalem was destroyed.
With Jeremiah in Jerusalem, and Daniel in the capital, Ezekiel was in the province as part of a constellation of prophets, like a network of stars, keeping the connection strong between HaShem and His people in exile. He receives a specific, eight-chapter-long vision of the new Temple, the Messianic Temple, the Temple that is to stand during the completed Messianic Era, also called the Millenium.
When the Judean exiles returned from Babylon, they began to incorporate several designs and ceremonial conventions from Ezekiel's vision of the Messianic era Temple, but then realized that was not the right design because Messiah was supposed to be ruling over Jerusalem at the time of Ezekiel's Temple. They then halted those plans and rebuilt according to the layout of King David's Temple instead.
THE MESSIANIC "ARCHITECT" IN CHARGE
In the beginning of chapter 43, Ezekiel is contacted by the "Architect", Yeshua Himself, who is in charge of the project. As it was in the days of creation, Yeshua is HaShem's "Master Workman." "Then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always"(Pro 8:30 ESV, see also John 1:3).
The text says:
As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple. While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.
(Eze 43:4-7 ESV)
Yeshua orders Ezekiel to engage in a description of the Temple. He says:
"You, human being, describe this house to the house of Isra'el, so that they will be ashamed of their crimes. And let them measure accurately.
(Eze 43:10 CJB)
This accurate study of the measurements of the Messianic Temple is meant to convict the children of Israel of their crimes and sins. Here is how Weissman explains it in his commentary:
"A prince was ousted of the country because he had conducted himself inappropriately. In order to entice him to improve, the father constructed a magnificent palace especially for his son and sent messengers to bring the prince back so that he could view it. The prince was told, "This splendid palace is waiting for you. All you have to do is behave in a fitting manner!" (From the Midrash on the weekly Haftarot.)
In the same manner, the study of the texts concerning the glory that awaits us in the World to Come is meant to bring us to repentance; to motivate and invite us to a life dedicated to mitzvot and good deeds; to serve God in the way He intends for us.
Yeshua tells Ezekiel:
If they become ashamed of all they have done, show them the elevation and plan of the house, its exits and entrances, all its details and decorations, and all its specifications, its design and its Torah. Sketch it for them to see, so that they can observe the entire design with its specifications, and carry them out.
(Eze 43:11 CJB)
The Tabernacle and former Temple had different areas of holiness classification. Some places were for the gentiles, some for the women, some for the Jews, some for the priests, and some only for the high-priest. Ezekiel is told of the holiness classification of this Messianic Era Temple.
This is Torah for the house: the whole surrounding area on the mountaintop will be especially holy. This is Torah for the house."
(Eze 43:12 CJB)
This Messianic Temple might look different than the one built by Solomon. It resembles more of a staged tower, rising in terraces.
These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (a cubit here is defined as a normal cubit [eighteen inches] plus a handbreadth [three inches]): the base, one cubit [twenty-one inches] deep and one cubit wide; with the molding surrounding it at its rim about a hand-span [nine inches] in width. The height of the altar is thus: from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, three-and-a-half feet, with the width twenty-one inches; from the lower ledge to the upper ledge, seven feet, with the width again twenty-one inches. (Eze 43:13-14 CJB)
Ezekiel then describes the altar, or the hearth, which he poetically refers to as the "Ariel" in Hebrew. This is because some have reported that the fire on the altar used to appear in the form of a lion (in Hebrew, ariel) consuming the sacrifices.
The hearth measures seven feet [high], with four horns on top of the hearth. The hearth is a square twenty-one feet on each of its four sides. (Eze 43:15-16 CJB)
Isaiah used that same poetry when referring to Jerusalem:
Woe to Ari'el [fireplace on God's altar, lion of God] -- Ari'el, the city where David encamped! Celebrate the feasts for a few more years, but then I will bring trouble to Ari'el. There will be mourning and moaning, as she becomes truly an ari'el for me.
(Isa 29:1-2 CJB)
More measurements...
The ledge measures a square twenty-four-and-a-half feet on each of its four sides; the molding around it ten-and-a-half inches [across]; and its base twenty-one inches [larger than the rest, all the way] around. Its steps face east.
(Eze 43:17 CJB)
PARASHA CONNECTION
In Exodus 29 this week, we read about the inauguration of the Tabernacle. Just as there is an inauguration of the Tabernacle, of Solomon's Temple, and of the second Temple, there will be an inauguration of the Messianic Temple.
This prophecy now gives us a peek into the future Messianic Temple inauguration.
HOLY TEMPLE SERVICE IN THE MESSIANIC AGE
He said to me, "Human being, Adonai Elohim says, 'These are the regulations for the altar when the time comes to construct it, offer burnt offerings on it and splash the blood against it: you are to give to the cohanim, who are L'vi'im descended from Tzadok and who approach to serve me,' says Adonai Elohim, 'a young bull as a sin offering.
(Eze 43:18-19 CJB)
It seems that in the Messianic Age, only the priests descended from the line of Zadok are allowed to do the service of the altar. After Abiathar in the days of King David, Zadok became the high priest, as well as the first high priest under the reign of King Solomon. That is because according to Ezekiel, only the family of Zadok remained faithful and did not go into idolatry like the rest of Israel did. May we be found worthy of the qualities of integrity!
Because they served them in the presence of their idols and became an occasion of sin for the house of Isra'el, I am raising my hand against them,' says Adonai Elohim, 'and they will bear the consequences of their guilt. They will not approach me to serve me in the office of cohen or approach any of the holy things or the especially holy things; but they will bear their shame for the disgusting practices they committed. Yet I will put them in charge of the house and all its maintenance and everything to be done in it. " 'However, the cohanim, who are L'vi'im and descendants of Tzadok, who took care of my sanctuary when the people of Isra'el went astray from me -- they are the ones who will approach me and serve me; it is they who will attend me and offer me the fat and the blood,' says Adonai Elohim. 'They will enter my sanctuary, approach my table to minister to me and perform my service.
(Eze 44:12-16 CJB)
More service instructions ...
You are to take its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge and on the molding all the way around; this is how you will purify it and make atonement for it. (Eze 43:20 CJB)
SIN OFFERING IN THE MESSIANIC ERA?
You are also to take the bull which is the sin offering and have it burned up at the designated place [on the grounds] of the house, outside the sanctuary. On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect as a sin offering, and they are to purify the altar as they purified it with the bull. When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect. (Eze 43:21-23 CJB)
Daniel Lancaster explains:
"The death and resurrection of Yeshua did not cancel the sacrificial system. The destruction of the Temple canceled the sacrificial system... The Temple on earth is an earthly representation of the true Temple of God's Throne. The sacrifices brought in the Temple on earth atoned for sin only in regard to the sacred space of the Temple on earth. They never took away sin or cleansed the one who offered the sacrifice from the stain of guilt." -D. Lancaster, Torah Club 3, p. 428.
As Daniel Lancaster just did with us, Paul reminded the first-century Hebrew believers that:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
(Heb 10:4 CJB)
More offerings instructions...
You are to present them before Adonai, and the cohanim will throw salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to Adonai. (Eze 43:24 CJB)
This is according to Leviticus:
You are to season every grain offering of yours with salt -- do not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God, but offer salt with all your offerings.
(Lev 2:13 CJB)
Every day, for seven days, you are to prepare a goat as a sin offering; they are also to prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock without defect. For seven days, they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; in this way they are to consecrate it. When these days are over, then, on the eighth day and afterwards, the cohanim will present your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings; and I will accept you,' says Adonai Elohim."
(Eze 43:25-27 CJB)
Ezekiel alludes to an earlier prophecy of HaShem's acceptance:
"As for you, house of Isra'el, here is what Adonai Elohim says: 'Go on serving your idols, every one of you! But afterwards, [I swear that] you will listen to me, and you will no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Isra'el,' says Adonai Elohim, 'the whole house of Isra'el, all of them, will serve me in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will require your contributions, your best gifts and all your consecrated things. I will accept you with your sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you were scattered; and through you I will manifest my holiness in the sight of the nations. " 'You will know that I am Adonai when I bring you into the land of Isra'el, into the country which I pledged, by raising my hand, to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your behavior and all the things you did by which you defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you committed. You will know that I am Adonai when I have dealt with you in a manner that preserves my reputation, and not according to your evil ways and corrupt actions, house of Isra'el' says Adonai Elohim."
(Eze 20:39-44 CJB)
AS WE READ AND STUDY THE WORDS OF THE KINGDOM,
MAY WE BE FACED WITH OUR ACTIONS
AND REPENT THAT WE MAY BE ACCEPTED.
AS THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD THAT WE ARE,
AS DESCRIBED BY PETER,
MAY WE BE FOUND WITH THE INTEGRITY OF ZADOK.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
R' Gabriel
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