Would the glory of God return to the Temple, if Israel repented? Let’s look at Ezekiel 43.
Does Ezekiel describe a dramatic return of God's glory to the temple?
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming [voice] was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. 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. (Ezek 43:1-5 ESV)
Would God speak from the newly restored temple, declaring His return, setting the terms for His permanent presence, and warning against past idolatry?
While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from the temple. He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel and their kings will no longer defile My holy name by their religious prostitution and by the corpses of their kings at their high places.
Whenever they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they were defiling My holy name by the detestable acts they committed. So I destroyed them in My anger. Now let them remove their prostitution and the corpses of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell among them forever.” (Ezek 43:6-9 HCSB)
Would God use the detailed, holy pattern of a restored temple as a mirror to expose Israel’s past sins, produce genuine repentance, and reestablish His sacred presence among them?
And now, Son of Man, describe the Temple to the house of Israel. They will be ashamed because of their sin. They will measure its pattern. If they are ashamed of everything that they’ve done, you are to reveal to them the design of the Temple, its structure, its exits and entrances, its plans, its ordinances, and all of its regulations.
Write it down where they can see it and remember all of its designs and regulations, so they will implement them. This is to be the regulation for the Temple: the entire area on top of the mountain is to be considered wholly consecrated. This is to be the law of the Temple. (Ezek 43:10-12 ISV)
What are the exact architectural dimensions and structure of the bronze-or-stone altar of burnt offering in Ezekiel’s restored temple vision?
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.
And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle [ledge] shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit. (Ezek 43:13-14 KJV)
How did Ezekiel detail the tiers, hearth, horns, and base of the bronze altar of burnt offerings?
And the altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four horns. Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides. The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides; the border around it shall be half a cubit, and its base shall be a cubit round about; and its steps shall face the east. (Ezek 43:15-17 LSB)
Does Ezekiel outline divine instructions for consecrating and cleansing the new altar of burnt offerings?
And He said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it. You shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the descendants of Zadok, who come near to Me to serve Me,’ declares the Lord God, ‘a bull as a sin offering.
And you shall take some of its blood and put it on its four horns and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; so you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. You shall also take the bull as the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary. (Ezek 43:18-21 NASB)
Did Ezekiel next describe a 7-day consecration of its altar?
On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord. (Ezek 43:22-24 NIV)
Is the seven-day consecration and purification ceremony for the new temple altar needed before regular worship and sacrifices could begin?
‘Every day for seven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish. Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so consecrate it. 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 will accept you,’ says the Lord God. (Ezek 43:25-27 NKJV)
Does John relate a similar description of God’s voice, like the sound of many waters?
His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. (Rev 1:15 NLT)
Would the glory of God return to the Temple, if Israel repented? You decide!
