Consecrated Altar

Ezekiel 43:13-27

13 "These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (the cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth): the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. This is the 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, one cubit. 15 The altar hearth is four cubits high, with four horns extending upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, square at its four corners; 17 the ledge, fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it; its base, one cubit all around; and its steps face toward the east."

18 And He said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: 'These are the ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificing burnt offerings on it, and for sprinkling blood on it. 19 You shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,' says the Lord GOD. 20 'You shall take some of its blood and put it on 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, and burn 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 cleansed it with the bull. 23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish. 24 When you offer them before the LORD, the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. 25 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. 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 will accept you,' says the Lord GOD."

The dimensions and consecration of the altar of atonement are described by Ezekiel as the tour of the vision by God comes nearer to a close.  First of all the dimensions are carefully shown so we have a picture of the altar and its orientation towards the east where God’s glory was just seen entering the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-2).  This is important to understand before moving on to the consecration of the altar for its holy use in offerings of sacrifice for the sins of the people.  The steps were laid out to prepare the altar when it was made, as well as the requirements of the priests who would make the sacrifices.  The first two days of preparation are given, followed by the remaining days of the total seven required for a perfect preparation.  Each sin offering is laid out to atone for the altar and to consecrate it for future daily use for the atonement of sins of God’s people.  After the initial seven days to make it ready the sacrifices were prepared and made for peace and acceptance by the LORD.  These are of course a shadow of the one sacrifice to come which is perfect and perfectly able to cover all sins of all God’s chosen people for all time.  That sacrifice was made by God as the highest high priest and as the perfectly blameless lamb to take away those sins once for all (Leviticus 16:34, Romans 6:10, Hebrews 9:12, 10:10)!  All the elaborate preparations of the old altar and its sacrifices were fulfilled in God preparing His Son from before creating the world and throughout His life on earth to prove His sinlessness and ability to be that final sacrifice hinted at in the shadows of the old temple sacrificial system.  He alone can take away sins and their iniquity in our hearts and minds.  This is the reason that Israel then and we now need to read and understand these elaborate descriptions of the earthly temple and its altar of grace along with the heavenly pattern behind it.  Jesus Christ consecrated the eternal altar of God’s forgiveness to be forever effectual.  Our lives afterwards then become living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) as we accept His work for us (John 6:29) to earn our salvation through His eternal sacrifice.  Let us follow Him in that reconciling peace (Romans 5:1, 10-11) in Him.