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Ezechiel 43

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1 Et duxit me ad portam quæ respiciebat ad viam orientalem.

2 Et ecce gloria Dei Israël ingrediebatur per viam orientalem : et vox erat ei quasi vox aquarum multarum, et terra splendebat a majestate ejus.

3 Et vidi visionem secundum speciem quam videram, quando venit ut disperderet civitatem : et species secundum aspectum quem videram juxta fluvium Chobar : et cecidi super faciem meam.

4 Et majestas Domini ingressa est templum per viam portæ quæ respiciebat ad orientem.

5 Et elevavit me spiritus, et introduxit me in atrium interius : et ecce repleta erat gloria Domini domus.

6 Et audivi loquentem ad me de domo : et vir qui stabat juxta me

7 dixit ad me : Fili hominis, locus solii mei, et locus vestigiorum pedum meorum, ubi habito in medio filiorum Israël in æternum : et non polluent ultra domus Israël nomen sanctum meum, ipsi et reges eorum, in fornicationibus suis, et in ruinis regum suorum, et in excelsis.

8 Qui fabricati sunt limen suum juxta limen meum, et postes suos juxta postes meos, et murus erat inter me et eos : et polluerunt nomen sanctum meum in abominationibus quas fecerunt : propter quod consumpsi eos in ira mea.

9 Nunc ergo repellant procul fornicationem suam et ruinas regum suorum a me, et habitabo in medio eorum semper.

10 Tu autem, fili hominis, ostende domui Israël templum, et confundantur ab iniquitatibus suis, et metiantur fabricam,

11 et erubescant ex omnibus quæ fecerunt. Figuram domus, et fabricæ ejus, exitus et introitus, et omnem descriptionem ejus, et universa præcepta ejus, cunctumque ordinem ejus, et omnes leges ejus ostende eis, et scribes in oculis eorum, ut custodiant omnes descriptiones ejus, et præcepta illius, et faciant ea.

12 Ista est lex domus in summitate montis : omnis finis ejus in circuitu, Sanctum sanctorum est. Hæc est ergo lex domus.

13 Istæ autem mensuræ altaris in cubito verissimo, qui habebat cubitum et palmum : in sinu ejus erat cubitus, et cubitus in latitudine : et definitio ejus usque ad labium ejus, et in circuitu palmus unus : hæc quoque erat fossa altaris.

14 Et de sinu terræ usque ad crepidinem novissimam duo cubiti, et latitudo cubiti unius : et a crepidine minore usque ad crepidinem majorem quatuor cubiti, et latitudo cubiti unius.

15 Ipse autem Ariel quatuor cubitorum, et ab Ariel usque ad sursum cornua quatuor.

16 Et Ariel duodecim cubitorum in longitudine per duodecim cubitos latitudinis, quadrangulatum æquis lateribus.

17 Et crepido quatuordecim cubitorum longitudinis per quatuordecim cubitos latitudinis in quatuor angulis ejus : et corona in circuitu ejus dimidii cubiti, et sinus ejus unius cubiti per circuitum : gradus autem ejus versi ad orientem.

18 Et dixit ad me : Fili hominis, hæc dicit Dominus Deus : Hi sunt ritus altaris, in quacumque die fuerit fabricatum, ut offeratur super illud holocaustum, et effundatur sanguis.

19 Et dabis sacerdotibus et Levitis qui sunt de semine Sadoc, qui accedunt ad me, ait Dominus Deus, ut offerant mihi vitulum de armento pro peccato.

20 Et assumens de sanguine ejus, pones super quatuor cornua ejus, et super quatuor angulos crepidinis, et super coronam in circuitu : et mundabis illud et expiabis.

21 Et tolles vitulum qui oblatus fuerit pro peccato, et combures eum in separato loco domus, extra sanctuarium.

22 Et in die secunda offeres hircum caprarum immaculatum pro peccato : et expiabunt altare sicut expiaverunt in vitulo.

23 Cumque compleveris expians illud, offeres vitulum de armento immaculatum, et arietem de grege immaculatum.

24 Et offeres eos in conspectu Domini : et mittent sacerdotes super eos sal, et offerent eos holocaustum Domino.

25 Septem diebus facies hircum pro peccato quotidie : et vitulum de armento, et arietem de pecoribus immaculatos offerent.

26 Septem diebus expiabunt altare et mundabunt illud, et implebunt manum ejus.

27 Expletis autem diebus, in die octava et ultra, facient sacerdotes super altare holocausta vestra, et quæ pro pace offerunt : et placatus ero vobis, ait Dominus Deus.

   

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Altar

  

The first altar mentioned in the Word was the one built by Noah after he came out of the ark, after being saved from the great flood. On that altar, he sacrificed clean animals to the Lord.

Mountains represent the Lord because of their height; we need to raise our thoughts above worldly things when "talking" with the Lord. An altar is a small artificial mountain. When it's used in worship, it can call to mind this raising of thought. The fire and smoke that rise from an altar are symbolically being sent to the Lord.

Most altars were made from unhewn stones. Stones represent truths. Unhewn stones - ones that have not been shaped by men - represent truths from the Word, truths that have not been adulterated.

The clean beasts to be sacrificed represent good things, charitable acts done because they are right. The clean birds represent thoughts about doctrine and actions, and about what is right. Presenting these things is an acknowledgment that we have them from the Lord, and a giving thanks to Him for them.

In the Israelitish Tabernacle, the altar of burnt offering represented the acknowledgment of good and the altar of incense that of truth. For this reason this larger altar, which was outside by the door, was made of brass which signifies natural good, while the altar of incense was made of gold, which signifies love to the Lord from whom comes truth.