Ez 43:1-12

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God returns to the temple (Eze 43:1-12)

Nineteen years earlier, Ezekiel had seen visions in which God left the temple, went out of Jerusalem to a nearby mountain, then destroyed the city and its inhabitants (see Eze 8:1; 9:1-11; 10:19; 11:22-24).

Now, with the new temple established, he sees God returning by the same route, coming to his temple and filling it with glory (Eze 43:1-5).

God then told Ezekiel that this temple was to be his earthly dwelling place. It was holy, and his people were not to defile it as their ancestors had defiled the previous temple, through worshipping idols and burying their kings there (Eze 43:6-9).

Ezekiel was to describe the new temple to the exiles and explain to them how it was to function. His purpose was to help them understand more of God’s holiness, so that they might live obediently and avoid wrongdoing (Eze 43:10-12).