There the Glory of the God of Israel came from the east. God's voice was loud like the sound of the sea. The ground was bright with the light from the Glory of God.
The voice from the Temple said to me, "Son of man, this is the place with my throne and footstool. I will live in this place among the people of Israel forever. The family of Israel will not ruin my holy name again. The kings and their people will not bring shame to my name by committing sexual sins or by burying the dead bodies of their kings in this place.
They will not bring shame to my name by putting their threshold next to my threshold, and their doorpost next to my doorpost. In the past, only a wall separated them from me. So they brought shame to my name every time they sinned and did those terrible things. That is why I became angry and destroyed them.
"Now, son of man, tell the family of Israel about the Temple. Then, when they learn about the plans for the Temple, they will be ashamed of their sins.
And they will be ashamed of all the bad things they have done. Let them know the design of the Temple. Let them know how it should be built, where the entrances and exits are, and all the designs on it. Teach them about all its rules and all its laws. Write these things for everyone to see, so they can obey all the laws and rules for the Temple.
"And these are the measurements of the altar in cubits using the long measurement. There was a gutter all the way around the base of the altar. It was 1 cubit deep, and each side was 1 cubit wide. There was a rim around the edge 1 span high. This is how tall the altar was:
From the ground to the lower ledge, the base measured 2 cubits. It was 1 cubit wide. It measured 4 cubits from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge. It was 2 cubits wide.
The ledge was also square, 14 cubits long by 14 cubits wide. The border around it was?cubit wide. (The gutter around the base was 1 cubits wide.) The steps going up to the altar were on the east side."
Then the man said to me, "Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: 'These are the rules for the altar: At the time you build the altar, use these rules to offer burnt offerings and to sprinkle blood on it.
You will give a young bull as a sin offering to the men from Zadok's family. These men are the priests from the tribe of Levi. They are the men who serve me by bringing the offerings to me.'" This is what the Lord God said.
"You will take some of the bull's blood and put it on the altar's four horns, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it. In this way you will make the altar pure.
"On the second day you will offer a male goat that has nothing wrong with it. It will be for a sin offering. The priests will make the altar pure the same way they made it pure with the bull.
When you have finished making the altar pure, you will offer a young bull that has nothing wrong with it and a ram from the flock that has nothing wrong with it.
Then you will offer them before the Lord. The priests will sprinkle salt on them. Then they will offer the bull and ram up as a burnt offering to the Lord.
You will prepare a goat every day for seven days for a sin offering. Also, you will prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock. These animals must have nothing wrong with them.
On the eighth day, and every day after that, the priests must offer your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you." This is what the Lord God said.