What is the significance of the altar described in Ezekiel 41:22 for temple worship? Canonical Text “An altar of wood, three cubits high and two cubits long and two cubits wide, was before the LORD. The altar, its corners, its base, and its sides were of wood. And the man told me, ‘This is the table that is before the LORD.’ ” (Ezekiel 41:22) Placement in the Visionary Blueprint Ezekiel 40–48 records a meticulously measured, future temple. Within that architectural tour, the prophet pauses in the Holy Place—immediately in front of the Most Holy Place—to note a single furnishing: a wooden altar-table. Its isolation underscores its importance; every other item in the Holy Place of Solomon’s temple (lampstand, incense altar, table of showbread) disappears, leaving one multifunctional piece whose very presence redirects focus toward divine fellowship. Measurements and Material Distinctives • Size: 3 × 2 × 2 cubits (≈ 5 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft). • Composition: entirely wood—unlike the bronze sacrificial altar (Exodus 27:1-8) or the gold incense altar (Exodus 30:1-10). • Design: “corners…base…sides”—the same language used for horned altars; yet here horns are not explicitly listed, implying a hybrid between altar and table. Wood within the temple typology symbolizes humanity (Isaiah 11:1; 1 Kings 6:15-18). Overlaying or plating is not mentioned, suggesting the altar-table retains visible wood grain, highlighting an unmediated meeting point between God and redeemed humanity. Dual Function—Altar and Table The interpreting angel names it “the table that is before the LORD.” In Torah vocabulary, “table” evokes the bread of the Presence—covenant fellowship (Leviticus 24:5-9). “Altar,” by contrast, proclaims atonement (Leviticus 17:11). Ezekiel’s single furnishing therefore fuses sacrifice with communion, anticipating a worship economy in which one act of atonement forever opens uninterrupted fellowship (cf. Hebrews 10:11-14). Typological Fulfillment in Christ Wood (humanity) + altar (sacrifice) + table (communion) = the crucified and risen Messiah. The cross is the wooden altar where the Lamb was offered (John 1:29), and the Lord’s Table is the covenant meal that flows from that sacrifice (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Thus Ezekiel’s altar sketches the gospel centuries in advance: one sacrifice securing perpetual nearness. Continuity with and Distinction from Earlier Altars 1. Tabernacle bronze altar: 5 × 5 cubits, bronze (Exodus 27); primarily for burnt offerings outside. 2. Solomonic incense altar: 1 × 1 × 2 cubits, overlaid with gold, in front of the veil (1 Kings 6:20-22). 3. Ezekiel’s altar-table: intermediate in size, pure wood, placed deeper within. The progression narrows distance and refines purpose: from courtyard sacrifice, to daily incense intercession, to intimate covenant table—each stage moving worshippers closer to the Presence. Liturgical Role in the Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 40-48) Chapters 43-46 outline animal sacrifices on a larger exterior altar (43:13-27). Those offerings are memorial, not propitiatory, paralleling the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance (Luke 22:19). The interior wooden altar-table appears reserved for bread (44:16), incense (Revelation 8:3-4 analog), or covenant tokens—signifying that sins are already dealt with outside, and fellowship is celebrated inside. Theological Themes • Holiness: Its placement “before the LORD” in the Holy Place limits access to consecrated priests (44:15-16). Holiness is relational, not merely spatial. • Atonement Satisfied: Only one furnishing is needed; multiplicity of implements is obsolete where sin’s barrier is removed. • Presence Restored: God’s repeated promise, “I will dwell among them forever” (43:7), climaxes in an altar-table, not a veil. Archaeological Parallels • Tel Arad (8th cent. BC) yielded a stone incense altar of similar footprint, affirming that Israelite altars could coexist with tables for bread. • Tel Beersheba produced a dismantled horned altar matching biblical four-corner syntax; its deconstruction under Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4) illustrates reform yet continuity of altar forms. Such finds corroborate the plausibility of Ezekiel’s altar dimensions and terminology. Practical Implications for Worship Today Believers now approach a once-for-all altar (Hebrews 13:10) and partake at the Lord’s Table, living out Ezekiel’s vision spiritually. Corporate worship centers on proclaiming Christ’s finished work and sharing covenant fellowship—mirrored in every communion service. Conclusion Ezekiel 41:22’s wooden altar-table is a prophetic amalgam of sacrifice and supper, heralding a worship era secured by Messiah’s cross and celebrated in intimate communion with God. It anchors temple worship in atonement accomplished and fellowship assured, pointing ancient Israel—and modern readers—to the ultimate significance of Christ’s resurrected presence “before the LORD.” |
    |