How does Ezekiel 43:22 connect to the sacrificial system in Leviticus? Text Focus: Ezekiel 43 : 22 “On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering; and they are to purify the altar, as they purified it with the young bull.” Levitical Foundations to Keep in View • Leviticus 4 : 23–24 — a male goat serves as the sin offering for a leader who sins. • Leviticus 8 : 14–15 — during the tabernacle’s dedication, blood from a bull is placed on the altar’s horns “to purify the altar and make atonement for it.” • Leviticus 16 : 15–19 — on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkles goat’s blood on and before the mercy seat and then on the altar to cleanse it. • Leviticus 22 : 20 — every offering must be “unblemished.” Key Parallels between Ezekiel 43 : 22 and Leviticus 1. Same type of sacrifice – Both passages call for an “unblemished male goat” (Leviticus 4 : 23; Ezekiel 43 : 22). 2. Same purpose—purification and atonement – Leviticus 8 and 16 emphasize purifying the altar; Ezekiel repeats the work “to purify the altar.” 3. Same use of blood on the altar – Blood applied to the altar’s horns in Leviticus 8 : 15 mirrors Ezekiel 43 : 20–22. 4. Same seven-day dedication cycle – Leviticus 8 : 33 sets a seven-day ordination; Ezekiel 43 : 26 extends the altar’s cleansing over seven days. 5. Same requirement of perfection – “Unblemished” (Leviticus 22 : 20) resurfaces in Ezekiel’s millennial vision, underscoring God’s unchanged standard of holiness. Why a Goat on the Second Day? • Day 1 (Ezekiel 43 : 19) uses a bull, as Leviticus does for priestly sin. • Day 2 shifts to a goat, matching Leviticus 4’s pattern for leaders and pointing ahead to the corporate sin offering of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16 : 15). • The sequence shows progressive cleansing—from priestly representatives (bull) to the nation as a whole (goat). Shared Theological Threads • Atonement: Blood is God’s ordained means of covering sin (Leviticus 17 : 11; Hebrews 9 : 22). • Holiness: The altar itself must be sanctified before ongoing worship can occur (Leviticus 8 : 15; Ezekiel 43 : 26–27). • Continuity: Ezekiel’s future temple ritual does not replace the Levitical model; it extends it into a prophetic context, affirming that God’s standards remain consistent. Fulfillment and Forward Look • Levitical and Ezekiel sacrifices foreshadow “the Lamb of God” (John 1 : 29). • Hebrews 10 : 4–10 notes that animal offerings point to Christ, whose once-for-all sacrifice satisfies the cleansing the altar symbolized. • The millennial vision reaffirms, not diminishes, the historical reliability of Leviticus while directing eyes to the completed work of Messiah. Take-Home Reflections • God never lowers His bar of holiness; He provides the sacrifice to meet it. • The harmony between Ezekiel 43 and Leviticus underscores Scripture’s unity—from the tabernacle to the future temple to the cross. • Worship, whether past, present, or prophetic, centers on blood-bought access to a holy God. |
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