What is the meaning of Ezekiel 41:22? There was an altar of wood • Ezekiel sees an actual wooden altar, indicating God’s intention for tangible worship in the future temple (cf. Exodus 30:1–2, where the incense altar is likewise wooden and then overlaid). • Wood, a living material once rooted in the earth, points to a sacrifice that is connected to everyday human life—anticipating Christ’s own physical offering (Hebrews 10:5–10). • Unlike the bronze altar of burnt offerings (Exodus 27:1–2), this interior altar suggests communion rather than atonement, aligning with Hebrews 13:10: “We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat”. three cubits high • Roughly 4½ feet (1.3 m) high—low enough for a priest to minister without steps, preventing any hint of self-exalting elevation (cf. Exodus 20:26, “you shall not go up to My altar on steps,”). • The approachable height foreshadows the nearness believers enjoy through Christ, who “has brought us near by His blood” (Ephesians 2:13). and two cubits square • The perfectly square shape (about 3 ft x 3 ft / 0.9 m x 0.9 m) mirrors earlier holy furniture—the incense altar (Exodus 30:2) and the Most Holy Place itself (1 Kings 6:20). • A square symbolizes stability, balance, and equality before God—echoing Acts 10:34, “God does not show favoritism”. • This dimension invites all worshipers to the same “level ground” at the altar, anticipating Revelation 21:16 where the New Jerusalem is also square, signifying perfect order. Its corners, base, and sides were of wood • Every visible part is wood, underscoring unity of material. Like the acacia-wood furnishings overlaid with gold in the tabernacle, the substance remains consistent throughout (Exodus 37:25–26). • The “corners” evoke the “horns” of earlier altars (Leviticus 4:7), places of mercy and refuge (1 Kings 1:50). • A solid base points to the altar’s permanence, reminding us of Psalm 89:14: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne”. And the man told me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.” • The interpreting angel shifts the term from “altar” to “table,” linking sacrifice with fellowship. The same dual language appears in Malachi 1:7, “You present defiled food on My altar,” and 1 Corinthians 10:21, “the Lord’s table”. • A table implies shared meal and covenant intimacy, recalling the showbread table (Leviticus 24:5–9) and pointing ahead to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). • “Before the LORD” places this furniture in God’s immediate presence, paralleling Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence”. summary Ezekiel’s wooden altar—low, square, unified in material, and called a “table”—reveals God’s design for a future worship marked by accessibility, equality, and intimate fellowship. Each detail recalls earlier tabernacle patterns while anticipating the ultimate altar-table provided in Jesus Christ, where sacrifice and communion meet and believers draw near to the Lord forever. |
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