1 AFTERWARD he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:

2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east:[THe Lord comes the same way as all light - from the east, from the same place as the sun rises - authority reference alluding to the fact that he is indeed the source of all light] and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth ^eshined with his glory. [Since he has come as the scource of light it is evedent because his light surpasses that of the sun at noon day]

3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. [Not the first time Ezekiel has fallen on his face (cp. 1:28, (3:23, 9:8, 11:13). It is draining for a mortal to be in the presence of God, it will exhast all of their strength. Joseph Smith once said after a revelation with ?Oliver? in which Olivery looked beat Josepeh just said that Oliver was not used to it. In the case of 3:23-24 it is the spirit of the Lord that enters into him and gives him strength to stand upon his feet. The same thing is implied in 1:28 with 2:1 and 9:8 with 11:1 and here as well with v. 5. And this happens again in 44:4. In the case of 9:8 and 11:13 it would appear 9:8 starts out more as Ezekiel bowing himself before the Lord in an appeal to show humility. Then collapses in exhaustion.]

4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. [The gate from which the Lord enters is the East. The pathway back to Eden through the angels with the flaming swords which turn every way is east, cfGen. 3:24. The entrance to all LDS Temples faces east.]

5 so the spirit took me up, [spirit that grants him sufficient strength to abide the presence of the Lord, cf. Isa. 40:28-31, cp. Moses 1:2.] and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

6 And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; [he hears the voice of the Lord from within the temple - how symbolic?] and the man stood by me. [While the angel from ch. 40-42 is still acting as guide]

7 ¶ And he said unto me, son of man, the place of my throne,[his majesty, power and glory - all that he has will be there] and the place of the soles of my feet,[his condescension in dwelling among men, he will be there physically as well] where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, [Regarding the thresholds, posts, and walls, a JPS translation footnote states:

The south wall of the First Temple enclosure was also the north wall of the royal enclosure; the two communicated by the Gate of the Guard (2 Kings 11.19). Thus Temple and palace could be regarded as a single dwelling ("tent") in the sense of Num. 19.14, and the death of a king in the palace would defile the Temple. Hence the zoning provisions of 45.2 ff.

One would tend to read this verse literally, but consider the figurative implications. The Lord is telling them not to ever connect the Temple and king's palace again. It was the various wicked kings of Judah like Ahaz and Manasseh who defiled the Temple horribly, forced the priests to sacrifice to idols, and lead the people into apostasy. Thus, the Lord wants a complete physical separation between the Temple and palace, but the implicit message is He also wants a spiritual separation as well. Especially when the king goes bad.] and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

9 Now let them put away their whoredom, [quit doing that which they know is wrong] and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

10 ¶ Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

12 This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

13 ¶ And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.

14 And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

15 so the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.

16 And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.

17 And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

[Note: v18-27 describe the the consecration and use of the altars used by the sons of Aaron. "Provision will be made for some ceremonies an dordinances which may be performed by the Aarponic Priesthood...The sacrifice of animals will be done to complete the restoration when the temple spoken of is built;" Doctrines of Salvation 3:93-94]

18 ¶ And he said unto me, son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.

20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.

22 And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.

23 When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

24 And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

26 Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.

27 And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.