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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: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 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. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5 So the spirit took me up, 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; and the man stood by me. 7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, 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, 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, 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. 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.
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[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:1-9
(Chapter 43, verses 1 onwards) \"And he brought me to the gate that faced east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his majesty. And I saw a vision like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city. And the vision that I saw was like the vision that I had seen by the river Chebar. And I fell on my face.\ And the majesty of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. And the spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard someone speaking to me from the house. And the man standing beside me said to me, 'Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, they and their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger.' So now they shall put far from themselves their fornication and the ruins of their kings from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever. LXX: And he brought me to the gate, which looked toward the East, and he led me out; and behold the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the East, and the voice of the camp was like the voice of many waters, and the earth shone with the brightness of the glory on every side. And the vision that I saw was like the vision that I saw when I entered to anoint the city. And the vision of the chariot that I saw was like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord entered the house through the way of the gate that faced east. And the spirit took hold of me and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I stood, and behold, a voice from the house speaking to me, and a man stood beside me and said to me: Have you seen, son of man, the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where my name shall dwell in the midst of the house of Israel forever. And they shall no longer defile the house of Israel with their idols and with their detestable things and with all their transgressions, but I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. » First, about the variety of translation, it must be said that what the Septuagint put: 'And he led me out' is not found in the Hebrew. For if he had been led to the gate facing East, why was it necessary for him to be led out, since he was brought in to see what was being done at the Eastern gate? Then, where it is said: 'The voice was to him,' no doubt it is a voice of God, like the sound of many waters, which John also confirms in his Apocalypse, the Septuagint put: 'And the voice of the camp, like the voice of many geminators' (Apoc. XIV). In the third place, it is written in Hebrew: I saw a vision according to the appearance that I had seen when he came to destroy the city. But that one came, who at the beginning of this prophet was clothed in linen, and had an ink horn at his waist, along with six others, to destroy the city, not to anoint, which the Seventy translated as: And the vision of the chariot that I had seen, which is not found in Hebrew. Let us speak separately about each one, to the extent that the difficulty of explanation allows: lest while we strive for brevity, the veil remain not only on Moses, but also on Ezekiel the prophet in us, who desire to contemplate the revealed truth of the Lord (Exod. 34; 2 Cor. 3). Therefore the glory of the God of Israel enters by the eastern way, by which it had also departed when the city of the Lord was struck by fury. It enters, or rather returns to it, because it had shown the temple of the Lord built on the mountain. And yet there is much more that is said in what follows: The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the outer court, and behold the glory of the Lord filled the house. For here is where only the glory of the God of Israel enters; but there it is said that the fullness of the glory of the Lord was in the temple, as Isaiah also writes: I saw the Lord sitting on a high and lofty throne, and the house was full of his glory (Isaiah 6:1); when we contemplate the revealed face of the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into the image of the Creator. There was also the voice of God, like the voice of many waters, that is, of all the peoples in the whole world, as John the Evangelist explains (Apoc. XIV): or like the voice of armies, and like the voice of many praising God, that the army of God might know the sacraments. Jacob, understanding this, called the name of that place Camp (Genes. XXXII). And elsewhere it is written: The chariots of God are multiplied by ten thousand, thousands of rejoicers (Ps. LXVII, 18). But one voice is said to be of the camp and the multitude, because of the unanimous praise of God. And the voice of those singing is doubled for the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts, the earth is full of his glory (Isa. VI, 3). It follows: And the earth shone with his majesty (Psalm XVIII). Which properly happened at the coming of Christ; when the sound of the apostles went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world (Rom. XVIII): and it is fulfilled daily in believers, and will be fulfilled completely, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality (I Cor. XV). But the following is added: 'And I saw a vision in the likeness of the vision which I had seen when he came to destroy the city.' For which the Seventy have rendered: 'When I went in to anoint the city,' since it is clear contrary to the Hebrew; but according to the LXX it is very dark. How Ezekiel went in to anoint the city, and what was the purport of his prophecy, we have stated, unless we say, of course, that the prophet’s representation means the anointing of the city, and that the anointing with oil of joy is sacerdotal and regal, and that they become anointed of the Lord who willingly receive and hear Him to whom it is written: 'Do not touch My Christs;' and to those who touch them: 'My prophets, do not harm.' (Ps. 104:15). But he can anoint the city according to the anagoge, of which it is written: Glorious things are said of you, O city of God (Psalm 86:2); he who saw the vision of the chariot and the mysteries of God, which Ezekiel witnessed by the river Chebar, which signifies the burden and weight. For what is heavier than the Babylonian rivers, over which David sat and wept when he remembered Zion? Of which it is written: For the form of this world is passing away (Psalm 136). And I think that there is nothing perpetual in the confusion of this world, but everything passes and flows (1 Corinthians 7:31). Whoever considers this will fall on their face, understanding how far they are from the majesty of God, and will bow their knees to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. And when, he says, I had fallen, the majesty of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east, and immediately the spirit lifted me up (for I could not go on lying down), and he led me into the court of annihilation, for I had fallen outside; and behold, I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east, and I saw the glory of the Lord filling his house, and I heard a voice speaking to me from inside the house. What this is spoken about, the Scripture does not narrate, unless perhaps that of the Apostle: And I heard unspeakable words, that it is not lawful for a man to utter (2 Corinthians 12:4). But the man, he says, who stood beside the prophet, said to him: whom we clearly understand to be the Lord. For who else could it befit what follows: Son of man, the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever, except those who dwell in the Church in the midst of the children of Israel who behold God, and dwell forever, not according to the temple of Solomon for a time? And his place is the one about which it is written: And his place became peaceful (Psalm 75:2), which surpasses all understanding. And the place of his footsteps, as the Apostles say: Let us worship in the place where his feet stood (Psalm 31:7). And beautifully it is said, they stood: for the feet of the Lord stand in the Church, they walk in the synagogue and pass by. But in order that we may know that this is said about the Church, it is joined: And they will no longer defile my holy name, the house of Israel: which properly belongs to those who dwell in holy conversation in the Church. However, those who have defiled the holy name of God are more clearly specified: both their kings and their people, as well as their priests, in their own acts of fornication, through which they have fornicated with God; and in the ruins of their kings, who in vain, through pride, assume the royal name. Finally, it follows: And in high places. For an arrogant mind offends God; a humble one incites mercy. These people, after pride, or rather through pride, have fashioned their threshold next to the threshold of God, and their doorposts next to His doorposts. Let these women burdened with sins, carried about by every wind of doctrine, always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; having a form of godliness but denying its power, turn away from such people. For among them are those who creep into households and captivate weak-willed women weighed down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. And the Apostle also says: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup (I Cor. XI, 28). And to make what he said more serious, he follows it with the verse: And there was a wall between me and them; so that a very short wall would separate the priestly sacrifices and the places of the sacraments of the body and blood of Christ. And they have polluted, he says, my holy name, in the abominations which they have committed. What is the advantage of dwelling near, and a wall, the wall of the Lord's altar, between our cell and the altar of the Lord, when in those things which we do in secret, and which it is even shameful to speak of, the name of the Lord is defiled and polluted? I think this, that the name of the Lord is not polluted, except by the one who has seen his name and believed, and is considered in his name. And just as he who previously believed in Christ pollutes the name of God, so also the one who previously accepted his name in faith pollutes it. Otherwise, the Gentile and the Jew, although they are defiled and contaminated, indeed contamination itself and pollution, cannot pollute and defile the name of God: what they pollute is attributed to them, to whom it is said, 'My name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you' (Rom. 2:24). Therefore, because of these reasons, I consumed them in my anger, because they did the things we have mentioned. And yet the merciful Lord again commands the prophets to tell them to remove their former fornications from themselves and to abandon the ruins of their kings and rulers, and to not only reject them from themselves, but also from God. And he immediately promises rewards for good deeds, saying: \"And I will dwell among them,\" as it is written in the Gospel: \"There stands among you one whom you do not know\" (John 1:26). And he will dwell not for a short time, like in the Synagogue, but forever, as is confirmed in the Church of Christ.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:1-2
When his face is revealed and we contemplate the glory of God, we are reformed in the image of the Creator.

Source: COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 13:43.1-9
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:1-2
The earth shone with his glory, which really takes place at the coming of Christ, when the sound of the apostles goes forth on the whole earth and their words to the ends of the earth.

Source: COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 13:43.1-9
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:5
Immediately the Spirit raised me up, for I myself was lying and not able to go any further, and he led me to the inner courtyard, for I had fallen outside. And behold, I who had earlier glimpsed the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east, now saw the house of the Lord filled with his glory, and I heard a voice speaking as someone speaking to me from inside the house.

Source: COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 13:43.1-9
[AD 458] Theodoret of Cyrus on Ezekiel 43:6
He showed me that there was an angel who measured the building, and he showed me these things; and he was very like Michael, who was given the responsibility of looking after the people.

Source: COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 16:43
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:8
There is a wall between me and them, so that a very short wall divides the sacrifices of the priests and the place for the mystery of the body and blood of Christ.

Source: COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 13:43.1-9
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:9
He did not dwell for a short time as in the synagogue, but forever, as is shown in the church of Christ.

Source: COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 13:43.1-9
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:10-12
(Verse 10 and following) But you, son of man, show the house of Israel the temple: and let them be confounded by their iniquities, and let them measure the structure, and let them be ashamed of all that they have done. Show them the form of the house and its structure, its exits and entrances, and all its descriptions and all its laws. Show them the entire order and all its laws, and write them in their sight, that they may keep all its arrangements and its laws, and do them. This is the law of the house on the top of the mountain: All its boundaries around, it will be most holy. This, therefore, is the law of the house. 70: And you, son of man, show the house of Israel the house, and they will cease from their sins, and its vision and its arrangement: and they themselves will bear their punishment for all the things they have done. And describe the house and its preparation, and its exits and entrances, and its substance and all its ordinances, and all its statutes you will show them, and describe them before them: and they will observe all my judgments and all my commandments, and they will do them, and the description of the house on the top of the mountain, all its boundaries around are most holy. This is the law of the house. It is not a small task to demonstrate to those who see with their eyes or with their minds, so that they themselves seem to have seen with you. Therefore, Josephus writes that those who were sent by Jesus son of Nave to describe the land were geometers and had the art which now belongs to philosophers, the art of Geometry. Thus, for the house of Israel, those who see God with their mind, the house is shown, that is, the temple which Ezekiel saw situated on the mountain, and not only on a mountain, but as it is now said, on the summit of the mountain: which we should not think is the one that is described as being built by Solomon in the books of Kings and Chronicles. For that [temple] belongs to another order and size, and in each [temple] it has great diversity: and it [the second temple] is so much inferior to the temple that Ezekiel now shows, that not only its worshipers and priests, but even its builder, Solomon, sinned and offended God, although he later repented, writing in the Proverbs, where he says: Finally, I repented and considered to choose discipline (Prov. XXIV, 2). But this, which is shown by Ezekiel and through Ezekiel to the house of Israel, is as follows: that whoever contemplates it with the mind, ceases from his iniquities, not some, but all of them: or as it is contained in Hebrew, is confused and endures punishment for all that he has done. But he endures the punishment of his iniquities, who ceases to commit past sins: and it greatly benefits him who has sinned before, to see the house of God, and to know the reason for all its structure; so that he may cease to sin, and having a longing for it, may say to the Lord: O Lord, I have loved the beauty of your house: and the place of the habitation of your glory (Ps. 25:8). And again: One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life (Psalm 27:4), when I begin to live and be with Christ, who is the life of believers. It follows: His going out and coming in, understood as the house. But the going out of those who go out to those who are outside, and the coming in of those who penetrate the interior through the discipline of their masters. And every, he says, description or substance of it, as the Septuagint has translated, which pertains not so much to the nature of the house, but to the furnishings and riches. And you shall show them all the commandments, the entire order, and all the laws of the temple, to those who have carried the burden of their iniquities and have ceased or been confused about the things they had done before. But show it to them so that they may keep all the commandments. For it is of no use to know the description of the house and all its distributions, about which it is written: In my Father's house there are many mansions (John 14:2). And again: He established the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel, even the angels of God (Deut. XXXII), unless you do what is commanded. But the house and law of all the commandments of God, and the city which is situated on the top of the mountain, that is to be believed, as it is written: A city cannot be hidden when it is situated on a mountain (Matth. I, 14). And: The rushing of the river makes the city of God rejoice (Ps. XLV, 4): which clearly refers to the Church, and is located on that mountain, which is at the top of all mountains, and from which the prince of Tyre was wounded: and all the borders and boundaries of this house are holy of holies. In that house, that is, in the tabernacle that was built by Moses, and in the temple that was constructed by Solomon, only the innermost parts, where the Cherubim, and the propitiatory, and the Ark of the Covenant, and the table of incense were located, were called the Holy of Holies. But in this house, which is shown by Ezekiel, and which is situated on the top of the mountain, all its boundaries are considered to be in the Holy of Holies. And what is inferred: This is the law of the house, either referring to the past, about which it has already been said, or to those things that will be said later.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:11
For the house and the law of all the teachings of God and the city that is built on top of the mountain are to be believed from what is written; a city on a hill cannot be hid, and there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, which clearly refers to the church of God.

Source: COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 13:43.10-12
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:13-17
(Vers. 13 seqq.) These are the measurements of the altar: in the true cubit, which is a cubit and a handbreadth (or παλαιστὴν) in his bosom, the cubit was in length, and its width was measured from its lip to the surrounding palm of one hand. This was also the trench of the altar. From the bosom of the earth to the outermost base, it was two cubits in height, and the width of one cubit. And from the smaller base to the larger base, it was four cubits, and the width of one cubit. But the altar itself was four cubits high, and from the altar up to the horns there were four horns. And the altar was twelve cubits long, twelve cubits wide, a square with equal sides. And there was a ledge fourteen cubits long, fourteen cubits wide on its four corners, and a crown around it half a cubit high, and a rim one cubit wide around it. Its steps were turned towards the East. LXX: And this is the measure of the altar in perfect cubits and παλαιστῆς, the height of which is a cubit all around and the width of a cubit, and the lip of it around the edge is one palm. And this is the height of the altar from the bottom of the base to its great propitiatory, which was beneath two cubits, and the width of a cubit. And from the smaller propitiatory to the larger propitiatory are four cubits: and the width of a cubit and the ariel are four cubits: and from the ariel to the upper horns are cubits. But the altar had twelve cubits in length, and twelve cubits in width, with four corners. And the mercy seat had fourteen cubits in width, with four parts. And its ledge went around it by the measure of a half cubit, and its circuit by a cubit. And its steps faced toward the east. It is written: Who can discover the depths and wisdom? (Ecclesiastes 1:2). And: O depth of wisdom and knowledge of God (Rom. XI, 33): 'Whose deep depth, and who shall find it?' It is much if we desire to compare the temple of Solomon to this temple, and all its parts and tabernacles. But because this is very difficult, for the time being let us compare the altar that was shown to Ezekiel, the altar that we read about in Exodus, in a small part (Exod. XXXVIII). There an altar is described, five cubits in length and five cubits in width, that is, square, and three cubits in height: but here, departing from the senses by five, it tends towards union, in which the perfect cubit, or truest, is placed, to which is joined a palm, that is, π α λ α ι σ τ ὴ, the sixth, as we said above, having a part of a cubit. But in its bosom, that is, the altar, there was an elbow, which indeed received those things that were consumed by fire, and another elbow in its width: so that the interior, that is, the secrets, and the spaces of the altar that are shown in its width, would be terminated by one elbow. But what follows: And the measurement up to its edge, for which Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion placed a boundary, the Seventy interpreted as a cubit again. Of which word, as I have already said, I cannot know the reason; nor can I confidently say in what language it is spoken, unless I remind the reader that I have now transferred the definition above the crown. And this is briefly demonstrated, that around the altar itself, that is, on the edge and in a circular manner, there was a lip and, as it were, a crown resembling a lily, having in appearance great beauty. This definition, or rather invention, extended in circumference by the span of one palm, or in width by the παλαιστῆς. The bottom and depths of the Altar, or its profundity and height, for which it is called in Hebrew Gab, from the bosom of the earth to the highest foot, or to the maximum propitiatory, were two cubits, and its width was one cubit. For the lower and deep parts, cohesive with the earth, are contained in the dual number, which is also used for unclean animals (Genesis 7); but the upper parts, reaching to the foot or propitiatory, which Theodotus himself calls by the Hebrew name Azara, have a width of one cubit, so that the dual number passes into the solitary; and the good of marriage, which is lower, may attain to the blessedness of union. And what follows: And from the smaller threshold to the larger threshold, four cubits, and the width of one cubit, for which it is written in the Septuagint: And from the smaller mercy seat to the larger mercy seat; and Theodotus translated in both Azara, it is to be understood that the smaller mercy seat is a stone cut from the mountain without hands, and the larger mercy seat is the stone itself that grew into a great mountain and filled the whole earth (Dan. II). Or, in another sense, the propitiatory is less when he took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2) and the propitiatory is greater when he received the glory that he had with the Father before the world was made (John 17). For we first come to know the humbler aspects of Christ and thus reach the height of his divinity. And yet the propitiatory of both natures, that is, of the lower and the greater, belongs to the sacrament of one altar. But between the two propitiatory [covers], the smaller and the larger, there were four cubits, signifying the four elements of the world, which themselves also come to a height of one cubit. And this should be noted, that in the measurement of the altar, the first cubit in width is not joined to anything, but is perfect in its own unit: but the second cubit of the width, after two cubits, increases to the top, and the third cubit, after the smaller and larger propitiatory [covers], tends to the mystery of one cubit through the four elements; and one and another, and a third cubit in the altar of the Lord, are by no means first, second, and third; but let it be said to be one and one, and one. But Ariel was four cubits long, and from Ariel upwards there were four horns: or, as it is said in the Septuagint, from Ariel to the top of the horn there was one cubit. Ariel, as most people understand, is interpreted as 'my light is God.' Regarding this, in the prophet Isaiah, where it is written: 'Woe to you, Ariel, the city David besieged, or surrounded,' we have spoken more fully. But as I think, it means 'lion' or 'mighty one of God,' a name that properly refers to the altar, in which there is either the illumination of God or the lion and his strength, as Jacob said to Judah: 'Judah, you are like a lion's cub. You have climbed up to the prey, my son. You have crouched down and stretched out like a lion or a lioness. Who will dare to awaken you?' But there are four sides, and it has four horns; whether the upper parts of the four horns are finished with one cubit, so that the measure of the Gospels and the strength running throughout the whole world may be demonstrated under the illumination of God and the strength of the lion, and may reach the divine confession in one cubit. And so that gradually the darkness of the present place may become more manifest, it follows: And Ariel is twelve cubits in length, with twelve cubits in width, a quadrangle with equal sides. What no one doubts pertains to the twelve tribes, which are written in the Book of Revelation, and to the number of the Apostles, concerning whose sacrament I remember having spoken above (Rev. 7). Moreover, through the four sides of the world, the twelve cubits together make forty-eight cubits of the priestly cities, so that with these, as if foundations divided throughout the whole world, the strength of the Church may be solidified. Furthermore, the step, for which the Septuagint rendered it 'propitiatory' and Theodotion as 'azara' above; Symmachus 'peridromēn', that is, 'circuit', fourteen cubits in length and fourteen in width, has at its four corners a crown half a cubit in circumference; for which, once again, the Septuagint rendered it 'gisum', and [meaning] 'bosom', or, according to Symmachus, its completion and perfection, one cubit in circumference, secretly suggests that our Lord, who is truly called the propitiatory not only for our sins, but for the whole world, came through fourteen generations from Abraham to David; and again, through another fourteen until the captivity of Jeconiah, and by the sacrament of the same number descended to earthly things: so that in the fourteenth triad and the sacrament of the divine gift, he would save the four corners of the world, of which it is written: 'Many will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and will recline at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 8:11). And what follows, the crown, or gisus around it, signifies the propitiatory, which had a half cubit, and the bosom of the propitiatory, or the completion and perfection, which Symmachus interpreted as περιδρομὴν, had one cubit; this signifies that both sinners and the righteous are saved by the propitiation of the Lord, as the apostle Paul says: 'We have been reconciled to God through the blood of His Son' (Rom. 5:10). And it is said of sinners that they have a measure of half a cubit in circumference; yet they are saved by the mercy of the Creator, as it is written in the Psalm: You will save them as if they were nothing (Ps. 55:8). Regarding the righteous, it is said that they are saved in a singular and perfect number, and they imitate one divinity, as the same Apostle says: God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19). And what is mentioned at the end of this testimony, and its steps turned towards the East, these steps should be understood as the twenty-four books of the Old Testament, which had harps in the Apocalypse of John (Rev. 5), and crowns on their heads: or the sacrament of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in which true propitiation is given to us. And to speak more clearly, therefore the number of steps is left uncertain, so that no matter how diligently we may be able to ascend to higher things, we may consider ourselves placed in lower things, and think of that of the Psalmist: They go from strength to strength (Ps. LXXXIII, 8).

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:18-22
(Ver. 18 and following) And he said to me: Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the rituals of the altar when it is made, to offer a burnt offering and pour out blood. And you shall give to the priests, the Levites who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach me, says the Lord God: to offer to me a young bull from the herd as a sin offering. And you shall take some of its blood, and put it on the four horns and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; and you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. And you shall take the calf that was offered for sin and burn it in a separate place outside the sanctuary. And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for sin, and they shall make atonement for the altar as they made atonement for the calf. LXX: And he said to me, Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the statutes of the altar on the day it is made, upon which burnt offerings are offered and blood is poured out on it. And you shall give to the Levite priests who are of the seed of Sadduc, and who approach me, says the Lord God, to minister to me a calf from the cattle for a sin offering. And they shall take its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, and on its base all around, and they shall cleanse and make atonement for it. And they shall take the calf for a sin offering and burn it in a designated place outside the sanctuary of the house. And on the second day they shall take two male goats without blemish from the goats for a sin offering, and they shall make atonement for the altar as they made atonement with the calf. After the prophet showed the altar, and its cubit, which was two cubits, and again a cubit and four cubits, and a third cubit, as well as twelve cubits for the other twelve, and four horns of the altar: also twelve cubits for Ariel, by twelve cubits, and a ledge, that is, a mercy seat, of fourteen cubits, by fourteen cubits: also its crown, and a breast boundary of half a cubit and one cubit all around: and steps to the east, the number of which is uncertain, a man spoke, whose pen and cord were in his hand, and he instructed him how, with the work of the altar completed, the altar should be cleansed and consecrated. And first a victim is offered, and it is given to the priests of the tribe of Levi, who are from the descendants of Sadoc, whom the Seventy call Sadduc, which I cannot understand. But Sadoc means just. And according to the Seventy and Theodotion, a calf is offered; according to Symmachus, a bull, which is called Phar in Hebrew. But the calf that was sacrificed for us, and many passages of the Scriptures, and the notable Epistle of Barnabas, which is found among the apocryphal writings, mention it. And a male goat of the she-goats is offered on the second day. Hence, those who will celebrate Passover take a lamb and a kid from the flock, and those who could not celebrate the first Passover, celebrate it in the second month: one of which pertains to the righteous, the other to the penitents. But if we agree with the interpretation of the Seventy, who said: 'On the second day, they shall take two unblemished kids for the sin,' it is daring indeed what we are about to say, but the opinion of others must be simply presented, who say that two unblemished kids were offered after the Lord's passion on the altar of the Lord, Jacob and Stephen: one of whom was from the number of the apostles, the other was the chief among the seven chosen for the ministry of the Lord (Acts XXII). This is James, who saw the Transfigured Savior on the mountain (cf. Mark 9), who witnessed the raising of the daughter of the synagogue official with the Lord Peter and John (cf. Matthew 17), who is listed as the first among the apostles, with his name paired with his brother's (cf. Mark 9). He was killed by Herod (cf. Matthew 9), and like an unblemished lamb, he was sacrificed on the day after the Savior's passion (cf. Mark 3). The Jews also stoned Stephen, whose wisdom and teaching no one could resist (Acts 6:10), and he saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, and said (Acts 7:59): Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And the Jews also stoned him. And just as the Apostle names certain first fruits of the believers in Achaia and Asia (1 Corinthians 16), so these were the first fruits of the martyrs, whom the confession of Christ afterwards crowned. And it should be noted that the whole calf is offered as a burnt offering, and the thickness of its body is consumed by the divine fire. For we used to know Christ according to the flesh, but now we no longer know Him according to the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:16). However, Jacob and Stephen, who were offered on the second day, or the goat, which is mentioned in the Hebrew narrative, is indeed offered as a sacrifice, but the burnt offering is reserved for the presence of the Lord. And as for the blood that Peter speaks of when he says, 'You were redeemed from your vain conversation by the precious blood of Christ' (1 Peter 1); and the Apostle Paul teaches, 'You were bought with a price' (1 Corinthians 7:23); and in another place, 'Making peace through the blood of His cross, whether on earth or in heaven' (Colossians 1:20), that signifies that by the blood of the Savior, the four horns of the altar are purified, that is, the four corners of the world are cleansed; and the mercy seat is sprinkled, or the bases are sprinkled all around, so that everything may be cleansed and the propitiation may be firm. Therefore, on the second day, either two young goats, of which we have spoken above, or a he-goat is taken; because the animal always hastens to higher places and sustains no danger on precipices, and there it finds a path where destruction is to other animals. Therefore, in Greek speech, the flock of goats and he-goats is called conversation of the sublime, that is, αἰπόλιον, as if αἰποπόλιον, since αἴπος, high, and πόλιον (Mss. πολεῖν), signifies conversation. Furthermore, the altar of Christ is cleansed with blood, so that the prayers of the saints may reach God in purity. It should also be noted that, according to the Hebrew Ezekiel himself, he is commanded to take a calf as a priest and offer it as a burnt offering, and sprinkle its blood around the altar, as well as the corners and the crown or base. However, the Seventy Interpreters show other priests doing this, of whom it is said: You shall give to the Levite priests, who are of the seed of Zadok, who come near to me.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel
[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 43:23-27
(v. 23 seqq.) 'When you have completed cleansing it, you shall offer an unblemished calf from the herd and an unblemished ram from the flock. You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to the Lord. For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall become holy.' On the eighth day and beyond, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar, and I will be appeased with you, says the Lord God. LXX: And when you have completed the purgation, you shall offer a calf from the herd without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish, and you shall offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt upon them; and they shall offer them as burnt offerings to the Lord. For seven days you shall make atonement with a goat for sin daily, and a calf from the herd, and a ram from the flock without blemish shall be offered for seven days. And they shall purify the altar, and cleanse it, and fill their hands, and accomplish the days. And from the eighth day and beyond, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings upon the altar, for your salvation. And I will receive you, says the Lord God. After the altar and its measurements were shown on the top of the mountain, and the purification and consecration of it were demonstrated to the prophets, through one unblemished calf and a male goat, or two young goats, the first of which we refer to the Lord and Savior, and the two that followed to the apostles and ministers, so that in the consecration of the spiritual altar and specifically pertaining to the Church, it may not seem that the law and the prophets were excluded. Therefore, after the altar had been consecrated, an unblemished calf and a ram are taken and offered in the sight of the Lord; and the sons of Zadok, that is, the righteous priests, sprinkle salt upon their heads, so that both the law and the prophets may be seasoned with the taste of the Gospel. And there is no sacrifice (according to the command of the law and the interpretation of the Apostle, who says (Col. IV, 6): Let your speech be seasoned with salt) that is lacking in salt. Both, however, are offered as a burnt offering to the Lord, like the fat of the letter, which is signified in the Law, and the prophecy, like a cloud of fire of the Lord, that is, the Holy Spirit, of whom Paul says, fervent in spirit (Rom. XII, 11), are transformed into a spiritual and thin substance. We want to know more clearly what the calf of the unblemished herd is, and the ram with the purest fleece from the sheep, let us understand Moses and Elijah (Num. XII, III Reg. XIX); the former of whom was the gentlest among all men who dwelt on the earth; the latter was similar to Moses in fervor of faith. Hence he dared to say: I am left alone. But what is written in Hebrew as 'You shall offer a calf', in the Septuagint it is written as 'the priests shall offer', there is no question about it. And indeed Ezekiel himself, to whom these things are said, is from the number of priests, full of age and perfect; and the grace of prophecy increased the priestly rank in him. And Moses and Elijah appear on the mountain with the Lord, that is, the law and the prophets, who announced to him what he would suffer in Jerusalem. But after the altar is cleansed, for seven days a goat or a young goat is offered for sin daily, and a bull from the herd, and an unblemished ram from the flock, so that through these sacrifices the altar may be cleansed for seven days and made perfect. In seven days the Sabbath is observed, which according to the Apostle (Hebrews IV) is reserved for the people of God: in which we hope for eternal and true rest, and do no servile work of sin. However, in the goat, and the calf, and the ram, three general sins are demonstrated, to which all human beings are subject. For we sin either in thoughts, or in speech, or in action. Thoughts are referred to the ram, which is the first of all sins, and from which the other two sins arise. But the goat, or rather the male goat, is known for its eloquence or discourse, always engaging in higher-level discussions. However, it is specifically designated for agricultural work, being bound to the plow and toil and earthly labor. Therefore, we must offer these blameless things for the true Sabbath, which lasts for seven days, and cleanse the altar, so that our prayer may reach God in purity. The phrase that follows, 'And they shall cleanse it, and fill his hand,' as translated by both the Hebrew and other interpreters, signifies that the offerings for the expiation of the altar itself should also be fulfilled, just as offerings are made for the priests, the people, and the high priest, so that nothing may appear empty in the sight of the Lord. For what reason they set aside the Septuagint: both will clean it, and they will fill their hands, so that the priests may be heard, who when they are full of good works, for this reason their hands are full, after the Sabbath has passed, they may come to the eighth day of resurrection, and may say with the Apostle: We have risen with Christ (Rom. VI, Coloss. III); and beyond the eighth day, they may strive for heavenly things, and may offer burnt offerings for us, or those which are for the peace of our sins and our salvation: so that through the fire of the Holy Spirit, everything that we think, speak, and do, may be transformed into spiritual substance: and the Lord, pleased with such sacrifices, may be appeased towards us.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel