Ezekiel 43:20

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.

Ezekiel 43:20 (KJV)

Context

Ezekiel prophesied during the Babylonian exile, when Jerusalem and its temple lay in ruins. His message looked beyond judgment to the restoration of God’s people and the return of His glorious presence. In Ezekiel 43, the prophet receives a vision of a future temple, a place where God would again dwell among His people. This chapter describes the altar of burnt offering and the instructions for its consecration.

Ezekiel 43:20 records a specific command: the priest is to take blood from the sin offering and apply it to the four horns of the altar, the four corners of the settle (the ledge or projecting rim), and the border round about. This detailed procedure was not incidental. It was the prescribed way to cleanse and purge the altar so that it could be used for holy service.

Meaning

The altar was the center of Israel’s worship, the place where sacrifices were offered to God. Before it could serve that purpose, it had to be purified from defilement. The application of blood accomplished this consecration. Blood in the Old Testament represented life and was the appointed means of atonement for sin. The shedding of blood symbolized the payment of sin’s penalty and the restoration of a right relationship with God.

The specific locations named in the verse emphasize the thoroughness of the cleansing. The four horns were the raised projections at the altar’s corners, often associated with strength and refuge. The settle was the ledge around the altar, and the border was its rim or base. By applying blood to all these parts, the entire altar was covered. The purification was not partial but complete, reaching every direction and every surface.

This act of cleansing the altar itself was an act of atonement. The altar, though made for holy use, needed to be made holy. The blood touched the places where sacrifices would later be placed, signifying that the whole structure was set apart for God’s worship.

Biblical connections

The rituals described in Ezekiel were part of the Old Covenant system of worship. They were not an end in themselves but pointed forward to a greater reality. The book of Hebrews explains that the blood of bulls and goats could not truly take away sins, but they foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He offered Himself once for all, providing complete and final atonement for sin. The cleansing of the altar in Ezekiel’s vision anticipated the cleansing that Christ would accomplish through His own blood.

Application

This verse reminds us of the seriousness of sin and the necessity of blood for purification. Under the Old Covenant, nothing could approach God without the shedding of blood. That principle finds its fulfillment in Christ, whose sacrifice cleanses us from all sin. Just as the altar had to be purified before it could be used for worship, so believers are cleansed by the blood of Christ so that they can offer spiritual worship to God.

The thoroughness of the cleansing also speaks to the completeness of Christ’s work. The blood was applied to every part of the altar, leaving nothing untouched. In the same way, the sacrifice of Christ covers every sin and cleanses the whole person. There is no corner of our lives that His blood cannot purify.

Reflection

Ezekiel 43:20 shows that God takes worship seriously. He provided a way for His dwelling place to be made holy, and He has provided an even greater way through His Son. The blood applied to the altar points us to the blood of Christ, which cleanses us and makes us acceptable before God. This verse calls us to approach God with reverence, grateful for the complete purification that Christ has secured.