Study Desk

In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.

and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory.

Then He said to me: "Son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings may be sacrificed on it and blood may be sprinkled on it:

You are to give a young bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the family of Zadok, who approach Me to minister before Me, declares the Lord GOD.

At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.'"

And the LORD said to me, "This gate is to remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain shut.

Tell the rebellious house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: 'I have had enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel.

This is what the Lord GOD says: 'No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary-not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites.

Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD.

But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD.

And on the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD.

For this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Enough, O princes of Israel! Cease your violence and oppression, and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing My people, declares the Lord GOD.'

And one sheep shall be given from each flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These are for the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for the people, declares the Lord GOD.

This is what the Lord GOD says: 'On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary.

This is what the Lord GOD says: 'The gate of the inner court that faces east must be kept shut during the six days of work, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened.

This is what the Lord GOD says: 'If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons as an inheritance, it will belong to his descendants. It will become their property by inheritance.

This is what the Lord GOD says: 'These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall receive two portions.

In whatever tribe the foreigner dwells, you are to assign his inheritance there, declares the Lord GOD.'

This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions, declares the Lord GOD.

And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them into the treasury of his god.