Commenting on the ordinances of the Sanctuary in Ezek 43:10-26, Christadelphian W.H. Boulton wrote the following:
When the ordinances of the Sanctuary are examined it is seen that, while they resemble some that there associated with the Mosaic ritual, there are differences. In the first place reference is made to inauguration ceremonies. “In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish, and cleanse the Sanctuary. The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the four doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for any one who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple” (Ezek. 45:18-20). Something similar took place in relation to the tabernacle in the wilderness, when atonement was made for the holy place (Lev. 16:16). At first sight it seems as strange proceeding; why should the Sanctuary need to be cleansed, or to have atonement made for it? The answer surely must be that the materials from which they were constructed partook in some way of the earth, whether they were minerals, or materials of vegetable or animal origin. They were, therefore, to some extent, defiled by association with sin. In the beginning of the human race the ground had been cursed for man’s sake. Everything that was used in the construction of the Sanctuary, therefore, had been subjected to the defiling influence of sin, and needed to be atoned for to make it fit to be incorporated in a building to be “the place of God’s feet.”
Stranger still, or so it may appear to us, is the reference to the altar. “These are the ordinances of the altar. On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it, and for throwing blood against it, you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadoc, who draw near to me to minister to me, a bull for a sin offering. And you shall take some of its blood and pour it on the four horns on the altar, and on the four corners of the ledge and upon the rim round about; thus you shall cleanse the altar and make atonement for it” (Ezek. 43:18-20). Seven days were to be occupied in making atonement for it, purifying and consecrating it (Ezek 43:26).
In the Mosaic patterns of things in the heavens the altar was a type of Christ, who was holy, harmless, and separate from sinners. What need of cleansing could he have? Yet there was such a need. It is said of him, “The death he died, he died to sin, once or all, but the life he lives he lives to Go” (Rom. 6:10). He who has died is freed from sin” (Heb. 9:26). Jesus never sinned, but he came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. These are the things typified by the cleansing of the altar in the Sanctuary.
The sacrifices that are referred to in relation to the altar in the Sanctuary described by Ezekiel are much on the lines of those that had been offered in the temple erected by Solomon: bulls, rams, lambs, goats and kids. They were associated with meat offerings, wheat, barley, oil and drink offerings. The similarity though with some differences suggests that, whilst the ordinances that applied to the Mosaic arrangements pointed forward, those of the Ezekiel temple will point backward.
There are differences between the two rituals and ordinances. There are, for instance, morning offerings but no mention is made of the corresponding evening sacrifice. Of the fasts and feasts only the Passover and the feast of Tabernacles are mentioned, there is no allusion to the feast of weeks. One striking omission is solemn of all the days in the old Mosaic legislation, is somewhat surprising. It may be due to the difference between the old and new Israel. In the past Israel was described as a stiff-necked people, constantly rebellious against the ordinances of God. In the future it is said, “Your people shall be all righteous” (11). That does not mean that there will be no sin, otherwise there would be no provision for sin offerings. Sin, however, will be restrained, hence, perhaps the reason for the omission of any reference to the day of Atonement.
The same reason may account for the absence of specific directions about personal and private sacrifices. The burnt offerings and sacrifices that are mentioned are to be provided by the Prince out of the oblation offerings of the people; the people appear to be spectators of, not participators in them. All this accords with the suggestion that the sacrifices offered in the Sanctuary will be of a commemorative character, pointing back to the one sacrifice for sins for ever offered by the Lamb of God. (W. H. Boulton, The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel [Birmingham: The Christadelphian, 1970], 185-87)
