Ezekiel 40

My Notes Authors Matthew Henry - Commentary on the Whole Bible In these verses we have an account, I. Of the tables that were in the porch of the gates of the inner court. We find no description of the altars of burnt-offerings in the midst of that court till ch. xliii. 13. But, because the one altar under the law was to be exchanged for a multitude of tables under the gospel, here is early notice taken of the tables, at our entrance into the inner court; for till we come to partake of the table of the Lord we are but professors at large; our admission to that is our entrance into the inner court. But in this gospel-temple we meet with no altar till after the glory of the Lord has taken possession of it, for Christ is our altar, that sanctifies every gift. Here were eight tables provided, whereon to _slay the sacrifices, _v. 41. We read not of any tables for this purpose either in the tabernacle or in Solomon’s temple. But here they are provided, to intimate the multitude of spiritual sacrifices that should be brought to God’s house in gospel-times, and the multitude of hands that should be employed in offering up those sacrifices. Here were the shambles for the altar; here were the dressers on which they laid the flesh of the sacrifice, the knives with which they cut it up, and the hooks on which they hung it up, that it might be ready to be offered on the altar (v. 43), and there also they washed the burnt-offerings (v. 38), to intimate that before we draw near to God’s altar we must have every thing in readiness, must wash our hands, our hearts, those spiritual sacrifices, and so compass God’s altar.