an altar of wood, three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits broad. Its corners, its base, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse identifies this wooden structure as "the table that is before the LORD." This isn't the table of showbread, but rather the altar of incense, which was intricately linked to the Lord's presence and His people's prayers. Calling it a "table" highlights how the Lord receives worship and sustenance through the intercession offered there.
an altar of wood, three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits broad. Its corners, its base, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is being guided through a vision of a magnificent new temple, detailing its structure and furnishings. This section specifically describes an altar made of wood, clarifying its dimensions and material composition. The guide then identifies this altar as the "table that is before the LORD," connecting it to the altar of incense and its symbolic role in worship.
The verse calls it an 'altar,' but then declares, 'This is the table that is before the LORD.' What does this intriguing switch in terminology reveal about worship?
Ezekiel's vision presents an altar made entirely of wood, with specific dimensions, standing before the Lord. While it's called an 'altar,' the angel's explanation, 'This is the table that is before the LORD,' is crucial. This isn't the altar of burnt offerings in the outer court, but the altar of incense, which stood in the Holy Place.
Think of it like this: the altar of burnt offering was where sacrifices were made, signifying atonement. The altar of incense, however, was where priests ministered daily, burning fragrant incense before God. This act of burning incense was symbolic of prayer ascending to God.
Therefore, calling it a 'table' highlights its role as a place where God's people regularly 'dined' with Him, not literally with food, but through the sweet savor of prayer and His acceptance of their worship. It's where fellowship and communion were experienced before Him.
The altar is described as being made of wood, yet historically it was overlaid with gold. What does this combination tell us about the nature of God's presence and our mediation?
The altar of incense, described here as 'wood,' echoes the construction of the original altar of incense in the Tabernacle (made of acacia wood) and Solomon's Temple (made of cedar). However, historically, these wooden altars were overlaid with gold.
This dual nature—wood and gold—is often seen as a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ.
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In Ezekiel's vision, even though gold isn't explicitly mentioned for this specific altar, the tradition points to its significance. This 'table' before the Lord, built from humble wood and honored with precious gold, speaks of our Mediator who is both fully God and fully man, through whom our prayers ascend acceptably to the Father.
Why are the dimensions of this altar in Ezekiel's vision larger than the original altar described in the Tabernacle?
The dimensions of this altar in Ezekiel's vision are three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits broad. Compare this to the original altar of incense in the Tabernacle, which was two cubits high and one cubit long and broad.
This increase in size is significant. It suggests an expansion of God's presence and the fellowship He offers. Several scholars suggest this points to a future, more glorious era of worship and communion with God.
This vision isn't just a historical blueprint; it's prophetic. The larger altar speaks of a richer, more accessible relationship with God, where His presence is more fully experienced and His provision through Christ is more abundant for all who draw near.
Understand the original words
mizbeach · Hebrew Noun
A raised structure or platform used for religious sacrifices, offerings, or memorials. Biblically, it signifies a place of encounter with God, atonement, or presentation of service.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant God of Israel, the personal name (YHWH) of the Creator. It signifies His holiness, presence, and His specific relationship with His people.
Ezekiel's vision of the Temple, including the enlarged altar of incense described as a 'table before the LORD,' was given during the Babylonian exile. This vision offered hope and a blueprint for future worship, even as the physical Temple lay in ruins and the people faced profound spiritual challenges.
c. 1445 BC
Tabernacle Altar of Incense Built
Instructions for the altar of incense, made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, are given during the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. This altar measured one cubit by one cubit and two cubits high.
c. 960 BC
Solomon's Temple Altar of Incense Built
Solomon constructs the First Temple, which includes an altar of incense, likely based on the Tabernacle's design and also overlaid with gold.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Jerusalem and exiles a significant portion of the population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, ending the Judean monarchy and marking a profound crisis for the Jewish people.
c. 573 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Vision of the New Temple
While in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel receives a series of visions describing a new, divinely ordered Temple. This vision, including the detailed measurement of the altar of incense, occurs within this context.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Persian conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.
516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
Under Zerubbabel, the Second Temple is completed in Jerusalem, though it differs significantly from the grandeur of Solomon's Temple and Ezekiel's visionary Temple.
This passage describes the original altar of incense in the tabernacle, establishing the precedent for this sacred object's placement and function as a place for priestly ministry before the Lord.
1 Kings 7:48This verse mentions the 'altar of gold' in Solomon's Temple, highlighting the continuity of this specific altar (often covered in gold, though made of wood) in Israel's worship tradition.
Malachi 1:7This verse uses both 'altar' and 'table' interchangeably when discussing offerings to the Lord, directly supporting the identification of the incense altar as 'the table that is before the LORD' in Ezekiel's vision.
Ezekiel 44:16This later verse in Ezekiel's prophecy explicitly uses the term 'table' in reference to the altar within the inner court, reinforcing the symbolic identification made in chapter 41.
Revelation 8:3-4This New Testament passage describes an angel offering incense with the prayers of the saints on a golden altar before God's throne, showing the eschatological and heavenly fulfillment of the earthly altar's function.
clarkeEzekiel 41:22: "The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD."
The altar of wood - This was the altar of incense, and was covered with plates of gold.
barnesEzekiel 41:22: "The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD."
The altar of wood - The altar for incense (marginal reference); "altar of gold" (see 1 Kings 7:48 ). Walls - The corner pieces of the altar, rising into projections called in Exodus horns, here corners. Table - "table and altar" were convertible terms Mala…
The verse identifies this wooden structure as "the table that is before the LORD." This isn't the table of showbread, but rather the altar of incense, which was intricately linked to the Lord's presence and His people's prayers. Calling it a "table" highlights how the Lord receives worship and sustenance through the intercession offered there.
Ezekiel is being guided through a vision of a magnificent new temple, detailing its structure and furnishings. This section specifically describes an altar made of wood, clarifying its dimensions and material composition. The guide then identifies this altar as the "table that is before the LORD," connecting it to the altar of incense and its symbolic role in worship.
Ezekiel is being guided through a vision of a magnificent new temple, detailing its structure and furnishings. This section specifically describes an altar made of wood, clarifying its dimensions and material composition. The guide then identifies this altar as the "table that is before the LORD," connecting it to the altar of incense and its symbolic role in worship.
"an altar of wood, three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits broad. Its corners, its base, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.”" — The verse identifies this wooden structure as "the table that is before the LORD." This isn't the table of showbread, but rather the altar of incense, which was intricately linked to the Lord's prese…
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Last reviewed October 2026