And he gave a sign the same day, saying, 'This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be torn in pieces, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.' — The prophet offers an immediate sign—the altar's destruction and the scattering of its ashes—that will authenticate his prophetic word. The word אוֹת (ot, sign) functions as both proof of prophetic legitimacy and sacrament of judgment. The phrase וְהָאֵפֶר אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ יִשָּׁפַךְ (veha-efer asher al-hamizbeach yishshafach, the ashes...shall be poured out) suggests the defilement and dissolution of the sanctuary's sacred space. The sign's immediacy—"the same day"—underscores the urgency and authority of the prophetic word.

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