Ezekiel Is Taken to Jerusalem in a Vision
Study note
About a year after his first vision, Ezekiel was sitting in his house with the elders of Judah when God's hand came upon him. A glowing figure grabbed him by the hair and carried him in a vision to Jerusalem's temple. The 'image of jealousy' at the entrance was probably a statue of a pagan god, placed right at the entrance of the Lord's own house. God's glory was still present, but the people's idolatry was driving it away.
1 During the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day, I was sitting at home while the leaders of Judah sat in front of me. Without warning, the Lord God's power came over me. And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
2 I looked and saw what seemed to be a figure made entirely of fire. From the waist down it blazed like flames, and from the waist up it shone with the glow of heated metal. Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.
3 And he put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looks toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
4 And there in front of me was the glory of the God of Israel. It looked just like it did when I saw it in the valley. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
Four Scenes of Idol Worship
Study note
God showed Ezekiel increasingly shocking scenes. First, there was an idol at the temple gate. Then, behind a hidden door, seventy elders of Israel were burning incense to images of animals and creatures painted on the walls, like Egyptian-style worship. They thought God could not see them and had abandoned the earth. These were supposed to be Israel's leaders, yet they were practicing pagan worship in secret.
5 God told me, "Son of man, look to the north." I looked, and there by the altar gate entrance stood this offensive idol that provoked God's jealousy. Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6 He said, "Son of man, can you see what they are doing? The people of Israel are committing such horrible acts right here that they are driving me out of my own temple. But keep watching -- you will see things even more shocking." He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
7 He brought me to the doorway of the courtyard. I noticed a hole in the wall. And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
8 He told me, "Son of man, dig into that wall." I dug through it and uncovered a hidden entrance. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
9 He said, "Go inside and look at the horrible evil taking place in there." And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
10 I stepped in, and what I saw shocked me. Every kind of creeping thing and disgusting animal, along with every idol worshiped by Israel, was painted and carved all over the walls around me. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.
11 Seventy of Israel's elders stood in front of these images, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan among them. Each man held a censer, and a thick haze of incense smoke curled upward. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12 God asked me, "Son of man, do you see what Israel's leaders do in secret, each one in his private room surrounded by idol images? They tell themselves, 'The Lord cannot see us. The Lord has given up on this land.'" Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
Women Weeping for Tammuz and Sun Worship
Study note
Next, God showed women weeping for Tammuz, a Babylonian fertility god whose annual 'death' was mourned in a pagan ritual. Finally, the worst sight of all: twenty-five men standing with their backs to the Lord's temple, facing east and worshipping the sun. They had literally turned their backs on God. The phrase 'putting the branch to their nose' may refer to a pagan worship gesture. God declared that he would show no pity.
13 Then he said, "Wait until you see what else they are doing. It gets even worse." He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14 He took me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord's temple. There sat women, crying and mourning for the pagan god Tammuz. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15 He asked, "Do you see this, son of man? There are still worse things ahead." Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16 He led me into the inner courtyard of the Lord's temple. There, between the entrance porch and the altar, about twenty-five men stood with their backs turned to the Lord's temple. They were facing east, bowing down to worship the sun. And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
17 He said, "Do you see this, son of man? Is it not outrageous enough that the people of Judah do these revolting things right here? On top of that, they have filled the entire land with violence and keep provoking my anger. Look -- they are even holding branches up to their noses in pagan ritual." Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
18 "Because of all this, I will act with full fury. I will not look at them with compassion, and I will not hold back. Even if they scream right in my ear, I will not respond." Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.