Chapter 8 begins a vision that God gave to Ezekiel concerning Jerusalem and His departure from the city. This vision spans from Chapters 8 through 11.
In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there (Ezekiel 8.1).
The people who heard Ezekiel’s vision in Chapters 8-11 may have also been present when he delivered his prophecy in Chapter 7. If so, it would have taken a fair measure of courage for Ezekiel to speak the words God gave him.
Disaster comes upon disaster,
rumor follows rumor;
They shall seek a vision from the prophet,
but instruction shall perish from the priest,
and counsel from the elders.
The king shall mourn,
the prince shall be wrapped in despair,
and the hands of the people of the land shall tremble.
According to their way I will deal with them;
according to their judgments I will judge them.
And they shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 7:26-27)
The only way to confront powerful men is with the confidence that a more powerful God stands behind the words you are commanded to speak.
A Terrifying Vision
When God first called Ezekiel to be a prophet, he experienced an awe-inspiring vision of Him. Now, as Ezekiel begins his prophecy concerning the fate of Jerusalem, God once again grants him a powerful vision of His glory.
I looked, and there was a figure that looked like a human being; below what appeared to be its loins it was fire, and above the loins it was something like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming amber (Ezekiel 8.2).
In Chapters 8 through 11, we witness four distinct movements of God’s glory as it departs from Jerusalem. This serves as a powerful image, showing that God is leaving His people because they have abandoned Him.
Each of these four movements corresponds to a specific behavior that led to God’s departure, and the first is revealed in Chapter 8.
Ezekiel’s first vision takes place at the gate to the inner court, where a statue stands near the altar, supposedly guarding the entrance to the inner sanctuary. This statue is blatantly idolatrous and directly challenges Yahweh, who is enthroned above the cherubim inside the temple.
It stretched out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, to the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
And the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I had seen in the valley.
Then he said to me, “Mortal, lift up your eyes now in the direction of the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy.
He said to me, “Mortal, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? Yet you will see still greater abominations” (Ezekiel 8.3-6).
In this vision, God acted as a tour guide for Ezekiel. As He led him into the temple area, the first thing Ezekiel saw was the altar, where sacrifices were made.
However, in front of the altar stood an idol meant to guard the sanctuary. It was as if the people no longer believed that Yahweh was capable of protecting His own sanctuary.
The idol was an “image of jealousy,” because the people violated the core principles of their relationship with God. The first two commandments clearly state, “You shall have no other gods before me” and “You shall not make an idol of any kind” (Exodus 20:3-6).
Yet, not only did the people of Jerusalem worship other gods, they did so blatantly, right in the house of God.
Why did God leave the sanctuary? Why did He withdraw His presence from the people? Because they had driven Him away.
Social Ills
One of the great truths of life is that we become like the gods we worship. In the previous chapter, we saw a critique of the nation’s leaders. Instead of reflecting the image and character of the One True God, they had become like the idol of jealousy and the other gods they served.
Here is a list of the social ills Ezekiel surfaces in Chapter 7. We do well to consider them as we observe human behavior in 2024.
- Widespread violence and bloodshed
- Corruption among leaders
- Injustice and oppression of the poor
- Economic exploitation and greed
- Moral decay and lawlessness
- Disregard for God’s law and commands
- Corruption in religious institutions
- Betrayal and mistrust among people
If God were to bless a nation that turned its back on Him and treated its fellow citizens poorly, He would be enabling that kind of behavior.
The only option He has is to withdraw His presence and allow the people to face the consequences of their idolatry and misconduct.
His ultimate desire is for repentance. Often, it takes hitting rock bottom and experiencing pain before we even consider repentance.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 