Ezekiel 9-11 God’s Glory Leaves

Ezekiel is taken on a special ‘vision quest’ where he sees God’s glory as it leaves Jerusalem. It leaves because of the sins of the people. Ezekiel ultimately shares this vision with the exiles.

I’m guessing that this vision happens near the finish line for the ‘siege time’ Ezekiel has been acting out. This vision happens one year and two months after Ezekiel’s first vision. IF the ‘siege time’ came between the two visions, then it is nearing the end of that time. IF the ‘siege time’ came after this vision, then we don’t have a timeframe to hang it on.

According to history, there are only two more years before the actual fall of Jerusalem happens. Sources put the fall of Jerusalem 8 to 11 years after Jehoiachin’s deportation to Babylon. I’m not really certain as to why the possible difference, but the time is drawing closer each day. Ezekiel puts this vision in the sixth year of that timeframe. I just had a funny thought. The 8 to 11 also applies to the chapters assigned to deal with this vision. Not saying that is prophetic, just interesting.

The vision Ezekiel receives is not a joyous one, but one of extreme importance. Let’s join Ezekiel as he receives this vision from the Lord. Holy Spirit guide this journey. Show me what YOU would have me learn today.

♥ ♦ ♥

Ezekiel is nearing the end of another day. As he gathers his supplies, he sees a group of elders coming up the path. He braces himself for whatever they might have to say. “Will they be ‘friend’ or ‘foe’ today” he wonders.

“Shalom my brothers” Ezekiel says warmly.

“Shalom Ezekiel” the head elder replies back.

“What may I do for you this find day” asks Ezekiel.

The elders appear to huddle behind their leader. Their heads are bowed slightly and their eyes do not meet Ezekiel’s. Their leader speaks for them. “We have heard the words that you have been proclaiming against Israel. We would be most honored if you would spend some time with us, explaining God’s words even further.”

Ezekiel nods his head several times. “I will gladly share all that I have received with you. Please, join me in my home. I apologize in advance, as I have neither bread nor wine to offer you. The Lord is rationing me, so I have not put in stores for visitors.”

“This is not a problem. We have come for knowledge and spiritual food; not the food of man. This we can get from our own cupboards.”

Ezekiel smiles at their response. He opens the door and allows them to enter. He follows and closes the door behind them. They are all standing huddled together like a frightened group of children.

“Sit please” Ezekiel offers while sweeping his hand around the room to the various places for them to sit. He takes his favorite chair while they all find places, including the floor, to sit. They all face Ezekiel, waiting expectantly for him to speak.

“What exactly are you needing clarity on?”

“Well” begins the leader with downcast eyes. “The Lord speaks of His judgment on Israel and especially Jerusalem. You have said little concerning the exiles here in captivity. What is to become of us? Will we also suffer the pestilence, famine, and sword? Will Israel survive the Lord’s judgment, or will she forever be lost? And what of our families that still remain in Judah?”

“These are all good questions. I don’t have all the answers. I only know what the Lord has told me so far…”

As Ezekiel is speaking, he appears distracted by something over the men’s heads. He looks intently at it and then stops speaking. He falls mute and motionless. The elders are alarmed and start to move away before one of them speaks up.

“I have seen this before. He is speaking with the Lord. I’m certain of it. We need to be still and be patient. When the Lord has shown him all there is to see, he will return to us; likely with even more answers.”

Heads nod around the room. Not another word is spoken as the elders quietly wait for Ezekiel to speak to them again.

Ezekiel is caught up in a vision. It starts with seeing the same figure as he saw on the Chebar canal. The one speaking to him has the appearance of a man, but from below the waist, he is made of fire. Above the waist he has a brilliance like polished metal as it reflects the sun.

Rather than standing where He is and addressing Ezekiel, this Representation reaches out a hand and takes hold of Ezekiel’s hair. He lifts him by his hair, but it doesn’t cause Ezekiel any pain. The two of them ascend far above the earth and move from Ezekiel’s home to the entrance to the inner courtyard at the north gate of House of the Lord in Jerusalem. Here Ezekiel stands beside the One who brought him.

Ezekiel takes in his surroundings. First, he notices a distorted throne and one sitting on it. He instantly knows that this is jealousy itself. It is jealous of God and it provokes this same feeling in those it touches; bringing jealousy into the House of the Lord.

The second thing Ezekiel notices, is the same vision that he saw by the Chebar canal. The four winged cherubim, their whirling wheels, and the platform suspended above them. They bear the presence of God as it moves about.

“Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north” (Ezekiel 8:5).

Ezekiel does as instructed. He sees ‘jealously’ clearly enthroned in the house of the Lord.

“Son of man, 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? But you will see still greater abominations” (Ezekiel 8:6).

Ezekiel doesn’t need to speak. The One with him knows his heart. Ezekiel is angry at the spirit and those that follow it.

Ezekiel is brought a little further into the courtyard. The One points out a hole in the wall of the Temple. “Son of man, dig in the wall” (Ezekiel 8:8).

Ezekiel starts digging and comes to the entrance into another room through this hole. Ezekiel pauses at the entrance.

“Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here” (Ezekiel 8:9).

Ezekiel goes into the room and sees drawings on every imaginable surface of snakes, lizards, every creep crawly thing imaginable. There are also drawings of horrible beast; imaginary and real alongside them. Just looking at the drawings made Ezekiel’s skin crawl, as if these things found their way onto him.

Ezekiel’s eyes are then drawn to the idols spread about the room. They are made of gold, silver, bronze, and wood. They represent every imaginable god of the nations around them. In the middle of the room, seventy of the elders of Israel are standing with censors in their hands. Each censor is filling the space with incense burning within them and the seventy men are worshiping the things contained in the room. Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among these men.

The stench of the abominable incense burns Ezekiel’s nose and eyes.

“Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land’” (Ezekiel 8:12).

Ezekiel realizes now that this is a practice done in secret in each man’s home. This despicable act permeates all of Israel. Ezekiel shakes his head in anger and grinds his teeth. “This is too much!” he thinks.

“You will see still greater abominations that they commit” (Ezekiel 8:13).

Ezekiel is taken to the north gate of the Temple of the Lord. Here he sees a large group of women weeping and crying out to the god Tammuz. The sounds of the women assault Ezekiel’s ears and he wants to cover them to block them out.

“Have you seen this, O son of man? You will see still greater abominations than these” (Ezekiel 8:15).

Ezekiel is taken to the inner court of the House of the Lord. Standing between the steps to the Temple itself and the brazen altar are twenty-five men. They have their backs to the Temple and their eyes turned eastward. Ezekiel turns to see what they are looking at and sees the sun rising in the east. He turns back and sees these men enraptured in praises towards the sun!

“Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them” (Ezekiel 8:17-18).

Ezekiel is filled with rage against all that he has seen. “They deserve Your wrath, O Lord God Almighty!”

The One with Ezekiel calls out in a loud voice; “Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand” (Ezekiel 9:1).

Seven men came to stand before the One who had summoned them. Six of them held weapons of destruction, while the seventh was clothed in linen and had a writing case at his waist. They stood silently, waiting for instructions. Ezekiel could barely breathe; waiting to see what would happen next.

While the group waited, Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, that rested between the cherubim of the Ark, rise from its place and move to the threshold of the Temple doors.

Ezekiel’s attention is brought back when the One gives His instructions. To the one wearing the linen garment and carrying the writing case He says; “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it” (Ezekiel 9:4).

He turns His attention to the others and says; “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary” (Ezekiel 9:5-6).

Ezekiel watches as the man in linen finds no one to mark within the sanctuary. The other men begin cutting those doing abominable things down like wheat in a field. They fall before his eyes. Once the sanctuary is devoid of life, He speaks again.

“Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out” (Ezekiel 9:7).

Ezekiel watches as they move out into the streets of Jerusalem. He hears the screams and sees bodies falling to the ground. Ezekiel grows fearful. He falls on his face before the One.

“Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?” (Ezekiel 9:8).

The One looks Ezekiel straight in the eye. “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads” (Ezekiel 9:9-10).

As soon as this is said, the one in linen with the writing case returns. He stands before the One and says; “I have done as you commanded me” (Ezekiel 9:11).

Ezekiel knows in his spirit that those who were marked are safe. Those who are committing the abominations are not spared. Their own deeds are their death.

Ezekiel’s eyes are brought back to the cherubim with the whirling wheels and the platform above them. In the center of the platform appears a throne of the deepest blue. The One standing beside Ezekiel speaks to the one in linen.

“Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city” (Ezekiel 10:2).

Ezekiel watches as the man in linen goes to where the cherubim stand; on the south side of the Temple. The whole courtyard is filled with the presence of the glory of the Lord as it has moved to the threshold of the Temple. The man moves under the platform and goes to stand beside on of the wheels. Rather than reaching in himself, the cherubim that is beside the wheel reaches into it and pulls out coals from its fire. These he places in the hands of the man in linen.

After handing the man the fire, the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the Temple and went above the platform over the four cherubim. As one, the cherubim rose from their place on the ground and moved to the entrance of the Eastern Gate of the Temple. The glory of the Lord was carried upon the platform.

The One who brought Ezekiel to this place took him again to the Eastern Gate also. In front of the gate stood a group of twenty-five men, including Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah. These were the princes of the people. The One speaks to Ezekiel concerning these men before them.

“Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ ⁴ Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man” (Ezekiel 11:2-4).

The Spirit of the Lord enters Ezekiel and he begins to prophecy to these men. The Spirit put these words in Ezekiel’s mouth.

“So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind. You have multiplied your slain in this city and have filled its streets with the slain. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat, and this city is the cauldron, but you shall be brought out of the midst of it. You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord God. And I will bring you out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord. This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the meat in the midst of it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you” (Ezekiel 11:5-12).

Ezekiel’s heart understands the message of the Lord. For the men believed that the city was their safety from death. As long as they remained within the city, they felt safe; just as the cauldron protects the meat within it from coming into contact with the fire. The Lord is telling them the HE will remove them himself from the safety of the city, and that the city is NOT a safe place for them.

While Ezekiel is yet speaking the words of the Lord, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah dies before his eyes! Ezekiel falls on his face before the One and cries out in fear. “Ah, Lord God! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?” (Ezekiel 11:13).

The One speaks to Ezekiel with two promises. The first is of judgment, and the second is of restoration.

“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.  And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 11:15-21).

Ezekiel is filled with hope again, but as he continues to look on, he is also filled with sorrow. He watches as the cherubim and the platform with the glory of the Lord in its center rise up and leave the House of the Lord, leave Jerusalem, and goes to rest on the mountains east of the city. The Lord no longer resides in the midst of his people.

As Ezekiel is feeling the enormous weight of this moment, he is again transported through the vision. He is taken again to the home he occupies in Babylonia. He is returned to the center of the gathering of the elders in his home.

Ezekiel blinks and his eyes focus on the men in front of him. The men take in an audible gasp. Three hours have passed since Ezekiel last spoke with them. Their leader meekly steps over to where Ezekiel sits. He places a hand on Ezekiel’s shoulder.

“Are you alright my lord?”

“I am. I have just had a vision from the Lord. I must share ALL of it with you; if you will stay and listen.”

Heads nod around the room. One man speaks up. “You couldn’t pry me away from your side my lord. Please share all that you have received.”

Ezekiel smiles. He begins his story from the moment he noticed the One in the room and doesn’t stop until he is returned to them. There are many questions that flow this night. Many tears also, as they hear what awaits ALL who have abandoned the Lord. There are no more ‘chances’ for the people.

Nearly all of the men are convinced to put away ANY sin that they are entangled in. They want NONE of the Lord’s judgment on their lives. There is always ‘that one’ who refuses to listen. Ezekiel leaves that man’s future in the Lord’s hands.

The men begin making their way to their own homes as the sun is lightening the sky. Ezekiel prepares for another day lying on his side. There are only a few more remaining before the next portion of God’s work takes first place in his heart and his hands.

(to be continued)

I cannot imagine losing the presence of God in my life. I don’t have a ‘physical manifestation’ of His presence all the time. But I KNOW with EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING that He is with me at all times. He NEVER turns away or loses track of me. When I choose to sin, I wish He wasn’t watching. That knowing is what brings me back from the brink time and time again. It is also what brings me to my knees when I do sin.

I wonder about the mark the man in linen made of the people’s foreheads. Is this the mark that will be placed upon those who turn to the Lord after He takes His church away; during the Tribulation time? Whatever it was, it protected the people from those meting out the Lord’s judgment. I would not be surprised to learn that we are given some ‘physical mark’ representation when we come to the Lord. Our hearts certainly do. When we TRULY come to the Lord and surrender our lives, He can do MARVELOUS things with us.

Father God, use me for Your work. Help me to see where I need to go, what I need to do, and whom I need to reach out to. You have it all in Your hands and KNOW the roads for me to walk. Keep me walking Lord.