Ezekiel Ch.8:1-9:11
(8:1a) “And it happened in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month…” as Yechezk’el was taken into exile in 597 B.C.E., therefore this date would represent August/September 592 B.C.E. Throughout this book, the prophet gives details of when prophecies were given to him (1:1; 20:1; 24:1; 31:1; 32:1,17; 33:21; 40:1). I have known people gifted in Prophecy that have kept detailed records on the assumption that they will be challenged in later years. Here the prophet leaves accurate dates for future generations to follow. In fact, Yahuah specifically commands the prophet (v24:1) to write down the date that ties in with secular history.
(8:1b) “…as I sat in my house, and the Elders of Yehudah sat before me, that the hand of Yahuah `Elohiym fell there on me..” (v1b). This seems to be a formal meeting where the elders have called upon Yechezk’el to seek his aid in consulting with Yahuah (cf 14:1; 20:1).
(8:2) “Then I saw, and, behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man of fire; from the appearance of His loins and downward, fire; and from His loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.” The torso description is uncertain, but it is of a very bright shining appearance as though molten iron had just come out of the furnace. This is similar to visions of other prophets of the Messiah. “His head and His hair were as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace…” (Rev. 1:14, 15a). This further reinforces the image that the Messiah is Yahuah `Elohiym. “I saw until thrones were placed, and One who was Ancient of Days sat: His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels of it burning fire.” (Dan 7:9). Although the colour of the robe was not mentioned, the allusion is to Daniel’s vision. The white robe symbolises righteousness. The likeness of the Son of Man in Yochanan’s vision would indicate that He had just come directly from the presence of Yahuah (cf Dan. 10:5-20).
(8:3a) “He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and HaRuach lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of `Elohiym to Yerushalayim…” Again, the appearance of the Man came to the prophet in a vision, “In the first year of Belshatztzar king of Bavel, Daniyel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed:” (Da. 7.1a) and “I was in the Spirit on the Master’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a shofar” (Rev. 1:10) (for further details of the Master’s day see Mini Bible Study The Seven Assemblies – Introduction – First Generation Assembly).
(8:3b) “to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy (קִנְאָה qin-ar), which provokes to jealousy (קָנָא qa-nar).”
קִנְאָה #H7068 qin-ar *2038a qin’a this is usually translated as ardour as in passion. This would, therefore, be an idol representing sexual promiscuity. It is my opinion that the idol was Semiramis, the consort of Nimrod/Ba’al, the Canaanite fertility god. The location of the idol would be in close proximity to the brazen altar and anything sacrificed on the altar would be sacrificed to Semiramis.
קָנָא #H7065 qa-nar *2038 qana this second use of jealousy is the word usually used of a husband/wife relationship.
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The first use is of an idol and the second use is of Yahuah.
(8:4) “Behold, the glory of the `Elohiym of Yisra`el was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.” Yechezk`el carries on the comparison of the lifeless idol with the life-giving `Elohiym.
(8:5) “Then said He to me, Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and see, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.” The prophet was shown the idol set up to the north of the Temple. “Uriyahu the Priest built an altar: according to all that king Achaz had sent from Dammesek… When the king was come from Dammesek, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near to the altar, and offered thereon… When the king was come from Dammesek, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near to the altar, and offered thereon. The brazen altar, which was before Yahuah, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of Yahuah, and put it on the north side of his altar.” (2 Kgs. 16:11-14). King Achaz had set up his own altar to sacrifice (biblehub quoting Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) to Ba`al probably within the Dammesek Gate, to the north of the Temple, contrary to the word of Yahuah. This entry was the way the sacrificial animals would have been led to be slaughtered at the Temple (biblehub quoting Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges). This emphasised that which was acceptable to Yahuah and that which He abhorred. The idol worship and desecration of Yahuah’s altar, brought down the just judgements and severest of punishments (Henry p.1353).
(8:6) “He said to me, ‘Son of man, see you what they do? Even the great abominations that the House of Yisra`el do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you shall again see yet other great abominations.’” It is not sure to what abominations refer. It may be the sacrifices offered up to an idol or may be the use of the Temple prostitutes. It could also be possible that Yahuah was giving Yechezk`el a glimpse of the Temple desecration caused by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 B.C.E. and that “Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.” (Dan. 11:31).
(8:7) “He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.” Here, the prophet is shown that the sacredness of the sanctuary has been destroyed as Yahuah has not been approached in a way that is according to His will. “and he (Moshe) spoke to Korach and to all his company, saying, ‘In the morning Yahuah will show who are His, and who is set apart, and will cause him to come near to Him: even him whom He shall choose will He cause to come near to Him.” (Num. 16:5). Yahuah has proscribed only one way to approach Him, and that is by being drawn to Him by Himself.
(8:8, 9) “Then said He to me, ‘Son of man, dig now in the wall:’ and when I had dug in the wall, behold, a door. He said to me, ‘Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.’” Korach, his associates their families fell under Yahuah’s judgement by presumptuously approaching Him in His sanctuary. However, In Yechezk`el’s vision. Yahuah had already left His earthly dwelling place, otherwise, those committing the desecration, would have been consumed in His wrath.
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(8:10) “So I went in and saw; and see, every form of creeping things, and abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Yisra`el, portrayed on the wall round about.” These are all unclean animals.
(8:11, 12) “There stood before them seventy men of the Elders of the House of Yisra`el; and in the midst of them stood Ya`azanyah the son of Shafan, every man with his censer in his hand; and the odour of the cloud of incense went up. Then said He to me, ‘Son of man, have you seen what the Elders of the house of Yisra`el do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, ‘Yahuah does not see us; Yahuah has forsaken the land.” There must have been quite a crowd as the seventy elders (Sanhedrin) were standing in front of the others. Ya`azanyah seems to be in the position of High Priest to which he may be entitled. However, the Sanhedrin was made up of men of high standing in the community and would certainly contain men who were not priests and thus not entitled to offer up incense.
“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” (1 Thess. 5:3). This is one of the final acts leading up to the abomination of Dan. 11:31 and Matt. 24:15. When Sha`ul talks of ‘them’, he may well be prophesizing under the inspiration of HaRuach that it will be the Sanhedrin and other leaders of Yisra`el who will invite the Anti-Messiah to take up his position in the sanctuary.
(8:13) “He said also to me, ‘You shall again see yet other great abominations which they do.’” The prophet is about to be shown the object of the idolatry.
(8:14) “Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahuah’s house which was toward the north; and see, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz.” Tammuz is a false Babylonian deity that:
(i) was the ‘Quickener of the Child (in the mother’s womb)’. This is a counterfeit of the Set Apart Spirit (Luke 1:35).
(ii) was associated with milk in the new birth and sustaining of life found in sheep. Again, this is a counterfeit.
(iii) was associated with the dying off of the spring vegetation (in the month called Tammuz) and was wept over for its death but looked forward to its resurrection in the next year as new life springs forth. Again, this is another counterfeit.
(iv) was the consort of the fertility goddess Ishtar.
(v) was associated with the Syrian cultic figure of Adonis.
Tradition has it that Tammuz was killed by a boar whilst hunting. Semiramis, Ishtar and others wept for forty days after which Tammuz came back to life. Ishtar is associated with ‘Easter’ and this period of mourning is associated with ‘Lent’.
(8:15) “Then said He to me, ‘Have you seen son of man? you shall again see yet greater abominations than these.’” There is a slow unwinding of the extent of the desecration of the Temple, showing how far the Elders of Yisra`el have fallen away from Yahuah. There is the inference that, as leaders of the nation, the people would be following their example and turned away from Yahuah.
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(8:16) “He brought me into the inner court of Yahuah’s house; and see, at the door of the temple of Yahuah, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs toward the temple of Yahuah, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.” The further the prophet is taken into the Temple, the greater the abomination. Here, the number of men show is much smaller, referring to the priesthood. Although most common Bible translations refer to these men as worshipping the sun, from the Temple aspect, Babylon would be approximately east. It may be that these men were worshipping Ba’al although the reference to holding a twig would indicate the actual worship of the sun.
The worship of Ba’al and its associated abdominal practices were imported from Babylon by the returning Ysra`elites. Throughout the history of the Ysra`elites, Ba’al worship frequently flared up due to the surrounding nations being seeped in this particular form of idolatry. It may be that the elders of v1 may have come to Yechezk’el to discuss the growing problem of idolatry.
(8:17a) “Then He said to me, ‘Have you seen, son of man?…” This rhetorical question is not looking for an answer as it is Yahuah who is leading the prophet into the presence of the desecration. It is as though Yahuah is saying to Yechezk`el, ‘Can you believe what you are seeing?’
(8:17b) “…Is it a light thing to the house of Yehudah that they commit the abominations which they commit here?…” Yahuah’s next rhetorical question also requires no answer. With the obvious answer being no, it is most serious. Yahuah is saying to the prophet, that this nation is about to feel the justified wrath of Yahuah.
(8:17c) “…for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger:..” As the leaders had fallen away from Torah, it is not surprising that the nation has descended into all forms of sin. “`Elohiym said to Noach, ‘The earth was corrupt before `Elohiym, and the earth was filled with violence. The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’” (Gen. 6:13). This may be the account behind the reference to the people returning back to the wicked practices of the past or it may refer to the many times the people have forsaken Yahuah, only for them to repent and seek Yahuah’s forgiveness. Nevertheless, there is a limit to Yahuah’s long-suffering.
“Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he was thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck.” (Mar. 9:42). The greatest violence any man can do to his fellow man, is to lead them away from Yahuah. It is bad enough for a man to deliberately sin, but much more so for one to lead another astray. The priests, Elders and leaders of the nation are so steeped in sin, Yahuah could not withhold His punishment.
(8:17d) “…and, behold, they put the branch to their nose.” There are several suggestions as to what this enigmatic phrase means.
(i) It may be a reference to the use of branches of various plants held up to the noses of the sun worshippers (biblehub.com quoting Elliot’s Commentary for English Readers).
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(ii) Another interpretation is the idea that behind this is similar to the idiom of adding fuel to a fire (biblehub.com quoting Pulpit Commentary). Taking away the artificial chapter division would render this interpretation the more probable.
(9:2) “Behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lies toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. They went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.” Again, there is some differences of opinion as to whom the seven men refer, but of no doubt, however, is that the passage is a prophetic vision.
(i) Angels that are watchers (biblehub.com quoting Pulpit Commentary);
(ii) Angels that are executioners (biblehub.com quoting Benson Commentary);
(iii) Babylonian army commanders (biblehub.com quoting Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary);
(iv) From (8:5), the northern gate was used by the Temple priest slaughterers. The six men could represent a remnant of those priests that have not gone over to worship Ba`al. The ‘man’ in the middle could well have been an angel and was the only one dressed in linen whilst the others would wear butcher’s leather aprons. They took up the normal position ready to offer up the slaughtered sacrifices.
(9:3a) “The glory of the `Elohiym of Yisra`el was gone up from the Keruv, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house:” The word keruv although singular, may also be used to denote a single group of keruvim. “There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two Keruvim which are on the ark of the testimony, all that I command you for the children of Yisra`el.” (Exod. 23:22). “You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with Keruvim. The work of the skilful workman shall it be made.” (Exod. 26:31).
(9:3b, 4) “…and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn by his side. Yahuah said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Yerushalayim, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst of it.’” (see also Mini Bible Study Seals – First Generation Assembly).
Just as Yechezk`el was given visons of future abominations, he was also given visions of the judgements to fall. “in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation, in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Ruach HaKodesh of promise…in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph. 1:13, 4:30b). This refers to all Believers, but most aptly so, to those Believers that came to faith immediately after and as a result of the Snatching Away (see also Maxi Bible Study End Times Part 3 – Snatching away – First Generation Assembly).
“I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living `Eloah. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our `Eloah on their foreheads!’ I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Yisra`el:” (Rev. 7:2-4). All Believers that are on earth after the Snatching Away will have to
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go through Ya`akov’s Trouble. Nevertheless, these will be protected from the wrath of Yahuah.
(9:5-7) “To the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go you through the city after him, and strike: do not let your eye spare, neither have you pity… kill utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but do not come near any man on whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the old men that were before the house.” Could this be a particular reference to the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. by the Romans who would have come from the north? During the siege of Yerushalayim, the many inhabitants died of famine, disease, and murder along with the abomination of cannibalism.
The prophet had to endure the visions of the abominations and the anguish of the subsequent departure of the Ruach of Yahuah and destruction of the Temple. Nevertheless, he was also blessed with the prophecy of the building of the Millennial Temple and of the return of HaRuach. “Behold, the glory of the `Elohiym of Yisra`el came from the way of the east: and His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with His glory. It was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city… The glory of Yahuah came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.” (Eze. 43:2-4). This is, ironically, from the direction that the sun worshipers looked to when praying to their false gods.
(9:11) “Behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, ‘I have done as you have commanded me.’”
Yahuah bless you and keep you,
Yahuah make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you,
Yahuah lift up His face toward you and give you peace.
All glory be to Yahuah,
Ameyn.
References and Credits
In using these references, it is in no way agreeing to or condoning the theological viewpoint of the authors. However, the historical, cultural, linguistic and academic scholarship of the authors is universally considered to be of the highest order.
Harris R.L., Archer G.L., Thoelogical Wordbook of the Old Testament, Moody, Chicago, Waltke B.K. (1980) Il. (Denoted by *).
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Henry M. (11991) Commentary on the Whole Bible, Hendrickson, Peabody,
Mass.
Strong J. (1994) Strong’s New Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, World Bible Publishers Inc., Madison. (Denoted by #H or #G).
Strong J. (1996) The New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words, Thomas Nelson, Nashville. (Denoted by #H or #G).
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ezekiel/8.5htm
https:// biblehub.com/commentaries/Ezekiel/8.17htm
End Times Part 3 – Snatching away – First Generation Assembly
Seals – First Generation Assembly
The Seven Assemblies – Introduction – First Generation Assembly
HNV The Hebrew Names Version is based off the World English Bible, an update of the American Standard Version of 1901. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.
NASB The New American Standard Bible Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
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