CHAPTER 9. THE MARKING OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE SLAYING OF THE WICKED. In this chapter we see God's dealings with Jerusalem through heavenly visitants whose activities are reproduced on earth. Nebuchadnezzar would think that he was in charge of events, but Ezekiel, and the people he spoke to, would... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Cause those who have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.” ' Ezekiel heard a loud voice, the voice of Yahweh, and it spoke to heavenly visitants. Perhaps it was seen as addressed to Michael, the arc... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lies towards the north, every one with his weapon for destruction in his hand, and one man in the midst of them, clothed in linen, with a writer's kit hanging by his side (‘on his loins'). And they went in and stood beside the bronze alt... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, on which it was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer's kit hanging at his side. And Yahweh said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And to the others he said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him, and smite. Do not let your eye spare, nor have pity. Slay utterly (literally ‘slay to destruction') the old man, the young man and the maiden, and little children and women. But do not come near any man on whom is the mark. An... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then they began at the old men (elders) who were before the house.' These would be the five and twenty who represented the priesthood, worshippers of the sun (Ezekiel 8:16). They were the most guilty because of their closeness to the sanctuary. These men who had had the most holy privileges had bet... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them, “Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth.” And they went forth and smote in the city.' The house was to be deliberately defiled (compare Numbers 19:11; 1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 23:16). It was no longer God's temple. They had handed it over to idolatry, so th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it was so that while they were smiting and I was left, I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh. Will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your fury on Jerusalem?” ' As Ezekiel watched every man in the temple around him smitten down one by one, until... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice (‘bending' of justice). For they say, “Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh sees not.” ' These men left in Jerusalem and its surrounds had seen... [ Continue Reading ]
“And as for me also, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. But I will bring their way on their head.” So as there was no justice and mercy among the inhabitants of Jerusalem and its surrounds, so there would be no mercy from God. He would make them reap what they had sown, and there would be... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold the man clothed in linen, who had the writing kit by his side, reported the matter, saying, “I have done as you have commanded me.” ' The marking of the righteous had taken place as God had commanded. Justice must now take its course. As we review these Chapter s that we have been cons... [ Continue Reading ]