EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:1 Ezekiel’s “temple vision,” the
second of his four dramatic visions, has strong connections with the
opening vision (chs. Ezekiel 1:1) and the concluding vision (chs.
Ezekiel 40:1), which is a mirror image to this one. In his vision,
Ezekiel is taken on a tour and is shown... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:3 When interpreting chs. Ezekiel 8:1, one
must keep in mind that what Ezekiel sees are dreamlike VISIONS OF GOD.
This is spiritual, not “natural,” reality. The inner GATEWAY
locates Ezekiel within the temple-palace complex, but not yet at its
center.
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EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:4 GLORY. See note on 1:28.
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EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:5 The first of the four scenes finds
Ezekiel with his back to the altar, facing an IMAGE OF JEALOUSY, which
remains unidentified. The vagueness is deliberate: focus remains on
what provokes God’s outrage, not on the specifics of the image
itself. It will get worse (STILL GR... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:10 The images ENGRAVED on the walls break
the second commandment (Exodus 20:4) and violate the standards in
Deuteronomy 4:15.
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(var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:11 The presence of JAAZANIAH THE SON OF
SHAPHAN among the 70 elders may have been a shock. He was probably a
member of the clan of Shaphan (2 Kings 22:8), which had proved loyal
to Yahweh’s cause in Jeremiah’s ministry (e.g., Jeremiah 26:24).
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EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:14 Moving farther north, Ezekiel sees
WOMEN WEEPING FOR TAMMUZ. This ancient Mesopotamian cult celebrated
the shepherd-king and god of vegetation. Mourning rites among women in
this cult are recorded in extrabiblical sources.
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EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 8:16 The final scene, which is the briefest,
states simply and starkly the worst of the offenses against God. The
TWENTY-FIVE MEN are not further identified, but the location BETWEEN
THE PORCH AND THE ALTAR would normally be reserved for priests. At
this sacred place they wor... [ Continue Reading ]