The Strand Study Bible

EZEKIEL 8:13

EZEKIEL 9:10

1258

13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abomina- tions that they do. 14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, be- tween the porch and the altar, were about 1 five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped 2 the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18 3 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: 4 and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. P Ezekiel 9 God’s slaughter crew 1 HE cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause 5 them that have 6 charge over the city 3 to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. P 2 And, behold, 7 six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward (Note - This event took place in the 6th year of King Zedekiah’s reign) Date - 591 BC/AM 3409

the north, and every man a slaughter wea- pon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s ink- horn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. 3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; 4 And the 8 LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, 9 and set a 10 mark upon the foreheads of the 11 men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 And to the others he said in mine hear- ing, 3 Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: P 6 3 Slay utterly 12 old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: 9 but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; 13 and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. P 7 And he said unto them, 3 Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. P 8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah LordGOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? 9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and 14 the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

1. Ezk 11:1 2. Deut 4:19 3. Fulfilled - II Ki 25 (Fall of Judah) 4. Job 27:9 & 35:12- 13 & Psa 18:41 & Prov 1:24-31 & 28:9 & Isa 1:15 & Jere 11:11 & 14:12 & Mic 3:4 & Jn 9:31 & Jms 5:16 5. or, “the Babylonians” 6. or, “ charge over destroying the city” 7. that is, “the six angelic executioners that control Neb- uchadnezzar’s six generals - Jere 39:1-3” 8. “Jehovah” Note - In this case Jehovah is referring to God the Spirit - Ezk 8:1-5. 9. Isa 3:10 10. Rev 7:2,3 & 9:4 & 14:1 11. Jere 13:17 12. II Chro 36:17 13. I Pet 4:17 14. II Ki 21:16 & Ezk 7:23

10 And as for me also, 3 mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. P 9:2a As the vision continued, the SPIRIT OF GOD ( HE – vs 1) called for six angelic executioners ( six men ) to come forth with their destroying weapons and to stand by the brazen altar to await further instructions. 9:2b Among the six angelic executioners was a seventh angel ( one man ), clothed with linen, who was called upon to place a protective mark upon the foreheads of the men and women that sighed and cried over all the abominations that were done in Judah and Jerusalem. These were to be spared after Nebuchadnezzar’s third and final invasion of Jerusalem from 588 – 586 BC. 9:3 God’s presence departed from above the mercy seat to the entrance of the Temple ( to the threshold of the house) . Within five years (586 BC) dead bodies would defile the Temple, which had already been defiled by idolatry. Sadly, the people of God didn’t even know that God had left. 9:4 This word ( mark ) is literally the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet ( tau ), which was in the form of a cross. The symbolism is taken from such passages as Genesis 4:15 and Exodus 12:7,13; and it is used in Revelation 7:3 & 9:4 & 14:1. The command to

“ mark ” those who still had a heart for God is a happy reminder of two truths: 1. Penitent believers, even when outnumbered, are never alone (I Ki 18 and Rev 1:9-10) 2. God notes our faithfulness (Mt 9:1-2 and Heb 11:6)

9:8 Ezekiel begged the Lord to spare some of the people ( wilt thou destroy all ), but He refused (vs 10). Their exceedingly great sin (vs 9) would destroy even their loved ones (vs 5-6). To whom much is given, much is required ( Mt 12:31-32 and I Jn 5:16 ).