August 19, 2025
God's people defiled the temple.
Ezekiel 5-8
Cindy Stubbs
Big Book Idea
While destruction would come and had come, eventually there will be restoration.
Key Verse | Ezekiel 8:18
"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 5-8
Chapter 5
Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed
1 And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair. 2 A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. And a third part you shall take and strike with the sword all around the city. And a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. 3 And you shall take from these a small number and bind them in the skirts of your robe. 4 And of these again you shall take some and cast them into the midst of the fire and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will come out into all the house of Israel.
5 Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. 6 And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not 1 5:7 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac lack not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, 8 therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments 2 5:8 The same Hebrew expression can mean obey rules, or execute judgments, depending on the context in your midst in the sight of the nations. 9 And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. 10 Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds. 11 Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. 3 5:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts I will cut you down My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. 12 A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.
13 Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the LORD—that I have spoken in my jealousy—when I spend my fury upon them. 14 Moreover, I will make you a desolation and an object of reproach among the nations all around you and in the sight of all who pass by. 15 You shall be 4 5:15 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; Masoretic Text And it shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations all around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious rebukes—I am the LORD; I have spoken— 16 when I send against you 5 5:16 Hebrew them the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply 6 5:16 Hebrew staff of bread. 17 I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I am the LORD; I have spoken.”
Chapter 6
Judgment Against Idolatry
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, 3 and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. 4 Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols. 5 And I will lay the dead bodies of the people of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 Wherever you dwell, the cities shall be waste and the high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined, 7 6:6 Or and punished your idols broken and destroyed, your incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out. 7 And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
8 Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, 9 then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the LORD. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.”
11 Thus says the Lord God: “Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12 He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols. 14 And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land desolate and waste, in all their dwelling places, from the wilderness to Riblah. 8 6:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Diblah Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
Chapter 7
The Day of the Wrath of the LORD
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. 9 7:2 Or earth 3 Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. 4 And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
5 Thus says the Lord God: Disaster after disaster! 10 7:5 Some Hebrew manuscripts (compare Syriac, Targum); most Hebrew manuscripts Disaster! A unique disaster! Behold, it comes. 6 An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes. 7 Your doom 11 7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; also verse 10 has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains. 8 Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. 9 And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD, who strikes.
10 Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has come; the rod has blossomed; pride has budded. 11 Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their wealth; neither shall there be preeminence among them. 12 7:11 The meaning of this last Hebrew sentence is uncertain 12 The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude. 13 7:12 Or abundance; also verses 13, 14 13 For the seller shall not return to what he has sold, while they live. For the vision concerns all their multitude; it shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life. 14 7:13 The meaning of this last Hebrew sentence is uncertain
14 They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude. 15 The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour. 16 And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity. 17 All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water. 18 They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads. 19 They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. 20 His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them. 21 And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for prey, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and they shall profane it. 22 I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured 15 7:22 Or secret place. Robbers shall enter and profane it.
23 Forge a chain! 16 7:23 Probably refers to an instrument of captivity For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence. 24 I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places 17 7:24 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew and those who sanctify them shall be profaned. 25 When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none. 26 Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law 18 7:26 Or instruction perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders. 27 The king mourns, the prince is wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land are paralyzed by terror. According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Chapter 8
Abominations in the Temple
1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and behold, a form that had the appearance of a man. 19 8:2 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew of fire Below what appeared to be his waist was fire, and above his waist was something like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming metal. 20 8:2 Or amber 3 He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the valley.
5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. 6 And he said to me, “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.”
7 And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig in the wall.” So I dug in the wall, and behold, there was an entrance. 9 And he said to me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. 11 And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up. 12 Then he said to me, “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.’” 13 He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.”
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? You will see still greater abominations than these.”
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said to me, “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 21 8:17 Or my nose. 18 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.”
Footnotes
[1] 5:7 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac lack not[2] 5:8 The same Hebrew expression can mean obey rules, or execute judgments, depending on the context
[3] 5:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts I will cut you down
[4] 5:15 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; Masoretic Text And it shall be
[5] 5:16 Hebrew them
[6] 5:16 Hebrew staff
[7] 6:6 Or and punished
[8] 6:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Diblah
[9] 7:2 Or earth
[10] 7:5 Some Hebrew manuscripts (compare Syriac, Targum); most Hebrew manuscripts Disaster! A unique disaster!
[11] 7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; also verse 10
[12] 7:11 The meaning of this last Hebrew sentence is uncertain
[13] 7:12 Or abundance; also verses 13, 14
[14] 7:13 The meaning of this last Hebrew sentence is uncertain
[15] 7:22 Or secret
[16] 7:23 Probably refers to an instrument of captivity
[17] 7:24 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew and those who sanctify them
[18] 7:26 Or instruction
[19] 8:2 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew of fire
[20] 8:2 Or amber
[21] 8:17 Or my
Table of Contents
Introduction to Ezekiel
Timeline
Author and Date
The first dated message in Ezekiel is from the summer of 593 B.C., four years after Nebuchadnezzar deported the first group of exiles to Babylon. The latest dated oracle is 22 years later, in April 571 B.C. If Ezekiel was 30 years old when his ministry began (1:1), the final vision of the book came when he was about 50.
Theme and Purpose
Ezekiel spoke to a people forced from their home because they had broken faith with their God. As the spokesman for the Lord, Ezekiel spoke oracles that defended his reputation as a holy God (see especially 36:22–23). The primary purpose of Ezekiel’s message was to restore God’s glory before Israel, who had rejected him in front of the watching nations.
Background
Ezekiel prophesied during a time of great confusion following Israel’s exile to Babylon in 597 B.C. A former Judean king was among the exiles (the 18-year-old Jehoiachin), and the Babylonians had appointed a puppet king to the throne in Jerusalem (Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah).
In times of crisis, God sent prophets to bring his message to his people. Judah’s exile was therefore a period of intense prophetic activity. (Jeremiah also served during this time.)
Ezekiel’s fellow exiles were his main audience, but his oracles also communicated to people who remained in Judah.
Key Themes
- As a priest, Ezekiel was deeply concerned with restoring God’s people to holiness. His understanding of the depth of Israel’s sin is clear in his version of Israel’s history (ch. 20). Even the oracles about a restored Israel (chs. 40–48) include a way to deal with the people’s sin so they can survive in the presence of a holy God. Ezekiel’s concern with sin also accounts for the many places where the book echoes the laws given in the Pentateuch, as well as the similarities between Ezekiel’s new temple (chs. 40–42) and the Exodus tabernacle.
- Israel was subject to its national God. However, this God is no tribal deity. He is supreme over all nations. Therefore Nebuchadnezzar, king of mighty Babylon, was simply a tool in God’s hand to accomplish God’s purpose (e.g., 21:19–23; 30:25). God’s absolute supremacy is most clearly demonstrated in the battle against Gog, the final enemy (chs. 38–39), where God alone crushes Gog’s vast hostile forces.
- Ezekiel declares judgment on those clinging to false hope, but offers true hope to those who accept God’s judgment (37:11). He linked God’s judgment with the hope of a new heart and spirit (36:22–32).
- The condemnation of Israel’s “princes” (e.g., ch. 19) finds its hopeful counterpart in the promise of a future “prince” who would rule with justice (34:23–24) and connect the people to God (46:1–18).
Outline
- Inaugural Vision (1:1–3:27)
- Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (4:1–24:27)
- Oracles against Foreign Nations (25:1–32:32)
- After the Fall of Jerusalem (33:1–39:29)
- Vision of Restoration (40:1–48:35)
The Near East at the Time of Ezekiel
c. 593 B.C.
Ezekiel recorded his visions and prophecies while living near Babylon, where he had been exiled years earlier. By Ezekiel’s time, the Babylonian Empire had conquered almost all of the area along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It would eventually conquer even the land of Egypt, where many other Judeans had fled.
Fact: the Day of the Lord
God sent the prophets to warn Israel that the Day of the Lord was coming, when God would judge his people for their rebellion against him (see 3:19; Amos 5:18–20; Isa. 2:12). Here Ezekiel specifically condemns Jerusalem’s crime and violence (7:23).
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Ezekiel’s Temple Vision
Ezekiel’s final vision of an ideal temple (and city, and land; chs. 40–48) forms a counterpart to the vision of chs. 8–11. In each case he is taken on a tour of the structure, but whereas in the earlier vision he discovers abominations and perverted worship, in this final vision all is in readiness for the perpetual dwelling of the glory of the God of Israel. In chs. 8–10 most of the movement centers on the gate structures to the north and finally focuses on the main sacrificial altar, from which central point the slaughtering angels begin their work (9:6b). In this final vision Ezekiel’s tour begins and ends at the East Gate, but passes by the same areas as those he saw in the earlier vision. With the “tour” completed, he is again outside the main East Gate as he senses the approach of the glory of God returning the same way as Ezekiel had seen him go.
Temple Plan
The labels below are arranged from the innermost, and most sacred, area and moving outward. It must be borne in mind that “temple” can have two quite distinct references: it can refer generally to the entire “temple” complex, including the outer gates and court; in its more “strict” reference the “temple” is the innermost structure itself, which has a single (eastern) entrance and contains the Most Holy Place.
| Reference | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| A | 41:4 | The “Most Holy Place.” |
| B | 41:3 | The inner room of the temple. |
| C | 41:2 | The entrance to the temple. |
| D | 43:13–17 | The imposing altar; although the number of stairs is not given, the entire altar structure is about 16 feet (4.9 m) tall, so many steps would have been required. This area of the inner court was accessible only by priests—not even the prince was permitted entry. |
| E | 40:46 | Chamber for Zadokite priests. |
| F | 40:45 | Chamber for “priests who have charge of the temple.” |
| G | 40:17–19 | The outer court, with its 30 chambers in the outer wall (40:17). |
| H | 46:21–24 | The temple “kitchens,” one in each corner of the outer court. |
| I | 40:17 | The 30 outer chambers. |
| J | 46:2 | The “prince’s gate”: from its threshold he worships on each Sabbath while the priests bring the offerings into the inner court. |
| K | 43:1 | The main east gate, through which “the glory of the God of Israel” returns to his temple (see 10:19; 11:22–23). |
Temple Tour
| Reference | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40:6 | The eastern (main) gate begins the tour; the E–W axis of the temple should be noted; if a line is drawn from the east gate to the Most Holy Place, there is a sequence of three elevations, as the space in the inner temple becomes increasingly constricted. |
| 2 | 40:17 | From this vantage point in the outer court, Ezekiel is shown the main features of this “plaza” area. |
| 3 | 40:20 | The northern-facing gate. |
| 4 | 40:24 | En route to the southern-facing gate, no details are given of the outer facade of the inner court; the architectural details of this area must remain speculative. |
| 5 | 40:28 | Ezekiel’s entry to the inner court is by way of its south gate . . . |
| 6 | 40:32 | . . . then to the east gate (past the imposing altar, not yet described) . . . |
| 7 | 40:35 | . . . and on to the north gate, which includes areas for handling sacrificial animals. |
| 8 | 40:48; 41:1 | Ezekiel approaches the inner temple structure itself, first describing its entrance; he is then stationed outside the entrance while his guide first measures its interior, then the exterior. |
| 9 | 42:1 | They exit the inner court through its north gate to explore the northwestern quadrant of the outer court. |
| 10 | 42:15 | Ezekiel and his guide leave the temple from the east gate by which they first entered. From this vantage point, Ezekiel was able to watch the return of “the glory of the God of Israel” moments later (43:1–5). |
Letters in the diagram represent locations within the temple complex; numbers indicate the stages in Ezekiel’s temple tour.
Ezek. 4:1–5:4 Ezekiel is called upon to dramatize his prophecy, using actions rather than words to convey the divine message. As in most cases in the book, only the instructions are recorded, and not the report of the performance and its reception.
Ezek. 5:1–4 razor. Priests were not to shave off their hair (44:20; see also Lev. 21:5), so shaving his head and beard shamed and defiled Ezekiel.
Ezek. 5:8–10 eat their sons. This gruesome prospect sometimes became a reality during siege warfare (see Lam. 4:10). This was one of God’s judgments for breaking the covenant (Deut. 28:49–57).
Ezek. 5:11 Deuteronomy often uses the phrase “eye not pitying” to describe the attitude that the Israelites must have in order to carry out stern judgment when issues of purity or loyalty are at stake (e.g., Deut. 13:8; 19:13). The same Hebrew is used here for God’s eye that will not spare his own sinful people.
Ezek. 5:5–17 These verses comment on Ezekiel’s dramatic presentation of prophecy (4:1–5:4).
Ezek. 6:2 set your face. Another favorite phrase of Ezekiel, expressing determination. The hills and mountains that Ezekiel addresses were linked to improper worship (see 1 Kings 14:22–23; 2 Chron. 21:11; Jer. 3:6).
Ezek. 6:3 The treaty curses of Leviticus 26 are the background for this verse. This is especially clear in the threat to bring a sword upon you (also Ezek. 5:17; 11:8; 14:17; 29:8; and 33:2). The high places were cultic worship sites that were to be destroyed.
Ezek. 6:8–10 leave some of you alive. Complete destruction is avoided with the promise that a remnant will be spared (compare 5:3). The survivors’ sorrow is matched by the striking description of God’s deep grief at the people’s idolatry: I have been broken (6:9). This is the same verb that God uses in v. 6 to describe what will happen to the idols.
Ezek. 7:2 The address to the land (literally, “soil”) of Israel uses a phrase unique to Ezekiel (found 17 times in the book, always referring to the people Israel). Compare “the mountains of Israel,” 6:2. The announcement of an end (also 7:3, 6) echoes Amos 8:2, where God announces the coming outpouring of his wrath.
Ezek. 7:3 Abominations are offenses that God despises, that make someone or something impure. The term appears 41 times in Ezekiel.
Ezek. 7:10 Behold, the day! The “day of the Lord” is a prominent theme in the Hebrew prophets (see note on Amos 5:18–20). It refers to near or future judgment of the Lord on Israel and the nations (see Joel 2:1–11). This judgment also reveals God’s glory and restores his people. Ezekiel’s development of the theme relates most closely to Amos 8:9–10. Among the many concepts shared by Ezekiel 7 and Amos 8 are the “day” itself, violence and wealth, agricultural metaphors, foiled commerce, desecration of holy things, and withholding of divine direction.
Ezek. 7:12–13 The transactions described here connect with the laws of Lev. 25:26–27. There is no opportunity to redeem property because death will come first.
Ezek. 7:17 all knees turn to water. The Hebrew suggests a loss of bladder control due to panic.
Ezek. 7:26 Loss of divine direction from the prophet, priest, and elders provides another link to Jeremiah, where the sinful Judeans assume that such guidance will always be available to them (Jer. 18:18).
Ezek. 6:1–7:27 These two extended oracles are both addressed to “geography”: the “mountains” (6:2) and “land” (7:2) of Israel, although in both cases the real audience is human (see 6:6).
Fact: the Day of the Lord
God sent the prophets to warn Israel that the Day of the Lord was coming, when God would judge his people for their rebellion against him (see 3:19; Amos 5:18–20; Isa. 2:12). Here Ezekiel specifically condemns Jerusalem’s crime and violence (7:23).
Ezek. 8:1 The vision took place in September 592 B.C., just over a year after the inaugural vision (see 1:1–3:27). Clearly there were “prophets” among the exiles stirring up rebellion (see Jer. 29:20–23). Thus the elders seek a word from Ezekiel.
Ezek. 8:5–6 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 greater abominations; see vv. 13, 15). These sins are “greater” in the sense of being more hateful to God. This can be because of such factors as bringing him more dishonor, bringing greater harm to others, expressing defiance of God’s warnings or indifference to his love, sinning more boldly in public, or sinning by those with greater responsibility.
Ezek. 8:10 The images engraved on the walls break the second commandment (Ex. 20:4) and violate the standards in Deut. 4:15–18.
Ezek. 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 22:8–10), which had proved loyal to Yahweh’s cause in Jeremiah’s ministry (e.g., Jer. 26:24).
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Ezek. 8:14–15 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.
Ezek. 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 worship the sun, which is prohibited in Deut. 4:19. This action contrasts sharply with what priests ought to do here (compare Ps. 26:6–7; Joel 2:17).
Ezek. 8:1–18 Ezekiel is transported in his vision to the temple complex at the heart of Jerusalem (vv. 1–4). In a series of locations, including both the center and the periphery of the temple, various cultic practices, termed abominations, are revealed.
S4:198 Ezekiel 5-8
Listen NowDive Deeper | Ezekiel 5-8
In these four chapters, we observe how Judah's heart has hardened and how far it had drifted from God. Despite his repeated warnings, God's patience has run out. He brings judgment through pestilence, sword, and famine. While it might be uncomfortable to think of God as just and full of wrath, it is essential to remember his fairness and love.
Just like Judah, we often turn away from God, pursue our idols, and attempt to control our own lives. This always leads to trouble. Our God is a jealous God who desires our complete devotion. He will do whatever it takes to demonstrate that he is the one true God, with total power and authority over everything.
Repentance is vital. It is not merely a way to escape consequences. The people's struggles underscore the severity of their situation. Yet, even amid judgment, there is hope through salvation. Ezekiel 7:16 and 8:18 highlight that survival and restoration depend on God's sovereign choice. This aligns with the truth in Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." True joy and fulfillment come through God's grace, not through our efforts or righteousness. God's judgment reveals the seriousness of sin, but his grace provides the path to eternal life and restoration.
The Christian life is challenging, and, like Judah, we can drift. Yet, God offers us great hope, and we are blessed to be called his adopted children. All the destruction faced by Judah served to make them realize that there is only one true God. Today, as in the time of Judah, the truth of peace with God has been obscured by a culture of sin and idolatry. Sin, then and now, has become such a stumbling block that it makes it difficult to grasp the truth. Ezekiel recognized God's supreme authority without complaint or fear. God can remove sin from our lives when we surrender to him and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in righteousness and obedience.
This month's memory verse
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
– Lamentations 3:21-23
Discussion Questions
1. Are there areas in which you need to return to God's ways, seeking his forgiveness and guidance?
2. What are the false gods or misplaced priorities you might be worshiping or elevating above God?
3. Do you sometimes treat repentance as a way to avoid consequences, rather than genuinely turning back to God?
4. How comfortable would you feel if God held an open house to show your life to the world today?