And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.
Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.
And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
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.
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.
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
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.
Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Ezekiel 8 unveils a disturbing vision, revealing the depth of spiritual decay within Judah and the reasons behind God's impending judgment. This chapter, along with chapters 9-11, forms a powerful series of visions showcasing the various ways God communicated His judgment to Ezekiel. The prophet is transported in the Spirit to Jerusalem, where he witnesses firsthand the shocking idolatry and abominations taking place within the very heart of God's temple.
The Setting (Ezekiel 8:1-6)
The vision begins with Ezekiel sitting in his house, likely surrounded by the elders of Judah who sought a word from the Lord (Ezekiel 8:1-3). Before relaying the vision to the elders (see Ezekiel 11:25), Ezekiel is given a powerful encounter with the divine. A figure, radiant with fire and amber, appears to him, emphasizing the gravity and importance of the revelations to come (Ezekiel 8:2).
The Spirit lifts Ezekiel and transports him to the inner gate facing north, within the temple complex. There, he is confronted with a "statue of jealousy" (Ezekiel 8:3), an idol that provokes God's righteous anger. This could be a pagan symbol like an Asherah pole, associated with sexually immoral worship practices, defiling the sacred space meant for the worship of the one true God (Ezekiel 8:4). This initial scene serves as a prelude to the even more appalling acts that Ezekiel is about to witness. God essentially asks Ezekiel, "Can you believe what you are seeing? Do you understand now why I have to leave my temple? And you haven’t seen anything yet!" (Ezekiel 8:5-6). This highlights the profound disappointment and sorrow God feels over His people's betrayal.
Hidden Idolatry (Ezekiel 8:7-12)
The vision intensifies as Ezekiel is led to discover hidden chambers and secret acts of idolatry. He is instructed to dig through a wall in the inner court, revealing a doorway leading to a concealed room (Ezekiel 8:7-9). Inside, the walls are covered with engravings of "every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast and all the idols of the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 8:10).
Seventy elders, representing the leadership of Jerusalem, are found inside, offering incense to these abominable images. Among them is Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, a man likely known to Ezekiel. These leaders, who should be guiding the people in righteousness, have instead embraced idolatry, further corrupting the nation. Their justification for this blatant sin is chilling: they believe that "the LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see" (Ezekiel 8:12). This demonstrates a complete lack of fear of God and a profound misunderstanding of His omnipresence and omniscience.
Weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:13-15)
God then warns the prophet to prepare himself for even more shocking sights: "You will see even more detestable acts that they are committing" (Ezekiel 8:13). Ezekiel is transported to the outer court, where he witnesses women weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14), a Babylonian god associated with vegetation and fertility.
The worship of Tammuz involved mourning his supposed death during the dry summer months and celebrating his resurrection in the spring, bringing new life. This pagan ritual was often accompanied by immoral practices. The fact that the women of Judah were engaging in this degrading worship instead of worshipping the God of Israel, who provided for them abundantly, reveals the extent of their spiritual apostasy.
Sun Worship in the Temple (Ezekiel 8:16-17)
The final and perhaps most egregious act of idolatry occurs within the most sacred area of the temple itself. Ezekiel sees twenty-five men, likely priests based on their location between the portico and the altar, standing with their backs to the LORD’s temple and their faces turned to the east, bowing in worship of the sun (Ezekiel 8:16).
This is a deliberate act of defiance and contempt toward God. Instead of interceding for the people, these priests have turned their backs on the Lord and embraced sun worship, a clear violation of God's covenant. This act echoes the warning given by Paul in Romans 1:25, where he describes those who "exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator." Such idolatry inevitably leads to moral decay and the deterioration of the culture (see Romans 1:18-32).
God's Unyielding Justice (Ezekiel 8:18)
Despite the outward appearance of religious observance, these priests had completely abandoned the Lord in their hearts, choosing to worship a false deity within His own temple. While they may have continued to perform priestly rituals, attempting to maintain a facade of serving the Lord, God had reached His limit.
The faithlessness of His people had provoked Him beyond the point of restoration. God declares that He will judge them without pity, even if they cry out for mercy at the last minute (Ezekiel 8:18). This underscores the seriousness of their sin and the inevitability of God's righteous judgment. Ezekiel 8 serves as a stark warning against the dangers of idolatry and the consequences of turning away from the one true God. It reminds us to examine our own hearts, ensuring that we are not subtly embracing idols in our lives, and to remain steadfast in our devotion to the Lord.
And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.
Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.
And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
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.
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.
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
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.
Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Ezekiel 8 unveils a disturbing vision, revealing the depth of spiritual decay within Judah and the reasons behind God's impending judgment. This chapter, along with chapters 9-11, forms a powerful series of visions showcasing the various ways God communicated His judgment to Ezekiel. The prophet is transported in the Spirit to Jerusalem, where he witnesses firsthand the shocking idolatry and abominations taking place within the very heart of God's temple.
The Setting (Ezekiel 8:1-6)
The vision begins with Ezekiel sitting in his house, likely surrounded by the elders of Judah who sought a word from the Lord (Ezekiel 8:1-3). Before relaying the vision to the elders (see Ezekiel 11:25), Ezekiel is given a powerful encounter with the divine. A figure, radiant with fire and amber, appears to him, emphasizing the gravity and importance of the revelations to come (Ezekiel 8:2).
The Spirit lifts Ezekiel and transports him to the inner gate facing north, within the temple complex. There, he is confronted with a "statue of jealousy" (Ezekiel 8:3), an idol that provokes God's righteous anger. This could be a pagan symbol like an Asherah pole, associated with sexually immoral worship practices, defiling the sacred space meant for the worship of the one true God (Ezekiel 8:4). This initial scene serves as a prelude to the even more appalling acts that Ezekiel is about to witness. God essentially asks Ezekiel, "Can you believe what you are seeing? Do you understand now why I have to leave my temple? And you haven’t seen anything yet!" (Ezekiel 8:5-6). This highlights the profound disappointment and sorrow God feels over His people's betrayal.
Hidden Idolatry (Ezekiel 8:7-12)
The vision intensifies as Ezekiel is led to discover hidden chambers and secret acts of idolatry. He is instructed to dig through a wall in the inner court, revealing a doorway leading to a concealed room (Ezekiel 8:7-9). Inside, the walls are covered with engravings of "every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast and all the idols of the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 8:10).
Seventy elders, representing the leadership of Jerusalem, are found inside, offering incense to these abominable images. Among them is Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, a man likely known to Ezekiel. These leaders, who should be guiding the people in righteousness, have instead embraced idolatry, further corrupting the nation. Their justification for this blatant sin is chilling: they believe that "the LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see" (Ezekiel 8:12). This demonstrates a complete lack of fear of God and a profound misunderstanding of His omnipresence and omniscience.
Weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:13-15)
God then warns the prophet to prepare himself for even more shocking sights: "You will see even more detestable acts that they are committing" (Ezekiel 8:13). Ezekiel is transported to the outer court, where he witnesses women weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14), a Babylonian god associated with vegetation and fertility.
The worship of Tammuz involved mourning his supposed death during the dry summer months and celebrating his resurrection in the spring, bringing new life. This pagan ritual was often accompanied by immoral practices. The fact that the women of Judah were engaging in this degrading worship instead of worshipping the God of Israel, who provided for them abundantly, reveals the extent of their spiritual apostasy.
Sun Worship in the Temple (Ezekiel 8:16-17)
The final and perhaps most egregious act of idolatry occurs within the most sacred area of the temple itself. Ezekiel sees twenty-five men, likely priests based on their location between the portico and the altar, standing with their backs to the LORD’s temple and their faces turned to the east, bowing in worship of the sun (Ezekiel 8:16).
This is a deliberate act of defiance and contempt toward God. Instead of interceding for the people, these priests have turned their backs on the Lord and embraced sun worship, a clear violation of God's covenant. This act echoes the warning given by Paul in Romans 1:25, where he describes those who "exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator." Such idolatry inevitably leads to moral decay and the deterioration of the culture (see Romans 1:18-32).
God's Unyielding Justice (Ezekiel 8:18)
Despite the outward appearance of religious observance, these priests had completely abandoned the Lord in their hearts, choosing to worship a false deity within His own temple. While they may have continued to perform priestly rituals, attempting to maintain a facade of serving the Lord, God had reached His limit.
The faithlessness of His people had provoked Him beyond the point of restoration. God declares that He will judge them without pity, even if they cry out for mercy at the last minute (Ezekiel 8:18). This underscores the seriousness of their sin and the inevitability of God's righteous judgment. Ezekiel 8 serves as a stark warning against the dangers of idolatry and the consequences of turning away from the one true God. It reminds us to examine our own hearts, ensuring that we are not subtly embracing idols in our lives, and to remain steadfast in our devotion to the Lord.