This chapter begins with Ezekiel’s denunciations of Judah. 591-586 B.C. Ezekiel 8 and Ezekiel 11 are the reasons for Ezekiel 9 and Ezekiel 10.
1. Ezekiel is shown the religious corruption in the city of Jerusalem.
2. We note the progression of idolatry shown to the prophet.
Ezekiel 1:2 began a series of visions beginning in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, but here we’re given another date to signify the start of a new series of visions.
The scene is Ezekiel’s house in Babylonia. Ezekiel was taken to Jerusalem in 591 B.C., which is fourteen months after his commission, Ezekiel 8:1. The elders of Judah have come for a message from God, Ezekiel 8:1, possibly for consolation, Ezekiel 14:1-3 / Ezekiel 20:1.
These, of course, were the elders of Judah who were in captivity along with Ezekiel. Here is an example of the prophet speaking to the exiles about the people in Judah.
It seems that Ezekiel, who was about thirty-one years of age, really did not want to tell them the message. He knew the message from God, but it was going to take another vision to convince him that these men needed telling.
We will find out more about these elders in a later attempt by them to get a message from the prophet, Ezekiel 14:1 / Ezekiel 20:1. Once again, he tells us that God’s hand was upon him, Ezekiel 8:1 / Ezekiel 1:3 / Ezekiel 3:14 / Ezekiel 3:22.
Notice that he sees the appearance of a man, Ezekiel 8:2, like that in Ezekiel 1:27. The one who sat on the throne was God; here, we see the same form equated with the Spirit who lifted him up, Ezekiel 8:3.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Although the word ‘man’ does not appear in this text, it is clearly a human figure in the vision, as indicated by the mention of the likeness of a hand, and of ‘his loins.’ This is what the marginal reference here has, “the appearance of a man enthroned,” of course, a representation of God Himself.’
Let us clearly see that Ezekiel was brought in a vision to Jerusalem. What we are going to read about now is clearly described by the prophet as ‘visions of God’, Ezekiel 8:3. This was not the case, Ezekiel 4:1, which would lead to the idea that some things were done literally, others were not. He is having a vision.
His first point of call was the north gateway of the inner court of the temple, Ezekiel 8:3. The first thing he saw there was an image of jealousy, and the glory of God, Ezekiel 8:3-4.
There is a sharp contrast between these two. God will now give the prophet a ‘guided tour’ of the city, pointing out the major problems. Ezekiel is shown four forms of idolatry which represent that of the whole nation.
Ezekiel is told to look toward the north, and he sees the entrance in the north gate of the altar. This was the most prestigious gate, the king’s gate.
Taylor, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This was the most honourable of the three gateways because, the royal palace being on the north side of the temple, the king would have used it whenever he went in to worship.’
He sees the idol of jealousy, Ezekiel 8:5 / Acts 17:16. The image of jealousy is so-called because it provokes jealousy. It is believed that this was some image which they had connected with the worship of Jehovah. No one has any idea what kind of image it was, but to get into the temple, you had to pass this image at the north gate, Ezekiel 8:5.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The guess as to the idol’s identity, which is most popular among the writers, we have consulted, is that it was an idol with an altar to the Ashera, Ashteroth, Astarte, or some other female fertility goddess of the ancient Canaanites. The worship of such idols was vile, licentious, depraved and disgusting.’
Notice how the people’s actions were driving God from His sanctuary, Ezekiel 8:6 / Exodus 20:5. They were forcing God to leave where He wanted to be. Ezekiel is told that he will see things that are even more detestable, Ezekiel 8:6.
Ezekiel is now taken to the entrance of the court and sees a hole in the wall, Ezekiel 8:7. He is told to dig into the wall, and by digging in the wall of the court, the prophet is shown a secret door, Ezekiel 8:8. It’s clear that certain people do not want to be known because they have something to hide.
As he goes in, he sees wicked and detestable things just as God said, Ezekiel 8:9-10. Here is a place where animal worship and idol worship are carried out by hypocrites, Romans 1:22-23. These are those who do not want to be known as idol worshippers, so they do it in secret, but God sees it all, Psalms 139:7-12 / Hebrews 4:13.
On entering the room, he sees the idolatry going on. All these animals portrayed on the walls are not pictures, Ezekiel 8:10. It is the idea of being engraved or carved on the walls. Notice it involved seventy elders, who had censers and offering incense to these animals and idols, Ezekiel 8:11.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It was unlawful for the elders to offer incense in the Temple, a function belonging only to the sons of Aaron; and even they were forbidden to offer the sacred incense to a pagan idol.’
The number seventy was a number representative of the whole nation, Numbers 11:16 / Exodus 24:9. One of these is named Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, Ezekiel 8:11. Shaphan was King Josiah’s secretary of state, 2 Kings 22:3. One of his sons, Ahikam, was an active supporter of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 26:24.
He is saying that the whole people are involved in this, and even the respectable leaders are secretly involved in it all too, Ezekiel 8:12. They all were thinking that anything done in secret, no one, not even God, could see them, for they believed God had forsaken the land, Ezekiel 8:12.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following.
‘With this kind of rationalisation, they permitted themselves to do anything they desired. If God did not exist, then no one would need to care about him. It is tragic that the same attitude exists today among so many people.’
If things weren’t bad enough, God now tells Ezekiel that he sees them doing things that are even more detestable, Ezekiel 8:13.
Ezekiel is now taken to the entrance of the north gate of the house of God, Ezekiel 8:14. What does he see? He sees women sitting mourning the god of Tammuz, Ezekiel 8:14.
This was a Sumerian/Babylonian god who is said to have died and gone into the underworld, and because of this, all vegetation died. This god was said to die during the winter months and during extremely dry periods.
Whoever this was, it amounted to nature worship. The women weeping was part of the worship, of course, which signified their sorrow for this god’s departure to wherever he went.
Plumptre, in his commentary, says the following concerning the women.
‘They wove hangings for the worship of Ashera, 2 Kings 23:7, and they also burned incense to the Queen of Heaven, Jeremiah 44:9 / Jeremiah 15-19. This goddess was probably Ashteroth.’
Ezekiel might expect to see the people weeping over the city of Jerusalem and all the sins committed in it, but no, Joel 2:17. God is determined to make sure Ezekiel sees all this, and once again tells him there are more detestable things to see, Ezekiel 8:15.
Ezekiel is now taken into the inner court of the house of God. At the entrance of the temple, between the portico and the altar, he sees around twenty-five men. What are they doing?
They are worshipping the sun, Deuteronomy 4:19 / Deuteronomy 17:3 / Romans 1:25. The worship of the sun by the people of Judah certainly was not new. Josiah had done some previous reforming of sun worship, 2 Kings 21:5 / 2 Kings 23:11.
Obviously, it had not been too successful a reform, for here it is in full bloom. Hence, we see Josiah’s reform was ineffective. Here it is going on at the very gate of the temple in full view of everyone, including, figuratively, God.
Wiersbe, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The idolatry of the seventy elders was hidden in the temple, but these men practised their idolatry openly!’
There are twenty-five men involved in this worship. This is possibly a reference to the twenty-four courses of the priests and the high priest, 1 Chronicles 24:7-18. Here are the priests of the Most High God with their backs to Him and His sanctuary, and their faces toward the rising of the sun to the east.
‘Don’t you think they deserve it?’ God asks the prophet, Ezekiel 8:17. After all this, Ezekiel is maybe a little more convinced that judgement is deserved. So, along with all the idolatry going on in the land, the people are also involved in violence, Ezekiel 8:17; they are completely breaking God’s law.
Smith, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The inhabitants of Judah were not content to provoke the Lord with their abominations. They had also filled the land with ‘violence,’ i.e., social chaos and injustice.’
The words, ‘they put a branch to their nose,’ Ezekiel 8:17, are a little obscure. Several ideas are put forward to explain the statement.
1. An alternative reading could be ‘they put forth a stench before my nose.’
2. A sign of contempt and insult.
3. A reverent part of Sumerian sun worship.
Whatever it was, it certainly was not godly, and so, they will be punished, Ezekiel 8:18.
Morgan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Because of this utter corruption of the people, Jehovah would proceed in judgment, in spite of all the loud crying of the people.’