Introduction
In this chapter we read of the angels who smite Jerusalem and the slaughter of the inhabitants.
The appearance of the servants to execute judgments. Ezekiel 9:1-2.
The Divine command. Ezekiel 9:3-7.
Intercession of the prophet, and answer of the Lord. Ezekiel 9:8-11.
SUMMARY
1. The innocent are marked by a man clothed in linen.
2. Six men slaughter the unmarked people.
3. The judgement begins at the sanctuary.
MARKING OF THE INNOCENT
‘Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, ‘Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.’ And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, ‘Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.’ Ezekiel 9:1-4
Seven men appear in the vision described as executioners of the city. Six of them have deadly weapons for destroying Ezekiel 9:1-2. These ‘deadly weapons’ Hebrew, ‘keli’ are war clubs/instruments. This word is used of Medo/Persia as God’s weapon of destruction on Babylon, Jeremiah 51:20.
There is no mistaking what these men are here for, Ezekiel 9:1. They have one job to do and are equipped to do it well, Ezekiel 9:2 / Exodus 12:23 / 2 Samuel 24:15-17. These men come from the north, past the upper gate, Ezekiel 9:2 / Ezekiel 1:4 / Ezekiel 8:5.
One man is clothed in linen, this is probably just an angel, but there are some who believe this if the preincarnate Christ. He has a writing case at his side, the equipment of a scribe, Ezekiel 9:2.
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Linen was the fabric used for the dress of priests, Exodus 28:29-42, and angelic beings, Daniel 10:5 / Daniel 12:6-7, two classes of beings directly involved in divine service.’
Cooper, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This writing kit usually was made from an animal horn. It had a palette with a slot for pens and a hollow place for two kinds of ink, usually black and red. Professional scribes usually carried this kind of equipment.’
They stood by the bronze altar, which was the altar of burnt offerings in the temple court, Ezekiel 9:2 / Exodus 38:1-7.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the bronze altar.
‘To signify that the people against whom they had their commission were, for their crimes, to be sacrificed to the demands of Divine justice.’
It is like they are standing at attention awaiting orders. The orders come as God gets off His chariot, Ezekiel 9:3.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The departure of the glory of the Lord from Israel is one of the basic disclosures of this prophetic book, so Ezekiel traces it very carefully in its different stages, Ezekiel 9:3 / Ezekiel 10:18-19 / Ezekiel 11:23 / Ezekiel 43:2-5.’
God speaks with the seven men, Ezekiel 9:3. First, to the one in the linen, with the writing case, Ezekiel 9:3.
Taylor, in his commentary, says the following.
‘At his side was a writing case (RSV; AV, RV inkhorn): the word is peculiar to this chapter and may be a loan-word from Egyptian, where it refers to the scribe’s writing equipment, incorporating pen, ink-horn and wax writing-tablet.’
He instructs him to go through the city and put a mark on all those who are actively groaning over the idolatry etc, Ezekiel 9:4 / Revelation 7:3 / Revelation 13:16. Those who disapprove of it and say so, Ezekiel 21:6-7. The mark is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, ‘taw’. This was something like an ‘X’. Cain marked was a sign of God’s protection, Genesis 4:15.
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Like the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites’ houses on the night of the Passover, Exodus 12, and the scarlet cord in Rahab’s window, Joshua 2:18-21 / Joshua 6:22-25, it was a sign of hope.’
THE SLAUGHTER
‘As I listened, he said to the others, ‘Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers, and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.’ So, they began with the old men who were in front of the temple. Then he said to them, ‘Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!’ So, they went out and began killing throughout the city.’ Ezekiel 9:5-7
After the marking, the six men with the slaughter weapons are told to go through the city and kill everyone who does not have the mark, Ezekiel 9:5-6. It is important to note that all without the mark were killed, and all with the mark were survivors. Hence to emphasize this they are told to spare no one, even those who may seem innocent, e.g. old men, children etc.
Two important elements in this vision need to be stated here to properly understand it, and to make sure we do not misunderstand what is happening. Part of the vision can be literally understood, i.e. there will be a destruction of the city and people.
Other parts of it cannot be understood literally, e.g. The vision says all the righteous survived. Yet Ezekiel 21:3-4, tells us that both righteous and wicked would be killed.
It was not historically fulfilled as Ezekiel 9 tells us. Now, this is not a great problem for us, for we expect to see figurative things in a vision anyway, if we get some literal truths in there too, then that is like a bonus for us.
The men are told to ‘begin at my sanctuary,’ Ezekiel 9:6. You recall the ‘your’ altars, high places, etc, of Ezekiel 6. They begin right at the very place where God dwelt.
Here are those who should know better, 1 Peter 4:17 / Matthew 18:6 / Mark 9:42 / Luke 17:2 / Hebrews 13:17. The priests and officials of the temple should have been pure, righteous, and God-fearing, but they were the worst offenders. They then would be punished first, Ezekiel 9:7.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Lord directed these executioners to go out into the city. They were even to slay people in the temple courtyards, though by doing so they defiled the temple (made it ritually unclean, Numbers 19:11 / 1 Kings 13:2 / 2 Kings 23:16. Justice was more important than ritual cleanliness. The six men proceeded to carry out their duty, 2 Chronicles 36:17-19.’
This would break Ezekiel’s heart, for maybe those he knew were amongst this group in the sanctuary. If he had trained as a priest, then he would undoubtedly know those involved in the temple. Those who are closest to God gave them greater responsibility. With greater knowledge comes greater responsibility. This is a principle that the New Testament echoes, Matthew 18:15-20 / Luke 12:48.
The person who has become a Christian knows more, has shared more blessings from God, and consequently has more responsibility. If the Christian leaves God, then he will face the same punishment as the priests viewed in this chapter of Ezekiel, 2 Peter 2:20-22 / Hebrews 6:4-8.
THE PROPHET’S PLEA
‘While they were killing, and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, ‘Alas, Sovereign LORD! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?’ He answered me, ‘The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.’ So, I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.’ Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, ‘I have done as you commanded.’ Ezekiel 9:8-11
Here is a heart-breaking sigh by the prophet, ‘are you going to kill everybody?’ Ezekiel 9:8 / Genesis 18:22-33 / Amos 7:1-6. God’s people had sinned greatly, the land is filled with bloodshed and injustice, Ezekiel 9:9. Notice once again they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see’, Ezekiel 9:9 / Ezekiel 8:12.
The answer comes back, to Ezekiel’s original question, ‘are you going to kill everyone? And God answers, ‘yes, almost!’ Ezekiel 9:10. He will not have pity or spare anyone who hasn’t been marked, Ezekiel 9:10. We know there was a remnant from the previous marking, Ezekiel 9:4, but it is very clear that the man in linen did not need much ink.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There were some that he was able to mark, and they remained alive. This was the faithful remnant that was a very small group at this time, Romans 9:27-29 / Romans 11:4-5.
The man comes back and reports that his work is done, Ezekiel 9:11.
