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The Vision of Idolatry in the Temple
Ezekiel 8 records a vision in which God shows Ezekiel a series of abominations in and around the temple. The scenes move from one place to another and end with God’s severe response.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
The passage begins while Ezekiel is sitting in his house with the elders of Judah before him. The Lord Yahweh’s hand falls on him, and the Spirit brings him in the visions of God to Jerusalem. There he sees what is being done at Yahweh’s house and hears God’s assessment of it.
Ezekiel 8:1–18Main takeaway
This vision shows that the abominations in Yahweh’s house and the violence in the land provoke him to anger and lead to his declared wrath.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Brought in a vision to JerusalemEzekiel is at home with Judah’s elders when the Lord Yahweh’s hand comes on him. He sees a fiery, bright likeness, and the Spirit lifts him between earth and sky.
Explanation
Ezekiel is at home with Judah’s elders when the Lord Yahweh’s hand comes on him. He sees a fiery, bright likeness, and the Spirit lifts him between earth and sky. In the visions of God he is brought to Jerusalem, where the image of jealousy stands and the glory of the God of Israel is there.
02The image at the gateGod tells Ezekiel to look north, where an image of jealousy is at the entry near the gate of the altar.
Explanation
God tells Ezekiel to look north, where an image of jealousy is at the entry near the gate of the altar. God calls these acts great abominations committed by the house of Israel. The passage states one consequence clearly: these things are done so that God should go far off from his sanctuary.
03Hidden worship in the darkAt the court wall Ezekiel sees a hole, digs, and finds a door. Inside are images of creeping things, animals, and idols portrayed around the wall.
Explanation
At the court wall Ezekiel sees a hole, digs, and finds a door. Inside are images of creeping things, animals, and idols portrayed around the wall. Seventy elders stand there with censers and incense. God says they act in the dark, saying, “Yahweh doesn’t see us” and “Yahweh has forsaken the land.”
04Greater abominations and God’s responseThe vision continues with women weeping for Tammuz at the north gate and about twenty-five men in the inner court worshipping the sun toward the east, with their backs toward Yahweh’s temple.
Explanation
The vision continues with women weeping for Tammuz at the north gate and about twenty-five men in the inner court worshipping the sun toward the east, with their backs toward Yahweh’s temple. God says the house of Judah has filled the land with violence and provoked him to anger, so he will deal in wrath and not hear their cries.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What details show that Ezekiel is seeing a vision rather than making an ordinary journey?
Notice the phrases about the Spirit lifting him and bringing him to Jerusalem “in the visions of God.”
02What do the elders say in the dark, and what in the passage shows that their claim is false?
Compare their words with the fact that God reveals their actions to Ezekiel in detail.
03How does the passage build towards the final statement of wrath?
Track the repeated movement from one scene to another with “other great abominations” and “greater abominations” before God’s final declaration.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ezekiel 8:1–18
1In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord Yahweh’s hand fell on me there.
2Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire—from the appearance of his waist and downward, fire, and from his waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.
3He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks toward the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
4Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.
5Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and saw, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you will again see yet other great abominations.”
7He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig now in the wall.” When I had dug in the wall, I saw a door.
9He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.”
10So I went in and looked, and saw every form of creeping things, abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.
11Seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel stood before them. In the middle of them Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan stood, every man with his censer in his hand; and the smell of the cloud of incense went up.
12Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘Yahweh doesn’t see us. Yahweh has forsaken the land.’ ”
13He said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”
14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh’s house which was toward the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.
15Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”
16He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh’s house; and I saw at the door of Yahweh’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward Yahweh’s temple and their faces toward the east. They were worshiping the sun toward the east.
17Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, 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 turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose.
18Therefore I will also deal in wrath. My eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”