The Glory of Yahweh departs from the Temple
1 On the fifth day of the sixth month in the sixth year, I happened to be sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting in front of me when the hand of Yahweh fell heavily on me.
2 I looked and saw a being as of fire. Downwards from what appeared to be his loins there was the appearance of fire, and from his loins upward a brightness like sparkling bronze.
3 As he stretched out the form of a hand and took me by my hair, the spirit lifted me between heaven and earth and brought me in a divine vision to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate facing north. There stands the idol which provokes Yahweh’s jea lousy.
4 And the Glory of the God of Israel was there, similar to the vision I had seen in the plain.
5 He said to me, “Son of man, look to the north.” I looked in the direction of the north and there, to the north of the altar gate, at the entrance, I saw this idol which provokes his jealousy.
6 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing? Do you see the great abomination that Israel com mits here to drive me from my sanctuary? You will see other abominations greater than this.”
7 He then led me to the door of the court.
8 He said, “Son of man, break through the wall.”
I broke through the wall and made an opening.
9 He said, “Go in and see the wicked abomination they are committing here.”
10 I went in, looked around and saw all kinds of reptiles, repulsive beasts and all the filthy idols of Israel portrayed on the wall all around.
11 Before them stood seventy men, elders of Israel, and among them was Jaazaniah, son of Sha phan. Each held a censer in his hand, and perfume rose from a cloud of incense.
12 He said, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of Israel do in the dark, each one in his room of pictures? For they think: Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.”
13 Then he said, “You will see more of their great abominations.”
14 He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of Yahweh and there women were sitting, weeping for Tammuz.
15 He said to me, “Did you see, son of man? You will see even greater abo minations than these.”
16 And he led me to the inner court of the house of Yahweh and at the door to Yahweh’s sanctuary, be tween the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, their backs to the temple, facing east and worshiping the sun. He said to me,
17 “Did you see, son of man? Is it not enough for Judah to commit the abo minations that they commit here? See they are waving the branch before their nose.
18 I too will act against them in anger; my eye will not see with pity and I will be without mercy. Though they cry loudly in my ears, I will not hear them.”
------------------------------------------------------------
Comments Ezekiel, Chapter 8
• 8.1 Chapters 8–11 include a long vision of the sins of Jerusalem and the punishment which will follow. Everything happens in the Temple. What appalls the priest Ezekiel most is that they have despised God and rejected him from their hearts in favor of false gods.
In 8:2, we find some flashes of the vision of the first chapter. There is always something to indicate that Yah weh is present to the prophet who does not see him. Ezekiel is drawn into ecstasy again: his spirit will contemplate the sins of Jerusalem.
In 8:4, Ezekiel sees the Glory of Yahweh in the Temple. Since its inauguration by Solomon (see 1 K 8:10), God was present among his peo ple even when they were building altars and statues to false gods in the very patios of the temple. Now, however, Yahweh abandons his temple before it is destroyed by the Chaldeans; his Glory leaves for Babylon where the exiles are. God takes three steps before leaving:
– 9:3, he leaves the sanctuary and remains on the threshold;
– 10:19, he crosses the patios and remains at the east gate, facing the mount of Olives;
– 11:22, always going to the East, to Chaldea. Yahweh crosses the Kidron valley and lingers over the mount of Olives.
While Yahweh is abandoning his Tem ple, the fire of his holiness becomes punishment and death for the godless people who set up their idols and engaged in adultery according to the different meanings given to this word by the prophets (see chap. 16).
Among the collective condemnations, there are others aimed at individuals. Ezekiel cooperates with Yahweh and, with him, must pronounce the words of condemnation causing the death of the guilty ones.
9:4. A letter T which then had the shape of a cross, was to protect the “remnant.”
9:8. “Ah, Yahweh! Are you going to destroy…?” A true prophet threatens the people because he wants to save them.