Ezekiel 9: 1 - 14
Visitors from outer space Part 2
“1 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” 5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city. 8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?” 9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.” 11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”
The Holy Yahweh now begins to implement the judgment. He calls for the six angels to deal with the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. He also picks one angel to mark those God will save from the brutal slaughter. The time has come. The command is ominous. Each of the six men has his destroying weapon in his hand. The loudness of the cry indicated the certainty of what was to follow. Nothing could prevent it. The voice of the Lord speaks from within the Temple where God has temporarily again taken over His Throne in the Sanctuary as the Glory of God fills the Temple for the last time.
“1 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
The angels entered in a group with the man with the writing kit in the middle. He was clothed in linen. The other angels were probably dressed as warriors and the weapon held ready in the hand was always an indication of judgment. We must, however, not see the man with the writing kit as being of a different temper than the others, for he will be the one who will throw the coals of judgment over Jerusalem as indicated in chapter 10. Right now he merely has a different function. The group reminds us that in the midst of God’s judgments there is always mercy for those who respond to Him.
The writing kit was common in Ezekiel’s day. It included a long narrow board with a grove to hold the reed brush that was used to write on parchment, papyrus, or dried clay. The board had hollowed out areas for holding cakes of black and red ink that had to be moistened before use.
“And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar’. This bronze altar was the old altar from Solomon’s temple, which had been replaced with a stone altar by Ahaz, which he patterned after a Syrian altar.
2 Kings 16: 14 says, “14 He also brought the bronze altar which was before the LORD, from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the house of the LORD—and put it on the north side of the new altar.”
The old bronze altar after being removed was put to the north of the stone altar for the king ‘to enquire by’. This was the only altar recognized by Yahweh. This is another indication how the temple had been defiled. Our Holy Lord God had not overlooked the replacing of His altar with a foreign one. This action is very significant. On that bronze altar God’s Mercy and Judgment would reach out. On that bronze altar sacrifices had been offered for the nation of Israel for many centuries. There atonement had been made. It had also been a sanctuary for people to run to.
1 Kings 1: 50 says, “50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.”
Men could flee to the altar but now the right of sanctuary was lost. The sacrifices had ceased. God now would desert His Temple and His altar. It was no longer a holy place.
Ezekiel 9: 3 – 4, 3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
The movement of ‘The Glory of God’ is also very impacting. Being ‘in the cherub’ referred to the ‘Mercy Seat’ over the ark of the Covenant.
“34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”
In the past the Glory of the God had regularly covered the ark and the Tabernacle. Ezekiel here sees the presence of God beginning to depart from Judah. First of all He leaves His place in the Holy of Holies and goes to the threshold of the house. He could have just totally departed from the Temple and the city. Here I believe we see a brokenhearted Holy and Beautiful Loving God. He pauses because He doesn’t want to leave. He stops at different locations and pauses in sadness before moving on. He has loved His people with an everlasting love and they have rejected Him. Have you ever experienced a love for someone and he or she just crushed you by falling in love with someone else. I have and if you have also then you can begin to appreciate what our Precious Lord was feeling. I am sorry Lord. You are worthy to be loved and adored. Please forgive our sins of rejecting such a Holy and Loving Lord as Yourself. In chapter 10 we will see that the Lord leaves the Threshold, then the Temple, and finally the city itself.
One great thing that we can anchor our hope in and on is the fact that our God never forgets His own. Within the city there were still those who were faithful to Him and whose hearts were broken at what was going on. They sighed and cried at what they saw around them. True faith and righteousness are always revealed by men and women’s attitude toward sin and disobedience toward God.
God told the man with the writing kid to put a mark on those who were faithful to God. Their faithfulness was determined by their sensitivity to and sorrow over their nation’s sins. God had determined to put His protective mark on them. None would harm them who were faithful to Him. Those with the mark were spared when the six men began to destroy the wicked people.
The mark was placed on the foreheads and was an ‘X’, the ancient form of the letter taw. It was a precursor to the sign of the cross. It appeared also as a ‘t’.
A strange situation is listed in Genesis chapter 4 after Cain killed his brother Abel.
“8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” 13 And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” 15 And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.”
The Lord set a mark on Cain like we read here that both angels and mankind were prevented from harming him. What Amazing Love God offers His creation.
During the Exodus the Israelites put a mark of blood on the doorframes to save them from the destroying angel of death. They were not aware that this act also framed a ‘t’ or displayed the form of a ‘cross’.
The people of Judah who God marked as His Own showed as a ‘sign’ who belonged to Him.
“16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”
God loves us so much He also marks us, even to the point of engraving them on the palms of His hands. In all His wrath against sin yet even within this destruction He Is Faithful to His covenant with those who still trust in Him.
You would think that Satan would realistically understand that he is not God and only a created angel. For one thing ‘pride’ blinds you from truth. Satan should understand that he does not create or come up with anything new. He imitates things that our Holy Yahweh has done. He has proven to do this in the past and will use the same methods again in the future.
In the last days of mankind’s existence our Lord will again place a mark in the foreheads of those people who are His.
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
In like manner we read in Revelation 13: 16 – 17 this, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
Satan will mark his followers who like him, are destined for destruction. Like Ezekiel, those who belong to Satan will face horrible times here and for eternity. Yet, like what we see happening here in Ezekiel’s experience, our Holy Lord and Savior will preserve His people. In truth we are untouchable.
“5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.”
Judgment is without mercy or pity and it affects others who do not really have any role in sin, such as little children, animals, and even creation itself. Here are some references about this,
Romans 8: 22, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
Exodus 9: 1 – 3 “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous.”
Matthew 2: 18, “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”
A lot of people think that it is glamorous being a Pastor. It is an honor to serve our God in any manner, yet the following verses are real and are something one should consider before seeking this calling.
Luke 12: 48, “48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
1 Timothy 5: 17, “17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.”
2 Timothy 2: 15, “15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Corinthians 1: 8,“8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”
2 Corinthians 4: 1 – 18, “1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,”we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
James 3: 1, “1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”
The religious and secular leaders of Israel were sold out toward idolatry and rejected the Holy Supreme Yahweh as their Ruler. Therefore, God would begin His Judgment with this group of people. Spiritual Leaders are especially accountable to God because they are entrusted with the key requirement and honor of representing God Almighty. God’s representatives are entrusted with the assignment of teaching the truth about our Wonderful Holy Master. If men who are called to co-shepherd the Lord’s flocks fail to feed His sheep by teaching God’s truth they can cause enormous harm to His children. It is then not surprising to understand our Lord deal with these people first in His Judgment. He began with His false ministers and worked His way outward.
In our days we see again this mockery toward our Holy shepherd in those who occupy pulpits.
1 Peter 4: 17, “17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
I am scarred to realize the enormous responsibility that comes along in representing our God. I see what others pull in their pulpits or on TV and wonder, ‘Don’t these men realize what is going to happen to them when they come face to face with our Lord?’ It would be better for them to do just a menial job then to falsely represent our God to His people.
“7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.”
Besides stinking up the place, dead bodies defile any place for further use.
“8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”
As Ezekiel saw every man around him in the temple killed one by one until there were none, he was totally overwhelmed. It was more than he could take. He collapsed in sorrow and agony. We should also be like Ezekiel when we see evil people ‘get theirs, but for the Grace of God go us likewise into depravity. As a sinner among sinful people our hearts should be touched by the judgment being leveled on our enemies.
“9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!’”
An amazing thing to think about here is that there were survivors left over from the previous deportations that had personally witnessed the Babylonian cruelty towards the Jews. You would like to think that they should have appreciated God’s Mercy in sparing them and their families along with the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. How could they not have realized that God says what He means and means what He says? They had not learned their lessons of true repentance and turned back to God. Instead they just continued in their wickedness. They did not hear from their local news sources that the Babylonian was again on the move to attack them. Stop and think about what verse 9 is saying, the people really believe that God does not see what evil they were doing. Murder was legal. True justice was a complete joke. In sadness, I and you know that this is describing right to the point exactly what is going on in our country that once proclaimed, ‘In God we trust!’
“10 And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”
The people were evil through and through. They offered no type of mercy to anyone. It was in their minds, ‘me first’. Everyone would accept people doing beneficial things for them but don’t expect anything from they without a price. So, our Holy God’s says, ‘Is that the way you want to play?’ – then there would be no pity or mercy coming from God when the Babylonians did their assault on the city.
“11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”
His servant angel was obedient. He reported to his Master and our Holy God that all instructions were followed to the ‘T’.
In closing we also need to remember that our Master has given us His instructions. They are in His Word – The Bible. We must read His Word and be obedient to all that it tells us.
