Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 8

Verses 1-18

We now come to the last prophecy dealing with the results of reprobation. It consists of a long and detailed description of the cause and process of judgment. Its first movement came to the prophet as he sat in his own house in the presence of the elders of Judah. He felt the pressure of the divine hand on him, and saw an appearance as of fire.

He was then lifted between earth and heaven, and there was revealed to him the awful idolatries practiced in Jerusalem. He saw at the entrance of the inner court of the house of God "the image of jealousy," which means that there was set up an image which provoked Jehovah to jealousy. His special attention was called to this as revealing the reason why Jehovah departed from His sanctuary.

He was then bidden to dig a hole in the wall, and through a door which he discovered there he saw the elders of Israel burning incense before creeping things, abominable beasts and idols, so far had they passed from conscious fellowship with God as to imagine that He had forsaken the earth and they were not seen.

Yet again the prophet saw the depravity of the women of Israel who were weeping for Tammuz, the significance of which weeping is suggested in Milton's lines:

The love-tale Infected Zion's daughters with like heat; Whose wanton passions in the sacred porch Ezekiel saw.

Finally, in the inner court the prophet saw men with their backs turned toward the Temple, worshiping the sun. Because of this utter corruption of the people, Jehovah would proceed in judgment, in spite of all the loud crying of the people.