Ezekiel 8
Ezekiel 8 is a chapter that depicts a vision of idolatry in the Jerusalem temple. The main flow of this chapter is that Ezekiel, in exile in Babylon, is led in God’s vision to the Jerusalem temple, where he witnesses various scenes of idolatry. This vision is recorded as being received on “the sixth year, the sixth month, on the fifth day,” and the spiritual condition of the people of Israel and God’s warning of judgment emerge as central themes.
1verseIn 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 GOD’s hand fell on me there.
2verseThen 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.
3verseHe 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.
4verseBehold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.
5verseThen 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.
6verseHe 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.”
7verseHe brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8verseThen he said to me, “Son of man, dig now in the wall.” When I had dug in the wall, I saw a door.
9verseHe said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.”
10verseSo 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.
11verseSeventy 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.
12verseThen 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, ‘The LORD doesn’t see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.’”
13verseHe said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”
14verseThen he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.
15verseThen he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”
16verseHe brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the LORD’s temple and their faces toward the east. They were worshiping the sun toward the east.
17verseThen 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.
18verseTherefore 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.”
Four Types of Idolatry Revealed in the Vision
- 1. An idol of jealousy (vv. 6–7): It symbolically shows Israel’s betrayal of God through the idol located at the entrance to the north gate of the temple.
- 2. Idol of wall paintings and creeping animals (vv. 8–13): Ezekiel witnesses people inside the temple offering incense before various kinds of animals and idols on the walls.
- 3. Crying for Tammuz (vv. 14–15): The chapter includes a depiction of women sitting at the north gate of the temple, weeping for the Babylonian deity “Tammuz.”
- 4. Worship of the sun (v. 16): It records that people inside the temple court look east and worship the sun.
All these scenes are used as a device to show how far Israel had moved away from God.
The Overall Meaning and Message of Ezekiel 8
Ezekiel 8 shows that the holy space of the temple became defiled by people’s idolatry and that their relationship with God was seriously damaged. Through Ezekiel, God reveals Israel’s hidden sins, and as a result, warns of the inevitability of judgment that will come upon Jerusalem. This vision is not only for past Israel, but also invites reflection on how areas we consider holy—like the temple—in our own faith lives can become secretly and profoundly defiled.
Points for Reflection
- In my faith, at the very center—namely, the “temple” of my heart and life—I can check whether there is anything I value more than God.
- It is helpful to remember that secret sins and habits are not hidden before God, and to think about the need for humility that turns back and seeks a right relationship with Him.
Apply It to Me
- In my daily life, I can seriously reflect on what I cling to and rely on as if it were an “idol,” and make an effort to renew my relationship with God.
- I can also examine whether my faith life includes any formal, habitual way of living, and practice that I can bring my heart to life and come to God honestly.
