For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Vision of Jerusalem 

Ezek 8:1-6

In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. ² I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. ³ He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. ⁴ And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.

⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy.

⁶ And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

A. Find Out

1. When & where was Ezekiel with whom? v.1
2. Who appeared to him? v.2
3. What did he do and what happened? v.3
4. What did he see when he got there? v.4
5. What was he told to do and what did he see? v.5
6. What did the Lord say about this? v.6

B. Think:

1. How was Ezekiel able to see Jerusalem?
2. What did he see there?
3. What did God say was happening?

C. Comment:

We are now a little over a year after the first vision (compare v.1 with 1:1,2). Ezekiel is in his own home in the exile in Babylonia, and he sees the One he had seen before (1:26), the glorious One on the throne. He seems to reach out his hand to take hold of Ezekiel and straight away Ezekiel is taken in his spirit, by the Spirit, to see a vision of Jerusalem (v.3).

There at Jerusalem was the glory of God that he had seen before (v.4). The Lord is still at Jerusalem.  Then he sees an idol set up in the temple precincts (v.5).  This is what Jerusalem has come to. In the place that had been built to meet with Almighty God, there was a pagan idol set up. These foolish people had substituted worship of idols for the worship of the One True God. But that is not all.

First of all the Lord tells him that the things that they are doing there in the temple precincts in Jerusalem will actually drive Him, the Lord, away from the temple (v.6). He will not share His Holy Presence with idol worship, He will simply leave. How terrible!

But even more, He will yet show Ezekiel that there are even more and worse things happening there in Jerusalem. The awfulness of this is that Israel were a covenant people, called into existence by the Lord, and Jerusalem was the meeting place of God and His people. It’s like they slap Him in the face with their idols!

D. Application:

1. The Lord will not share His glory with people who are worshipping idols. He will simply leave them to their folly.
2. Worship the One True God alone.

Hidden idolatry  

Ezek 8:7-13

⁷ Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. ⁸ He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

⁹ And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” ¹⁰ So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel. ¹¹ In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.

¹² He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” ¹³ Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”

A. Find Out

1. Where was he taken and what did he see? v.7
2. What was he told to do and what did he find? v.8
3. What was he told to do and what did he find? v.8,10
4. Who were there and what were they doing? v.11
5. What had they said? v.12
6. What does the Lord then warn? v.13

B. Think:

1. What do you think Ezekiel’s means of entry indicates?
2. What did he find happening there?
3. Why was it happening?

C. Comment:

After seeing the idol out in the open, the Lord had warned Ezekiel he would see worse things.  In the Spirit he sees a hole in a wall before him. He’s told to dig into the wall, and then he finds a doorway in. What does this say?  It says that for the prophet, the Lord will sometimes first give an indication (the hole) that here is something to be investigated (dug into). When this is dug into (seeking God for revelation about what is hidden) a way into further revelation (door) is shown. When the prophet pushes this (prays, fasts, seeks God?) the door will be opened and revelation given.

For Ezekiel, the revelation is further awful worship of creatures (idols) hidden away in secret places (do you know of any groups in our nation that do things hidden away behind closed doors with secret arts?) where the world at large cannot see.  The reason they give for their abominable acts is that God has deserted them so they are left to seek out the other forces at work in the world. If the Lord has deserted them it’s because of their sin. The answer is to repent, not give yourself further over to the enemy!  Using occult (which means hidden) practices is strictly forbidden in Scripture. It is a sign of utter rebellion and godlessness. It brings the wrath of God.  This people turned away from the Lord and then blamed the Lord in their excuse-making!  How stupid!

D. Application:

1. If God seems far off, seek Him, don’t turn to the enemy.
2. Occult activity is a sign of wanting personal control. It is sin.

Yet more detestable  

Ezek 8:14-18

⁸ He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

⁹ And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” ¹⁰ So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel. ¹¹ In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.

¹² He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” ¹³ Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”

¹⁴ Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. ¹⁵ He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”

¹⁶ He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

¹⁷ He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! ¹⁸ Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”

A. Find Out

1. Where was he next taken and what did he see? v.14
2. What did the Lord warn him? v.15
3. Where was he next taken? v.16a
4. What did he find there? v.16b
5. What did the Lord say about this? v.17
6. What did the Lord say He would do about this? v.18

B. Think:

1. What, do you think, is the significance of where this is happening?
2. What was actually happening there?
3. Why would that be offensive to the Lord?

C. Comment:

From the idol outside the north gate (v.5) and the secret animal worship (v.10), Ezekiel is now shown women weeping for the Sumerian god of vegetation and fertility, Tammuz, as they participated in that cult’s mourning ritual. Next he was taken into the inner court of the temple where there were a number of men worshipping the sun. Four different forms of pagan worship around and actually in the Temple, the place of the holy meeting with Almighty God!

It is no wonder that this stirred the anger of God into action. This temple had been built specifically to worship the One True God, the God of Covenant with Israel.  No longer is it used for that but of worship of “gods” that were not, gods of human making, gods of fear and superstition. This was a worship of human origins that was in the control of humans.

Everything about it was utterly alien. There was no further that they could go, they now worshipped the creature rather than the Creator (Rom 1:22,23). These are utterly godless men who will get what they deserve. The mercy of God (for we ALL deserve death – Rom 3:23) is only extended to those who will turn to Him in their weakness. For those who have set their course totally against Him, there is no hope, their existence here is a challenge to His very Being, and for the sake of mankind, He will not let that continue!

D. Application:

1. If you don’t worship Almighty God, you worship man.
2. Idol worship is the rejection of the One True God.