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.

The Destruction in Jerusalem

Ezek  9:1-11

1 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” ² And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side ⁴ and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

⁵ As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. ⁶ Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.

⁷ Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. ⁸ While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

⁹ He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’ ¹⁰ So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.”

¹¹ Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

A. Find Out

1. Who were brought into the temple? v.1,2
2. How did the glory of the Lord move? v.3a
3. What was the man clothed in linen to do? v.3b,4,11
4. What were the guards to do? v.5-7
5. What was Ezekiel’s concern? v.8
6. What was the Lord’s answer? v.9,10

B. Think:

1. What was the role of the man in linen?
2. What was the job of the guards?
3. What do you think is significant of the move of God’s presence?

C. Comment:

Chapter 8 showed us the awful things that were happening in Jerusalem. Chapter 9 shows us the destruction that comes within Jerusalem as a result. “Guards” (NIV) is rendered “executioners” in other versions, for so they were.  A man clothed in linen indicates a person of dignity, a priest or a divine messenger, and he is to be both a recorder (with writing kit) and assessor (making a mark on people).

Thus they are given their task: first to mark out those who grieve over the idolatry of Jerusalem, for they will not be slain, but then second, to destroy all those without the mark. This is God’s judgement on both those who participate in idolatry and those who happily condone it.

When he sees this, Ezekiel is concerned that there will not be anyone left at all. He is simply told it is too late. Those who have sinned will be removed. (There will no doubt be the remnant of those with the mark who grieved over what had been happening).

Note also the start of the exodus of the glorious presence of God from Jerusalem (v.3). It will continue (see 10:9, 11:23). God’s presence will not be there when the enemy invades to destroy the temple in the immediate future.  This is another terrible aspect to all this – God is moving away and leaving His people to their just deserts!

D. Application:

1. God knows those who are for Him and those who are not.
2. Even today there will be a separating (see Mt 25:46)