A vision from Babylon to the temple in Jerusalem
8: The prophecy ‘s date corresponds to 592 B.C. The message of chapters 7-11 is directed specifically toward Jerusalem and not to leaders. Chapter 8 records Ezekiel being taken in a vision from Babylon to the temple in Jerusalem to see the great wickedness being practiced there. The people and their religious leaders were thoroughly corrupt. While Ezekiel’s first vision(Chap.1-3) showed that judgement was from God, this vision showed that their sin was the reason for judgement.
8:6 – In scene after scene, God revealed to Ezekiel the extent to which the people had embraced idolatry and wickedness. God’s Spirit works within us in a similar way, revealing sin that lurks in our lives. How comfortable would you feel if God held an
Open House in your life today?
9:1. This chapter presents a picture of coming judgement. After Ezekiel had seen how corrupt Jerusalem had become, God called one man to spare the small minority who had been faithful. Then he called six men to slaughter the wicked people in the city. This judgement was ordered byGod himself.
9:3 – What is God’s glory? It is the manifestation ofGod’s character—his ultimate power, trancendance and moral perfection. He is completely above man and his limitations. Yet God reveals himself to us do that we can worship and follow him.
10:2 – God’s perfect holiness demands judgement for sin. The cherubim are mighty. Angels. The burning coals scattered over the city representing the purging of sin. For Jerusalem, this meant the destruction of all the people who blatantly sinned and refused to repent. Shortly after this prophecy, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem by fire.
11:5 – God knows everything about the Israelites, even their thoughts. He also knows everything about us, even the sins we try to hide. Instead of worrying about people noticing how we look or what we do, we should care about what God thinks, for he sees everything. Trying to hide our thoughts and actions from God is futile “Secret” sin’s are never secret from God. The only effective way to deal with sin is to confess it and ask God to help us overcome it.
11:18,19 – “Undivided heart” indicates a unanimous singleness of purpose. No longer will God’s people seek many God’s, they will be content with God. The hard, deaf, immovable heart of stone will be radically transplanted with a tender, receptive and responsive heart of flesh. This new life can only be the work of the Holy Spirit, it is God’s work, but we must recognise and turn from our sin. When we do, God will give us new motives, new guidelines, and new purpose. Have you received your new heart?
12:21-28 These two short messages were warnings that God’s words would come true – soon! Less than six years later, Jerusalem would be destroyed. Yet the people were skeptical. Unbelief and false security led them to believe it would never happen. The apostle Peter dealt with this problem in the church. It is dangerous to say Christ will never return or to regard his coming as so far in the future as to be irrelevant today. All that God says is sure to happen. Don’t dare assume that you have plenty of time to get right with God.
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Clara Radhakrishna