In our study of Ezekiel chapter nine we will look at the fact that, in the end, everyone will be covered by blood. We will also look at the fact that we all have to make a choice as to whose blood we will be covered with.
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Then he cried loudly right in my ears: "Summon the commanders of the city, each holding his weapon of destruction." At once, six men approached on the path from the upper gate, to the north, each man holding his weapon of destruction. Among them was a man clothed in linen, with a scribe's writing equipment at his waist. They entered and stood by the bronze altar.
Because of the indictment of the actions of the Israelites that was handed down in chapter eight, we see that a judgment is coming. God calls for the executioners and we see six angels taking the form of men. They all carry weapons to execute God's judgment. The seventh "man" is another angel and we see that instead of carrying a weapon he is carrying a pen for writing.
Then the glory of the God of Isra'el was made to go up from over the keruv, where it had been, to the threshold of the house. He called to the man clothed in linen, who had the scribe's writing equipment at his waist. ADONAI said to him, "Go throughout the city, through all Yerushalayim, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and crying over all the disgusting practices that are being committed in it."
The glory (presence) of God is seen leaving the mercy seat and heading to the door of the temple. This is a reminder that God's mercy is infinite in its ability but not infinite in time. Judgment was imminent for Israel and it is just as imminent for all of the world today. We see that prior to this judgment, the angel dressed in linen is sent to walk through Jerusalem and mark those that did not take part in the idolatry. This is very similar to what John describes in Revelation 7. The writing kit would have included a type of ink which is a picture of the coming blood of Jesus Christ. This mark would have been the letter taw which looked like an "X".
To the others I heard him say, "Go through the city after him and strike! Don't let your eye spare; have no pity! Kill old men, young men, girls, little children, women - slaughter them all! But don't go near anyone with the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." They began with the leaders in front of the house.
We see that God instructs the angels to execute His judgment on all who do not have His mark on them. This mark and the angel who puts it on the remnant is a picture of Jesus covering those that accept Him with His blood. We see that the judgment includes all people and begins at the temple.
Then he said to them, "Defile the house! Fill the courtyards with corpses! Get going!" So they went out, spreading death in the city.
Is God really telling them to "defile the temple"? The short answer is yes but we must remember that it was already defiled by the fact that it had become a place of idolatry. As we saw before, God's presence was prepared to leave the temple.
While the killing was going on, I was left alone. I fell on my face, cried, and said, "Oh, Adonai ELOHIM! In pouring out your fury on Yerushalayim, are you going to destroy everyone left in Isra'el?" Then he said to me, "The wickedness of the house of Isra'el and Y'hudah is enormous, the land is full of blood, and the city is full of justice denied; because they say, 'ADONAI has left the land, ADONAI doesn't see.' But as far as I am concerned, my eye will not spare, and I will have no pity, but I will bring [the consequences of] their ways on their own heads."
A true prophet has a broken heart when he sees people being judged and Ezekiel fell down and cried out to God for the people. Their sin is described as "exceedingly great" and this is talking about the fact that, once they turned their backs on God, there was no alternative to punishing them. The people had rejected God and so they were going to be covered in their own blood.
At this point the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his waist returned and reported, "I have done everything you ordered me to do."
In this verse we see the fact that, God will withhold His judgment until His people are sealed but, after that, it is unstoppable.
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