Daily Devotions
Ezekiel
Defile the temple"
Text: Ezekiel 9:7
The divine order given to the angelic warriors must be understood in the context of the righteous judgment declared by the LORD (Ezekiel 8). Judah had been warned many times that the wickedness of the nation would result in dire judgment.
“To the others He said in my hearing,
‘Go after him through the city and kill;
do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.
Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women;
but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark;
and begin at My sanctuary.’
So they began with the elders who were before the temple.
Then He said to them,
‘Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!’
And they went out and killed in the city.”
Ezekiel 9:5-7
1. The word to the angelic warriors.
a) To search the city for the wicked.
b) These would be killed.
c) The wicked would not be spared.
2. A short list of the wicked.
a) Old men and women.
b) Young men and maidens.
c) Women and little children.
3. The actual killing.
a) This would be done by the Babylonians.
b) This vision involving the angelic warriors was to indicate the factor of divine judgment.
4. The killing of the wicked.
a) The judgment would begin with those in the Temple who were worshipping idols.
b) The first people to be killed were “the elders” who were before the Temple.
5. The results.
a) The Temple would become defiled.
b) Dead bodies would fill the courts of the Temple.
c) The wicked who were in the city would also perish.
6. Who would be spared?
a) Those who had received the mark from the angelic scribe.
b) These were “the elect” who were marked as being faithful.
c) The angelic warriors would make sure that they would not be killed by the Babylonian soldiers.