John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 10:18-19

"And the glory of Jehovah went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Jehovah`s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above." — Ezekiel 10:18-19 (ASV)

Here the Prophet teaches us what is the principal point in the vision: namely, that God had deserted the temple. For we know with what confidence the Jews boasted that they would be continually safe under God’s protection. In consequence of the promise that God’s temple should be the place of his rest where he would dwell (Psalms 132:14), they did not think it possible that God would ever leave them. So they sinned without restraint; and while they drove him far away from them by their crimes, they still wished to have him somehow bound to them. This folly is derided by Isaiah: Heaven is my seat, and earth is my footstool: what house therefore will you build for me? (Isaiah 66:1). God had commanded his temple to be built and wished to have his earthly dwelling place there; but he says that his wish had been rendered ineffective. And how? For when he promised that he would dwell in the temple, he wished his name to be purely and reverently invoked there.

But the Jews had polluted the temple in every way. Therefore, they thought that God was shut up there in vain, because his generosity was not meant for him to share in the captivity of the Jews, but for them to be obedient to him. Therefore, Isaiah rightly says that the temple became unfit for God’s use when it was profaned. So also we see in Jeremiah: Do not trust in lying words, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah (Jeremiah 7:4). That repetition is used because they were so emboldened by their obstinacy. The Jews resisted the Prophets, and whenever any threat was uttered against them, they immediately fled to that refuge, the temple of the Lord.

For this reason, therefore, the Prophet now relates that the glory of God had deserted the sanctuary; for otherwise, what we have seen would have been out of place. He was sent to scatter burning coals throughout the whole city; in this way, the temple would have been burned, and God would have been consumed by a unique fire. Here I speak in common terms, because when the ark of the covenant is called the God of hosts (2 Samuel 6:2), how could it happen that the fire would destroy the ark, along with all parts of the temple?

But God himself meets them and shows them that the temple was deprived of its glory when it was destroyed by the enemy. Afterwards, the temple was overthrown. And in the Psalms, its lamentable ruin is described: how cruelly and proudly, and with what barbarous mockery the enemy insulted it (Psalms 74 and Psalm 79). This was very disgraceful and disturbed their weak minds.

Therefore, it was necessary to persuade the faithful that God no longer dwelt in the temple, but that it remained only an empty spectacle, because he had taken away his glory since the place was corrupted by so many defilements. Now, therefore, we understand the Prophet’s design when he says that the glory of Jehovah had departed from the threshold of the house and stood above the cherubim. But he had already said that the cherubim had raised their wings, which he again confirms. From this it follows that God with his angels, when the temple was left, deserted the Jews, so that in the future they would boast in vain of being safe under his protection. Therefore, he says that the cherubim raised their wings and ascended from the earth before his eyes. Nor is this clause superfluous, since it was difficult to persuade the Jews of what he said about his desertion of them. There was a celebrated oracle: Here will I dwell, since I have chosen it (Psalms 132:14). When they clung to that, they thought that the sun would sooner fall from heaven than God would leave that temple.

But the Prophet says that he saw it clearly, so that no doubt might remain. If anyone should ask here how that promise which I have mentioned agrees with the departure that the Prophet here relates, the answer is easy, if we only understand that God does not always work by human means, nor according to our carnal perception.

God often seems to act so abruptly that his beginning is without an end. In short, God sometimes seems to jest and to draw back his hand, so that the outcome does not correspond to the joyful beginnings. Since, therefore, according to our carnal senses, God’s works appear to be frustrated, it is necessary to use such language; otherwise, we would never understand how God departed from the sanctuary when he had chosen it in perpetuity.

But he departed in such a way that the place still remained sacred, and the temple stood before God even though it had been overthrown in the eyes of men. The visible appearance of the temple was taken away, but meanwhile, since the temple was founded on the promise of God, it stood among its ruins, as I have said.

For this reason, Daniel, although solitude and devastation should have averted his eyes and senses from Judea, prayed in that direction as if the temple had remained entire. And why so? He looked to the promise (Daniel 6:10). And for this reason, the Prophet said, after the return from the captivity, that the glory of the second temple surpassed that of the first, as the Prophet Haggai says (Haggai 2:9).

And we know with what abundance and magnificence Isaiah speaks concerning the splendor of the second temple and its inestimable glory (Isaiah 60:7). We will also see a similar doctrine at the end of this book. Since, therefore, the temple stood before God because it was founded on his promise, this temporary desertion could not abolish what I have said concerning God’s perpetual presence.

The same thing must also be said concerning the kingdom: that kingdom ought to stand while the sun and moon shone in heaven (Psalms 89:37–38); this is true, and yet there was a sad interruption for many years. For we know what a serious disgrace the last king suffered. Then all dignity had fallen to ruin, so that nothing could be seen but the horrible vengeance of God.

And yet that promise always had its own effect; as long as the sun and moon shall stand, they shall be my faithful witnesses of the perpetuity of the kingdom. Now then, we understand in what sense God left his temple and yet did not in any way break his promise. But he says, the glory of the God of Israel stood at the eastern gate, but above it, so that it was raised up from the earth. The meaning of that statement was that the Jews might know that God was no longer to be sought in that dwelling of wood and stone, because he had not only left his seat but had also ascended upwards, so that they should have no more direct dealings with him.