John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 8

There is no doubt that a prophetic vision is narrated here, because the Prophet was not carried to Jerusalem, nor had he changed his place, nor were the elders of Judah before him. Instead, it seemed to him that he was seized by the Spirit of God, so that he might perceive the pollutions by which the Jews had profaned the temple.

For he says, that he was at home when this vision occurred to him, though he could have been walking in the field. Therefore, he does not describe the event as having physically occurred, but simply teaches how God appeared and adds the circumstances. By elders of Judah I do not mean captives, but those who were then living in Jerusalem, so that they would be witnesses of this prophecy, and thus, any excuse or claim of misunderstanding was removed from them.

He also states the time at which this vision happened, namely the sixth year, which he counts from the exile of Jechoniah, as we saw in the first chapter. Hence, an interval of a year and two months had elapsed since the first vision which was then unfolded, and the present one which is now to be discussed.

Therefore, since fourteen months had passed, God appeared again to his Prophet. This detail about the time is by no means unnecessary, because this shows the great stubbornness of the people. The Prophet, as I have said, counts the years from the king's exile. But they were accustomed to count from the jubilee year; however, he now renews the grief for that slaughter, when the king was treated shamefully as a wretched captive and was tormented like a slave by the enemy.

Therefore, since the Prophet humbles the Jews by this calculation of years, it becomes clear how hardened their stubbornness was, as they did not become wise even though they were so severely disciplined. But we will see that they were seized with an astonishing madness, so that they cast aside the worship of God, heaped up new idolatries on every side, and infected the temple with their abominations.

We saw in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:17 and Jeremiah 44:17-19) that the worship of God was overthrown in the city of Jerusalem and in the temple itself. For they poured out libations to the workmanship of heaven—though others translate this as the queen of heaven, we have shown that those passages should be understood as referring to all the stars.

Therefore, since they offered incense to the workmanship of heaven, they then took idols for themselves and polluted themselves with the superstitions of all the nations.

Our Prophet shows that they were not affected by any awareness of their punishment, but instead, they became worse from the time God began to raise his hand against them. For it was just as if he had begun to show himself from heaven as the avenger of their superstitions.

Thus, we have a reason why the Prophet here mentions years and months, and even the fifth day of the month: namely, that the Jews might be more strongly convicted of their stubbornness, since no punishments recalled them to the right path, but they wrestled against God with diabolical stubbornness.

He says, the hand of God fell; by hand I do not simply understand prophecy, as some do, but strength. For the meaning seems too restricted if we say God’s prophecy fell—that phrase is too stark. Instead, this is properly said of the power of God. It is just as if the prophet professed that he did not bring forward anything of his own, because he set aside, as it were, his human self while God's power reigned in him. Thus, the power of God is opposed to all human faculties.

Some translate the last word as angel, but in my opinion, this is erroneous. For עין, gnin, properly signifies color, and I have already refuted that error in the first chapter. I am not clear as to what color it was; therefore, I follow the received opinion that it was like amber. Now the Prophet says, he saw a likeness, or image composed of two parts; for from the loins downward it was like fire, but upwards it was brightness. By the word דמות, demoth, I do not doubt that he means the image of a man.

God, therefore, appeared to His servant under some image; nor is the human figure out of place, because if it had been any other figure, the Prophet would undoubtedly have been silent. But we have already seen that God had taken on the human form, and so represented Himself in the person of His only-begotten Son, as we have said, and will see again in the tenth chapter.

This, therefore, is the likeness of which the Prophet speaks, but he uses this word on purpose, so that we may know that it was not a true, solid, and substantial thing called a body. As for the Prophet’s beholding a figure or likeness, this took place only in a mere vision, not that God then took on a body; and I have also treated this point at length in the first chapter, and I will glance at it again shortly.

Now as to his saying, one part of the figure was fiery, but in another, the aspect of splendor, he seems here to express what the Jews ought to hope for, when at last they perceived God to be near, from whom they thought themselves very far off, since they so boldly despised His law and all the prophecies.

As for the splendor, God’s majesty and incomprehensible glory are signified. For if brightness blinds our eyes, what would happen if we endeavor to penetrate to that immense light of which the sun is only a little spark? Since, therefore, Ezekiel says, there was the likeness of splendor above his loins, he undoubtedly shows how formidable the majesty of God ought to be to us.

For God dwells in light that is inaccessible, as the Apostle says (1 Timothy 6:16). But below, he says, was the appearance of fire, namely, because He must not wait until the Jews received any joy from the presence of God. We know, indeed, that hypocrites always boast rashly in the name of God, as Amos reproves them: What is to you the day of the Lord? it is a day of darkness and not light (Amos 5:18).

For they boast that God would be pleaded with in their miseries, and that He must assist them, because He had taken them under His protection. The Prophet refutes this arrogance and says that the day of the Lord would be darkness.

So also in this place, God appeared in the form of fire towards the earth, so that the Jews should tremble when they saw the vengeance of God lit up to consume them. Therefore, in the splendor God’s majesty was shown, which humbled the Prophet and all the pious, so that they should receive the vision reverently; for in the fire God’s vengeance was shown, lest the Jews make for themselves too broad a shield of the name of God, which they used falsely and deceitfully.

The Prophet here relates that he was carried to Jerusalem so that he might behold the foul superstitions by which the Jews had defiled the temple. But first he says, that the form of a hand was put forth. From this again we gather that the body which the Prophet had seen was not solid or substantial, but was only a visible figure, a symbol of God’s presence.

This explains the word 'likeness' or 'figure', for it was not a real hand that seized the Prophet by the locks or hair of his head, but it was the likeness of a hand. Therefore, he adds, in the visions of God it was done. He says indeed that he was carried up between heaven and earth, but let no one imagine that this was actually done, for he explains himself and says, in the visions of God. By visions of God he understands a revelation free from all doubt, for there is a silent opposition between these divine revelations and the specters that often deceive men’s senses.

Those who interpret 'visions of God' simply as prophecy weaken what the Prophet wished to express emphatically; and those who think God’s name is used here as an epithet (as the Hebrews call anything remarkable, divine) also depart from the genuine sense of the Prophet. There is no doubt, therefore, that he contrasts the visions of God with all specters, for Satan, as we know, deludes men’s senses with his prodigies and his wonderful arts of fascination, because it happens that the children of God are sometimes deluded.

Hence the Prophet, to take away all doubt from his teaching, says that he was carried to Jerusalem in visions of God, and adds, that he was carried to the northern gate. We know that there were many gates of the large area, so that the people’s entrance would be more convenient.

For if there had been only one gate open, they would have been more tumultuous, as a multitude usually is. The area of the temple then had an eastern and a northern gate; then it had other gates, which gave easy entrance to the people as well as to the priests.

The priests indeed had a distinct inner area, but when they offered victims on the altar, they mingled with the people. This, therefore, was the reason why the floor of the temple had different gates. Now the Prophet says, that he was carried to the porch of the gate, so that he did not enter directly into the secret part of the temple, but seemed to himself to be standing before the doors, until God informed him of what was happening within.

He says, there was the seat of the idol. We do not know what the idol was, except that the Prophet says it was abominable. He first calls it the idol of jealousy, and then adds the participle, provoking God to jealousy. But although the noun as well as the verb is often taken in a bad sense, yet God applies the emotion of jealousy to Himself, and in this sense He says in Deuteronomy,

They provoked me: they made me jealous with what is not God: therefore will I make them jealous (Deuteronomy 32:21).

He alludes to the jealousy between husband and wife. For example, if the wife prostitutes herself, the husband burns with indignation, and that outbreak of his anger is most flagrant. Likewise, when the wife in her turn knows that her husband is an adulterer, she is carried away with intemperance and excess.

Hence God, when He shows how He esteems His glory and worship, compares Himself to a jealous man when we turn aside to idolatrous and adulterous worship.

In this sense, the idol that was in the porch or entrance of the temple is called the idol of jealousy, and the idol which causes jealousy.

Although we may also translate it as, "it was the seat of the idol causing jealousy," since the noun, קנאה, kenah, is taken in the ablative case.

It is said that this idol provoked to jealousy because the Jews, by erecting this idol, trod their God underfoot or at least endeavored to prostrate His glory.

Now he only says that he saw God’s glory as he had previously beheld it near the bank of the river. This was, so to speak, the seal of his prophecy: for the holy man needed to be so strengthened that he could boldly restrain the furious audacity and obstinacy of the people. Therefore, he had to contend with stubborn people, and God did not arm him in vain; and to this end, a new vision was again offered. He knew that to be the glory of God. Thus, he was again made more certain that the whole action was under divine direction, and that it was neither human nor fictitious, nor deceptive nor doubtful.

Here one profanation of the temple is shown to the Prophet, namely, the idol erected at the entrance of the area near the altar. It may happen that the worship of God is only slightly corrupted, so that the corruption is scarcely apparent. But while the Prophet repeats that the idol was that of jealousy, he points out the gross and shameful disgrace of that spectacle, so that they could not gloss over their impiety with any pretense, after they had so openly and admittedly revolted from the law of God.

But when he is ordered to raise his eyes to the way of the north, this also serves for the confirmation of his teaching. For if the Prophet had turned his eyes that way of his own accord, his looking that way would have been of less significance; but when God directs his eyes by express command, the reproach which afterwards follows has more weight.

This, therefore, is the reason why the Prophet did not cast his eyes of his own accord towards the idol, as he might have done, but was admonished by God to do so. Meanwhile, it appears with what docility he obeyed God’s commands. He puts these two things together: that he was ordered to raise his eyes, and that he immediately did so. We see here that he was so obedient to God’s command, that he did not delay but instantly obeyed it.

He says, the idol was near the gate of the altar, which circumstance exaggerates the crime. If the idol had been erected in any remote corner, it would have been an intolerable sacrilege, though the modesty of the Jews had been greater. But when they erected the idol before the altar, they flew, as it were, in the very face of God. If an immodest woman runs after an adulterer, her husband is justly enraged; but if she brings him before her husband, wantons with him before his eyes, and prostitutes herself to all crimes, then certainly such wanton lust cannot be endured. But such was the audacity of the people that when the idol was erected before the gate of the altar, it seemed as if they wished to dethrone the Almighty and to contaminate his altar by the sight of the idol.