Matthew Henry Commentary Ezekiel 8:1-6

"And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord Jehovah fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and, lo, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins and downward, fire; and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal. And he put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner [court] that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain. Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. And he said unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but thou shalt again see yet other great abominations." — Ezekiel 8:1-6 (ASV)

The glorious personage Ezekiel witnessed in a vision seemed to take hold of him, and he was transported in spirit to Jerusalem. There, in the inner court of the temple, a place was prepared for some base idol. The whole scene was presented in a vision to the prophet. If God were to grant anyone a clear view of His glory and majesty, and of all the abominations being committed in any one city, that person would then acknowledge the justice of the severest punishments God would inflict upon it.