God’s glory withdrew from the temple, showing that divine presence departs from persistent disobedience.
Ezekiel describes how “the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple” (v.3), indicating a dramatic shift in the Lord’s presence. The cherub mentioned here refers to the place within the temple’s inner sanctum, highlighting the holiness of God’s throne. This movement symbolizes that the Almighty is about to act in judgment against the idolatry and corruption that plagued the city. It also underscores how sacred places, such as the temple in Jerusalem, were not immune to God’s discipline when His people violated His covenant. The city of Jerusalem itself, located in the southern kingdom of Judah, remained central to Jewish faith from around the 10th century BC until its destruction in 586 BC by the Babylonians.
The verse further notes how “He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case” (v.3). This man clothed in linen seems to be a divine messenger or angelic figure, carrying a duty from the Lord to mark those who grieve over the sins in the city (as detailed in the surrounding context of Ezekiel 9). Linen often signifies purity and a sacred duty in the Old Testament (Exodus 28:42). In this period of around 592 BC, when Ezekiel was prophesying, the exiled prophet declared God’s warning from Babylonia. Ezekiel’s message makes clear that God’s holiness will not allow continued sin among His people, and the man with the writing case will separate those who remain faithful from those who have turned away.
This foreshadows the New Testament theme that Jesus Himself, the ultimate manifestation of God’s glory among us (John 1:14), likewise calls for repentance and distinguishes between those who bear fruit in keeping with repentance and those who do not (Matthew 3:8). In Ezekiel’s vision, the Lord’s glory moving away from its usual place signals impending judgment for unrepentant hearts, which ties in with the greater biblical message: God’s glory refuses to share space with blatant and unrepented injustice, idolatry, or corruption.
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Ezekiel 9:3 meaning
Ezekiel describes how “the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple” (v.3), indicating a dramatic shift in the Lord’s presence. The cherub mentioned here refers to the place within the temple’s inner sanctum, highlighting the holiness of God’s throne. This movement symbolizes that the Almighty is about to act in judgment against the idolatry and corruption that plagued the city. It also underscores how sacred places, such as the temple in Jerusalem, were not immune to God’s discipline when His people violated His covenant. The city of Jerusalem itself, located in the southern kingdom of Judah, remained central to Jewish faith from around the 10th century BC until its destruction in 586 BC by the Babylonians.
The verse further notes how “He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case” (v.3). This man clothed in linen seems to be a divine messenger or angelic figure, carrying a duty from the Lord to mark those who grieve over the sins in the city (as detailed in the surrounding context of Ezekiel 9). Linen often signifies purity and a sacred duty in the Old Testament (Exodus 28:42). In this period of around 592 BC, when Ezekiel was prophesying, the exiled prophet declared God’s warning from Babylonia. Ezekiel’s message makes clear that God’s holiness will not allow continued sin among His people, and the man with the writing case will separate those who remain faithful from those who have turned away.
This foreshadows the New Testament theme that Jesus Himself, the ultimate manifestation of God’s glory among us (John 1:14), likewise calls for repentance and distinguishes between those who bear fruit in keeping with repentance and those who do not (Matthew 3:8). In Ezekiel’s vision, the Lord’s glory moving away from its usual place signals impending judgment for unrepentant hearts, which ties in with the greater biblical message: God’s glory refuses to share space with blatant and unrepented injustice, idolatry, or corruption.