Ezekiel 9
AOSNEzekiel 9:1-2
The prophet did not have to wait long for judgment to come.
The Lord called his angelic warriors (heavenly messengers who carry out God’s commands) to punish the city. In response, seven men appeared.
Six of the men carried deadly weapons. The seventh man was dressed in linen (the clothing often worn by priests). He carried a writer’s case, a small box used to hold writing tools.
They stood ready in the temple courtyard. They were beside the bronze altar, where sacrifices were usually offered.
Ezekiel 9:3
The glory of the God of Israel, which is the visible sign of his presence, started to leave the defiled temple. It first rose from between the cherubim, above the ark in the Most Holy Place, where it usually rested. Then, it moved to the temple entrance, preparing to leave its former throne.
Ezekiel 9:4-6
The man dressed in linen (Ezekiel 9:2–3) marked those to be kept safe, similar to the first Passover (Exodus 12:7–13). Meanwhile, the angels of destruction carried out a complete judgment (Exodus 12:28–30). This time, they targeted everyone without the protective mark, including old and young, girls, women, and children. Unlike in Egypt, where only the firstborn males were affected, all who did not mourn over the city's sins were destroyed (compare Revelation 7:1–8).
Ezekiel 9:7
Defile the temple: In the past, Queen Athaliah was dragged out of the temple before she was executed. This was done so that her blood would not defile (make unclean) the holy place (2 Kings 11:15–16).
Now the situation was different. These idolaters were to be killed inside the temple. Their idolatry had already defiled it so deeply that nothing sacred remained there.
Without God’s holy presence, the building was no longer truly holy. Protecting its outer purity would have been an empty act
Ezekiel 9:8
Ezekiel feared he might be the only person left after the Lord showed his anger.
Ezekiel 9:9-10
The Lord replied that he would fully repay Israel’s sins (see Ezekiel 9:3–4, 11).
Ezekiel 9:11
I have done as You commanded: The remnant had been successfully marked to save them from the wrath to come (Ezekiel 9:3–4).
Aquifer Open Study Notes © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.