Page 40 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

34 NOTES ON EZEKIEL.

head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth
and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God
to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh
toward the north; where was the seat of the image of
jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.” (Ver. 1—3.)
The year is the next after that of the first vision:
compare chapter i. 2. The reckoning is from the cap­
tivity of Jehoiachin. The prophet here had a fresh
dealing of God while the elders of Judah sat before
him. It was in the Spirit, not in bodily presence, that
he was conveyed to Jerusalem, “ in the vision of God ”
where he beheld at the door of the inner gate looking
northward (that is, to Chaldea), the seat or pedestal of
the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
“ And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there
according to the vision 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 at the
gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry
He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou
what they do ? even the great abominations that the
house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far
off from my sanctuary ?” We are not told distinctly
what the name of the idol was, whether Baal or Ash-
toreth. Compare 2 Kings xxi., 2 Chronicles xxxiii.
It was certainly an idol which defied the God of Israel
and courted the homage of all who entered the temple.
So bent was Judah on affronting Jehovah and compel­
ling morally the accomplishment of His threat to
abandon His house. And here is the force of the
vision of His glory in this connection: Jehovah had