@Eze 9:1-11. CONTINUATION OF THE PRECEDING VISION: THE SEALING OF THE FAITHFUL.
1. cried--contrasted with their "cry" for mercy (@Eze 8:18) is the
"cry" here for vengeance, showing how vain was the former.
them that have charge--literally, officers; so "officers"
(@Isa 60:17), having the city in charge, not to guard, but to punish
it. The angels who as "watchers" fulfil God's judgments
(@Da 4:13,17,23 10:20,21); the "princes" (@Jer 39:3) of
Nebuchadnezzar's army were under their guidance.
draw near--in the Hebrew intensive, "to draw near quickly."
2. clothed with linen--(@Da 10:5 12:6,7). His clothing marked
his office as distinct from that of the six officers of vengeance;
"linen" characterized the high priest (@Le 16:4); emblematic of
purity. The same garment is assigned to the angel of the Lord (for whom
Michael is but another name) by the contemporary prophet Daniel
(@Da 10:5 12:6,7). Therefore the intercessory High Priest in heaven
must be meant (@Zec 1:12). The six with Him are His subordinates;
therefore He is said to be "among them," literally, "in the midst of
them," as their recognized Lord (@Heb 1:6). He appears as a
"man," implying His incarnation; as "one" (compare @1Ti 2:5).
Salvation is peculiarly assigned to Him, and so He bears the "inkhorn"
in order to "mark" His elect (@Eze 9:4; compare
@Ex 12:7 Re 7:3 9:4 13:16,17 20:4), and to write their names in His
book of life (@Re 13:8). As Oriental scribes suspend their inkhorn
at their side in the present day, and as a "scribe of the host is found
in Assyrian inscriptions accompanying the host" to number the heads of
the slain, so He stands ready for the work before Him. "The higher
gate" was probably where now the gate of Damascus is. The six with Him
make up the sacred and perfect number, seven (@Zec 3:9 Re 5:6).
The executors of judgment on the wicked, in Scripture teaching, are
good, not bad, angels; the bad have permitted to them the trial of the
pious (@Job 1:12 2Co 12:7). The judgment is executed by Him
(@Eze 10:2,7 Joh 5:22,27) through the six (@Mt 13:41 25:31); so
beautifully does the Old Testament harmonize with the New Testament. The
seven come "from the way of the north"; for it was there the idolatries
were seen, and from the same quarter must proceed the judgment (Babylon
lying northeast of Judea). So @Mt 24:28.
stood--the attitude of waiting reverently for Jehovah's commands.
brazen altar--the altar of burnt offerings, not the altar of incense,
which was of gold. They "stood" there to imply reverent obedience;
for there God gave His answers to prayer
[CALVIN]; also as being about
to slay victims to God's justice, they stand where sacrifices are
usually slain [GROTIUS],
(@Eze 39:17 Isa 34:6 Jer 12:3 46:10).
3. glory of . . . God--which had heretofore, as a bright cloud, rested on the mercy seat between the cherubim in the holy of holies (@2Sa 6:2 Ps 80:1); its departure was the presage of the temple being given up to ruin; its going from the inner sanctuary to the threshold without, towards the officers standing at the altar outside, was in order to give them the commission of vengeance.
4. midst of . . . city . . . midst of Jerusalem--This twofold
designation marks more emphatically the scene of the divine judgments.
a mark--literally, the Hebrew letter Tau, the last in the
alphabet, used as a mark ("my sign," @Job 31:35, Margin);
literally, Tau; originally written in the form of a cross, which
TERTULLIAN explains as referring to the badge and only means of
salvation, the cross of Christ. But nowhere in Scripture are the words
which are now employed as names of letters used to denote the letters
themselves or their figures [VITRINGA].
The noun here is cognate to the
verb, "mark a mark." So in @Re 7:3 no particular mark is
specified. We seal what we wish to guard securely. When all things
else on earth are confounded, God will secure His people from the common
ruin. God gives the first charge as to their safety before He orders
the punishment of the rest (@Ps 31:20 Isa 26:20,21). So in the case
of Lot and Sodom (@Ge 19:22); also the Egyptian first-born were not
slain till Israel had time to sprinkle the blood-mark, ensuring their
safety (compare @Re 7:3 Am 9:9). So the early Christians had Pella
provided as a refuge for them, before the destruction of Jerusalem.
upon the foreheads--the most conspicuous part of the person, to imply
how their safety would be manifested to all (compare
@Jer 15:11 39:11-18). It was customary thus to mark worshippers
(@Re 13:16 14:1,9) and servants. So the Church of England marks the
forehead with the sign of the cross in baptizing. At the exodus the mark
was on the houses, for then it was families; here, it is on the
foreheads, for it is individuals whose safety is guaranteed.
sigh and . . . cry--similarly sounding verbs in Hebrew, as in
English Version, expressing the prolonged sound of their grief.
"Sigh" implies their inward grief ("groanings which cannot be
uttered," @Ro 8:26); "cry," the outward expression of it. So Lot
(@2Pe 2:7,8). Tenderness should characterize the man of God, not
harsh sternness in opposing the ungodly
(@Ps 119:53,136 Jer 13:17 2Co 12:21); at the same time zeal for the
honor of God (@Ps 69:9,10 1Jo 5:19).
5. the others--the six officers of judgment (@Eze 9:2).
6. come not near any . . . upon whom . . . mark--(@Re 9:4). It may
be objected that Daniel, Jeremiah, and others were carried away, whereas
many of the vilest were left in the land. But God does not promise
believers exemption from all suffering, but only from what will prove
really and lastingly hurtful to them. His sparing the ungodly turns to
their destruction and leaves them without excuse
[CALVIN]. However, the
prophecy waits a fuller and final fulfilment, for @Re 7:3-8, in ages
long after Babylon, foretells, as still future, the same sealing of a
remnant (one hundred forty-four thousand) of Israel previous to the
final outpouring of wrath on the rest of the nation; the correspondence
is exact; the same pouring of fire from the altar follows the marking of
the remnant in both (compare @Re 8:5, with @Eze 10:2). So
@Zec 13:9 14:2, distinguish the remnant from the rest of Israel.
begin at . . . sanctuary--For in it the greatest abominations had
been committed; it had lost the reality of consecration by the blood of
victims sacrificed to idols; it must, therefore, lose its semblance by
the dead bodies of the slain idolaters (@Eze 9:7). God's heaviest
wrath falls on those who have sinned against the highest privileges;
these are made to feel it first (@1Pe 4:17,18). He hates sin most in
those nearest to Him; for example, the priests, &c.
ancient men--the seventy elders.
8. I was left--literally "there was left I." So universal seemed the
slaughter that Ezekiel thought himself the only one left
[CALVIN]. He
was the only one left of the priests "in the sanctuary."
fell upon my face--to intercede for his countrymen (so @Nu 16:22).
all the residue--a plea drawn from God's covenant promise to save the
elect remnant.
9. exceeding--literally, "very, very"; doubled.
perverseness--"apostasy" [GROTIUS];
or, "wresting aside of justice."
Lord . . . forsaken . . . earth . . . seeth not--The order is reversed
from @Eze 8:12. There they speak of His neglect of His people in
their misery; here they go farther and deny His providence (@Ps 10:11),
so that they may sin fearlessly. God, in answer to Ezekiel's question
(@Eze 9:8), leaves the difficulty unsolved; He merely vindicates His
justice by showing it did not exceed their sin: He would have us humbly
acquiesce in His judgments, and wait and trust.
10. mine eye--to show them their mistake in saying, "The Lord seeth not."
recompense their way upon their head--(@Pr 1:31). Retribution in
kind.
11. I have done as thou hast commanded--The characteristic of Messiah (@Joh 17:4). So the angels (@Ps 103:21); and the apostles report their fulfilment of their orders (@Mr 6:30).