Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
The Sealing of the Faithful, EZEKIEL IX, X. and the Destruction of the Re
CHAPTER TX.
.Ime to sprinkle the blood-mark, ensuring their safety
(cf. Revelation 7.3; Amos 9.9). So the early Christians had Pella provided as a refuge for them, before the d struction of Jerusalem, upon the foreheads—the most conspicuous part of the person, to imply how that their safety would be manifested to all (cf. Jeremiah 15. 11; 39. 11-18). It was customary thus to mark worshippers (Revelation 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 tlien 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
Ver. I-II. CoXTINtTATION OF THE PRECEDING VISION: The Sealing of the Faithful. 1. cried—contrasted with their "cry" for mercy (ch. 8. 18) is the "cry" here for vengeance, showing how vain was tlie former, tliem tliat liave charge lit., officers; so officers (Isaiali 60. 17), having tlie city in charge, not to guard, but to punish it. The angels who as "watchers" fulfil God's judgments (Daniel 4. 13, 17, 23; 10. 20, 21); the "princes" (Jeremiah 39.
3) of Nebucliadnezzar's army were under their guidance, draw near—in tlie Hebrew intensive, "to draw near quickly." 2. clot Jicd with linen—(Daniel 10.5; 12.6, 7.) His clothing niarlted his office as distinct from that of the six of Rcers.of vengeance ; " linen" characterized the higli priest (Leviticus 16. 4); emblematic of purity. The same garment is assigned to the angel of the Lord (for which Michael is but another name) in the contemporary prophet Daniel (Daniel 10.5; 12.6,7.) Tlierefore the Intercessory High Priest in heaven must be meant (Zechariah
Version, expressing the prolonged sound of tlieir grief. " Sigh" implies their inward grief ("groanings which cannot be uttered," Romans 8. 26); " cry," the outward expression of it. So Lot (2 Peter 2. 7, 8). Tenderness should cliaracterize the man of God, not harsh sternness in opposing tlie ungodly (Psalm 119. 53, 136; Jeremiah 13. 17; 2 Corinthians 12. 21); at the same time zeal for the honour of God (Psalm 69. 9, 10; 1 John 5. 19). 5. tlie otiiers—the six officers ofjudgment (u. 2). 6. come not near any . . . upon whom . . . mark—(Revelation 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 sufl'ering, 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 Revelation 7. 3-8, In ages long after Babylon,
1.12). The .six with Him are His subordinates; therefore He Is said to be "among them," lit., "in the "midst of them," as their recognized Lord (Hebrews 1. 6). He appears as a "man," implying His incarnation; as "one" (cf. 1 Timothy 2. 5). Salvation is peculiarly assigned to Him, and so He bears tlie "inkhorn" in order to "mark" His elect (v.i; cf. Exodus 12. 7; Revelation 7. 3; 9. 4; 13. 16, 17;
20. i), and to write their names in His book of life (Revelation 13. 8). As Oriental scribes suspend their inkhorn at their side in tlie present day, and as a "scribe of the host is found in Assyrian inscriptions accompanying the host" to number tlie heads of the slain, so He stands ready for the work before Him. "The higher gate" was probably where now tlie gate of Damascus Is. The six with Him malje up the saered and perfect number, seven (Zechariali S. 9; Revelation 5.6). The executors of judgment on the wiciced, in Scripture teaching, are good, not bad, angels; the bad have permitted to them the trial of the pious (Job 1. 12; 2 Corinthians 12. 7). The judgment is executed Ijy Him (cli. 10. 2, 7; John 5. 22, 27) through the six (Matthew 13. 41 ; 25. 31); so beautifully does the Old Testament harmonize witli tlie New Testament. Tlie seven come " from tlie way of tlie north ;" for it was there tlie Idolatries were seen, and from the same quarter must proceed tlie judgment (Babylon lying north-east of Judea).
foretells, as still future, the same sealing of a remnant
(144,000) 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 (cf. Revelation 8. 5, with ch.
10. 2); so Zechariah 13. 9; 14. 2, distinguishes 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 bj' the dead bodies of the slain Idolaters {v. 7). God's heaviest wrath falls on those who have sinned against the highest privileges; these are made to feel it first (1 Peter
4. 17, 18). He hates sin most in those nearest to him; e.g., the priests, &c. ancient men—the seventy elders. 8. I was left lit., "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 Numbers 16. 22). all the residue—a ple.a drawn from God's covenant promise to save the elect remnant. 9. exceeding— lit., very, very; doubled, perversencss— "apostasy" [Grotius]; or, "wresting aside of Justice." Liord . . . forsaken . . . earth . . . seeth not—the ortler
So Matthew 2^1. 2S. stood—the atti tude of waiting reverently /or Jeliovali'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 aliout to slay victims to God's Justice, they stand where sacrifices are usually slain [Guotius] (ch. 39. 17; Isaiah 34. fi; Jeremiah 12. 3; 46. 10). 3. glory of . . . God— which had lieretofore, as a brlglit cloud, rested on the mercy-seat between the cherubim in the holy of holies (2 Samuel 6. 2; Psalm 80. 1) ; its departure was the pre-sage of the temple being given up to ruin; its going from tlie Inner sanctuary to the threshold without, towards the oflicrrs standing at the altar outside, was in order to give the/n tlio commission of vengeance. *. midst of . . . city is reversed from ch. 8. 12. There they speak of His neglect of His people in their misery ; here they go farther and deny His providence (Psalm 10. 11), so that they may sin fearlessly. God, in answer to Ezekiel's question (v. 8), leaves the diflflculty unsolved ; He nierely vindicates Hla justice by showing it did not exceed their sin : He would liave 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— (Proverbs 1. 31.) Retribution in kind. 11. I have done as thou hast commanded—The churacter-, . . midst of Jerusalem — Tliis twofold designation marks more empliafically the scene of the Divine Judgments, a mark— the Hebrew letter Tan, the last in the alpiiabet, used as a mark (Job 31. 35, Margin, "my sign"); lit., Tau; originally written in tlie form of acro*», wliicli Tertullian explains as referring to the badge and ot,!y means of salvation, the cross (K Christ. But jowliere 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
Istlc of Messiah (John 17. 4). So the angels (Psalm 103. 21); and the apostles report their fulfilment of their orders (Mark 6. 30).
CHAPTER X.
Is cognate to tlie verb, "mark a mark." So in Revelation
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 tlie/[r4< charge as to their safety before He orders the punishment of the rest (Psalm 31.20; Isaiah
Ver. 1-22. Vision of Coals of Fire scattered oveb THE City: Repetition of the Vision of the Cherubim. 1. The throne of Jehovah appearing In the mid.st of the Judgments implies tnal, whatever Intermediate agencies be employed. He controls them, and that the whole flows as a necessary consequence from His essential holiness (ch. 1. 22,26). cherubim-in ch. 1. 5, called "Uvlug
26. 20,21 ^. So in the case of Lot and Sodom (Genesis 19.22); also the Egyptian first-born were not slain till Israel hud