In the previous post, I followed the promise of Jehovah dwelling with His people. That brings me to another part of Ezekiel, where the promise of His presence is accompanied by an examination of what has been allowed near His sanctuary.
As I follow this study, I want to keep both in view: the promise of restoration and the things Jehovah identifies as incompatible with His dwelling.
Glory returns
In Ezekiel 43:1–5, Ezekiel sees Glory coming from the east and entering the house. Spirit lifts him into the inner court, where Glory fills the house.
The passage gives us movement, direction, and distinct actions. I want to notice those details without rushing past them.
Jehovah then identifies this as the place of His throne and His dwelling among Israel. Alongside that promise, He addresses the ways His holy name had been defiled. Ezekiel 43:6–9
Restoration includes putting away what had corrupted the relationship.
Near the sanctuary, yet acting against its purpose
Verse 8 describes their threshold beside His threshold and their doorpost beside His doorpost, with a wall between.
That closeness catches my attention. Proximity to something holy had not made their actions holy.
To understand why this matters, I look back at Ezekiel 8:3–12. Glory is present when Ezekiel begins seeing the abominations. He is shown an image provoking jealousy, concealed imagery, and elders offering incense before it.
The elders act as though Jehovah does not see. Yet their hidden activity is precisely what Ezekiel is being shown.
I find that contrast important: what people believe is concealed is already known to God.
What is being honored?
Further into the vision, men stand with their backs toward Jehovah’s temple while bowing toward the sun. The chapter also identifies violence filling the land. Ezekiel 8:14–17
Their location and their direction tell different stories. They are within the temple setting, but their worship is directed elsewhere.
This helps me follow the Abomination study more carefully. I cannot examine only where something stands. I also need to ask what is being done there, what is being honored, and how it relates to the purpose Jehovah established.
The house has a purpose
Returning to Ezekiel 43:10–12, Ezekiel is told to describe the house so that Israel may confront its iniquities. Its design and instructions are to be made known and observed. Holiness extends throughout its boundary.
For me, this keeps the study from becoming only a search for an intruder. It also requires attention to what those associated with the house have permitted and practiced.
The dwelling belongs to Jehovah. His presence is not something people can claim while setting aside His purpose for it.
Threads to Follow
Abominations concealed within a place associated with God.
The relationship between defilement, departure, and restoration.
What Jehovah’s examination reveals about those within His house.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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