Ezekiel 9:6

Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. COME NOT NEAR ANY ... UPON WHOM IS THE MARK - (). 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 fulfillment, because Revelation 7:3, in ages long after Babylon, foretells as still future the same sealing of a remnan...

5-11 The slaughter must begin at the sanctuary, that all may see and know that the Lord hates sin most in those nearest to him. He who was appointed to protect, reported the matter. Christ is faithful to the trust reposed in him. Is he commanded by his Father to secure eternal life to the chosen remnant? He says, Of all that thou hast given me, I have lost none. If others perish, and we are saved, we must ascribe the difference wholly to the mercy of our God, for we too have deserved wrath. Let us still continue to plead in behalf of others. But where the Lord shows no mercy he does no injustice; he only recompenses men's ways....

Verse Ezekiel 9:6. _BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY._] Let those who have sinned against most mercy, and most privileges, be the first victims of justice. Those who know their Lord's will, and do it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. The unfaithful _members of Christ's_ _church_ will be first visited and most punished. But let not those who belong to the _synagogue of Satan_ exult in this, for if judgment begin at the house of God, what will the end be of them who obey not the Gospel! However, the truly _penitent_ of all descriptions in such cases shall be safe. The command of God is, "Set a mark on all them that sigh and cry;" and his command to the destroyers is, "Come not near any man on whom is the mark....

BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY - The first to be punished were those who had brought idolatry nearest to the holy place. The “ancient men,” i. e., the 25 men who had stood with their backs to the altar Ezekiel 8:16 were the first to be slain....

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 9:1 HE CRIED, etc. The voice comes, as before, from the human form, seen as a theophany, in the midst of the Divine glory. CAUSE THEM THAT HAVE CHARGE OVER THE CITY. The noun is an abstract plural, commonly rendered "visitation" (Isaiah 10:3; Jeremiah 11:23, and elsewhere). Here, however, it clearly stands for persons (just as we use "the watch" for "the watchmen"), and is so used in Isaiah 60:17; 2 Kings 11:18 (comp....

SLAY UTTERLY OLD [AND] YOUNG, BOTH MAIDS, AND LITTLE CHILDREN, AND WOMEN,.... All, of them objects of compassion, because of their age and sex; and yet none to be spared; and which orders were exactly obeyed; see 2 Chronicles 36:17; BUT COME NOT NEAR ANY MAN ON WHOM [IS] THE MARK; these were not to be slain; and though some were carried captive, as Daniel, and others; yet it was for their good and God's glory; see Revelation 7:3; AND BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY; the temple, the house of God, and the priests and Levites that dwelt there. The Septuagint version is, "begin at my saints"; those who professed themselves to be the saints of the Lord, and were separated and devoted to his service; and so the Rabbins say y, do not read ממקדשי, "at

Ezekiel 9:1. The six men mentioned are angels, into whose hands the city is given. Angels are used in judgments past and future. (See Matthew 13:41; Matthew 16:27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7 .) Angels are likewise prominently mentioned in the book of Revelation. There is a striking correspondency between this chapter and Revelation 7:1. Those who sigh and weep constitute the remnant which have no sympathy with the abominations. They are marked for preservation. Thus a remnant was then kept. Well may we remember that now, in the professing church,

EZEKIEL 9. THE PITILESS SLAUGHTER OF THE SINNERS. The doom has been abundantly justified; now it comes, and in bloody form. In obedience to a ringing summons, seven angels come forth to execute it six armed with deadly weapons, the seventh arrayed in priestly linen and with an inkhorn hanging at his side, ready to put the sign of the cross (the mark in Ezekiel 9:4 is the letter _taw,_ which in the old alphabet was a cross) upon the brows of the few who were to be spared in the coming destruction, because they sighed and cried over the sin of Jerusalem. At this point comes the ominous reminder that Yahweh is gradually departing from the guilty city: already His glory has left the holy place where the cherubim were and moved to the threshold of the Temple. Then there rings out the awful command to the destroying angels, uttered by Yahweh Himself, to slay without mercy all old and young, ma...

BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY. Compare Isaiah 10:12.Jeremiah 25:29; Jeremiah 49:12.Malachi 3:5; 1 Peter 4:17. ANCIENT. elders....

_begin at my sanctuary_ Judgment begins at the house of God. The Lord had returned for a moment to the place of his abode in the temple, and from there the judgment went forth; Amos 1:2, "The Lord shall roar out of Zion and give forth his voice from Jerusalem." There he was most present, there most fully known, there if possible most forgotten and provoked, and there his holiness and godhead will assert themselves with most terribleness against the sins of men. _the ancient men the elders_, those mentioned, ch. Ezekiel 8:16....