OUR FATHER WHOSE GLORY LEFT THE TEMPLE WHEN THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL PURSUED IDOLS

Ezekiel chapter 9 verse 3 says this;

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side

This passage is a somber recounting of what was happening in Israel that caused a great judgement to come to Jerusalem and the glory of God to leave the temple.

In a vision, Ezekiel the prophet was shown the things that were being done in secret that provoked the judgement upon the city and the Lord's departure.

These are the things that the leaders of Jerusalem did: They erected idols to provoke God to jealousy. The seventy elders of Israel offered incense to idols and images of idols in the courts of the temple. The elders also had their personal idols that they worshipped.

The women of Jerusalem were mourning the idol of Tammuz at the north gate of the temple. 

As well, men in the inner courts had their backs towards the temple as they bowed towards the rising sun.

And further to all that, they filled the land with violence and wantonly killed people and filled the streets with blood.

The glory of the Lord rose away from the above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple.

This is the edge of the temple space where the next step is to exit the temple. The Lord, having seen all the things that elders of Israel were doing in secret, began a protocol of the departure of the glory of God from above the ark of the covenant in the most holy place in the temple.

The Lord then called to the man who had a writing implement at his side. The Lord instructed him to mark those in the city who recoiled at the detestable things being done in the city.

As judgement was prepared for the city, the man in linen went and marked each person who would be spared the destruction that the agents of judgement were going to bring to Jerusalem.

The glory of God moved away from the threshold of the temple and stopped at the east gate on the way out of Jerusalem.

The glory of God then went out of the city and stopped above the mountain  east of the city of Jerusalem.

This was how a devastating season of judgement came to Jerusalem and the glory of God left the temple in Jerusalem and finally left the city altogether.

Amen.