|
Idolatry in the Temple
8:1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the
sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine
house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand
of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
8:2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of
fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire;
and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of
brightness, as the colour of amber.
8:3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a
lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the
earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God
to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh
toward the north; where was the seat of the image of
jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
8:4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there,
according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
8:5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes
now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the
way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of
the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
8:6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou
what they do? even the great abominations that the house of
Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my
sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see
greater abominations.
8:7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I
looked, behold a hole in the wall.
8:8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall:
and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
8:9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked
abominations that they do here.
8:10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of
creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of
the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
8:11 And there stood before them seventy men of the
ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them
stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his
censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
8:12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what
the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every
man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, the LORD
seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
8:13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou
shalt see greater abominations that they do.
8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the
LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there
sat women weeping for Tammuz.
8:15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of
man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater
abominations than these.
8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's
house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD,
between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty
men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and
their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun
toward the east.
8:17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of
man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they
commit the abominations which they commit here? for they
have filled the land with violence, and have returned to
provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their
nose.
8:18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not
spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine
ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
