There is somewhat particularly striking in this act of the Lord. The putting forth the hand, implies the Spirit of the Lord being upon him, or rather in him: and the lifting him up between the earth and the heaven, to bring him in visions of God to Jerusalem, was meant most probably to show, that the Prophet's mind was now wholly under divine teaching; so that in the visions of God which followed, there could be no doubt of their reality. That it was the same glory which he had before seen, became a further confirmation of the whole, and was intended to this end. Thus prepared, the Lord opened to his astonished mind the vision. He saw the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. It is not said what image this was; but, as the Lord declared himself a jealous God, jealous of his honor, and that honor particularly insulted by the setting up of graven images, it is more than probable, that this was some one of these several figures, which Israel under different reigns had made their idol. What an awful representation doth this give of the depravity of the human heart! Though the bulk of the people had been carried away into captivity for idolatry, and only a few left as vine-dressers, and to till the ground; yet even that few will continue to insult the Lord, though their brethren were in bondage for the same. Reader! do not such views humble your very soul before God? Do you not tremble to think what a nature you belong to, which in all the sons of men, is, and would forever be alike capable of perpetrating the same sins, did not grace restrain? Precious Jesus! I feel my soul humbled to the dust in the recollection: and were it not, that from the same nature it is by thy taking it upon thee I feel conscious of being related to thee, thou holy, blessed, glorious Lord, I should blush at the very name of man. Oh! thou divine and Almighty head of thy body thy Church! what unknown and unnumbered glories are folded up in this one view of thee, that we are bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh!
Related Commentaries of Ezekiel 8:3
Ezekiel 8:3-4
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.
4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.