ezekiel 7-8

Read Ezekiel 7-8 at Bible Gateway.

The abominations which were being done in the Temple in Jerusalem, were: an image of jealousy was set up on the north side of the LORD’s altar; the elders of Israel were burning incense, or offering prayers, to creeping things, abominable creatures, and every idol which filled Judah; the women were weeping for Tammuz; and the men were worshiping the sun.

Let’s look at these one at a time:

1) The image of jealousy, I believe, is something that is not God, but instead an image of our own creation, called God, and worshiped as God. We set up an image of jealousy when the God we worship is not the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Perhaps you have heard people say, in order to justify an abominable practice, or to condemn a righteous practice, that their God would never or condemn, or allow, __x y z__. Well, their god probably wouldn’t. But if the God of the Bible does, then they have set up an image of jealousy in the Temple of God.

2) Incense offered to every creeping thing and every abominable creature. Once I was in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science with my children. On this particular visit, the museum was exhibiting the artwork of a famous artist whose subject matter was fossils, dinosaurs, and evolution. I wish I could remember his name. But one of the paintings I will never forget: it was an image of a fish fossil, and underneath it were myriad upraised hands. The title of the painting was “Fish Worship.” I am not making this up.

What this artist understood, that many of us do not understand, is that neodarwinian evolution is a religion, not science. For them, the creature is the Creator:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,  even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify  Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Rom 1:20-25

If the Church tells its members that evolution is compatible with Christianity, then guess what? The second abomination that Ezekiel saw is present in the place of God’s worship.

3) Women weeping for Tammuz. Tammuz was a Babylonian deity. The women were mixing Babylonian practices with Temple worship. Since all counterfeit religion originated from Babel/ Babylon, it is on Babylon that the LORD pours out the seven bowls of wrath at the end, to destroy that counterfeit system (Rev 16-18). Before He does, He calls His people to come out of Babylon, that they might not take part of her sins or her plagues (Rev 18:4-5). What, in our church practice, comes from Scripture, and what comes from Babylon, that we might come out of it? Well, that is something each one of us ought to look into.

4) Men worshiping the sun. Sun worship is also from Babel. When Nimrod induced the people to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator, the first created thing worshiped in God’s place was the sun. Amon Ra of Egypt was the sun god, and likewise every nation had its sun deity at the head of its pantheon. So what does that have to do with us? Well, many practices that we still observe today originally came from sun worship. Where did the huge celebration at the winter solstice come from? The winter solstice celebration was one of the biggest of the year, for at the solstice, the strength of the sun stopped its decrease, and began its increase again. In Ancient Rome, this holiday was called the Nativity of the Unconquered Sun, and was celebrated with a week of feasting, revelry, and gift- giving. When Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire, the church at Rome put a Christian face on this ancient holiday, since the people would not give it up. Why do we decorate an evergreen tree, place gifts under it, and hang wreaths and evergreen boughs? If God is calling His people out of Babylon, we ought to at least know.

For further reading:
The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop (s0me of Hislop’s conclusions are flawed, however, his historical research into the first Babylon is invaluable.)
Christmas and Babylon