The Primary Provocation
The primary provocation that infuriated God to judge the Church and thereafter Babylon (& Spiritual Babylon via the End of the World): The defilement of the House of God (Church Impurity: Ezek. 5:11, 8:6, 17-18, 9:6-7)
The Elders of Judah who were a part of the Captivity in Babylon came and sat before Ezekiel to inquire of the LORD by him. Upon this happening, it was written, “the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me” (Ezek. 8:1). Immediately, Ezekiel was taken in the visions of God to Jerusalem, “to the door of the inner Gate that looketh toward the North, where sat the seat of the Image of jealousy…”, and, also, the Glory of the LORD that appeared to Ezekiel “in the plain” became manifest once again (Ezek. 8:2-4)! Nothing of the human will to prophesy was working in the man, Ezekiel. He was arrested by the glory and power of God! Literally speaking, he was taken up in spirit and conducted from the Land of Chaldea to the City of Jerusalem! …and, for what? Thenceforth, Ezekiel was conducted by the LORD into a step-by-step uncovering of the lesser and greater abominations of the people (Ezek. 8:5-6, 13, 15, 17) so that, at last, as Ezekiel would soon see, the Glory of the LORD was departing from the House of the LORD (Ezek. 8:6, 10:18-22, 11:22-25). TREMBLE AT THIS, MY READER! The LORD appealed to Ezekiel’s conscience in the very beginning of the Divine Tutorial, saying, “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” (Ezek. 8:6)? My reader, do you understand the implications of such a threat? Namely, when the Glory of God departs from the Church? You better not live your Christian Life ignorant of this! [For more information, see “The Glory of God Departing & Returning to the Church”.]