Ezekiel 8-9: Judgement Begins in the House of God

In another vision, God shows Ezekiel grievous things, not just in the city, but in the temple as well.  Through a hole in the wall, he looked into the temple where he saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the house of Israel. In front of them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.  He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.' - Eze 8:10-12 NIV

And even worse, when Ezekiel looked into the inner court of the house of the Lord there were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. - Eze. 8:16 NIV

God could see what was going on in the hearts of the elders and the priests.  While they may have been painting one picture for the public, God saw what they were like in private and it was detestable to him.  So he sent the man clothed in linen to "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. 

As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. " - Eze 9:6 NIV

Just as with the Passover in Egypt, those with the mark would be spared, while even the priest and elders, those who called themselves God's servants, would receive no compassion.  As God told Ezekiel, "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.' So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done."  - Eze 9:9-10 NIV