Ezekiel 9, Six Guards Move Through the City

Ezekiel, in a vision, has been shown idolaters in and around the temple in Jerusalem. He has observed the worship of Canaanite idols, Egyptian animals, an ANE fertility symbol, and the sun god. That vision continues....

Ezekiel 9:1-4, Six guards

Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, 

"Bring the guards of the city here, each with a weapon in his hand." 

And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.   

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, "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."   

Ezekiel sees six armed men come from the upper gate, the north-facing gate, towards the altar. They are accompanied by a man closed in linen carrying a writing kit. The writing kit might indicate the man was a scribe; linen was often worn by priests (see Exodus 28:41-43, 1 Samuel 2:18) and divine messengers (eg. Daniel 10:4-6.)

The glory of YHWH rises above the temple and moves to the threshold. The physical manifestation of God will soon leave the temple.  YHWH tells the man with the writing kit to mark the righteous people, those in Jerusalem who are upset about the horrible things being done in the temple.

Ezekiel 9:5-7, Slaughter those who put up with the idolatry

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.   

Then he said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" 

So they went out and began killing throughout the city.   

The six men are then ordered to move throughout the city, killing all who have not objected to the idolatry in the temple. The ones marked by the man with the writing tool are safe.

In this vision, the killing is done by the supernatural beings portrayed as city guards. They represent the killing that will shortly be done by the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar. 

Ezekiel 9:8-10, Killing many

While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?"   

He answered me, "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."   

As the men are killing all the idolaters, Ezekiel begs God to spare some in Israel. The response to his plea is that the land is full of injustice and bloodshed. God has been ignored too long.

Ezekiel 9:11, "I have done as commanded"

Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side  brought back word, saying, "I have done as you commanded."

The man with the writing kit reports back. He has marked all the good people, as instructed. There is, apparently, a righteous remnant.