Yechezkel 7 | “The End Is Come”

There are two key words that appear repeatedly in the opening verses of this chapter: “So says the Lord God to the land of Israel: End, the end is come to the four edges of the land; now the end is upon you… an end is come; it comes, the end, awakened against you; see, it is come” (7:2-6). The prophecy emphasizes that the end is near — very near. As Dr. Tova Ganzel explains, the people refuse to internalize the impending decree of destruction. Even if they have become accustomed to hearing words of doom from prophets, they fail to grasp that this time, the danger is imminent. This seems to be the chapter’s primary message — the destruction of the Temple will happen soon.

Two main themes appear repeatedly throughout the chapter. The first is that the disaster is a direct result of the people’s sins: “I will bring your ways down upon you; your abominations will be there in your midst” (7:4). Toward the end of the chapter, we see that it was Israel itself that desecrated the Temple by placing abominations within it, and the punishment will be that foreign nations will come and desecrate it as well. The second recurring theme is that now, God will show no mercy. The text implies that, in the past, Israel may have deserved severe punishment, but God consistently restrained His wrath. Now, however, the judgment will have no limits — the people will receive their due in full measure: “It is close now. I will pour My fury over you; I will exhaust My anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring down upon you all your abominations. My eye will not pity; I will not show mercy” (7:8-9).

The urgency of the impending catastrophe is especially evident in the description of buyers and sellers, who have no reason to rejoice or mourn over their transactions, as property ownership will soon become meaningless: “For the seller will not return to his sale” (7:13). This echoes the curses in the Torah: “You will build a house, but will not live there. You will plant a vineyard, but not harvest its fruit” (Devarim 28:30), as well as the warning to those exempted from war: “Is there a man here who has built a new house but not yet dedicated it? Let him go back home, or he may die in battle and someone else will dedicate it” (Devarim 20:5). In our chapter, this concept reaches a new peak: even preparations for war will remain unfinished, as destruction will arrive before the battle can even begin: “They blast the horns and make everything ready, but none go to war, for My wrath is upon her masses” (7:14).

Toward the chapter’s conclusion, as mentioned, Yechezkel prophesies for the first time about the coming destruction of the Temple — a direct consequence of Israel’s sins, as they themselves defiled the Temple. This serves as a prelude to the coming chapters, in which we will see firsthand how Israel defiles the Temple with abominations. Together with Yechezkel, we will begin to witness the departure of the God’s chariot from the Temple — marking the beginning of its destruction.