• “See the Evil, Detestable Things That They Are Doing”
    Pure Worship of Jehovah—Restored At Last!

    • Fourth Scene: 25 Men “Bowing Down to the Sun”

      Twenty-five men in the inner courtyard of the temple bowing down to the sun.

      15, 16. What were 25 men doing in the inner courtyard of the temple, and why did their actions deeply offend Jehovah?

      15 Read Ezekiel 8:15-18. Jehovah introduced the fourth and final scene with the now familiar words: “You will see detestable things that are even more terrible than these.” Perhaps the prophet wondered: ‘What could be more terrible than the things I have already seen?’ Ezekiel was now in the inner courtyard of the temple. There, at the entrance of the temple, he saw 25 men bowing down to worship “the sun in the east.” Those men could hardly have found a way to offend Jehovah more deeply. How so?

      16 Picture the scene: God’s temple was built with the entrance facing east. Worshippers entering the temple would be facing west, with their backs to the rising sun in the east. But the 25 men in the vision turned their “backs to the temple” and faced east so that they could worship the sun. In so doing, they turned their backs on Jehovah, for that temple was “the house of Jehovah.” (1 Ki. 8:10-13) Those 25 men were apostates. They ignored Jehovah, and they violated the command recorded at Deuteronomy 4:15-19. How they offended the God who rightly deserves exclusive devotion!

      Jehovah deserves exclusive devotion from his worshippers

      17, 18. (a) What lesson can we learn from the account of the sun worshippers in the temple? (b) The apostate Israelites damaged what relationships, and how?

      17 What can we learn from the account of those sun worshippers? To keep our worship pure, we must look to Jehovah for spiritual enlightenment. Remember, “Jehovah God is a sun,” and his Word is “a light” for our path. (Ps. 84:11; 119:105) Through his Word and Bible-based publications from his organization, he illuminates our hearts and minds, showing us how to follow a course that leads to a satisfying life now and to everlasting life in the future. If we were to look instead to this world for enlightenment on how to live, we would be turning our backs on Jehovah. Such a course would deeply offend him, causing him much pain of heart. We would never want to do that to our God! Ezekiel’s vision is also a warning for us to avoid those who turn their backs on the truth, namely, apostates.​—Prov. 11:9.