Matthew Poole and continuators on Ezekiel 8:3

3 And he put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of mine head, and the spirit lift me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate, that looketh towards the north, where was the seat of the image of jealousie, which provoketh to jealousie.

Christ.

Visionally this was acted, not corporally or actually, and so all that is here spoken of to the end of the 16th. verse.

Which indeed is the hand which took him by the head, gently but with mighty strength.

Very probably in the sight of the Elders who were with him.

He seemed to fly as a swift Bird through the Air.

Carried me to see Ierusalem, where in Visions strange and glorious I beheld what was done there, this was no delusion but a Revelation from Heaven, though all was done in an Ecstasie, yet he was fully assured of every particular he saw done in the Temple, whither he was carried in his Spirit not Body, by the hand or Spirit of Christ.

To the door of the gate of the inner Court, or Court of the Priests, 2 Chron. 4.9.

The Temple Courts had four Gates towards the four quarters of the World, and this was the North Gate, which opened into the great Court where A[illegible: 1 letter]az had set up his Damascen Altar, 2 Kings 16.11. and where the Idols were set up too.

Baal which Manasseh had set up, 2 Kings 21.7. and Iosiah had destroyed, and succeeding Kings had again set up. [illegible: 1 letter]

Because it was so notorious an affront to God who had married Israel to himself, that above all other it provoked him to anger against this people.

Marginal references: Dan. 5.5.