Ezekiel 24:15-27
15 Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 16 "Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man's bread of sorrow."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?"
20 Then I answered them, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 21 'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, your arrogant boast, the desire of your eyes, the delight of your soul; and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips nor eat man's bread of sorrow. 23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you shall neither mourn nor weep, but you shall pine away in your iniquities and mourn with one another. 24 Thus Ezekiel is a sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do; and when this comes, you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'"
25 'And you, son of man—will it not be in the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that on which they set their minds, their sons and their daughters: 26 that on that day one who escapes will come to you to let you hear it with your ears? 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you shall speak and no longer be mute. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the LORD.'"
The sudden death of the prophet’s beloved wife was a picture of the sanctuary of the temple and of Jerusalem lost suddenly to God’s people. It was a graphic illustration to all so they could not miss the meaning of the word of God spoken against them for their unrepentant sins of immorality and idolatry. The sanctuary had become an arrogant boast of pride in their own strength, the desire of their eyes, the delight of their soul, their joy and their glory, and that on which they set their minds. They neglected to set their desires in humility on the strength and glory of their LORD and put it on the building of the sanctuary where they met with Him instead of on Him in recognition of their inadequacies and sins. Therefore, God took away the desire of Ezekiel’s eyes in one swift stroke to demonstrate how He was about to take away the building and city where they should have been worshipping Him that they had put their trust in, the desire of their eyes and affections. It seems a harsh way to illustrate their punishment as a consequence of their failure, yet God gave Ezekiel the strength to endure it for His sake and the redemption of a remnant who would see and take it to heart then or afterwards in reflection on the word and work of their God. God profaned the temple set aside as holy to reflect their unholiness and unrighteousness to prepare them for the loss to turn to repentance as they withered away in their own iniquities and remorse for their sin. Then they would understand what it meant that He was the LORD of all and that the sin of disobedience results in judgment (John 16:8, Romans 6:23). Then one who who escaped judgement would later find Ezekiel and hear the entire story with their own ears as the prophet was able to finally open his mouth and explain it all, just as those apostles and disciples after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ were able to tell us as we escape the judgment to come.
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