Ezekiel 10:18 (WEB)
The LORD’s glory went out from over the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Ezekiel 10:18–19 (KJV)
18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. 19 And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Key words
- וַיֵּצֵא כְּבוֹד יְהוָהvayyetse kevod YHWH · Hebrew
- 'the glory of the LORD departed' — the presence leaves the temple before Babylon destroys it.
- מִפְתַּן הַבַּיִתmiftan habbayit · Hebrew
- 'the threshold of the house' — the glory pauses at the door, then rides away on the cherubim.
Why it matters
Before the Babylonians burn the temple, Ezekiel sees the glory of the LORD leave it. Pitre uses this to describe what the Second Temple lacked in Jesus' day: the Ark was gone and the glory cloud had never returned (pp 50–52; Josephus and Tacitus both report the Holy of Holies was empty). Jews were waiting for both to come back, which is the expectation Luke's Annunciation and Visitation answer.