And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The glory of the Lord doesn't just leave; it lingers on the Mount of Olives, as if holding its breath, giving Jerusalem one last chance to turn back to God before its destruction. This "standing" on the mountain suggests a moment of poignant hesitation, a final, reluctant farewell before ultimate judgment.
And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After witnessing the corrupt leaders of Jerusalem being judged and removed in vision, Ezekiel sees the very symbol of God's presence, the divine glory, departing from the city. This departure signifies God's complete abandonment of Jerusalem and its inhabitants due to their persistent sin, a final step after having already left the temple. The glory pauses on the Mount of Olives to the east, a poignant, symbolic location that foreshadows both future judgment and redemption.
Have you ever felt God's presence slowly fading? Ezekiel witnesses a profound moment where God's glory doesn't just vanish, but withdraws step-by-step.
The departure of God's glory from Jerusalem wasn't instantaneous. It was a gradual process, moving from the temple, to the threshold, and finally to the Mount of Olives. This slow withdrawal highlights God's incredible patience and His deep reluctance to completely abandon His people. Each step away was like a final, pleading call for repentance, offering them a last chance to turn back to Him.
Why the Mount of Olives? This specific location wasn't random; it's a place laden with meaning, foreshadowing future events.
The mountain where the glory of the Lord paused was the Mount of Olives, a location that would become incredibly significant throughout biblical history. From this vantage point, overlooking the city, the divine presence seemed to be within earshot, a final offer of grace before judgment. Later, Jesus would weep over Jerusalem from this very mountain, and it would be the site of His ascension back to heaven. It’s a place that bridges divine judgment and ultimate salvation.
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This vision of the departing Glory of the Lord occurred during the final siege and destruction of Jerusalem, emphasizing that God's presence was leaving the city not in anger alone, but also in sorrow and a final, lingering hope for repentance before judgment fell.
c. 597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Jehoiachin and many prominent citizens of Jerusalem were exiled to Babylon. This marked a significant weakening of Judah's political and religious strength.
c. 589-587 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army besieged Jerusalem. The city walls were breached, and Jerusalem was utterly destroyed.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Solomon's Temple
The Babylonians plundered and burned Solomon's Temple, the center of Israelite worship, symbolizing the loss of God's direct presence with His people.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Glory of the Lord Departs City
In Ezekiel's vision, the symbolic manifestation of God's presence, the 'glory of the Lord,' withdraws from the Temple, then the city, and finally rests on the Mount of Olives.
c. 586 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar exiled the remaining population, leaving behind only the poorest to tend the land.
c. 586 BC
Exile in Babylon
The majority of the Jewish people were now in exile in Babylon, living far from their homeland and the destroyed Temple.
This passage describes the initial departure of the Lord's glory from the temple, showing the slow, reluctant nature of God's leaving His people, mirroring the final exit from the city in Ezekiel 11:23.
Luke 19:41-42This passage highlights Jesus weeping over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, the same mountain where God's glory paused before His final departure, underscoring a profound connection between God's judgment and His sorrow over the city's fate.
Zechariah 14:4This prophecy describes the Lord standing on the Mount of Olives during His final return, creating a powerful bookend with Ezekiel's vision of the Lord's glory resting there before His ultimate departure.
Acts 1:11-12This passage records Jesus' ascension into heaven from the Mount of Olives, the same mountain where God's glory paused before leaving Jerusalem, linking the departure of God's presence with future divine intervention.
pooleEzekiel 11:23: "And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city."
See Ezekiel 3:23 8:4 9:3 10:18,19 . The glory of the Lord removes now out of the city, over which it had stood some space of time waiting for their repentance; but no fruits of this, and God now departed from them. Upon the mountain; above it. It was Mount Olivet, as the description of it in this place and elsewhere doth clearly show.
gillEzekiel 11:23: "And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city."
And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city,.... Of Jerusalem, whither it was removed from the door of the east gate of the temple, Ezekiel 10:19 ; though no mention is made of such removal; and now, having left the temple, it leaves the city: and stood upon the mountain, which is on the east side of the city; either waiting for the r…
The glory of the Lord doesn't just leave; it lingers on the Mount of Olives, as if holding its breath, giving Jerusalem one last chance to turn back to God before its destruction. This "standing" on the mountain suggests a moment of poignant hesitation, a final, reluctant farewell before ultimate judgment.
After witnessing the corrupt leaders of Jerusalem being judged and removed in vision, Ezekiel sees the very symbol of God's presence, the divine glory, departing from the city. This departure signifies God's complete abandonment of Jerusalem and its inhabitants due to their persistent sin, a final step after having already left the temple. The glory pauses on the Mount of Olives to the east, a poignant, symbolic location that foreshadows both future judgment and redemption.
After witnessing the corrupt leaders of Jerusalem being judged and removed in vision, Ezekiel sees the very symbol of God's presence, the divine glory, departing from the city. This departure signifies God's complete abandonment of Jerusalem and its inhabitants due to their persistent sin, a final step after having already left the temple. The glory pauses on the Mount of Olives to the east, a poignant, symbolic location that foreshadows both future judgment and redemption.
"And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city." — The glory of the Lord doesn't just leave; it lingers on the Mount of Olives, as if holding its breath, giving Jerusalem one last chance to turn back to God before its destruction. This "standing" on…
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Last reviewed October 2026