Ezekiel 22:20

Scattering was not the only part of God’s judgment. God would also gather the people of Judah into Jerusalem for judgment.

The prophet compared this gathering to metal placed into a furnace (a very hot oven used to melt metal). A worker gathers pieces of metal and puts them into the fire to melt and refine them.

But this fire would not make the people pure. Normally, a furnace removes waste material and leaves pure metal. In this case, the people were like worthless slag (waste left over after metal is melted). Since only waste would go into the fire, only melted waste would come out.

This judgment would not cleanse or restore the people. It would destroy everything in its path.

Jerusalem was the holy city where God had placed his name. It was the spiritual center of Judah. The city represented God’s presence among his people.

But Jerusalem had become corrupt and unclean. Instead of honoring God, the city was full of violence and bloodshed. Because of this sin, God’s wrath (his just anger against sin) would come upon the city.