5th Semester / Week 2
Now that we can clearly see that the Bible teaches the “Church” is the Temple, and is made of “living stones,” we should be aware that many modern believers have been taught to longingly dream of a time when Jesus would rule heathen nations from a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem for precisely 1,000 years. It would appear that their worldview minimizes what Jesus has already accomplished, as well as minimizes our present reality in order for them to long for something greater to occur in the future.
Those who are eagerly expecting an earthly reign in a literal Temple building in the midst of sinners feel that way because they think that’s what the Old Testament teaches. And since they believe those Old Testament prophecies haven’t yet been fulfilled, then naturally they believe those prophecies must be fulfilled in the future. But is that really what the Old Testament had predicted? It would be appropriate to note that American Christians have sent millions of dollars to fund the Temple Institute of Jerusalem, yet have those funds been spent wisely and is that where God wants us to be sending our hard earned money, or would rebuilding another physical Temple that God Himself had previously destroyed be against His will?
There’s no better place to begin this study than the vision of the Temple given to Ezekiel in chapters 40-48. The Temple described there has never been built, therefore, since we know that every word in the Bible is true, how are we to understand the vision of that Temple?
We’ll begin by noting there are many who give persuasive Scriptural reasons for believing that Ezekiel’s Temple prophecy was to be fulfilled in a non-literal manner because they’re able to see the many Scriptural problems with it being fulfilled literally. For a few examples of the problems of a literal fulfillment:
– Ezekiel describes the priesthood of the Temple as being conducted by Levitical priests (Ezekiel 43:19, 44:10, 15, etc). However, Hebrews 7:11-18 tells us that God has permanently set aside the priesthood of the descendants of Levi, in favor of the priesthood of Christ, a non-Levite. The system of Temple, priests and animal sacrifices were part of the Old Covenant, and we’ve learned that according to Hebrews 8:13 it was all about to vanish away (which took place at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD).
– In Ezekiel’s vision, the priests of the Temple must be circumcised (Ezekiel 44:9), but under the New Covenant, circumcision is not required (Galatians 5:6).
– We’re told in Hebrews 9:11 that Christ has become the high priest of a better tabernacle not made with hands, located not on earth but in heaven (Hebrews 9:24). Christ now ministers for us in heaven, in “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man,” (Hebrews 8:2). Therefore, logically, any temple built on earth wouldn’t be the “true tabernacle,” because the true tabernacle is in heaven.
– The Old Testament Temple and sacrifices were only types and shadows, and was only a figurative representation of the true heavenly Temple and the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:24, 10:1). Furthermore, Jesus has taken away that old system of animal sacrifices (Hebrews 10:8-10). We’re commanded to go forth from the camp of the old natural Jerusalem with its literal sacrifices (Hebrews 13:11-14) and to instead concentrate on the heavenly Jerusalem, not the literal one on earth (Hebrews 12:22, John 4:21, Galatians 4:25-26). To “draw back” to the old Temple and sacrificial system would be an act of apostasy (Hebrews 10:26-29, 38-39).
Those are just a few of the problems that can be found in Ezekiel’s vision, therefore, perhaps the vision given to Ezekiel was describing something heavenly and spiritual using Old Covenant terms for New Covenant realities? Although that’s very close to the Truth, and many think that could’ve been the answer, unfortunately that’s not correct either. When we find the true answer of how to understand the vision, we’ll see that it’s shockingly quite simple.
To conclude, there are many serious problems in believing that the Temple described to Ezekiel could ever occur in our future, but fortunately the Truth isn’t complicated at all and is very easy to understand. Learning the Truth will empower us as priests of the greater Temple that’s already being built, and will cause us to appreciate all that Jesus has already fulfilled!
“Helping People See Jesus and Exploring All That He Has Fulfilled” 