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Ezekiel's Temple: God's Millennial Temple


Guest shiloh357

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Guest shiloh357
2 minutes ago, Kan said:

 

I don't see any problem with looking at the temple in Ezekiel as literal.

As far as Israel as a chosen nation is concerned, your views are certainly not uncommon, as many, even among Jews, still believe in the physical restoration of Israel on earth.

According to Paul, who knew both sides of those arguments, the promises to Israel were an example of the promises to all who enter the covenant by faith.

Actually, Paul never said any such thing.  That appears to be something you believe and are assigning to Paul, but Paul never said that.  

My views are actually biblical as God make many, many promises to Israel and there are many Christians, not just Jews who realize that God is going to restore Israel completely, physically and spiritually.

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See Hebrews 11, where the believers died in hope of the future resurrection and restoration of the earth. Verse 39, they did not receive the promise, it was not fulfilled in their time.

That there are still some promises left to fulfill doesn't mean that they are not going be fulfilled.  God's operates on His time schedule, not ours.
 

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There are a class of people today, as there always have been, who are looking for the establishment of an earthly kingdom - be it in the name of God or not. And so the various theories of Christ reigning over the kingdoms of the world are spread abroad. The Jews expected Jesus to get rid of the Roman rule, which He would have done had they honored Him. This same nation which has rejected the Messiah now expects that the promises, which even the saints did not receive, will be fulfilled to them.

 

God promised an earthly kingdom even if some Christians cannot make room for it in their theology.  The Jews wanted God to send a conquering Messiah to end the Roman occupation, but their expectation of a deliverer is actually based on Scripture.   They didn't fully understand the role of Messiah and that Jesus would first be a spiritual Savior ahead of being a physical deliverer.  But Jesus will return as their Messiah and save them from the world at Armageddon and that will be a fulfillment of prophecy (Zech 14).  

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If God did not give what was promised to Abraham, He certainly will not set up an earthly utopia for those who rejected Him, and they still reject God by making false assumptions about those promises.

Not so.  God will fulfill everything He has promised.  Abraham may not have seen the promises in His lifetime, but that is irrelevant.  God was faithful to Abraham and made of Abraham a great nation and  gave to his descendants the Land He promised to Abraham.   And God is still in the process of keeping His promises to Abraham because God is faithful and for that reason, God is fulfilling His word even to those who rejected the Messiah.  He is going to restore them just as He promised.   So your premise is really not in line with the Bible.

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In Revelation, the last book of the Bible it makes it plain that the earth will be destroyed and not made new until the end of the thousand years.

But before that happens, God's promises will be fulfilled every single one of them, to Israel and to all of us.

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I understand that you wanted to avoid this question, but it is impossible to ignore, since it is connected with the interpretation of the Ezekiel temple, which you have done well in showing how literal it is.

Your understanding is incorrect, as I have not avoided any questions.   You have not provided anything that presents a theological difficulty, here.

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But wanting to avoid an argument on the side lines, you have mentioned the connecting issue of how we view Israel, which then raises the question of whether or not the promises of old are in type of the anti-typical promises in the New Testament. It is a way of saying my way or the highway. Of course I respect that right, and will only respond to what you - yourself have introduced into the thread.

Types and shadows don't apply here.  There are questions that serve as "types"  of anything.   We cannot arbitrarily assign "types"  to anything that we can't handle taking literally.  The text demands that we understand this temple as literal, as well as everything connected to this temple mentioned in Ezekiel.   That includes a full restored (physically and spiritually) Israel.   Again, it speaks to the faithfulness of God.   If Israel cannot trust God to do exactly what He promised than neither can we and that has some very serious eternal implications for us if we want to go down that road.

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We know the gentiles are to be the benefactors of the things God initially gave Israel, and it would be difficult to prove that the promises of old are not made to all believers in all time, especially, as Paul writes for us "upon whom the ends of the world are come." I Corinthians 10:11. Remember Prophecy foretold that God would give Israel as a nation 490 years of grace. As Jesus said forgive 70 times 7, shedding light on the fact that God has been patient for many years with the nation.

Actually the Bible does not necessarily say that the Gentiles are to be the benefactors of what God gave Israel.   God is not transferring all that He gave to Israel to the Gentile believers.    Now Gentiles who are believers are participants in the covenants, but that is not the same thing as saying that, for example, God's promises to Abraham and Israel about the Land also applies to and has been transferred to the Gentiles.    That would be a false understanding.  

God make promises to national Israel and they are not fulfilled to individual believers.  Nor can you universalize the particular.  God's promises to Israel are to Israel alone, and to no one else.  Christians are not the recipients of those promises, too.

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If Israel was to inherit the promises, that the saints did not inherit, even their founding father Abraham did not, then God would not have allowed the destruction of Jerusalem, and her people, in 70 AD, a generation after the time that nation was rejected by God as the chosen one to give the world the message of hope.

That is a false premise.  God's faithfulness is unconditional.  God made unconditional promises to Abraham and Israel's unfaithfulness does not abrogate God's faithfulness.   God is capable of allowing Jerusalem to be sacked twice on account of Israel's lack of faithfulness and still keep His word to Abraham all these many years later.  There is no statute of limitations, here.   Israel was never rejected by God (Rom. 11:1).   What would happen if God operated toward you the way you claim He operates against Israel???  You would have no salvation at all.

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The promises of earthly prosperity were real, but conditional as Moses clearly said. The rest is history of good times and bad times. 

God's promise of the Land was made to Abraham as part of an unconditional covenant.    What was conditional under the Mosaic covenant was Israel's enjoyment of the promised Land.  The land was still theirs even when they were in exile.  God never rescinded His promises to Israel, but has preserved the Land for 2000 years until they returned and began building it up, just as God said they would.

The very existence of modern Israel stands as a living reproach to liberal Christianity which rejects God's restoration of Israel to the Land as a  fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

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Guest shiloh357

What About Those Sacrifices (Part 1) ??

So at this point we now arrive at the point where we can talk about the elephant in the room.  In our primary text from Ezekiel 40 through Ezekiel 46, we have what is for many Christians, the most problematic aspect of this vision.  We have several mentions of sacrifices, namely sin offerings, and burnt offerings, etc.  This is viewed as an affront to Jesus because Jesus was the final offering for sin.   So why are there going to be sacrifices in this millennial temple?   

There is an unspoken, unwritten assumption among many Christians that the OT sacrificial system was the method of salvation in the OT.   Jesus is viewed as "Plan B"  and that He came to do away with "Plan A"  (the sacrifices).   This assumption doesn't agree with Paul in Rom. 3:20, 28 where he stated that there was no salvation, no justification before God by means of any of the works of the Torah, and this included the sacrifices.

But as always, Ezekiel agrees with the other prophets who make the same predictions about sacrifices happening in the last days WITH God's approval, no less.  

Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.  (Isa 56:6-7)

This is in the context of the millennial kingdom when God's temple will be a house of prayer for all people and the strangers (Gentiles) will join themselves to the Lord.   It mentions the reinstitution of the Sabbath.  Is. 66: 23 tells us that from Sabbath to Sabbath and from New Moon to New Moon, all flesh will come to worship the Lord at his temple and Ezekiel is telling us what that worship will look like.

Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.  (Jer 33:18)

If you are an amillennialist, you would have to interpret this as being, somehow, figurative in nature.   This prophecy clearly states that there will always be a Levite to offer sacrifices.   Jeremiah and Ezekiel were contemporaries and Jeremiah links the ongoing perpetual, unending sacrificial system  to the Davidic dynasty.   Those who want to interpret Jeremiah 33:18 to be figurative in nature run into a problem because since it is linked to the Davidic dynasty and that dynasty is linked to the perpetuity of the earth on its axis in Jer. 33: 17-22.   If Jeremiah's prophecy about a future priesthood is to be spiritualized, then the promises of that dynasty/covenant would also have to be spiritualized.   That places the literal fulfillment/interpretation of Jesus' Messiahship in jeopardy since it is qualified by His Davidic descent and right to the throne of David.  So you cannot have it both ways.  One must be consistent in how they interpret prophecy and prophecy is always fulfilled literally.

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.  (Zec 14:16-21)

After the Second Coming of Jesus, this passage tells us that all of the survivors of the Tribulation will up from year to year to worship the Lord during the millennium. So, we know that the new moon and the Sabbath and the feast of Tabernacles will be in operation during the Millennium.  Those who refuse will not get any rain.  This is only makes sense if the post tribulation society has returned to an agrarian society.   Verse 21 mentions the sacrifices that will occur at that time.  

When it says that there will not be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord, it is not referring to the ethnic group.   The word in Hebrew often refers to merchants.   Unlike second temple period where people could come and purchase their sacrifices, this will not be the case during the Millennium.

So, we have biblical confirmation from multiple sources in Scripture all which speak in literal terms about the presence of sacrifices during the millennial reign of Christ. 

More To Come

 

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So the sacrifices of old begin again after the second advent of Christ?

What would be the purpose of a thousand years of sacrifices?

I am thinking of the entire book of Hebrews, as it explains everything that would be applicable on this subject...

In summary the old service pointed to the new, that is the heavenly where Christ officiates. The old system ended at the death of the Lamb of God. Once Christ died, there would never be any more sacrifices in faith of the future Deliverer. 

The ministry of Christ in the heavenly temple, ends just before He comes to earth to deliver the saints, so the idea of another earthly service is in opposition to the plan of Salvation, where mercy will no longer tarry for the guilty and unrepentant.

Revelation 22:11 predicts a time when God closes to the door to salvation, just like the Lord shut the door of the ark, saving none but Noah and his family.

The old temple services and animal sacrifices were finished at the cross for ever. And soon the service of Christ's ministry for sinners will also end, there will be no more opportunity to repent, God will not tolerate this sinful world for ever, He has designed that it will come to a crisis where every soul must make a decision for or against the truth, and then it is over for the wicked.

But false religions teach umpteen dozen events and tribulations and end time periods and signs, to confuse, divide and lie to the people, so that they will be unprepared for the end of mercy for the world, and the destruction of the world by fire, and hence unready to meet Jesus, to be delivered by Him.

I have finally worked out why there are so many end time theories which people cannot see themselves free of. It's sorcery.

Edited by Kan
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Guest shiloh357
27 minutes ago, Kan said:

So the sacrifices of old begin again after the second advent of Christ?

No, these are not Mosaic sacrifices.

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What would be the purpose of a thousand years of sacrifices?

They serve as a memorial reminder of Jesus' sacrifice during the millennium for unbelievers who will inhabit the millennium.

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I am thinking of the entire book of Hebrews, as it explains everything that would be applicable on this subject...

All the book of Hebrews does is compare the superiority of Jesus' sin offering against the Mosaic sin offering.

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In summary the old service pointed to the new, that is the heavenly where Christ officiates. The old system ended at the death of the Lamb of God. Once Christ died, there would never be any more sacrifices in faith of the future Deliverer. 

No, what it says is that there would be no more offering for sin that is expiatory in nature.

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The ministry of Christ in the heavenly temple, ends just before He comes to earth to deliver the saints, so the idea of another earthly service is in opposition to the plan of Salvation, where mercy will no longer tarry for the guilty and unrepentant.

Actually, none of that is true.   Salvation IS possible during the millennial reign, as there will people born to believers who survived the Tribulation.  Those people will be sinners and they will have the choice to accept Jesus or not.  Sadly, most if not all will choose to follow the devil at the end of the millennium.

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Revelation 22:11 predicts a time when God closes to the door to salvation, just like the Lord shut the door of the ark, saving none but Noah and his family.

No, that verse reflects the permanent state of those who die in their sin and those who die in Christ. In whatever condition you die, that is the condition in which you will remain, forever.

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The old temple services and animal sacrifices were finished at the cross for ever.

The expiatory offering for sin ended at the cross.  That sacrifice is not included in Ezekiel's temple and it sacrificial system.   Your view tends to reflect the notions that the sacrifices provided salvation, which they didn't.

 

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3 hours ago, Kan said:

So the sacrifices of old begin again after the second advent of Christ? What would be the purpose of a thousand years of sacrifices?

Kan,

This is probably one of the most puzzling aspects of the prophecy of Ezekiel, and there is no satisfactory answer at this time.

However, we can be sure of several things:

1. There can be no contradictions in the Word of God.

2. The prophecy of Ezekiel must be taken literally, and in conjunction with all the prophecies concerning the redemption and restoration of Israel.

3. Israel in the Millennium must be under the New Covenant even though a temple is erected in Jerusalem.  This appears to nullify the teaching of the book of Hebrews, but we don't have all the answers either.

4. God will make all things clear at the appropriate time.

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English translations never see the significants of the word ALTAR used in Ezekiel 43, but this has a profound understanding.

Eze 43:13  "These are the measurements of the altar (mizba-ach) by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): its base shall be one cubit high and one cubit broad, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this shall be the height of the altar (mizba-ach):

Mizba-ach is the typical word you'd use for the word ALTAR.  However, the word starts changing in the Hebrew, yet we don't see the change in English.

Eze 43:14  from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits, with a breadth of one cubit;
Eze 43:15  and the altar (har-el -- literally Mountain of God) hearth, four cubits; and from the altar (ari-el -- literally Lion of God) hearth projecting upward, four horns.

Eze 43:16  The altar (ari-el -- Lion of God) hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad.
Eze 43:17  The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad, with a rim around it half a cubit broad, and its base one cubit all around. The steps of the altar shall face east."
Eze 43:18  And he said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances for the altar (mizba-ach): On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and for throwing blood against it,

So this understanding, shows us the ALTAR is connected first to the MOUNTAIN of God!

Isa 2:2  It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,

Secondly, this altar is connected to sacrifices of the LION of GOD -- not the LAMB of God! 

The Lamb of God came to offer himself a sacrifice for sins, whereas when the Lord returns He's coming back as the LION of JUDAH in victory!  So these sacrifices will be pointing toward the victory that was provided for us 2000 years ago.  While the Old Testament sacrifices were looking TOWARD the LAMB of God, these sacrifices will be a memorial of sacrifices for 1000 years as a reminder of the victory provided for us 2000 years ago.

There's a lot more ... which I'm sure that Shiloh will cover!

 

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Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins.
(Ezekiel 43:10) 

this was written not long after Jeremiah, when the people were 'trusting deceptive words' believing that because the had the temple of the Lord, they would not be overthrown - even though they were blaspheming it, and following other gods, and not acting justly or loving mercy ((in re: Jeremiah 7:4, etc)). 

this is the purpose of this vision. that they may be ashamed of their sin. 
a vision of a temple far larger and grander than the one of which they had boasted, in vain. 

this is much different from what was told to David, where the stated purpose was that it be built, not that its design should make them ashamed. 


 



 

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it's been put forth, without any significant justification, that the offerings and sacrifices described in detail here are to be "in memorial of" the sacrifice that Christ made. 

the one, final sacrifice for all sins. 

but the text of Ezekiel 40-43 never describes these sacrifices that way. that is purely extra-scriptural, speculative attempts at justification, made because it is presupposed that this will be a temple in a '1,000 year reign of Christ on earth' -- so for the person who believes this, they must somehow make the problem of blasphemous abomination go away. so they make this up and just state it as if it's true. 
 
the scripture itself here describes them as guilt offerings and sin offerings for atonement and sanctification

but the scriptures say that Christ's sacrifice sanctified once and for all time all that are being made holy. that there remains no more offering for sin. that there is nothing else that can remove guilt. 

so it seems to me that either the new testament is lying about the significance and efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, or Ezekiel is lying about the purpose of the sacrifices being described here, or as a third option, this isn't actually describing a literal temple to be built and fully operated during a thousand year literal reign of Christ on earth. 

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in the resurrection, according to Jesus, people will no longer marry nor be given in marriage (Matthew 22:30, Mark 12:25)

but if this temple is built and operated for 1,000 years after the resurrection, why are there laws given for the marriage of the priests that serve in it? 
((Ezekiel 44:22-25)) ? 

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The whole purpose of the ancient sanctuary was to prefigure the coming sacrifice of God's own Son, Whose sole purpose is to cleanse and restore mankind to be the temple in which His Spirit lives.

That is the purpose of the temple in heaven today, to protect the sinner from the wrath of God, while the sinner is being transformed into the image of Jesus, in character.

The ministry of Christ in heaven will not be replaced by another inferior system or temple, because it is the one and only ministry which can save humanity. It will not be repeated on any scale or degree. 

The old service could not help the sinner, it was always and only the present service which would save sinners. But by having faith in the future Christ and His ministry, any person in ancient times would be saved.

If there is another system of sacrifices after the earth is laid to waste by the Lord, then the Bible would have mentioned it in several places...the meaning of what "altar" is does not come across in the plain text, and I consider such a tangent of ideas to be based on nuances alone.

I am fairly certain that those of you who have bought into this notion of a millennial reign on earth will continue with it for quite a while, so if I don't respond here for a while, don't be offended, because I cannot be of any use to the discussion.

 

 

 

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