EZEKIEL’S
TEMPLE
END of the AGE
SPIRITUAL Or PHYSICAL TEMPLE
ANALYSIS
BY
FEASTS OF THE
LORD.NET
FOUNDATIONAL
TEMPLE SCRIPTURES
Ps. 11:4 | The LORD [is] in His holy temple, the LORD'S throne [is] in heaven: …
|
| Zech. 6:13 | Even He shall build the temple
of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne;
and He
shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace
shall be between them both. |
| 2 Thess. 2:4 | Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God,
or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits
in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. |
| Rev. 7:15 | Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sits on the throne shall dwell among them.
|
| Rev. 11:1
Rev. 11:2 | And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and
measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
But the
court which is without the temple leave out, and measure
it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months.
|
| Rev. 11:19 | And the temple of God was opened
in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament
… |
| Rev. 14:15 | And another angel came out of the temple,
crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for
thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe”. |
| Rev. 14:17 | And another angel came out of the temple
which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. |
| Rev. 15:5 | And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple
of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: |
| Rev. 15:6 | And the seven angels came out of the temple,
having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
|
| Rev. 15:8 | And the temple was filled with smoke
from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
|
| Rev. 16:1 | And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the
wrath of God upon the earth”. |
| Rev. 16:17 | And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice
out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done’.
|
| Rev 21:22 | And I saw no temple
therein: for
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. |
TEMPLE STRUCTURE HISTORICAL OUTLINE
Solomon's
Temple:
Solomon initiated
an extensive building program, between 966 B.C. and 960 B.C. that included his palace, the temple and the extension of the
city walls (2 Chronicles 2 & 3). His development of the areas north of David’s city, including
Mount Moriah, increased the area of Jerusalem from eleven to thirty-two acres and provided the additional space required
for constructing his temple.
Solomon's
Temple was not a large structure. It measured only 75 feet wide, 150 feet long and 45 feet high (50 x
150 x 30 Cubits at 18” per cubit per 1
Kings 7). Nevertheless, this temple
commanded attention as it stood there on its nine foot high platform atop Mount Moriah.
Zerubbabel's
Temple:
Zerubbabel's
Temple was finished in 516 B.C., exactly 70 years after it had been destroyed upon the captivity of Judea in 586 B.C.
They rebuilt the temple, although on
a much smaller scale than Solomon’s temple (Ezra 3:8-13). Although
this new temple was roughly the same size as the first (Solomon’s) temple, there were differences. The
courtyard outside of this temple was divided into a Court of Women, and a Court of Men.
In 165 B.C., upon recapture of the Temple
Mount, the Maccabees celebrated a delayed Feast of Tabernacles as a rededication of the Temple, aka Hanukkah.
Herod Reconstructed of the Second Temple; aka Zerubbabel’s Temple:
In 20 B.C. the temple was reconstructed and expanded by King Herod, on the site of Solomon’s temple. He
enlarged the surface area of the Temple Mount to some twenty acres. That
temple however was ultimately destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Apostle John’s Heavenly Temple Vision:
A Heavenly Temple was shown to the apostle John in a vision
as recorded in Revelation. Chapters 20 and 21 describe the same river of living water flowing out from
the throne of God and a physical description of the heavenly ‘Temple Mount’ as described by Ezekiel.
EZEKIEL’S TEMPLE
Ezekiel
Chapters 40 to 48
Some think of Herod’s
reconstruction as the 3rd temple; while others see Ezekiel’s experience as a 3rd or 4th Temple.
Ezekiel was given
a vision & prophecy. Therefore some consider Ezekiel’s vision of
a temple as a 3rd Temple that might possibly be built at the ‘End of the Age’.
Ezekiel
chapters 40, 41 & 42 (written in approximately 574 B.C.) provide a physical description of a future Temple Mount.
This was during the period of the Babylonian Captivity after the temple had been destroyed in 586 B.C. It
was later reconstructed by Zerubbabel, and completed in 516 B.C. This was greatly expanded by Herod during
the time of Jesus.
********************
Ezekiel
40 provides a physical description of a future ‘Temple Mount’ with courts and gates.
Ezekiel states in chapter 43 that he “beheld
the glory of God coming from the way of the East … and the glory of the Lord came into the house (of God) by way
of the East Gate … and the glory of the Lord filled the house”. (43:1-4).
Then
Ezekiel goes on to say (chapter 44:1-3) that “the East Gate will remain shut because the Lord, the God of
Israel, has entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut” (and is still shut today). (Herod’s
Temple)
“It is for the Prince; the Prince shall sit in it to eat
bread before the Lord; and He (Jesus) shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall
go out by the way of the same (gate).”
His vision regarding the Prince and the East
Gate continues from Ezekiel 45:17 through chapter 47, which is all essentially referring to the Prince (Jesus) preparing
sacrificial offerings (typologically) at His First coming.
The sacrifices offered by the Prince
at His First Coming included sin offerings (45:17), and are referred to as blood sacrifices.
This type of sacrifice was fulfilled by Jesus at His First Coming.
Daniel prophesied
(Dan. 9:27) that the antichrist “shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease”.
It is not referring to blood sacrifices, but rather
sacrifices of praise and commitment to God.
It is also worth emphasizing that the antichrist’s
efforts can only be attempts to hinder or stop praise and commitment to God ‘burnt
offerings’, as blood sacrificial offerings are no longer relevant, having been fulfilled by Jesus’
propitiation, offering of Himself as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”.
********************
Ezekiel
46:17 then refers to the year of liberty,
aka “Year of Jubilee” aka Millennial Kingdom when all that belongs to God is
returned to God (aka the “elect / chosen of God”) for He is the One and only Owner of all things.
Ezekiel
47 then goes on to describe
his vision of a river of water
“flowing out from under the door of the house (temple) eastward giving life to all wherever it went”. (Ezek.
47:1)
Ezekiel 48
further describes how the 12 tribes repopulate the lands and how “the sanctuary of
the house shall be in the midst thereof”.
John’s
Heavenly Temple of Rev. 21 and 22
John
in Rev. 21 describes the new heavens and the new earth with the “New Jerusalem coming down
from God out of heaven prepared as a bride for her husband”. John describes
a voice out of heaven saying “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with
them and they shall be His people and God Himself shall dwell with them and shall be their God and there shall
be no more death.” (Rev. 21:1-3)
John then describes in Rev. 21:10 how he is
carried away and shown a great city the Holy Jerusalem "descending out of heaven
from God having the glory of God. And had a great wall and 12 gates and
at the gates 12 angels the names written thereon are the names of the 12 tribes of Israel … and the
wall of the city had 12 foundations (12 apostles of the land). And he that talked with me had a golden
rod to measure the city" … Upon the description of the completion of the measurements
of the city, John immediately states “and I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are the light of it; and the city had no need of the sun ... for the glory of God enlightened it, and the
Lamb is the light thereof …” (Rev. 21:22-23)
As in Ezekiel’s vision, John is given
a similar vision of "the water of life proceeding out of the throne of God" (Rev. 22:1) ...
"from a heavenly Jerusalem". (Rev. 21:10)
“In the midst of the street of it on
either side of the river was there the tree of life … and there shall be no more curse: but the throne
of God and the Lamb shall be in it."
(Rev. 22:1)
SUMMARY:
Ezekiel states that the “East Gate” will
be closed until His (Jesus’) Return.
This East Gate is clearly part of Herod’s reconstructed Temple
Mount as it exists today.
Ezekiel’s
vision of a new temple is therefore a description of both a physical and a spiritual temple. The physical
temple must be Herod’s temple, as he describes the East Gate being opened (during Jesus’ triumphal entry), and
closed until His Return.
********************
Ezekiel goes on to describe events after the
Year of Jubilee, aka Millennial Kingdom. Then he describes a heavenly vision of “a river of water
flowing out from the door of the house of the Lord eastward giving life”. (Ezek. 47:1)
John is given the similar vision of "the
water of life proceeding out of the throne of God" (Rev.
22:1) from a heavenly Jerusalem. (Rev. 21:10)
The apostle John’s vision of a New heavenly Jerusalem
is the same as Ezekiel’s vision of a heavenly Jerusalem with the river of living water flowing out from the throne
of God.
“In
the midst of the street of it on either side of the river was there the tree of life …
and there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it.” (Rev. 22:1)
********************
Ezekiel
48 describes how the 12
tribes repopulate the lands and how “the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof”.
These 12 tribes
could only be the ‘faithful’ 144,000 Jewish remnant who had received the mark of protection from the Lord on
their forehead to go through the 7-year ‘Tribulation Period’.
“And I saw no temple therein: for the
Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." Rev.21:22
Hermeneutically,
the apostle John’s heavenly vision of a New Jerusalem and Ezekiel’s vision of the heavenly sanctuary are one
and the same.
********************
Daniel
in Chapter 9:24-27 states that He (God) shall confirm the covenant of 70 periods of seven for
One period of 7 with the people (Israel) and with the holy city (Jerusalem).
Pre tribulation theology has interpreted this to mean that the antichrist
will “make” a covenant with Israel for this one period of 7.
This is partially based upon the presupposition that Ezekiel prophetically describes the rebuilding of a physical
temple.
Secondly,
this interpretation is based on a heretical translation of the Hebrew word higbir (confirm)
to be the English word ‘make’ in Daniel 9:27. In other words, it allows the interpretation
of the antichrist making a covenant with Israel for one 7-year period.
However, the correct translation uses the
word ‘confirm’ interpreted to be God is confirming His covenant of 70 periods of 7, for the
remaining 1 period of 7 with the people (Israel) and the Holy City (Jerusalem), fulfilling Dan.9:24. Daniel
9:24 goes on to describe the purposes of the 70 periods of 7 is “..to finish the transgression, to
make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.” This is not something satan would be doing!
It is therefore
all the more evident that Daniel 9:24-27 cannot be interpreted as the antichrist making a covenant with Israel for the purposes
of rebuilding the Temple.
“It is
he who shall build the temple of the LORD;
and he shall bear the glory, and shall
sit and rule upon his throne;
and he shall be a priest upon his throne:
and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” Zech. 6:13
Zech. 6:13 is therefore both a physical Temple
(Herod’s) and a ‘Spiritual Temple’;
a physical temple during Jesus’ first coming and a spiritual temple during His Return and reign during the millennial
kingdom aka Year of Jubilee.
Jesus’
kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). The physical temple, like the Pascal lamb is a physical
representation of a spiritual meaning for mankind. The Feasts of the Lord are God’s redemptive plan for mankind.
They are God’s calendar of redeeming grace.
The Pharisees made the same mistake as people
are making today in looking for a physical kingdom aka reconstruction of a new temple and reconstitution of blood sacrifices.
As Jesus said to the Pharisees “You hypocrites! You can discern the signs of the seasons,
but not the signs of My coming …”. Ezekiel and Revelation clearly speak of a spiritual temple
of our dwelling with God.
********************
The spiritual battle is further characterized
in Daniel Chapters 8 through 12.
Daniel speaks of the antichrist and his activities, culminating at the End of
this Age. This started with the little horn in Daniel 8, which initiated the Seleucid empire in 281 B.C.,
aka lineage of the antichrist, typologically represented by Antiochus Epiphanes with his desecration of the temple in 165
B.C.
Daniel
8-11 speaks of the little horn (antichrist) who “exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host;
and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away” (i.e. the sacrifices of praise aka burnt offerings). Note
that this does not refer to blood sacrifices, as this atonement has been completed by Jesus. This applies
to the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27.
Daniel
8:12-14 goes on to state “because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to impose the daily sacrifices
(of praise & commitment to God); and he cast down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that holy one who was speaking ‘How long
will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary
and the host to be trampled underfoot?’”
Verse 14 answers: “and he said to me
‘2300 days (2300 prophetic years), then the sanctuary shall be cleansed’ “.
2300
prophetic years from the initiation of the Seleucid Empire in 281 B.C. is the year 2018
A.D.
********************
Daniel goes
on in Chapter 12 to describe additional
activities of the antichrist:
“And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall
be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety (1290)
days. Blessed [is] he who waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty (1335)
days.” Daniel 12:11-12
This may refer to the Abomination
on the Temple Mount in place of God’s Temple. N.B. The Dome of the Rock was constructed in approximately 683
A.D. Note the following:
683 A.D. + 1290 days / year = 1973 (Yom Kippur War)
683 A.D. + 1335 days / years = 2018 (The “Year of Jubilee” aka Millennial
Kingdom)
This
spiritual battle represented by various physical representations
was initially characterized by Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael is claimed by Muslims
to be their ancestor. The descendants of Ishmael continue this conflict to this day as symbolized
by the Dome of the Rock desecration of the Temple Mount.
This issue regarding the Temple Mount will only be resolved
at the completion of the “End of this Age”
following God’s wrath which will be poured out upon the unrepentant, finalized at the Feast of Atonement aka
Judgment. At that time the Year of Jubilee aka Millennial Kingdom is initiated.
“And
the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple
of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is
done’.” Rev.
16:17
The Feast of Atonement aka Judgment is DONE.
The Year
Of Jubilee aka Millennial Kingdom is about to begin!
“And
I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are the temple of it.” Rev. 21:22
