THE PROBLEM OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM
PART 23
A TRAIL OF MESSIANIC ISSUES, CONT.
7. The Meaning of Ezekiel’s
Temple and the Restoration Sacrifices
Of all Messianic issues, the restoration prophecies of a millennial temple69
and Levitical sacrifices70 provide what appears as Messianism’s strongest case for reestablishment of the Mosaic legal order. Messianics draw especially on Ezekiel’s temple vision (Ezk. 40-48) together with Zechariah’s prophecies (6:12; 14:21) to prove that, at His return, Yeshua will reconstruct the whole Mosaic system right down to its sacrificial order. And they use it to support today’s Zionist efforts to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.An isolated reading of these prophecies truly looks very
convincing. And they certainly are the most
challenging to explain within the apostolic framework detailed in Hebrews. But
the issue is not as simple as it might appear, and actually proves far more
problematic for Messianics than for regenerative New Covenant believers.
Besides that the Messianic reading fails to credibly
reconcile itself to the apostles, it more importantly ignores a critical changeability within the visions themselves—a changeability on which Messianism’s own belief in Yeshua’s divine
atonement depends for survival. By blowing past the changes, Messianism
destroys its own case for Yeshua before Judaism.
In the end, after the “fine print” is studied, we will find
that Ezekiel’s and Zechariah’s visions actually disprove that the Mosaic legal system will be restored, disprove that the millennial temple will
be in what is now Jerusalem, and cannot be used to prove the
reinstatement of natural animal sacrifices. Instead, they display the
beautiful sufficiency of regenerative prophetic understanding—a perception that
reconciles the apparent conflicts without ignoring the prophets or
“spiritualizing” them away into intangible theory.
Truly, Ezekiel’s and Zechariah’s visions are no problem for regenerative
understanding. They can in fact only be understood regeneratively if they are
to make any sense. But to approach this, it’s first necessary to draw a big
picture “cosmology” of temple reality. Once the cosmology is drawn, we can mark
the flaws in Messianic reasoning (a detailed exposition of which is saved for
the Appendix: Ezekiel’s Temple and the
Reconstructionist Dilemma) and then make the concrete regenerative
applications.
The
Cosmologic Temple Array
It is impossible to resolve the seeming prophetic/apostolic
conflict over millennial temple system restoration without understanding what I
will call the Cosmologic Temple Array. Drawn from the entirety of scripture, I
must condense this extremely vast topic into a few paragraphs. I ask advance
forgiveness for any difficulty in grasping the creative vocabulary necessary to
explain it. (This is not a study for spiritual amateurs.) But only by
understanding the Cosmologic Temple Array can we prove truth from error
concerning millennial temple system restoration.
The term Cosmologic Temple Array is used to capture the
scripture-wide (“universal”) truth of God’s temple as it appears in its various
forms of reality across time. The Array is comprised of four pillar truths: Spectral Dimensional Reality, Manifest Dispensational Development, Through-perspectivity and System Unity.
- Spectral Dimensional Reality
The Cosmologic Temple Array consists of three dimensions of
God’s temple spanning the heavenly to earthly realms.
·
The first, highest and originating temple dimension is that
of glorified (or “glorific”) heavenly
substance, referring to what is often just called the “heavenly temple.”
This temple dimension primarily appears in the books of Revelation and Ezekiel
(with special mention in Isaiah 6), and is accessed only by divine vision. This
temple has existed from before time and was built by God (Heb. 9:24).
·
The lowest, outermost temple dimension is that of manufactured material (stone, brick,
wood, etc.). This dimension is the most familiar and visible as found in Old
Testament history, including the Mosaic Tabernacle, Solomon’s and Herod’s
temples. Besides their historic Bible depictions, Hebrews classifies this
dimension as that of “created things” (9:11) and “copies of the heavenly”
(9:23). These temples were all “manu-factured,”
that is, lit., built by (sinful) human hands. It’s the fate of this dimension
around which swirls the Messianic debate over temple worship restoration.
·
In between the glorific and manufactured temples is the
temple dimension of human incarnation. The temple of human incarnation is both individual
and corporate, and both physical and spiritual. It is described exclusively in
the New Covenant. Yeshua introduces the truth of the individual body as God’s
temple (Jn. 2:19-21), as well as the corporate body, i.e., the “church” (Mt.
16:18.) Paul develops the applications, especially the corporate one (Eph.
2:20-22). Peter also references it (I Pt. 2:5), and it appears in Revelation
(3:12; 16:6). The incarnational temple is specifically founded and built by
Yeshua Himself (Mt. 16:18; Heb. 3:3, 6), in colaborship with the spiritual
ministry of those who are already spiritually built into it by the same (I Cor.
3:9-11).
Importantly, an interaction
exists between the heavenly and the lower Temple dimensions. They are not
isolated. But the interaction has limited visibility to us on the earth plane,
and only so far as it has been manifestly developed—which leads us to the
second pillar truth.
- Manifest Dispensational71 Development
The temple Array has an earthly manifestation that moves through a series of developmental phases. That manifestation begins in the form of the manufactured temple, which is a model of the heavenly one. But through a process of dynamic interaction with the heavenly dimension involving exchanges of manifestation72
(i.e., replacements), the earthly manifestation becomes transformed over time toward finally assuming the properties of the glorific dimension. That development has a historical beginning and future completion marked by specific time periods (dispensations). It passes through the following five eras (detailed further in the end notes):
a)
The Pre-Mosaic Era—manifesting
only manufactured altars “from Adam to Moses;”73
b)
The Mosaic Era—manifesting the manufactured
temple, beginning with the Mosaic tabernacle (Ex. 25), to the Davidic-Solomonic
temple (I Chr. 17-II Chr. 8), through Zerubbabel’s-Herod’s temple (Ezra and
Haggai thru Acts);74
c)
The Mortal New
Covenant Era—manifesting the human incarnation dimension begun with Yeshua,
thence to the church as witnessed at Pentecost and “built” by the apostles;75
d)
The Millennial Age(s)—manifesting
interplay between the temple dimensions of glorified
human incarnation and glorified substance;76
e)
The New Earth—manifesting
final replacement of glorified substance by glorified human incarnation in the
“heaven-married” new earth (Rev. 21:22).77
The scriptures are designed to speak primarily to the
dispensations in which they are written, i.e., the Mosaic and Mortal New
Covenant dispensations. That is why comparatively little appears about how the
heavenly temple interacted with earth before Moses or how it will after the
general resurrection. New scripture or its millennial equivalent will appear to
detail the further interaction at that time. But God is releasing even now
further prophetic understanding into what will regeneratively appear.
- Through-perspectivity
The third pillar truth of the Cosmologic Temple Array is
Through-perspectivity, which simply means “see-through” perception.
Through-perspectivity refers to the fact that, from the eternal viewpoint, God
sees “diagonally down through” the Temple Array dimensions and their
dispensations as transparent layers; rather than as segmented realities from a
cross-sectional perspective as described above. So when speaking of His Temple or
imparting prophetic vision of it, the Spirit often communicates no distinction between dimensions or
dispensations.
When the Lord says “My Temple” or “My House,” He may be
speaking to more than one dimension and/or dispensation simultaneously. Yet each is still governed by very different
properties and conditions—something not apparent in His Voice, requiring discernment for accurate application.
For instance, the Lord may be speaking of His heavenly
temple and Israel’s manufactured temple as transparently layered realities. So
they sound as one and the same. This is
demonstrated in Ezekiel’s vision (See 43:7-8; 44:6-9). Yet the
properties governing them are very different.78
At other times however, the Lord is only speaking of a
single temple dimension or dispensation. But this can only be determined by
context in light of the entire Array and its properties.
- System Unity
Derived from Heb. 9:23, System Unity in the Array speaks to
the truth that whatever properties govern the temple govern its rites of
worship also. In each of the dimensions, the temple and its system of worship
is one in nature. Each dimension has an appointed sacrificial worship system
that is consistent with the nature of the temple’s construct. The scriptures
outline these clearly:
·
The manufactured temples were serviced by the Mosaic system
of animal sacrifice and other nature-based offerings for the atoning of sin
(Leviticus).
·
The incarnational temple was serviced by the once-for-all
sacrifice of Yeshua (Heb. 3:6 w/ 10:19-21) and continues to be serviced by that
sacrifice for ongoing atonement/cleansing (I Jn. 1:7) as well as by the ongoing
living spiritual sacrifices and offerings of its people (Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:2;
Phil. 2:7; 4:18; Heb. 13:15-16; I Pt 2:5) .
·
The heavenly temple was also serviced once and for all by
the sacrifice of Yeshua (Heb. 9:23-26) while continuing to be serviced by
Yeshua (Heb. 7:25; 8:2) and the spiritual sacrifices of the corporate temple
saints (Rev. 6:9-11; 8:3-4).
Note that a very close relationship exists between the
incarnate and heavenly temple systems—the two non-manufactured dimensions—while
no effective relationship exists
between the manufactured dimension and either of the two non-manufactured
dimensions. Animal sacrifices did not cleanse either the heavenly temple or the
incarnate temple. And the blood of Yeshua did not cleanse Herod’s temple. There
is no “mix and match” of service between the manufactured and non-manufactured
temples.
This truth
of system unity together with the fact that Yeshua claims only to be builder of
the non-manufactured incarnate temple will prove critical for the regenerative
case regarding the prophesied millennial sacrifices.
&&&&&&&&&&
The four pillar truths of the Cosmologic Temple Array
account for the fully unfolded picture of scripture, offering the true grid
that lets us understand the inexplicable about restoration prophecy. Shortly,
we will use it offer a sound explanation of the coming millennial worship
system foreseen by the prophets. But first we need to expose the fallacies of
the Messianic interpretation.
NEXT
– PART 24: MESSIANISM’S INTERPRETIVE ERRORS
69 Isa. 2:3; 60:13; Joel 3:18; Hag. 2:7-9; Zech. 6:12
70
Isa. 56:7; Jer. 33:18-22; Zech. 14:21
71 The
term “dispensation” is not a “dirty word” as is so oft portrayed in common
prophetic parlance. The concept of time dispensation has been abused to
advocate the ceasing of the sign gifts after the apostles as well as some other
questionable truths regarding the end times, leading to the negative use of the
term “Dispensational Theology.” My teaching has nothing to do with that
theology. However the concept of dispensations itself is utterly intrinsic to
true theology. Every saint who believes, for instance, in a difference between
God’s dealings with men “before” Calvary and “after” Calvary, or who believes
in any difference in God’s dealings with men before and after any point-in-time
event believes in dispensations.
72 The
concept of exchanges of manifestation
is at the heart of regenerative prophetic perception
73 Prior to
Moses, the heavenly temple existed without any earthly counterpart. The only
point of connection between men and God in His heavenly temple were makeshift
stone altars erected by the saints such as Noah and Abraham (Gen. 8:20; 12:7).
74 The first
earthly copy of the heavenly sanctuary was created by Moses based on a “pattern
shown him in the mount.” David was moved to create a larger fixed earthly
replica, though God said He was happy with the tent. Nevertheless, God assented
to it through Solomon. After its destruction, God re-approved it for building
with Ezekiel (who was actually hosted on a tour of the heavenly temple and
given its pattern on a mountain like Moses), but which was finally built not to
pattern by Zerubbabel and Joshua (with prophetic input from Haggai and
Zechariah)—then later reconstructed by the evil Herod.
75 With
Yeshua, the middle temple dimension was introduced into the earth—that of the
individual and corporate body indwelt by the Lord. A spiritual reality composed
of faith substance but invisible to the naked eye on the earth plane, this
dispensation briefly overlaps with the manufactured temple dispensation. After
Yeshua’s death, the manufactured temple with its service reduces to obsolescence, becoming a “lame duck” relic (“ready to
vanish away”) until its predicted destruction in 70 AD.
76 Past our
age, temple manifestation moves from invisible spiritual human corporation to glorified immortal corporation in interplay
with the glorified substance of the heavenly temple. This is conveyed by
the Book of Revelation, and regeneratively
pre-witnessed by the Old Covenant prophets (to be proven). In
this period, an interactive melding exists between the corporate human and
glorified substance dimensions, in which the people are the temple (Rev. 3:12; 7:15-17) yet interface with glorified
substances also identifiable as God’s temple (Rev. 11:19; 14:15,17; 15:5-6,8).
77 By the end
of the cosmologic development, the glorified substance dimension of the temple
entirely disappears, to be completely subsumed by the Lamb Himself joined to
His glorified temple people as his body-temple.
78 Alternatively, Yahweh may be
speaking simultaneously of His heavenly temple and the glorified body of saints
as seen in Revelation. They sound as
one, but their properties are nevertheless distinctly different. One remains in
heaven, the other will appear on the earth. Again, He may be speaking in
overlay of Israel’s manufactured temple and the millennial temple—a temple that
Revelation shows to be comprised only of glorified saints and heavenly
substance. This is seen by the
restoration prophets. Yet though they sound as one, they absolutely are
not. (Discernment of through-perspectivity with regard to these dimensions is what
lies at the heart of the debate at hand.)