THE PROBLEM OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM

PART 24

 

A TRAIL OF MESSIANIC ISSUES, CONT.

 

 

7. The Meaning of Ezekiel’s Temple and the Restoration Sacrifices, Cont.

 

Messianism’s Interpretive Errors

Reconstructionist Messianism is blind to most of the Cosmologic Temple Array. It is especially blind to the Array’s forward dispensational development that reveals the exchange of earlier earthly Temple manifestations for later glorified ones. Nor does it have the through-perspectivity to differentiate layered dimensional / dispensational applications within the same prophecy. Consequently, Messianics misappropriate the visions of future temple sacrifice to champion millennial reconstruction of what the apostles have already declared defunct in the revelational continuum.

 

- Flawed Assumptions

Messianic interpretation rests on a combination of flawed assumptions related to these two particular blind spots. They are that:

 

1.    all that the prophets see is to be fulfilled in a dispensation entirely futuristic to theirs, and /or

2.    what the prophets foresee is entirely unchangeable in form of fulfillment from their own dispensational frame of reference.

 

For instance, Messianics specifically interpret Ezekiel’s temple vision entirely by its millennial aspect (chapters 47-48), dismissing all present tense meaning and application to Ezekiel’s generation. At the same time, in projecting his sacrificial order into the Millennium—they assume it to be permanently unchangeable in manifest form from the way Ezekiel saw it and understood it from his dispensation.

The reasoning is that since no temple was subsequently built to Ezekiel’s specifications nor its ordinances carried out, then God must intend it to be carried out in the future according to Ezekiel’s original dispensational frame of reference. Confirmation for this is then obtained by linking Ezekiel’s vision to Zechariah’s and others’ visions of a Mosaic-style Millennial Age temple system—visions all received under the same dispensational point of reference, and all subject to the same two assumptions.

 

          - The Messianic “Achilles Heel”

This reasoning however fails at the second assumption—the assumption of form unchangeability. Here is the problem: All these visions occur in the revelational era prior to the mortal incarnational temple era, and they all project into the glorified future beyond that era. Yet not one of them even sees the incarnational temple era in between, which includes Yeshua and His sacrifice.⁷⁹ That is to say, not one of these prophets sees the very dispensation on which Messianism hangs its existence!

Here, precisely here, is the Achilles heel of Messianic Interpretation. It is what the restoration prophets do not see. It’s that simple. Behold—an entire dispensation of the Cosmologic Temple Array unaccounted for by the prophets! And just why is this one little fact so fatal to Messianic interpretation? It’s because it destroys the assumption of form unchangeability.

The assumption that there can be no change of temple form between what the prophets knew in their day and what they saw of it millennially is only good if the continuity between the Mosaic and the millennial temple manifestations is uninterrupted. But if an unforeseen dispensation with a different Temple form interposes itself between the one in which a temple vision is given and the one in which it is fulfilled, then it can’t be proven that the fulfillment must be on the terms of the vision’s original dispensational form. If the prophets didn’t foresee Yeshua’s incarnational temple order immediately after them—one of an entirely different temple form than theirs—how can one prove that the still later millennial temple order they did foresee Him building will conform to the original substance of order as they knew it? He can’t.              

Alternatively, the only other way to preserve the continuity of the prophets’ original material temple form into the Millennium is to dismiss the validity of the “interposing dispensation” altogether. The “supposed” era of a “spiritual human temple” built by “one named Yeshua” featuring “his own death” at the center of its sacrificial system must be deemed fraudulent. “After all, who has a right to interpose such a system into the cosmology if the restoration prophets did not see it?” It is “adding to the Law and the Prophets.”  In this case then, Messianism must dismiss itself as fraudulent. It self-destructs before Judaism.

Messianism tortures itself by trying to hold on to the prophets as the “last word” on future reality while also trying to hold onto a Yeshua who inaugurated a new temple order they didn’t even see. So Messianics illogically accept Yeshua’s new temple system while rejecting His apostles’ teaching on it that negates the viability of the prophets’ visions in original form. Messianism accepts parts of Yeshua’s incarnational order in spite of the prophets’ silence while rejecting the rest of it “based on the prophets.”

But that is senseless, illogical. It doesn’t work. It’s either all or nothing. Either all the truth about Yeshua’s later incarnational temple system is valid “in spite of the prophets,” or none of it is. Either believe that, to accept Yeshua’s unforeseen temple order at all, the Mosaic order must be changeable in any future manifestation, or believe that the entire incarnational temple order—including its Author—is fraudulent. Only then will the assumption of prophetic unchangeability be able to stand. 

 

          - Bulleting the Flaws

It is from the single fatal assumption of form unchangeability that the case for Mosaic temple restoration based on these visions breaks up. That break up occurs—not just in comparing the prophets against the whole of scripture, but—from within the prophets’ own writings. The following points summarize the flaws. (For a fuller presentation of these flaws with the scriptural citations, please see the Appendix: Ezekiel’s Temple and the Reconstructionist Dilemma.) 

 

·        The millennial temple toured by Ezekiel lies entirely outside of any city and its dimensions far exceed those of the present Mt. Zion. Therefore the vision does not support belief in a millennial temple to be erected on present day Mt. Zion or anywhere inside the present city of Jerusalem.

·        Ezekiel’s own vision effects major changes to the Mosaic temple system. So does Zechariah’s. Therefore they can’t be used to advocate future fulfillment of the Mosaic system to the “jot and tittle.” Rather, they disprove the possibility.

·        Ezekiel’s vision is subject to internal changes. Some temple areas cited in one part of the vision as profane are later inexplicably changed to holy. If the vision is subject to internal change, its own form of temple service is therefore also subject to change.

·        Millennial reconstruction of the Mosaic temple order is not confirmed by the Book of Revelation, a later superior revelation in the revelational continuum.

·        Conditions intrinsic to Ezekiel’s worship system are incompatible with millennial conditions, including: Zadokite elevation and Levite rejection without respect to Calvary; injunctions pertaining to divorce and torn animals, and the possibility of bad crop years. Thus, either the system is not millennial, or it must be changed before it can be, or it is both by virtue of through-perspective.

·        Ezekiel’s temple is cleansed with animal blood (as presumably is the one seen by Zechariah). The millennial temple however, if from heaven, cannot be so cleansed because heavenly material is cleansable only by Yeshua’s blood. Therefore Ezekiel’s temple is not millennial. Alternatively, if the millennial temple is made of manufactured materials cleansed by animal blood, it cannot be built by Yeshua (in conflict with Zechariah). For manufactured temples are but shakable “copies” built only by mortals. Yeshua however, the Creator, is not mortal, does not build copies and uses only unshakable uncreated materials. Therefore, to be millennial, the temple system envisioned by Ezekiel and Zechariah must undergo change of form.

·        Ezekiel is personally instructed to build the altar associated with the temple he tours, as well as to offer sacrifices and to have sacrifice offered for him. But if this is millennial, Ezekiel will be an immortal, neither offering sacrifice for sin nor with need of it for himself. Thus the system as he saw it could only be for his immediate time, or otherwise must change in form if he is to have part in it millennially, or both via through-perspective.

·        Ezekiel is restricted from the Holy of Holies. This cannot be true in the Millennium as Yeshua has since opened the way thereto, demonstrated by the rent veil. Thus Ezekiel’s vision is either non-millennial or it must undergo system change when it appears millennially, or both.

·        In Ezekiel’s temple, Yahweh accepts foreigners only on the basis of physical circumcision. But since Yeshua and the Jerusalem Council, this has been waived. Thus Ezekiel’s vision is either non-millennial or it must undergo system change when it appears millennially, or both. Any concept of reversion to “split access” (i.e., acceptance of different peoples on different physical terms) is fantastically regressive, untenable and impermissible under System Unity.

 

The sacrifices offered in Ezekiel’s temple literally atone for sin (including Ezekiel’s). This conflicts with the once-for-all atonement offered by Yeshua to atone and cleanse from all sin. Ezekiel’s offerings are not “commemorative,” and under the principle of System Unity, there is no possibility of “split atonement” (i.e., atonement by Yeshua for some sin and atonement by animal blood for other sin.) This absolutely mandates a change in original meaning and application of Ezekiel’s system if it is to be conducted millennially.

 

NEXT – PART 25: THE CASE FOR REGENERATIVE UNDERSTANDING

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