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THE PROBLEM OF MESSIANIC
JUDAISM
PART 25
A TRAIL OF MESSIANIC ISSUES, CONT.
7. The
Meaning of Ezekiel’s Temple and the Restoration Sacrifices,
Cont.
The
Case for Regenerative Understanding
Change.
Change.
Change. That is the operative word within these visions. The above
arguments all prove that for the visions of temple system
restoration to find any millennial fulfillment, they must
undergo
an essential transformation in meaning and application.
Otherwise, they really argue for the re-establishment of pure non-messianic
Judaism—meaning the rejection of Yeshua’s entire
incarnational temple system, and the repudiation of
Messianism itself.
But if these visions cannot be understood reconstructively,
is it possible to explain them in a way that both honors the
New
Covenant teaching yet still respects the literal
nature of the visions?
Ezekiel’s vision is indisputably concrete. It is exactingly
measurable. And some of its millennial elements are
confirmed by John’s vision—the river out of the east gate,
the healing trees on its banks, the walls with the tribal
names inscribed on them. And what of the other prophecies
describing Jerusalem as a literal place of return for
Yeshua—that Yeshua will indeed build the temple, and that
sacrifices will be offered?
It
is neither satisfying nor reasonable to conclude that these
visions of future temple worship were mere allegory,
metaphor, vision without substance (i.e., a dream) or that
they were simply cancelled. (If what the visions foresaw was
merely to be cancelled before coming to pass, there was
really no point in them. They never depicted anything real.)
So
then, back to the question: Is it possible? Can we find a
literal post-New Covenant meaning to these visions? Can we reconcile them with Hebrews without dismissing
their concrete essence?
- The Regenerative
Solution
The answer
is “yes.” There is
a way to understand Ezekiel—and all the prophets—respecting
a literal future temple and its sacrifices that does not
contradict Hebrews. As we have already shown
regarding the Law and the feasts, so again,
the answer is found only in regenerative understanding.
Regenerative understanding is not allegorical or
metaphorical. It does not dismiss the temple visions as
non-substantial spiritual “concepts” for the mind. Rather,
it is transformational. It sees the fulfillments as real,
but not on the plane of natural reality. It sees them as
“the substance of
things not yet seen.” Regenerative
understanding has the power to assign glorified applications
to the system of worship the prophets saw—applications yet
incomprehensible in their (and our) time—as well as to strip
those visions of the carnal conditions connected to their
time-bound dimension.
But again,
in order to discover the glorified fulfillments, we must
understand the three planes of cosmologic reality and their
ages of application. These relate directly to the spectral
temple dimensions and their dispensations already described.
·
Three
Planes and Ages of Cosmologic Reality
We must
grasp that the restoration prophecies ultimately view a time
in earth history when reality
manifests differently from any other time before it. Much of what the prophets
see makes no sense in the present and past ages because
earth has never known the manifestation of reality on the
plane that they saw it. With that in mind, let’s briefly
survey three distinct planes of cosmologic reality and the
ages appointed for their manifestation.
The first
plane of reality is the plane of natural pattern.
It corresponds to the manufactured temple dimension. On this
plane, reality plays out through the medium of carnal
visible forms and rituals that typify unseen heavenly
reality. In the Lord’s economy, an entire age was devoted to
displaying truth on this plane and He instituted a covenant
with a specific people based on that reality. This is of
course the Old Covenant of the Mosaic Era revealed through
the people of Israel.
The
second plane of reality is that of unclothed spirituality. It
corresponds to the incarnational temple dimension. Here,
forms and rituals are mainly done away, replaced by the
invisible operation of the Holy Spirit within believers and
among the world’s peoples. The heavenly reality previously
typified on the first plane is now lived out in the lives of
men through their spirits by the Holy Spirit, with only a
couple visible forms left in place for physical support.80
For example,
the people of God are referred to as the “body
of
Christ” and the “temple
of God.” They are also called “sheep”
and “priests and kings”
who offer themselves as “living
sacrifices” (shedding the life of their souls) as well
as offering the “sacrifices of the fruit of their lips.” All of this is literal
with respect to the spiritual realm, but none of it is visible
on the natural plane. Hence, it is unclothed spirituality.
The
second
(or “New”) covenant made by Yeshua with all the earth’s
peoples (including the Jews) is at the heart of this plane of
reality. An age was set aside for the outworking of this
inward reality, instituted at the time of Christ’s death,
resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit—what we have
called above the Mortal New Covenant Era. The kingdom of God
in the earth continues to be executed through this plane of
reality.
·
The Age
of Spiritual Physicality
But there
remains a third plane of reality and an earth age for its
manifestation. This is the plane of spiritual physicality. It corresponds to the glorific temple
dimension in action upon the incarnational temple as it is
revealed in the Millennial Age. In this still coming age,
all the currently invisible realities under unclothed
spirituality are made
visible on the natural plane. They are not types and
shadows of what is in heaven. They are the substance
of what is in heaven brought down to earth. This
substance is not the same as that which marks the natural
earth and humanity. It is glorified substance from
another plane with different properties of mass and
visibility.81
Most
importantly
for our discussion is to know that when the prophets are
reporting to us about the age to come, they are seeing what
can only be seen in the dimension of spiritual physicality and
can’t appear on earth until the age of spiritual physicality
is instituted with Yeshua’s glorified return. What they see is
indeed literal. It has substance. It is not “allegorical.” But
it is not natural—not of this earth nor of this flesh life (as
even they would have interpreted it).
For example,
in the natural dimension, John the Immerser calls Yeshua “the Lamb of God.” But Yeshua assumed natural human form like any
man. He was seen as a man, and a man only. Today, in the
spiritually unclothed dimension, Yeshua is not seen at all,
except by spiritual eyes of faith.
But on the
plane of spiritual physicality, Yeshua appears not only as a
man, but assumes the
shape and visage of “the
Lamb Who sits on the Throne.” On this plane, He is not
just called the
Lamb of God. He appears
and is seen as the literal
Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world,
standing forth to take the scroll. (When at the end of this
age the kings cry out “hide us from the wrath of the Lamb,”
it’s because a Lamb is what they indeed see!) Again, this is
literal. It is physical. But it is not natural.
·
Regenerative
Fulfillment of the Temple and its Sacrifices
If we can
understand this, then we can understand Ezekiel’s temple and
all the visions of restored sacrifices. The appearance of
Ezekiel’s temple on the earth will not involve the
constructing of a new building from stone and mortar
according to the pattern of Mosaic ordinances.82
It will be the revelation of the
completed temple of God’s glorified people in conjunction with
other glorified substances brought down from heaven related to
the glorific temple dimension.
At
that time, on the Mount Zion of that
day, men will indeed literally see the assembly of God’s
people in the form of a
temple.
A very good
illustration of this is what artists call a “photomontage.” A photomontage is a photograph comprised of smaller
photos that collectively convey a larger idea or form a larger
image. Some photomontages are actually created using hundreds
or even thousands of miniature photos of people’s faces which,
when viewed at a distance, take on the form and shape of a
greater object.
Another
good illustration is the comparison between life as it appears
at the objective whole level and how it appears at the
intensely magnified cellular or atomic level (as seen through
a microscope.) At
present, we see only at the “cellular” and “atomic” levels
what in heaven is visible at the objective whole level,
whether it is the temple of God, the body of Christ or the
various cosmic national “beasts.” These heavenly corporate
constructs have literal
substance. They are not
allegories. But from our confined microscopic vantage,
we can see only individual atoms and cells called “people.”
o
The Regenerative Temple
So is it concerning the temple Ezekiel saw and toured! Now,
we see only little individual “living stones.” But Ezekiel
saw the entire temple, not as people, but as the structural
elements the Lord’s people will corporately assume in the
glorified manifestation on the Mount Zion of the Millennial
Age.83
At that
time, the assembly of God’s glorified people will, through
properties not now known, take on the visage of the temple.
One who functions as a spiritual pillar now in the invisible
spiritual temple will in the Millennium indeed appear as “a
pillar in the temple of My God.”
Nor
should all this seem as far-fetched or fantastic as it may
sound! The increasing modern ability to project images through
various mediums (such as holographic images) already mirrors
in advance the possibility of these types of appearances
overlaying physical reality in the glorified realm.
This
also makes perfect sense in view of John’s vision of the New
Jerusalem which the angel identifies as “the Bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9). This was not a mirage. John
beheld the descent of a literal city described by concrete
heavenly materials including gold, pearl and other precious
stones. Yet “it” was called the “Lamb’s wife.” Yet we know
that God does not marry
buildings and inanimate objects! He marries a people.
If then God marries only people, but John saw an inanimate
object called “the Bride,” it can only mean that the assembly
of God’s glorified people has the capacity in regenerative
reality to assume the visage of a city.
So
it is that, in the Regenerative Age, under the properties of
spiritual physicality, God’s indwelling of His glorified
people and of His temple mysteriously assume an
interchangeable visibility in appearance. And once revealed to
the earth, this reality will itself assume development as
there will be further change over time between the earth under
millennial conditions and the New Earth that is still to come.
o
The Regenerative Sacrifices
What then of
the millennial sacrifices?
In the
Restoration Age, within the glorified corporate
“temple-assembly” of the immortal saints (which will have
the appearance of everything Ezekiel detailed), the earth’s
mortal peoples will come to offer themselves
as
living sacrifices (Rom. 12:2). These sacrifices will
be made down to the various facets of life where sin yet
lurks and a soul offering must be made, or else as a “drink offering” (II Tim. 4:6). Men will also offer the “fruit
of their lips” in sacrifice (Heb. 13:15; ie,
regenerative todah)
and they will offer the “incense”
of their prayers (Rev. 5:8; 8:4).
In our day,
these are all described as “spiritual sacrifices.” Because
there is no literal visibility attached to them here, to us
they are just metaphors. But they are not
metaphors. Faith is the substance
of things not seen. In heaven this very moment, spiritual sacrifices
on earth carry actual properties of visibility as animal and
other sacrifices; just as the “Lamb of God” in heaven is
indeed seen as a lamb.
But
when the Restoration Age is inaugurated and the plane of
spiritual physicality is introduced to the earth, when men
make their spiritual offerings, they will manifestly
appear as priests offering animal sacrifices, grain
offerings, drink offerings and smoking incense!
For
every kind of sacrifice found in the Mosaic system, there
will be a corresponding regenerative manifestation
associated with the living sacrifices in the spiritual
physicality era. The type of soulish or bodily sin over
which worshippers come to offer themselves before the Lord
in His assembly will determine the type of animal that
manifests through their living sacrifice.
That
is what men will see in that day when people come to offer
their souls and bodies before the Lord in His assembly. And
that is what
Ezekiel and the prophets saw. In fact, Ezekiel even gives us
a hint of this reality in which he directly describes men in
the Restoration in terms of sacrificial flocks:
36:37 'Thus
says
the Lord GOD, "This also I will let the house of Israel ask
Me to do for them: I
will increase their men like a flock. 38 "Like the flock for
sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during
her appointed feasts, so
will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.'"
Wow!
What a regenerative prediction from a restoration prophet.
And so we may apply this to the vision Ezekiel saw only four
chapters later. The sacrificial meat on the tables Ezekiel
beheld (40:43) may be the glorific
meat of some Millennial Age believer that gives his
total body in consecration to the Lord.84
It easily corresponds to the
glorific reality John saw of souls shed as blood under the
altar in heaven. Truly, what these visionaries saw by way of
heavenly encounter will appear on earth in the Millennial Age
of spiritual physicality.
o
“Better Sacrifices Than These”
The
regenerative understanding of future sacrifices ultimately
explains and is supported by the mysterious little phrase
from Hebrews 9:23 that “the heavenly things themselves [are to be cleansed] with
better sacrifices than these.” Hebrews has built
the case that Yeshua’s once-for-all sacrifice has cleansed
the heavenly temple (9:11-12). His is but one sacrifice. Yet
Hebrews also speaks of heavenly things being cleansed with many sacrifices.
Since animals can’t cleanse heavenly things now or future,
the only sacrifices these can refer to are those of God’s
people. In its first heavenly application, it refers to the
spiritual incarnational temple as it is being purged even
now by our living sacrifices. But in its second heavenly
application, it refers to the millennial temple.
We have already proved the millennial temple is
of heavenly origin (otherwise Yeshua cannot be its builder.)
If then this temple is to be cleansed by multiple better
sacrifices, it cannot be Yeshua’s sacrifice, as His is once
and for all, and it cannot be animals as theirs is not
“better.” It can only then be the sacrifices of God’s people
appearing in regeneratively glorific form as animal
sacrifices in fulfillment of the restoration visions. Again
the beauty of regenerative understanding shines. (On the
other hand, how does Messianism explain “better sacrifices?”)
&&&&&&&&&&
It’s
unnecessary to try to explain the spiritual physicality
behind every detail of the prophetic visions. Nor is it
necessary to explain how the dimensions of spiritual
physicality and natural life will coexist in the Millennial
Age. (We’re just not there yet!) All that’s necessary here
is to viably show how spiritual physicality operates
relative to the realms of natural pattern and spiritual
unclothing. By this we prove how the Book of Hebrews (which
announces the end of natural pattern) and the restoration
prophecies (which herald the age of spiritual physicality)
are in no wise
contradictory but wholly reconcilable.
In final
reality, the prophets’ visions foretell the physical
expression of glorified substance that will clothe the
spiritual realities about which the New Covenant apostles
teach, but which are only visible now inside the heavenly
realm. (All of us really do wear real miters, even if we
can’t see them now!)85
And now, as we have more than adequately shown, far from
being problematic to regenerative New Covenant belief, the
prophecies of restored sacrifices are explainable only
thereby. But for those who would try to explain them
reconstructively while holding onto Yeshua as the Lamb of God,
they prove an absolute nightmare, self-destroying their own
belief system. This will continue to be evident as we look at
further restoration age issues Messianics raise to advance
reconstructionism.
NEXT
–
PART 26: MEANING OF THE RESTORED
LEVITICAL MINISTRY
80 viz., baptism and communion
81 Yeshua’s
resurrected
body affords an example of glorified substance having
different properties of mass and visibility.
82 This is being attempted reconstructively now before
the Lord returns, even as the Sanhedrin has been
lately recreated and plans are under way for
reinstituting the Mosaic system. But all of these
reconstructions are being implemented in unbelief, are
not pleasing to God, and will not be the fulfillment
of what Ezekiel saw. They are antichrist counterfeits
which will be destroyed.
83 For discussion on the
difference between present and future Mt. Zion and its
impact on the reconstructionist argument, please see
the section in the appendix called “The Quandary of Location.”
84 This
idea
is consistent with the fact that Ezekiel’s vision
indeed saw into the millennial future. If the trees of
healing Ezekiel sees are glorified, and one wishes to
interpret Ezekiel’s entire system futuristically, then
one is within the realm of reason to see the meat that
way, consistent with John’s vision of human souls
under the altar. To consider the meat as natural
animal meat is itself a natural assumption only not
necessarily warranted by the vision.
85 Zechariah
3:3-5
offers up an example of regenerative priestly clothing
as seen now only in heaven, but which will become
visible in the age of spiritual physicality. The
“white robes” of Revelation testify to the same
reality. These are not allegories or mere dreams.