·       The Quandary of Construction

Zechariah’s prophecy that the Branch (i.e., Yeshua) will build the [millennial] temple (6:12) is used in conjunction with Ezekiel’s vision to prove that Yeshua on His return will indeed build (or rebuild) a natural temple constructed of manufactured materials, which of course he will cleanse with the sacrifices Ezekiel saw (perhaps assumed to be those of “the Prince” in chapter 44). But again, the problems are insurmountable.

If the millennial temple is supposed to be a manufactured temple of earth materials, it cannot be built by Yeshua (which would conflict with Zechariah 6:12). This is because Yeshua is incapable of building a temple constructed of manufactured earth materials.

Hebrews says that manufactured temples are copies of heavenly things. But as Creator, Yeshua does not build copies. He only builds originals. The only temple Yeshua personally claims to build is His church (Mt. 16:18), confirmed by Hebrews which identifies Yeshua only as the builder of the House of His own people {“which house we are” 3:6). Finally, Hebrews tells us Yeshua is to bring us a priest-kingdom that is unshakable because it is made of uncreated materials (12:27-28).

This leaves only the possibility that Yeshua will construct the millennial temple of uncreated materials. But if so, then, as already established, it cannot be cleansed by animal blood. Hence it cannot be cleansed by the sacrificial system Ezekiel saw in the form that he saw it.

Application to Zechariah

It is really important right here to note that the quandaries of cleansing and construction equally affect Zechariah’s visions of the temple and restored sacrifice. Whatever properties are true of the temple Yeshua builds in 6:12 must be true of the sacrifices offered in 14:21.

If Yeshua—as the Branch—is the builder of the temple, and He builds only an indestructible temple made of glorified materials, and if glorified temples are cleansable only with “better sacrifices” than those of animals, then the sacrifices that accompany the temple service of Zechariah can only be glorified sacrifices of a higher regenerative order than Zechariah could have possibly understood.

In this then, Zechariah does not confirm Ezekiel’s vision of Mosaic restoration. (We previously noted that Zechariah also changes Mosaic regulations for the Feast of Booths.) Rather, Zechariah is found subject to the same necessary transformations of meaning as is Ezekiel.

Collapse of the Reconstructionist Case Based in Ezekiel

Altogether, these quandaries show us that the temple Ezekiel toured could not have been cleansed by the sacrifices he saw on the order of his own dispensational reality. Either the sacrificial order Yahweh gave Ezekiel to see was only a pattern for his own time, or the order he viewed had a glorified transformational meaning of which he was ignorant in his own time, or both by virtue of through-perspective.

In all other cases, if reconstructively interpreted, the Old Covenant prophecies of a millennial temple and restored animal sacrifice finally can only argue for the re-establishment of pure Judaism and the rejection of a new covenantal order featuring a sacrificial system “supposedly” instituted by one named Yeshua and ultimately centered on His unforeseen Incarnational Temple. Thus it argues for the repudiation of Messianism itself.   

In the end, only regenerative understanding has the power to assign glorified applications to the system of worship Ezekiel saw—applications yet incomprehensible in his time—and to strip those applications of the carnal conditions connected to the time-bound dimension of the vision. Only regenerative vision has the power to explain Ezekiel in a way that preserves the case for Yeshua, His unforeseen Incarnational Temple and that honors the apostolic teachings of Hebrews. And if so, then Messianism is again repudiated.

Whichever way one looks, the Messianic case for restored sacrifices can neither survive its own premises nor against the truth of New Covenant regeneration. The only choice is Judaism without Christ, or regenerative transcendental New Covenant faith free from Judaism in all respects. Messianics are left with a serious choice to ponder.