Bible Question:
Concerning Ezekiel's vision of the Temple in chapters 40-44: 1. Which temple is this (i.e. when)? 2. What are the sacrifices for? 3. Who is the prince? 4. What do all the measurements mean (symbolism if any)? I have read several commentaries on these chapters and I am still confused. |
Bible Answer: Loavesnfishes, The answer is Christ and His church. Really understanding why I feel so confident in this requires to think through the entire theology of the "temple" throughout scripture. I'll chart some beginning things to study. 1. Creation. No temple, God's presence unhindered walking in the midst of the garden with Adam and Eve. 2. The fall. Man removed from God's presence. Cherubim guards the entrance to the garden. 3. Tabernacle built. Especially note the garden imagry. The candlestick looks essentially like a tree of light in the midst of the dark tabernacle. Parallels to the tree of life. It constantly shines upon the showbread which represents God's convenant people. Key thought: Tabernacle from the beginning was meant to depict the "presence of God with His people." The tabernacle is now where God meets fallen man. Enabled through sacrifice. 4. Temple continues this exact theme. Garden imagery. Presence of God with His People. 5. Time of Ezekiel. Temple is destroyed but another greater temple is being promised. This temple is also notable in that a river is going to flow from it that gives life wherever it goes. 6. People return from exile and rebuild solomon's temple. However, the people who actually saw solomon's temple weep over how insignificant this temple is compared to the previous one. In other words, the rebuilding of the temple at this time most certainly did not fulfill Ezekiel's prophecy. Greater temple still expected. 7. Jesus Christ comes. John's gospel tells us that he "tabernacled" with us. Jesus comes claiming three things. First, his body is a temple. Keep in mind the entire point of the temple is the presence of God with His people. Christ is now the temple in the most literal sense in that He is where God meets with His people. Second, Christ claims that He is greater than Solomon's temple. Third, Christ claims that water flows from Him that whomever drinks it shall live forever. This he said refers to the Holy Spirit which He gives. Christ has become the next progression in the temple story throughout the biblical narrative. 8. Christ dies, is ressurected, ascends, and poors out the Spirit upon the Church. God now dwells in the midst of His church via the Spirit. New Testament writers repeatedly refer to the church as the temple. Christ in us has become the new dwelling place of God with His people (temple). 9. Rev 20-22. John tells us that ultimately in his vision of the new heaven and the new earth that there is no temple there because finally God walks unmediated in the midst of his people. And a river that gives life everywhere it goes flows from not a literal temple building, but the throne where the lamb of God sits, Jesus Christ who is the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence with His people, the true greater temple. In Christ, Beja |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Bible general Archive 4 | Author | ||
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l_defender | ||
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Prophetess3 | ||
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Mchristine | ||
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matricesmith | ||
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loavesnfish | ||
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begbie | ||
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loavesnfish | ||
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Beja | ||
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Beja | ||
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loavesnfish | ||
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Gadrifter58 | ||
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rustic1959 |