I finished off yesterday’s post by asking…
Do you believe there will be another physical Temple built in Jerusalem?
Or do you think any future Temple is to be spiritual…represented only by believers in Messiah?
In other words, what I’m asking is whether the makeshift tent (Ohel) that David prepared for the Ark here in Chapter 7 be considered the 1st Temple or not.
I believe the answer to that question is NO.
Why?
Because we have an earlier example of folks regularly meeting with the Lord in a makeshift tent that was NOT the Wilderness Tabernacle.
This tent was also given divine approval by God.
Check out these verses:
“Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.”-Exodus 33:7-11
So this tent was obviously NOT the Wilderness Tabernacle.
In fact, this “Tent of Meeting” was prepared before the Wilderness Tabernacle was created right after the Golden Calf incident.
The same Hebrew word OHEL for tent is used here.
Even Joshua was allowed to go inside.
However, once the Tabernacle was constructed and the Priesthood was put in place, from that point on, only the priests were allowed to go inside.
Moses would go inside the Tent of the Meeting when God summoned him via a fire cloud that would descend from the heavens.
And there was no Ark inside this tent.
Another similarity to note is the “Tent of Meeting” was separate from the people.
So was David’s tent which was built inside his walled-off complex in the City of David.
So that there in itself should be proof enough this was not the 1st Temple.
The people weren’t visiting this place to offer sacrifices and stuff.
I believe that settles it.
Bottom line, David’s tent was similar to Moses’ tent.
So Solomon’s Temple was the 1st.
Herod’s the 2nd…
Which means the 3rd Temple is to come.
The takeaway coming to me today is that when we interpret Biblical prophecies, more often than not, we don’t take them literally enough!
There’s too much ridiculous spiritualizing or allegorizing going on.
It’s best to take God’s Word at face value.
If He says there’s gonna be a Third Temple…
And that the Levitical sacrifices are gonna be reinstitute…
And that the Messiah is gonna be presiding over these sacrifices…
The gosh darn it, take him at His Word!
Ya feel me?
Done.
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