One of the most perplexing questions that pops into in my mind when studying the Levitical Sacrificial System is the following:
If Yeshua fulfilled the requirements of the Levitical sacrificial system, then why will the 3rd temple be built and sacrifices begin again?
Isn’t that one a stumper?
When the Temple is rebuilt and sacrifices start up again, nowhere do we find the Bible condemning this behavior.
This is a real mystery and in someway has me wondering if the simplistic black and white notion that Yeshua just replaced the Levitical sacrificial system is as accurate as the gentile church has made it out to be.
Another interesting point is that the New Testament calls believers today “temples of God“.
“Don’t you know that you people are
God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”
-1 Corinthians 3:16
Even Yeshua said He was greater than the temple.
“I tell you,
there is in this place something
greater than the Temple!”
-Matthew 12:6
or…
“We heard him say,
‘I will destroy this Temple made with hands;
and in three days I will build another one,
not made with hands.”
-Mark 14:58
The church teaches that mankind became “temples of God” on Shavuot (the Hebrew word for Pentecost).
That’s not entirely accurate.
On Shavuot or the Day of Pentecost, there wasn’t one gentile in the upper room when the Spirit descended.
Second, this wasn’t the first time that the Spirit came to dwell within man.
All the so-called New Testament gifts of the Holy Spirit can also be found in the TANACH.
Now maybe it can argued that this was the first time that the Holy Spirit came to dwell PERMANENTLY in man.
Maybe, maybe not, I’m not 100% sure at the moment.
One thing I feel like I can say with confidence is that the only thing that made the Temple a temple of God was God’s Spirit.
Without God’s Spirit dwelling there, the temple was nothing but a hollow structure.
The same thing goes for human beings.
It is only the Spirit of the Lord dwelling within us that makes us temples of God.
Now here’s another stumper.
The Scriptures strongly imply that the Lord’s Spirit will return to the Temple when it’s rebuilt.
Therefore, in no way do I think believers should adopt the viewpoint that the coming 3rd Temple will be redundant.
Nor should we be judgmental towards those Jews who yearn for the Temple or the efforts being made in preparation for the 3rd Temple.
The Bible is clear that ritual sacrifice will begin again.
Let’s not forget that Yeshua, His disciples, and early believers constantly gathered at the Temple.
So what are some possible answers to the difficult question I posed at the beginning of this post?
Will the 3rd Temple and the revived ritual sacrifices have a different purpose and meaning than before Yeshua walked the earth?
Will it be a visual confirmation and monument to the fact that the Lord has chosen Jerusalem as His eternal capital?
Will it simply be a commemoration of the Lord’s salvation plan and a clear demonstration of what Yeshua fulfilled?
When the Temple services are reestablished and the fire of the Brazen Altar is rekindled, when a parade of bulls, sheep, and goats are lined up towards the Altar, will these events be the key trigger that moves the heart of the Jewish people to realize that Yeshua of Nazareth fulfilled all of this.
I just don’t know for sure.
You may wonder why even write about a question to which you have no answer?
I write about it because it is a question that cannot, should not, be ignored.
And also in the hopes that there might be somebody out there who can shed some clarifying light on this topic.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“And all they who believed, were together;
and whatever belonged to them,
was of the community.
And they who had a possession,
sold it, and divided to each one as he had need.
And they continued daily in the temple,
with one soul: and at home,
they broke bread and took food rejoicing,
and in the simplicity of their heart.”
-Acts 2:44-46
One thing I discovered and it blew up all the doctrines which says Christ changed everything. The covenants of God with the Jews will not pass away till all is fulfilled. When is that? When all creation comes to an end. God showed me there is a Mosaic covenant with the Jews. Then He showed me there is a covenant with the Gentiles. This is the New Covenant sealed by His blood. Both conenants are valid and unbreakable. They also don’t contradict each other. This is what Paul was teaching. Gentiles could enter into the Mosaic covenant or the Jews could join the Gentile covenant and not be under the laws of Moses. When I realized this I no longer sought to convert Jews. The same goes for Gentiles in Christ who don’t need to be bound by the Mosaic laws. Hence Paul stating we are no longer under the law (Moses) in Christ. But if a Jew wants to remain under the Mosaic law he will be blessed. Deuteronomy 28:1-15
Sorry Russell. I am adamantly opposed to the idea that God has made a separate covenant with the Gentiles. He has made a covenant or covenants ONLY WITH ISRAEL. However, gentiles can be grafted into the covenants that God has made with Israel. Shalom.
I concur with richoka
Then what is the new covenant Jesus makes with his blood and body? He states its a new covenant. Paul states the old will pass away and be replaced with the new. The new covenant would never ends, because it has no end in sight. The covenant of Moses is based on following his physical laws. When there is no earthly body then the laws of Moses cease to be. The covenant becomes obsolete.The false doctrine the modern church teaches is that this has already happened and firmly disagree with Jesus who stated that not one period of the law would pass away before heaven and earth does. So when heaven and earth end so does the law of Moses and the covenant attached to it. Then and only then is it replaced by the covenant Paul speaks of. If you notice Paul’s words he never says the Mosaic covenant has passed away but was fading away like old garment. The church has falsely assumed the law has passed away. If you notice John the baptizers words he speaks of the world forgiven without having to do anything. From my perspective the only law worth keeping is the 10 Words. Following the 10 Words grants entrance into the Kingdom. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 are the blessing for obedience to the 10 Words. Those are the same blessing Jesus brought as evidence of the Kingdom of God.
Just talking, none us agree 100%. Note trying to give you a hard time Rich, I like you. I save my hard times for others here. 😉
When we refer to “old” covenant “new covenant, I was and am under the impression that the covenant has not changed i.e. the rules, regulations, stipulations etc. What has changed is the method of administration. Whereas the “old” covenant was written on stone, and in “books”, the “new” covenant is written or will be written in the mind by God himself. “For finding fault with them, he says, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.” Hebrew 8:8-11
The fault was not the law & how it was administered, the fault was the people’s inability to remember and keep the law.
He is going to get around this by making a new administration of the law and that new administration is instead of the people having to read and memorize his law he is going to place his law directly into their mind. The covenant is the same just how it is administrated is different.
Your comment makes good sense Terry. It’s not the “contents” of the covenant that has changed but how it is administered. Thanks for sharing.
The millenial reign sacrifices are for the gentiles that will come up to worship in Jerusalem in the feast in order to be blessed with rain in there land (isaiah 66 i think). When the Messiah returns as the King of the world, He will no longer be a high priest atoning for sins in heaven. He doesn’t have that authority on the earth since He is not a Levite or descendant of Aaron. By gentiles i mean people who were not born again and didn’t become part of Israel, the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem descending from heaven.
17 It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons and the Sabbaths—at all the appointed festivals of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the Israelites.-Ezekiel 45.
If Ezekiel 45:17 is allegory, then Ezekiel 40ch-48ch is allegory, then the entire Bible is all allegory. and I can’t trust or put my faith in any of the words.
I don’t know how the Millennial Temp and Ezekiel Temple operates and I have not found anyone who has. PS. I would love to have you on my YouTube CHannel. Great is HIS Reward
Sorry. No Millennial Reign Sacrifice.
“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
Revelation 21:22
Ezekiel 40-48 was written PRIOR to the building of the 2nd Temple.
God would not have given His “blueprint” of the new city and temple before the 2nd Temple was built if it was meant to be for the 3rd Temple.
In fact, Ezekiel even declared that will no longer be a prophet who will help them understand the things of the Lord.
“Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.” Ezekiel 7:26
So when God lays out the “blueprint” for the city and temple, we see that they did not obey and built the new temple in their image.
Nowhere do you see that GOD Himself commissioned, approved, or blessed their work.
Nor do you find any words of prophets following Daniel and Ezekiel.
They were good men with good intentions, YES! But they were not being guided by God.
Unless Revelation 21:22 is wrong?
Strictly related to the subject of this episode.
I believe that before the coming of the Lord, before the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and before our blessed hope, the third temple will be built. But, I do not believe that God will be in that temple.
Why do I believe this?
For several reasons:
1. New wine is not put into old wineskins (Matthew 9:14-17, and it’s no coincidence that we started with verse 14…);
2. No one sees the kingdom of God unless he is born again of God (John 3:3). And when we speak of Israel, we are speaking of all the Jews, all those who are still waiting for the Messiah, which is why they will rebuild the Temple…
… and there are many more reasons, but I’ll stop here…
And they will rebuild the Temple, and they will wait for the Fire of God from heaven to come for the sacrifice, that red vine… and this is what will happen, “And it does great wonders, so that fire comes down from heaven to earth before men” (Revelation 13:13).
Shalom
Error: read ~that red heifer~, instead ~red vine~
Strictly related to the subject of this episode.
I believe that before the coming of the Lord, before the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and before our blessed hope, the third temple will be built. But, I do not believe that God will be in that temple.
Why do I believe this?
For several reasons:
1. New wine is not put into old wineskins (Matthew 9:14-17, and it’s no coincidence that we started with verse 14…);
2. No one sees the kingdom of God unless he is born again of God (John 3:3). And when we speak of Israel, we are speaking of all the Jews, all those who are still waiting for the Messiah, which is why they will rebuild the Temple…
… and there are many more reasons, but I’ll stop here…
And they will rebuild the Temple, and they will wait for the Fire of God from heaven to come for the sacrifice, that red heifer… and this is what will happen, “And it does great wonders, so that fire comes down from heaven to earth before men” (Revelation 13:13).
Shalom