Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Ezek. 43, A Real Temple and Altar in the Millennium

Some think if almost blasphemy to teach that there could ever be a real temple (an earthly building where God is worshiped) and altar (a place where sacrifices are made) in the Millennial Reign of Christ.  After all, if there is such a thing as an earthly kingdom where Messiah rules (if you take the Bible literally you have no choice but to accept that truth), then Christ the Lord will be there, removing the need for a building.  And He has already finished the work of atonement on the cross, so again, to have and use an altar for sacrifices casts doubt on the sufficiency of Jesus’ most important work on earth.  So, people who think like this, Ezek. 40-48 is probably a symbolic reference to the New Jerusalem, even though there would be useless details provided for doing all of this, details that do not align with the heavenly City. 

First, just a reminder.  We are not just dependent on Ezekiel for talk about a real temple in Jerusalem when Jesus reigns.  Zechariah 14 and Isa. 2:1-4/Micah 4:1-3 require a temple and an altar. 

I believe both an earthly temple and earthly altar make perfect sense.  Hear me out.  What is the earthly Kingdom of Messiah, but the answer to the prayer in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Heaven and earth relate to the “kingdom” as well as God’s “will.”  This is the whole point of Messiah’s rule.  After the constant failure of sinful men to make the earth the realization of the Kingdom of God, Christ will come and will do just that!  If this does not happen at some time then God’s promises are suspect.

Note that Ezekiel says the glory of God fills the earthly temple (Ez. 12:3-5) even as it does the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22).  Further, Ezekiel says that the LORD (YAHWEH) will come to the temple to worship.  Ezekiel tells us that the LORD (Messiah) is King, and that He rules through a “prince” (44:1-3).  Again, this makes sense.  Even David, the man after God’s heart, could not rule perfectly as the King who was in the place of God.  Remember Ezek. 28 where the “king of Tyre” is Satan (28:11ff), while the “prince of Tyre” is what we would call the “king” (28:2).  So in the earthly kingdom of Messiah, He is King, and He rules through a descendant of David who “gets it right.”  God is honored through this heavenly kingdom that has come to earth.

And what of the altar?  Again, it makes sense.  First, the big point is: the sacrifices at an earthly temple never brought atonement.  Hebrews makes that clear.  But atonement was granted when worshipers came to worship.  It was the faith of the worshiper that made atonement real to that person.  So in the Millennial Reign.  Sacrifices will look back at the work of Christ.  It will be an act that reveals faith in the One who has made the perfect sacrifice. 

No comments: