The Temple: A Place Where Heaven and Earth Could Meet

A year ago we first introduced you to the site of Jonathan Richard Wright. When we checked back this year, there wasn’t a lot of newer material, but I found myself drawn to this article again. (We had linked to it as a bonus item at the time, so apologies if you read it previously, but based on clicks, this will be new to you.) Jonathan is on pastoral staff of a Florida church and his working on his PhD in Theology. Clicking the title which follows will take you to where this first appeared.

Jesus, the Temple, and You

I’m sure you woke up this morning thinking, “I’m a temple!”

Probably not. But, I’d like to show you why you should think that—and I’d like to show you from the Gospel of John. So, let’s do a quick tour of John to see why he uses the theme of the Jewish Temple.

Before we begin, you should know that the Hebrew Bible (what we sometimes call “the Old Testament”) includes a story that is driven by a temple theme. On page one, we read that God’s presence lives in a paradise (“Eden” = “delight”). In this paradise-garden, he places his image (like the kind you’d put in temples)—that’s us! Humans. These humans are told to “guard” and “keep” the paradise which are the same commands given later to priests who’ll care for Israel’s temple.

After humans rebel, God still mercifully lives with his people. First, his presence can be found in a tent, called a “tabernacle” (Exodus 25). Then, eventually, he moves into a physical brick-and-mortar temple built by King Solomon (2 Samuel 7). Fast-forward, and Solomon’s temple is destroyed by surrounding kings, and God’s people soon decide to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1–6). But even with that temple built, the prophet Ezekiel dreamed of a day when a better temple would arrive, one like God’s people had never seen before (Ezekiel 40–48).

But, what exactly happened at these temples? Just like the first temple in paradise, the temple was a place where heaven and earth could meet, where people would be able to go and experience God’s presence. Wherever there’s a temple, God could be known—what a grace!

Enter John’s Gospel.

On its first page we read that Jesus, the Word “became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). Interesting. So, Jesus links himself to God’s tent used by Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness—the mobile presence of Yahweh.

Fast-forward, and in a conversation with Nathaniel, Jesus says, “you will see greater things than these…truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:50–51). We should ask: “where else have I read about God’s angels ascending and descending?”

The answer is: when Jacob dreamed and saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth, and angels are climbing up and down on it (Genesis 28). Jacob awakes, and names that place “Bethel,” or “God’s House”—the exact phrase used to talk about the temple in other Bible passages (1 Chronicles 6:48, Hebrews 10:21). Jesus claims that he is the ladder—the ultimate connection between God’s space and human’s space—Yahweh’s new house.

Seeing the injustice and selfishness happening in Jerusalem’s temple, John writes that Jesus chases money-changers out and declares, “do not make my Father’s house a house of trade” (John 2:16). Then, when asked why he has the right to oversee the worship of the temple, he promises that the temple will be destroyed, but then rebuilt. All Jesus’ hearers miss his point. But then we read that the disciples later remembered, “he was speaking about the temple of his body” (John 2:21). It’s Jesus’ body that is the true dwelling place of God—the real temple.

Let’s keep going. While sitting with a woman with a complicated history by a well, Jesus gets into a debate about the temple. Instead of telling her that she must go to the temple to worship God, Jesus says, “woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father” (John 4:21). Jesus indicates that a new phase has started in how to worship and know God—the temple is no longer needed because the true Messiah has come onto the scene.

In his Gospel, John also imports images from the Jewish festivals of Passover, the Feast of Booths, and Hanukah, and ties them to Jesus. In the Passover, a lamb is killed to remember God passing over the Israelites in Egypt before the Exodus. Then Jesus is called a lamb, showing that he’s taking away his people’s sin (John 1:29, 36). At the Feast of Booths, water is consumed and lamps are lit to remember how Yahweh kept his people alive in the wilderness. Then Jesus offers for anyone to come to him and drink (John 7:37), and proclaims that he’s “the light of the world” (John 8:12). During Hanukah, a Jewish figure who is commissioned by God is remembered. Then Jesus calls himself the one “whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world” (John 10:36). All three of these feasts took place in or around the temple, and here, through using identical words and images, Jesus is described as fulfilling each feast.

Surprisingly, from John 13 on, the temple is never mentioned again. But even as Jesus moves towards his cross-death, he assures his followers that his presence will dwell in them (John 14:10, 15:4). They won’t be alone. In fact, Jesus dies and rises again in order to create a new people—a new family. That’s what he means when he says, “In my Father’s house (“household” or “family”) are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2). Besides comforting his disciples with the news that they’ll forever belong to God, Jesus also means that his redeeming work is forming a people who will be filled with his Spirit—becoming his new house.

All believers, because Jesus is in them and they’re in Jesus, now make up his temple. We’re God’s new house to be bearers of Jesus’ ongoing presence in and to the world until he returns. Jesus is the place where heaven and earth meet, where people can go and experience God’s presence. Wherever Jesus is, God can be known.

And if you’re in Jesus, that’s also you.

Christ’s “More Excellent Ministry” Serving in the Heavenly Temple

^NIV.Heb.8.6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

^{NLT.Heb.9.11-12} So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

In our daily quest to bring you new sources of devotional and study material, we landed at Bible Ask, a site which was new to us, in which you could easily get lost exploring a number of in-depth articles. The ministry is based about 60 miles (100 km) east of Los Angeles. Their guiding verse is Proverbs 22:20-21 which reads,

“Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?” (KJV)

By way of introduction, we’re bringing a shorter piece which appeared just today. Click the link in the header which follows to read this where we found it. Material on the site is also available in French, Spanish, Arabic and Hindi. [Note: linked scriptures provided by Bible Ask are to the KJV.]

Is Christ ministering today in the heavenly Sanctuary?

The Sanctuary – God’s plan of salvation illustrated

“Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary” (Psalm 77:13). God’s way is best understood in the place where He is worshiped. Every part of the sanctuary represents a facet of Christ’s ministry on behalf of men.  The earthly sanctuary, with its two apartments, and its services, is a “shadow,” of the ministry of Christ on behalf of sinners on earth (before His death) and in heaven (after His death). 

The earthly sanctuary – a model of the heavenly one 

God instructed Moses to build Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among people (Exodus 25:8). This sanctuary was made after a “pattern” that was shown to Moses “in the mount” (Exodus 25:9, 40; Acts 7:44). In heaven above, is found the original of which the earthly sanctuary is a “shadow” (Hebrews 8:5; 9:23).  

John writes of “the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven” (Revelation 15:5). In that “temple” he saw the “ark” of the covenant (Revelation 11:19). He also saw the altar of incense (Revelation 8:3). And Paul, speaks of Christ our “High Priest” in heaven (Hebrews 3:1; 9:24), who has offered, once for all, the sacrifice of Himself, shedding His blood in behalf of repentant sinners (Hebrews 9:24–26; 10:12). 

Divisions of the Sanctuary 

The earthly sanctuary was divided into two sections (Exodus 26:31–37), in each, there were certain furniture. The first unit had the table of shewbread, the seven-branched candlestick, and the altar of incense. There, certain services were carried out every day. The second unit, contained the ark of the covenant. And there, a service was done only once a year on the Day of Atonement.  

From studying the earthly sanctuary, we can make specific conclusions concerning what goes on in the heavenly sanctuary. As the earthly service could not begin until the priest had made an offering of sacrifice, so Christ could not begin His heavenly service until He offered His body as a sacrifice on the cross.  

As the earthly sanctuary service had two stages, represented by the two sections, likewise, the heavenly sanctuary had two stages. And as the earthly service was in terms of the first stage until the Day of Atonement, even so the heavenly service was in terms of the first stage until that time, near the close of earth’s history, when our great High Priest started the second stage of His priestly ministry. The prophecy of Daniel 8:14 9:25, shows that Christ began that second phase in 1844. For more on the that prophecy, check the following link.

Christ ministering today in the heavenly sanctuary 

In New Testament era, the Hebrew Christians were greatly unsettled with the issue of how to relate themselves to the earthly sanctuary service that they and their fathers for 1500 years had regarded as central in their worship. Paul had to convince them of the superiority of the heavenly sanctuary and turn their eyes away from the earthly sanctuary to where Christ is actually serving after His death. 

The apostle Paul wrote about the work of Christ as our High Priest (ex. Hebrews 9), in the heavenly sanctuary. He tried to show them by parallels and contrasts, that the earthly sanctuary no longer should be the center of their worship, because the earthly sanctuary was merely a “shadow” of the heavenly one.

For example, Christ is deathless in comparison to the earthly priests (Hebrews 7:23, 24, 28), His offering was much greater than animal offerings (Hebrews 9:11–14, 23–26; 10:11–14), and the heavenly service is “more excellent ministry” than the earthly one (Hebrews 8:6). For these reasons, in the New Testament era, the believer is to come boldly and directly to Christ – the great High Priest in heaven (Hebrews 4:14–16; 10:19–22).

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From the same website: A related question: Did Christ enter the Most Holy Place in the heavenly temple directly after His ascension? 

 

Calvary Opened the Door to Intimacy with God

A year ago we introduced you to author K.K. Hodge, who describes herself as “a family nurse practitioner, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, Sunday School teacher, church treasurer, and crazy critter farmer.” She writes devotions at Inspirations from the Funny Farm and you can read this one at source by clicking the header which follows.

All Access Pass

Exodus 26:31-34 Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker.  Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Put the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place.

Mark 15:37-38 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Part of my Bible study this week was the Holy of Holies. I read the scripture above as well as Leviticus chapter 16, and I couldn’t help but continually rejoice all week over the fact that Jesus gave us an all access pass to God Almighty! For real, Peeps. We have an all access pass. Ponder on that for a moment and what a true treasure this is.

When going to concerts, one occasionally purchases the “all access pass.” This pass gives that person privileges to not only enjoy the concert close up and personal, but that person also gets backstage access and a personal meet and greet with the star attraction. That’s pretty cool! But all access to God is so much better than an all access concert pass.

Way back in Moses’ day, God’s presence was in the Holy of Holies, and God gave Moses very specific instructions in order for Aaron to enter the Holy of Holies.

Aaron wasn’t allowed to enter anytime he pleased. He had to bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He had to put on his sacred linen tunic with linen undergarments, tie a linen sash around him, and put on a linen tunic. He had to bathe prior to putting on the sacred attire. He also had to take 2 male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering from the Israelite community. He then had to offer the young bull for his own sin offering, and then cast lots for the two goats. One lot was for the Lord and one for the scapegoat. The goat whose lot was for the Lord would then be sacrificed for a sin offering, and the scapegoat would be presented alive to make atonement.

After making the sacrifices, he then had to remove his clothing and bathe in water in the sanctuary. All of this had to be done any time Aaron entered the Holy of Holies. If he failed to perform these steps, he would surely die.

Consider that regimen. What great effort Aaron had to go through each time he went before God. Jesus changed everything. The temple curtain was torn, ripped apart, when our Savior became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. When that curtain was ripped in half, the barriers where removed. No more bull or goat sacrifices.

The ultimate sacrificial Lamb paid the price for our sins. He made the final atonement needed. Jesus gave us an all access pass to God Almighty! All we have to do is approach Him in prayer…any time of the day or night…in any clothes we are wearing…at any location on this planet! We have an unlimited, total, all access pass to the Father! Isn’t that encouraging?

Are you taking full advantage of your all access pass? Give God a holler today. He’s been waiting to hear from you.

God Did Not Abandon His People

This is our third visit with Peter Corak who writes devotionals at My Morning Meal. Click the title below to read this at source.

A Sanctuary

“Elvis has left the building.” That’s the phrase once used at the end of an Elvis Presley concert to indicate that the concert was done–like, really done . . . as in, “It’s over, folks. No more music, tonight.”  The people could disperse because the king of rock and roll wasn’t coming back for an encore.

And reading in Ezekiel this morning there’s a sense of similar finality. The glory had the left the building.

From the house to the threshold (10:4), then out from the threshold to the court (10:18), and finally up from the midst of the once holy city to a mountain to the east (11:22-23), the cloud that once filled the holy of holies, the brightness that once emitted the very presence of God, the glory of God, had, quite literally, left the building.

The glory had departed and the people were dispersed. They would be scattered among the nations. The land of their promised possession in ruin, they would be sent away for an extended “timeout” to consider their ways that they might repent of their rebellion. Heavy sigh!

But here’s the thing that I’m chewing on this morning, though the glory had departed, and though they would be the dispersed, yet God would not abandon His people. In fact, they would come to know His glory in a different way, a way not dependent upon a brick and mortar temple, but through a new type of relationship.

“Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’”

(Ezekiel 11:16)

While in exile, while trying to make it in a foreign land, though far from the holy temple site which was no longer so holy because the glory was gone, the Lord GOD says, “I will be their sanctuary for a while.”

God, through Ezekiel, reaffirmed His promise: “I will gather you from the peoples . . . and give you the land of Israel” (11:17).

God then expanded the promise: I will put a new spirit in them. Give them a new heart, a heart of flesh ready, willing, and able to obey (11:19-20).

And until the full realization of the promise, God says I will be a sanctuary. I will be the temple and will tabernacle directly with them.

For a little while, though far from home, God’s people would come to know and be satisfied with God’s abiding presence as they waited until the day of their full and complete restoration and return to the land of promise.

The glory had left the building, but the God of glory had not turned His back to His people. He would draw near to His remnant in the place of their sojourning and would be their portion, their protection, and their power. All the while, drawing out their hearts toward Him in obedient worship.

We also are people in a foreign land waiting to go home and know afresh the glory of God in all its fullness. But until then, His abiding presence through His Holy Spirit is our sanctuary, the means by which we encounter the glory, though “in a mirror dimly” (1Cor. 13:12).

What’s more, He is making us part of that sanctuary. As, in Christ, we are “being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22).

Though often, as we look around us, it may seem the glory has left the building, yet within us, through redeemed and regenerated hearts, we can know God as a sanctuary. His glory abiding with us and in us.

By His grace. For His glory.

The Ministry of Christ as High Priest

•••by Russell Young

Although all believers have heard of the ministry of Christ as high priest, this ministry is often not well understood even though it is essential for a person’s eternal salvation.  The duty of the high priest is to represent humankind in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices (Heb 8:3) for sins. (Heb 5:1)

The ministry of the high priest was first practiced in the sanctuary of Jewish tabernacle worship and we are told that the earthly sanctuary was a copy of the heavenly sanctuary. (Heb 8:5) It had two sections.  The priests carried on their prescribed ministry in the Holy Place which was the outer room. They carried out the ceremonies and rituals of the earthly tabernacle in accordance with God’s instructions.  They offered animal sacrifices on a daily basis for the sins of the people as they were acknowledged by the confessor; that is, for known sins.

Only the high priest entered the inner room, the Most Holy Place, and only once a year.  His duty was to offer a sacrifice “for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (Heb 9:7, NIV)

Since the earthly pattern is a copy of that which is practiced in heaven, it can be seen that there are two kinds of sins…those known and those committed in ignorance.  Both kinds need to be addressed before our holy God. The commission of sin is serious business and needs to be recognized as such.  The believer as priest (Rev 1:6) can offer the prayer of confession and repentance before God and like tabernacle worship he needs to do this as he becomes aware.  Paul wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9, NIV) Sin separates.  (Isa 59:2) Paul confirmed the hope of the repentant sinner under the New Covenant.  “But if anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is our atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 Jn 2:1, NIV)

The believer cannot confess and be purified concerning sins about which he is unaware.  It is the role of Christ as high priest to plead his blood for cleansing sins committed through the believer’s ignorance.

The writer of Hebrews has encouraged the believer concerning the power and authority of Christ, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25, NIV) Christ is able to save completely because he intercedes for the believer in regard to confessed sin and for sins committed in ignorance.

There is condemnation, however, for those who willingly continue to sin. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that consumes the enemies of God.” (Heb 10:26-27) It is revealed that God will bring his vengeance on those “who have trampled the Son of God under foot, who have treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace.” (Heb 10:29) The believer is to “work out his or her own salvation with fear (terror) and trembling.” (Phil 2:12)

As high priest, Jesus represents his brothers and sisters to the Father.  He is an advocate (1 Jn 2:1) for the person who does not deliberately continue to sin.  An advocate pleads the case of the offending one.  He examines the circumstances of the offense and the position of the law.  Using these, he presents a defence if it can be found.  There is no defence for the person who deliberately or knowingly continues to sin since through his divine power he has been given all that is needed for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)

The ministry of Christ needs to be understood and respected.  His Father, who allowed him to suffer on the cross will not allow his Son to be trampled under foot.  Teaching that promotes the thought that all sin and sinning was addressed at the cross is error and those who live as though sin is no longer of concern to them will one day suffer the wrath of God for their disregard.

Christ came to defeat the work of Satan and to create a holy people. (Heb 12:14, NIV) It is in this matter that Christ as high priest is essential.  The New Covenant is a covenant of the Spirit and not of the law.  Sin is revealed in the believer’s life according to the Spirit’s enlightenment and he reveals sin specifically and individually according to the stage of transformation that he is carrying out in the believer.  Not all sins are revealed at the same time; the believer remains ignorant of some.  Those that are made known however, are to be confessed in order for cleansing to take place and for the believer to gain victory over their practice.  Those about which the believer is unaware will be advocated by Christ as high priest.  Because of this Paul has emphasized the ministry of the Spirit. “And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:4, NIV) The Spirit reveals sin on his schedule.

The high priest of tabernacle worship offered sacrifices and Christ also must offer sacrifices to God.  Paul stated that he was given “the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:16, NIV) The cleansed and transformed believer is the acceptable offering.

The goal of Christ is to keep and to present the transformed sinner to his Father, perfect and holy, as his own brother and sister and his ministries as Spirit and as high priest are essential to that accomplishment.