Five Temples

Ezekiel 40‑44 • 6 min. read • grade level: 8

One thing that distinguishes the temple from the tabernacle is that God said of it, "Mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." The temple referred to the kingdom and a settled order of things, whereas the tabernacle was typical of God's ways and gave the idea of movement. Though the actual building was destroyed and rebuilt, and is now swept away and will again be rebuilt, yet it is treated always as one house. Hag. 2:9⁹The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:9) states that: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." When the Lord was on earth, though rejected by the rulers of Israel, He called the temple "My house," and "My Father's house," but later on He said to the Jews "your house." The latter glory refers to the future when God will be owned by His ancient people, and His glory be displayed.

Another thing that distinguished the temple was its being surrounded with chambers, so that the priests that were serving God could dwell around Him. Christ refers possibly to this in saying "In My Father's house are many mansions." The tabernacle had no flooring; the priests trod the earth, but in the temple they were separated from the earth by a flooring.

In the interior of the temple built by Solomon nothing but gold appeared. This is typical of divine righteousness, characterizing the throne and presence of God, as will be manifested in the millennium. The ark was placed in the temple, and had found there its abiding resting place; it was the token of God's presence. The candlesticks, tables of showbread, golden altar, brazen altar, and laver were similar to those in the tabernacle. God owned the house by filling it with His glory.

In the court of the temple were two pillars which received the names of Jachin, "He will establish" and Boaz, "in Him is strength," and these perfectly agree with the fact that it was God's house that was being built (1 Kings 7:21²¹And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz. (1 Kings 7:21); Rev. 3:12¹²Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Revelation 3:12)).

Another remarkable thing in the rearing of the temple was that it was built of stones made ready before being brought, so that there should be no noise of hammer or ax or iron tool while it was in progress (1 Kings 6:7⁷And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. (1 Kings 6:7)). Thus the Church is being formed of living stones who have come to the Living Stone (the chief corner stone, Christ Himself), and the whole building fitly framed together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord. (Eph. 2:20-22²⁰And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:20‑22); 1 Peter 2:5⁵Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5).)

Of the actual buildings there were: 1. The Temple by Solomon. It was formed after the pattern of the tabernacle, being a rectangle of sixty cubits by twenty and its height thirty cubits. The holy of holies was a cube of twenty cubits, the holy (place) was forty cubits by twenty with a porch in front measuring ten cubits by twenty. The chambers and upper chambers and pillars and porches were additional as described (1 Kings 6). 2. The Temple by Zerubbabel. Few particulars of this are given. Cyrus ordered the foundations to be strongly laid, and its height was to be sixty cubits, and its breadth sixty cubits (Ezra 6:3³In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; (Ezra 6:3)). Probably it was the same size as the temple by Solomon: the breadth here of sixty cubits being its length and its width not mentioned. Or, if the sixty cubits be the width, it may have included the chambers. It is not probable that it was larger than the first temple. The aged men who had seen the first house, wept when they saw the foundations of this house laid. This temple continued until the days of Herod. 3. The Temple by Herod. The Jews said it was forty-six years being built (John 2:20²⁰Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? (John 2:20)). Josephus gives almost the only account we have of it. It was apparently built over the old one, so as not to hinder the temple service; the priests themselves built the holy places. It was all on a magnificent scale. In the gospels we read that the disciples exclaimed, "What stones! and what buildings!" They pointed out how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts. Herod was not God's man to build Him a house, nor were the leaders of the Jews fit men to carry on His worship. To the disciples the Lord declared that one stone should not be left upon another (Mark 13:1, 2¹And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! ²And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Mark 13:1‑2); Luke 21:5, 6⁵And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, ⁶As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Luke 21:5‑6)). Though Josephus gives many details as to this temple, they are not distinct enough to enable a plan to be made of it. In the New Testament one word refers to the house itself, and another word to the buildings and courts in general. Apparently the Lord never entered the house itself. Doubtless this temple stood upon some part of mount Moriah, at the south-east corner of Jerusalem, but on what part of the enclosure is not known. 4. A Future Temple. Scripture speaks in many places of the return of the Jews to their own land, but in unbelief as to the Lord Jesus being their Messiah. They will apparently build a temple, but this must not be confounded with the one described by Ezekiel, though the Jews may attempt to build it as there described. God cannot bless them until His anointed One is owned, and therefore this temple will be destroyed (Psa. 74; Isa. 66:1-6¹Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? ²For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. ³He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. ⁴I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. ⁵Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. ⁶A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies. (Isaiah 66:1‑6)). 5. Ezekiel's Temple. This is fully described in Ezek. 40-44. It will be built when the land is once again divided among the twelve tribes and all brought into blessing. In the center of the land there will be a "holy oblation" of 25,000 cubits square which will contain both the city and the temple. That cubits and not reeds are intended, see chapter 45:2, 3. Other passages speak of the temple, Zion, and Jerusalem as associated together, as Psa. 68:29; 122²⁹Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. (Psalm 68:29); Isa. 2:2, 3²And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. ³And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2‑3); Mic. 3:12; 4:2¹²Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. (Micah 3:12)
²And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Micah 4:2). All these, though not exactly on the same spot, will fall within the "holy oblation" though the part on which the city will stand is also called "profane" or "common." Probably the city will be built on its old site, and the temple may be somewhat farther north. Then the latter glory of God's house will exceed all that has yet been, for the Lord Jesus will be the glory of the house.

Christ refers to His body as a temple in John 2:19¹⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19), and Christians are now God's temple in which the Spirit of God dwells. The body of each Christian is also spoken of as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19¹⁹What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)).

In Rev. 11:19¹⁹And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:19) the temple of God is opened in heaven, in connection with which are the judgments that come forth to smite the earth (Rev. 14:15, 17; 15:5-8; 16:1-17¹⁵And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (Revelation 14:15)
¹⁷And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. (Revelation 14:17)
⁵And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: ⁶And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. ⁷And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. ⁸And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. (Revelation 15:5‑8)
¹And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. ²And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. ³And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. ⁴And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. ⁵And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. ⁶For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. ⁷And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. ⁸And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. ⁹And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. ¹⁰And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, ¹¹And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. ¹²And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. ¹³And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ¹⁵Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. ¹⁶And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. ¹⁷And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. (Revelation 16:1‑17)).

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