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Tag Archives: Jewish Temple

The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part I)

06 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Tags

Jewish Temple, New Covenant

The Cross & The Curtain

Does anyone remember the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Torn Curtain? Or another movie, The Cross and the Switchblade, based on the book by the same name? It helps to be a Baby Boomer, but with today’s TV movie replays and DVD reproductions, you don’t have to be from the Boomer generation.

Torn Curtain was released in 1966, starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews, two of my favorite actors. Basically, the plot was an American nuclear physicist pretending defection to East Germany, with the real objective of stealing a certain formula from East German scientists. It was set during the Cold War and the (then) existence of what was called the Iron Curtain, symbolically separating Western Democracy from Eastern Communism.

But also the actual Berlin Wall built by East Germany, whose politicians pretty much took their orders from the Easter Bloc leader, Communist Russia. Later this wall would be torn down through the effort of US President Ronald Reagan. The objective was to do whatever necessary to tear down the Curtain of separation between east and west, by undermining communism in both East Germany and Russia.

Eventually Communism collapsed in both East Germany and Russia … mission accomplished.

The Cross and the Switchblade film was released in 1970, starring Pat Boone as Pastor David Wilkerson (who wrote the book in 1962) and Erik Estrada. This riveting true story depicted the ministry of Pastor Wilkerson among New York City street gangs, to help them turn to Jesus Christ and give up their drugs and gang violence. It is an amazing example of the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So what do these movies and especially their titles have to do with today’s Eye of Prophecy article?

Answer: I’m adapting these movie titles (but also the idea behind them) to today’s article title to demonstrate the enormous juxtaposition impact the Cross of Christ had on the Jewish Mosaic Covenant (Old Testament or Old Covenant) in the first century; represented in large part by the inexplicable tearing of the Curtain (partition) that separated the Most Holy Place in the Jewish Temple from the rest of the Temple. As well as the 20th and 21st century continued significance of the New Covenant on the lives of people all over the world.

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Millions of true Christian believers down through the ages and in today’s world, most of whom are Gentile but tens of thousands who are (Messianic) Jews, would in unison agree that the very heart of our life-changing faith, the cornerstone of our eternal destiny in heaven is the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Messiah Jesus. We fully understand that the reason Jesus came to this earth in a human body was to willingly die for our sins in order that God would forgive those transgressions—past, present, and future—and make us right with God. Then to give us the awesome privilege of direct access to the Lord while on this earth … the Holy of Holies which is God’s very presence.

We fully realize that the New Covenant promised by God through the prophet Jeremiah began with the Passion of the Christ in the hours before, during, and after his agonizing beating and his excruciating pain while hanging on the Cross.

As the song goes, “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that Cross.”

In equal measure to our eternal joy and gratitude for what Jesus has done for all who believe in Him, we are saddened by so many—including millions of Jews—who still cling to the Mosaic Law or some man-made religious duties patterned after the Law of Moses as their ill-fated means to gain right standing with God. But they do so without the all-important Levitical sacrificial system that was mandated by God for (on-going, repeated) forgiveness, by covering their sin with the blood of innocent animals.

In the first century, many thousands of Jews believed in Jesus as their Messiah and individually accepted him as Lord and Savior. Tragically, many more did not, especially their religious and political leaders. Consequently, as a nation, they suffered the consequences of rejecting their own Messiah when the Romans ruthlessly conquered the uprising in Israel, destroyed Jerusalem, demolished Herod’s Temple, and scattered the Jews to the four corners of the earth. Not until 1948 did this exile begin to end, and not until 1967 did the Jews regain control of all Israel, including Jerusalem.

I’ve written extensively about the historical significance of the Temple’s destruction in the first century, particularly in the context of the immensely traumatic effect on the very heart and soul of the Jewish religion. If you haven’t, please read Eye of Prophecy articles, Where is the Temple? Part I, II, III (posted 11-29-14, 12-6-14, 12-13-14).

Although the literal question of where is the temple rhetorically begs the all too obvious answer (it’s gone), the query is designed to provoke thought and challenge the notion that Judaism (or any religion) can even exist without the God-ordained requirement of redemptive sacrifices. The Covenant of Law consisted of two equally crucial obligations: (1) Obedience to the moral and civil laws; (2) Sacrifices of innocent (animal) blood to atone for individual and national disobedience, i.e. intentional and inadvertent transgressions. Because no one, including the priests or even the High Priest, could or did keep God’s laws and commandments without fail.

The following (in italics) are a few excerpt paragraphs from Part III of those articles:

The intriguing question posed in this article and the past two Eye of Prophecy articles relating to the fate of the Jewish Temples is designed as a challenge to explain what happened to them and why. To stimulate reflection about the repercussions of such a devastating time of Jewish history. To investigate the staggering impact on the entire Jewish faith WHEN Solomon’s Temple, then (hundreds of years later) Herod’s Temple, was destroyed. But also Gentile participation in this history pertaining mostly to religious systems that, to varying degrees, were patterned after and around the Mosaic Laws.

(1) Solomon’s Temple: God removed his very presence from this magnificent Temple; therefore, from among his people. Some six years before King Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and tore down the Temple, Ezekiel witnessed God’s glory depart from the Temple. “Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them” (Ezekiel 10:18-19). A short time later, “Then the glory of the Lord went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east” (Ezekiel 11:23).

(2) Herod’s (the 2nd) Temple: When this temple was razed to the ground by the Roman Legions, the Mosaic Covenant Sacrificial System ceased to function as the ongoing source of redemption.

The loss of God’s glorious presence among his people followed by removal of sacrificial shedding of blood for atonement of sin dealt devastating blows to the heart of Judaism and the soul of the Jewish people. By and large, they have never recovered from this dual discipline; administered as a result of their continuous disobedience to God and denial of their Messiah sent by God to reconcile and restore them back to God. But one day (soon) all that will change!

They will recover and rejoice, because all of Israel will be saved … individually and nationally, physically and spiritually.

Concerning the Jewish Temples, the historical evidence is undeniable: Since the destruction of Solomon’s Temple, God’s Shekinah glory (his majestic presence) had been glaringly absent from the Temple. Then, the essence and substance of God’s forgiveness through the Atonement Sacrifices abruptly ceased with the loss of the 2nd Temple. According to the Law of Moses—which to varying degrees is still practiced or at least recognized by millions of Jews the world over—without the God-ordained place and procedure for shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin … no acquittal for the penalty for sin.

Where, then, is the Temple?

The evidence is overwhelmingly clear: Ever since the loss of the Jewish Temple and the inability to continue the all-important sacrificial shedding of innocent (animal) blood, God’s people have been in mental, emotional, and spiritual denial over the dramatic dilemma of no longer keeping the daily, monthly, and especially the annual (Yom Kippur) sacrifices that included the scapegoat. Here is how I summarized it in the aforementioned series of: Where Is the Temple?

No Temple, no sacrificial offerings. No sacrifices, no atonement forgiveness of sins. No forgiveness, no redemption. No redemption, no right standing with God

herod temple destruction 03

(Depicts Impending Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple)

Amazing Events Connected to the Crucifixion of Messiah Jesus

Jesus predicted that the 2nd Temple would be destroyed, which took place just forty years later. Here are his words:

“Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, ‘The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!’” (Luke 21:5-6).

This amazing prophecy was fulfilled when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in 70 AD. Immediately following Jesus’ announcement of the Temple’s destruction, he answered his disciple’s question about the signs of the last days; which included more details on what would happen when the (Roman) armies attacked Jerusalem. And, of course, many signs of the very last days, which after some 2000 years are upon us.

Although the obliteration of the Temple was the climatic event that put an end to the Levitical sacrificial system so vital to Judaism, there were other extraordinary things that occurred before, during, and after Jesus was crucified and then miraculously arose from the dead. Things that resulted in what was then and still is cause for the Jews to this very day to be (as is said in today’s jargon) “in denial.”

Read with me the astonishing account recorded in one of the four Gospels:

“Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit (died). At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people” (Matthew 27:50-53, italics for emphasis).

Before we more closely examine the phenomenal, inexplicable tearing of the beautiful but very strong inner Temple curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies), let’s do a little refresher on what else happened when the “earth shook” while Christ was on the Cross, and also while he was still in the tomb.

Here is the reaction of the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus and what they said:

“The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, ‘This man truly was the Son of God.’” (Verse 54).

Can you imagine that? If you have read or have known about the toughness of Roman soldiers and their loyalty to Caesar, then their response to (even) an earthquake—let alone their recognition of Jesus as the very Son of God—is historically unimaginable. These are the same soldiers that had mercilessly beaten him, maliciously mocked him as King of the Jews with a crown of thorns and a sign on the Cross, and ruthlessly nailed him to that Cross with long spikes through his wrists and feet.

Not only this execution squad of Roman soldiers, but also the incredible and less than courageous reaction of the Roman guards assigned to seal and guard Jesus’ tomb to prevent the bizarre (We don’t believe such a thing could happen but just in case) request of the Jewish leaders to Pontius Pilate that: “…you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first” (Matthew 27:64).

Pilate then issued the orders. “So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it” (Verse 66).

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Then three days later another shaking of the earth took place which caused this second contingency of normally courageous but callous Roman soldiers to quake in their boots.

“Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint” (Matthew 28:2-4).

Even the hard-as-steel Roman soldiers were no match for an angel of God, and certainly no match for the divine supernatural resurrection of the Son of God. Moreover, they had no (truthful) explanation for such an event, nor is there any historical record whatsoever that they denied what they had seen and experienced.

So, what really took place? What was the real explanation of what had happened? Easy, but nevertheless, still a profound and powerful answer. Immediately after this staggering (the soldiers fell into a dead faint) spectacle, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary came on the scene. The angel who had nearly frightened the brave Roman soldiers to death said to them:

“Don’t be afraid … I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying” (Matthew 28:5-6, italics for emphasis).

Our Redeemer lives!

However, the Roman soldiers didn’t tell Pilate what had happened. Although it’s unlikely that Pontius Pilate really cared at all whether Jesus’ body would be or actually was “stolen” by the disciples, the soldiers didn’t want to take a chance that they could be executed for allowing this to happen. Which was the usual penalty for a Roman sentry who allowed prisoners to escape.

But this prisoner was dead! At least for three days! Surely the Roman officers would make an exception to executing soldiers who somehow (through no fault of their own) couldn’t prevent a dead man from leaving his grave? But the evidence is clear: The soldiers were too afraid; they didn’t know for sure what their fate would be.

Consequently they reported the event to the Jewish elders, not to Pilate.

And what did the elders do in response? About the most ludicrous thing they could do; but only because they, too, couldn’t think of anything else given the extraordinary evidence in front of them. Because they, themselves, had no reasonable rationalization or recourse to this inconceivable news that Jesus was no longer in the tomb.

Although they fully realized the absurd impossibility of the disciples “stealing” Jesus’ body under the watch of the Roman Guard, their only option was to bribe the Roman soldiers into saying, “…Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body. If the governor (Pilate) hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble. So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say…” (Matthew 28:13-15).

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Neither Scripture nor secular history tells us whether Pilate ever followed up on the possibility that the “disciples had stolen the body.” Undoubtedly he did find out that Jesus was no longer in the grave, but chose to do nothing about it. Ether because he didn’t care or because he had no clue what to do about angels rolling away a huge tomb stone making cowards out of his men, ending with an executed man disappearing from a tomb protected by those soldiers. To guard a dead man’s tomb in the first place was a virtually unprecedented occurrence.

The Torn Curtain

Not only were the Jewish leaders in denial of the horrendous results of the 2nd Temple’s destruction forty years after they called for the Roman crucifixion of Jesus—with no God-approved feasible alternative to the mandated sacrificial system given through Moses—they were equally in denial that the majestic Temple inner sanctuary curtain had been ripped in half when Jesus died on the Cross.

Because the Jewish religious leaders denied that Jesus had arisen from the dead by fabricating what is probably the most lame excuse of all time (the disciples had rolled away a huge tomb stone without awaking the Roman soldiers, some of whom wouldn’t have been asleep anyway under penalty of Roman execution themselves), they certainly would have suppressed any report that this some 40-60 foot high curtain with a four to six-inch thickness could have been inexplicably torn in half from top to bottom while Jesus hung on the Cross.

Jewish scholars and Rabbis, as well as Gentile critics of Scripture have pointed to the scarcity of secular or Judaic history to substantiate the Biblical account of the torn Temple curtain.

Question? Does a lack of secular or Jewish religious records mean that the Biblical account didn’t happen?

The answer is a resounding, “no!” Periodically, I have mentioned this in prior Eye of Prophecy articles. To wit: The Bible is much more than just a Book of Faith. It is, first and foremost, a historical account of all the events of God interacting with man throughout history, including the creation of the universe and man himself. It is a meticulous record of people, places, dates, events, and prophecies (many of which came to pass, including dozens of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah). In fact, the Faith feature of the Bible is a direct result of the historical events that transpired. Not the least of which is the Apostle Paul’s (a former Jewish Pharisee who malevolently persecuted Christians until he met the risen Christ) condensation of the Gospel (Good News of Salvation) into an authentic historical event/record:

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter … by more than 500 followers at one time….” (I Corinthians 15:3-6).

To out of hand dismiss individual books of the Bible and Scripture as a whole as a valid historical record flies in the face of existing evidence; that there are more full or partial manuscripts of the Bible (by far) than any other document. There are thousands more of these manuscripts (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls) than the nearest number of writings (Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey), which all scholars know to be a fictional account of the Trojan Wars. Homer’s books are what we would classify as historical novels.

Moreover, there have been no archeological discoveries that refute the authenticity of people, places, and events recorded in Scripture. Conversely, there have been and continue to be many archeological findings that confirm the Biblical record.

As I’ve said before (paraphrased): If someone is going to deny the historicity of Jesus or any New or Old Testament books, whose authors wrote alongside of other ancient historians, then why can’t and shouldn’t they deny the validity of such historians as Tacitus, Josephus, or even more modern historians such as Arnold Toynbee?

More Supernatural Events When Jesus Died

There were other mysterious occurrences that took place not recorded in Scripture, events that made it to the Jewish Talmud, or the writings of Josephus, and other Jewish sources; incidents reported to have taken place during or shortly after the death of Jesus, around 30 AD or so. As follows:

(1) The center lamp of the Temple Menorah went out on its own in an inexplicable manner, even though the priests would perform their duties by attending to the lampstand and making sure there was enough holy oil to keep each of the seven lamps burning at all times—which was required by the Mosaic Law. To the Jews, this became a sign that God’s presence was not there, or that his blessing had been withdrawn.

*Note: Actually, the Jews had been in denial (it happened, but what can we do about it?) that the Shekinah presence of God had been absent since God withdrew from Solomon’s Temple, as recorded by Ezekiel even before that Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians.

(2) The thread that no longer changed from crimson to white during the annual observance of Yom Kippur … Day of Atonement, at or shortly after the time of Christ on the earth. This thread that literally changed from red to white was a pre-New Covenant physical demonstration of what the prophet Isaiah had said would happen when God fulfilled his promise (through the new covenant):

“Come now, let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Jesus death on the cross was the final sacrifice for all time, belief in whom/which could pardon all sins forever … changing a person’s heart and conscience from crimson stained guilt to a beautifully pure cleansing white.

(3) The gates of Herod’s Temple would mysteriously open during the night, though they had been shut by the gatekeepers daily.

(4) The smoke from the altar sacrifices ceased to rise upward in a tight column, which it had done for hundreds of years even during strong winds.

All of these perplexing changes relating to the Temple and the Most Holy Place occurred after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and ascension back to heaven. The Talmudic tradition unmistakably presented these events as a harbinger of coming destruction which later took place in 70 AD, less than a generation after Jesus of Nazareth predicted the utter ruin of the Temple.

But it was the torn curtain of the Most Holy Place in the Temple, while Jesus still hung on the Cross, that most represented the advent of the New Covenant of Grace. A permanently new and better way to God that had replaced the Old Covenant, which was only a shadow or forerunner of redemption from sin and reconciliation with God. A removal of the barrier between a Holy God and sinful men.

curtain-torn-small

As Alfred Edersheim wrote in his book, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, “That some great catastrophe, betokening the impending destruction of the Temple, had occurred in the Sanctuary about this very time (referring to when Christ died on the Cross and the passage of Matthew 27), is confirmed by not less than four mutually independent testimonies: those of Tacitus, of Josephus, of the Talmud, and of earliest Christian tradition. The most important of these are, of course, the Talmud and Josephus.”

With, however, reference to the torn curtain of the Temple, I would add that the most important and reliable source is Scripture itself as recorded by the Apostle Matthew. In that passage quoted earlier, Matthew also tells us that the sun was completely darkened from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm, the hour that Jesus died. That a great earthquake struck the area, and that many believers in Messiah Jesus were resurrected after Jesus first arose from the dead.

Whether Jewish religious leaders in the 1st century or the 21st century cast doubt (or actually deny) that the curtain was ripped in half when Jesus died on the cross, they acknowledge in their own writings the other incidents such as the Temple gates opening on their own at night. And, of course, no one can dispute the fact that the Temple was completely demolished by the Romans which ended the Jewish sacrificial system and all Temple activities altogether.

With a knee-jerk, but also ongoing, response to this solemn event in Jewish history mostly that of denial. Not that it occurred; rather that it fundamentally shook the foundation of Jewish worship and changed the very essence of atonement through the sacrificial requirements of the Levitical priesthood.

Yet, as so movingly conveyed by New Testament authors inspired by the same God, Son of God, and Holy Spirit that spoke to and through the Old Testament prophets, it was all part of God’s majestic plan of salvation to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile.

With virtually the entire book of Hebrews presenting a detailed contrast between the Mosaic Covenant of Law and the New Covenant of Grace. Between the flawed Old Testament priesthood and High Priest and the perfectly pure High Priest, Messiah Jesus.

We’ll conclude this week’s post with one of those passages, with more to follow in next week’s Part II article. Truths that explain the awesome benefits, advantages, and everlasting superiority of the new way God has provided to make people right with him.

“There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood last forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin…” (Hebrews 7:23-26).

Jesus death on the Cross was incomparable. It was and remains:

The Greatest Sacrifice Ever Made, By the Highest Price Ever Paid.

Things to Ponder

In Scripture, as confirmed by historical events, we see transparent evidence that God often performs miracles and gives us signs of his divine sovereignty before, during, and after he initiates a Covenant with his chosen people, the Jews, but also with all of humanity.

Such as the radiate rainbow to Noah; the awesome plagues to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt then the powerful parting of the Red Sea; the Lord’s majestic appearance in the giving of the Mosaic Law on Mount Sinai and his glorious presence in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle and Temple; the mysterious Manna from heaven and the miraculous budding of Aaron’s staff; the inconceivable, but nevertheless Virgin Birth conception of Jesus of Nazareth, who is and will be the ultimate Messiah King descendant of David’s throne; the incredible miracles performed by Jesus; and the remarkable torn Temple Curtain … along with other supernatural events while Christ was on the cross.

With the greatest miracle of all: Resurrection of Messiah Jesus from the dead!

In our generation, the last day’s signs are distinctly discernible. The next divine supernatural event is just around the corner.

The Rapture!

Preach the Gospel … But Not to the Jews!

16 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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2nd Vatican Council, Jewish Temple

Preach the Gospel … But Not to the Jews!

“After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!’” (Acts 1:9-11).

“After saying this…” Do you remember those last words spoken by Jesus before he departed this earth and ascended to heaven, with a promise by his angels that he would return to Jerusalem in exactly the same place and manner in which he left?

These are his words: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

Messiah Jesus could have said any number of things just before he returned to heaven; but he told his disciples that they should tell people everywhere about him, beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then to the ends of the earth. The sequence commissioned by the Lord is deliberate and decisive. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was to be proclaimed first to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea, then to the mixed race of Jews and Gentiles (Samaritans), and finally to Gentiles all over the world.

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A few years later, the Apostle Paul affirmed the dynamic order of spreading the Good News of the Greatest Story ever told, when he wrote:

“For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:14-17, quoting Habakkuk 2:4, italics for emphasis).

A short time before that, Paul condensed the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a concise but powerful presentation: “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said” (I Corinthians 15:3-4).

Then in keeping with the most reliable record of proof for any historical event, both then and now, Paul provides documented evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ through eye-witness accounts: “He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all … I also saw him” (Verses 5-8).

Can the words of Jesus and Paul be any clearer? Not only was the Good News of God’s marvelous New Covenant plan of salvation in and through Jesus Christ to be preached to the entire world, it first must be shared with the Jews. Why first, foremost, and continually to the Jews?

That question will be answered, but not until we examine an astonishing decree issued by the Roman Catholic Church’s seat of authority, the Vatican, just a few weeks ago on December 10th, 2015.

Headline—Vatican to Catholics: Stop Missionizing Jews

The document—marking the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council—states: “Catholics must not try to convert Jews.” Instead, Catholics should, “…bear witness of their faith in a humble and sensitive manner, acknowledging that Jews are bearers of God’s word.”

The Second Vatican Council in October, 1965 called the Nostra Aetate, was a substantial shift in the Catholic Church’s historical view that Jews were collectively guilty for the death of Jesus. That Council sought to normalize relations with Israel in particular and Jews in general, by calling for more open and friendly interaction with not only Judaism, but all religions, including Islam.

The December 10th edict goes on to say that Judaism and Christianity are “intertwined with each other, Christianity has Jewish roots and Jews believe in the one God.” Therefore, Jews, “…should be treated differently than people of other religions and views,” and, “Catholics must work with Jews to put an end to any anti-Semitic activity.” Furthermore, “a Christian can never be an anti-Semite.”

In context, this last observation clearly equates the efforts to “convert” Jews to Christianity with other anti-Semitic activities including, for example, hatred for and violence toward Jews all over the world … mostly at the hands of Muslims; but also Roman Catholic animosity toward Jews, particularly in European nations.

According to Rabbi Joshua Stanton, Member of the Board of Governors of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, “the document is one of the more significant statements on Jewish-Catholic relations in the half-century since Nostra Aetate. It reiterates the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and affirms the fraternal relationship that should be pursued between the traditions.”

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(Picture of the 2nd Vatican Council)

The document also states, “In concrete terms this means that the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed toward Jews.”

This is the first time that the Vatican has published a plain proclamation forbidding Catholic missionary activity among the Jews. The orthodox Jewish anti-missionary organization Yad L’Achim, “expressed satisfaction with the announcement” but also reminded Jews that it bears no authority for Protestants, “who continue to dedicate millions to missionary activity in Israel.”

For evangelical Christians who may not be aware, there are several Jewish “anti-missionary” organizations such as Yad L’Achim and Jews for Judaism that seek to suppress Christian and Jewish Messianic groups such as Jews for Jesus from spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere in Israel, but also the world over.

For example, on November 27, 2015, the news source HaShavua B’Ashdod published the following article:

“The anti-missionary activist organization Yad L’Achim warns against missionary volunteers who have been clandestinely distributing material in Ashdod mailboxes in the middle of the night, and recently in Jewish orthodox neighborhoods. Yad L’Achim has asked citizens in the area to notify them if any such material is found, and to destroy it at once. Rabbi Binyamin Volkan, director of field activities in Yad L’Achim department for fighting missionary activity, has stated as well that in his opinion the rare fact of material distribution in orthodox neighborhoods is ‘an intentional provocation and an act of revenge against the sectors of the city which are preventing them (the missionary factions) from increasing their influence.’ Yad L’Achim has additionally stated that ‘this cult gives out blankets and food with one hand and material connected to the New Testament with the other, and it members call themselves Jews even though the Supreme Court has ruled that whoever believes in Jesus is a Christian.’”

Ironically, the Christian faith in the first century was also considered a “cult” by the Jews and an offshoot sect of Judaism by the Gentile Romans.

But what about the tens of thousands of Israeli Jews who are (rightfully) classified as Jewish citizens of Israel, yet who are not observant Jews, i.e. those who do not actively support the orthodox or even conservative tenets of Judaism? Should their lack of following and practicing the requirements of observant Judaism disqualify them from being classified by the State of Israel as a Jew? In terms of whether they are Jewish citizens of the State of Israel, how are they any different from Jews in Israel who believe in Jesus as Messiah and Savior of Israel? Neither are observant Jews in the traditional sense of strictly espousing and practicing the Law of Moses.

Getting back to the Roman Catholic decree ordering mainstream Catholics not to engage in “evangelism” to the Jews in the same fashion as trying to convert people from other religions: of course a true believer in Christ would not be anti-Semitic in any way, shape, or form. We recognize our heritage that began with God revealing himself to Abraham and the Jewish nation. We believe in a Jewish Messiah who is the light of the world promised to both Jew and Gentile alike. We believe all of God’s promises to restore the Jews, physically and spiritually, apply to Israel, not the Church; thereby, rejecting Replacement Theology.

But I would propose that withholding the Good News of God’s salvation to his chosen people is the worst form of anti-Semitism. It is denying them the truth of their Scriptures, both Old and New Testament. For the New Testament is nothing more or less than a composite record of the New Covenant prophesied by the Jewish prophet, Jeremiah (See Jeremiah 31). It is account in the four Gospels and the Book of Acts of the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the long-awaited Messiah foretold by nearly all of the Old Testament prophets. It is the encapsulation of the life-changing and destiny altering truth that Jesus of Nazareth is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (of the entire world) in the New Testament Epistles. It is the final revelation of Messiah Jesus and the glorious hope of his return found in the Book of Revelation.

The True Gospel

But here I’m referring to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. The actual Gospel that says we are saved by simple faith in the substitutionary sacrifice of the Son of God for our sins. A Gospel that says we are redeemed not by religious duties but by virtue of our relationship with a person. Listen to the Jewish Apostle Peter’s magnificent description of who Jesus is when he and John were challenged by the Jewish High Priest Annas, along with Caiaphas and other religious leaders. They demanded:

“…By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” (Acts 4:7). Meaning the healing of a man crippled from birth.

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them. Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:8-12, quoting Psalm 118:22).

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(Depiction of Peter & John healing the crippled man)

That my friend is the Good News! Jesus Saves!

Not a distorted, watered-down gospel that claims keeping of sacraments and performance of good works as a pre-requisite for salvation and eternal life.

In that regard, I have no problem with the Vatican ordering their clergy and laity not to “convert” Jews. For a Jew to convert to Roman Catholicism is to make them worse off than they were before such a conversion. It’s nothing more than leaving one religion of good works for another religion that claims salvation is procured through keeping of the law.

Listen to the words of a former Jewish religious leader who also considered Jewish Christians as heretics, cultic, rebels, and anti-Semitic in their beliefs. This was a man who was far more militant than today’s Yad L’Achim representatives; a man who imprisoned and physically persecuted Jewish believers in Jesus. That is, until he had a miraculous encounter with the risen Messiah that changed the course of his entire life and eternal destiny.

In keeping with his previous statement that God’s New Plan of Salvation must be first preached to the Jews, the man called Saul, a Pharisee of Pharisees, who became the Apostle Paul through his radical transformation by the very Gospel he sought to destroy, Paul tells us:

“…The longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God” (Romans 10:1-4).

As it was in Paul’s day (the first century) when he began preaching the New Covenant, the New Way of getting right with God, so it still is today in our world. The orthodox Jews are still trying to merit God’s favor by keeping the law, which no one has ever done or ever will do, completely.

And why to the Jew first? Paul also answers that question, while at the same time expressing his great love for his Jewish brethren, the same love that compels me and other true believers in Messiah Jesus to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to the Jews:

“With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshipping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen” (Romans 9:1-5).

ToTheJewFirst

Paul then presents compelling evidence as to who is truly a Jew and who is not. In doing so, he demonstrates that when a Jew believes in Jesus and accepts him as personal Savior, he or she is not converting from Judaism to Christianity. It’s not a matter of conversion from one religion to another … not even close. In fact, nowhere does Paul or any other author of the New Testament consider Christianity to be a religion whatsoever. A religion is man’s attempt to appease God or gain God’s favor by keeping a set of laws or rules or rituals. The Christian faith is simply trusting what Christ did on the cross for complete pardon of our sins and promise of eternal life with God in heaven.

To believe in Jesus Christ—who backed up his claim to be the “resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) by rising from the dead—is to become a real Jew under the providential plan of God for his chosen people from the beginning. Listen again to God’s explanation through Paul:

“Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, ‘Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,’ though Abraham had other children, too. This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children” (Romans 9:6-8, quoting Genesis 21:12).

Paul explains in his letter to the Galatians that the real children of promise are those that acknowledge Jesus as the Jewish Savior; because it was Christ Jesus who became the true Child of Promise … the Anointed Messiah. That is the message of the Good News of the Gospel.

“…And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved … Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:8-13, quoting Joel 2:32).

We Must Not Keep Silent

Do we keep silent so as not to offend Orthodox Jews who have for hundreds of years beginning in the first century done everything possible to prevent the Gospel from being promulgated to “the Jew first.” Do we actually think telling someone that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and that he is the Way, Truth, and Life is tantamount to anti-Semitism? When, in fact, it’s our love and concern for every Jew to experience the life-giving light of the New Covenant promised and prophesied by Jeremiah to God’s people.

Do we make an exception for the Jews because they were the people through whom God revealed himself to the nations? No, it’s because they ARE the chosen people that we are compelled to share the Good News of God’s redemption. A redemption found only in one Person: The Son of God, Son of David, and Son of Man … Jesus of Nazareth.

Paul makes it abundantly clear how it is that his brothers in the flesh can and will be saved. Listen to his words that directly and emphatically contradict the Roman Catholic edict to refrain from “missionizing” the Jews:

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring good news!’ But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ” (Romans 10:14-17, quoting Nahum 1:15 and Isaiah 53:1).

That is the gospel we love and share with all who will listen, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. That is the Good News that will change a person’s heart and alter their destiny forever. It is literally a matter of eternal life and death.

I Agree … Don’t Try to Convert Jews to Roman Catholicism!

My first reaction was the same as so many other Christians when I heard of the Vatican’s decree, i.e. what convoluted twisted logic! But the more I thought about it, the more I’m certain that it was a good decision by the Vatican. Actually, there really would be no conversion in the first place, as both Judaism and Catholicism espouse some of the same dogmas.

For example: The Roman Catholic Priesthood is basically a derivative of the priestly order of Judaism, even though the Levitical animal sacrificial system is no longer practiced by the Jews, as there is no longer a Mercy Seat, or a curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. In fact, there is no longer a Temple at all!

(As a side note, the very absence of the Jewish Temple and the Levitical Sacrificial system reduces Judaism to righteous acts by keeping the Law of Moses exclusively as a means of attaining a right relationship with God … something no one has ever done except one man. Please see the three-part Eye of Prophecy series entitled, Where Is The Temple? Published 11-29, 12-6, & 12-13-14.)

The following two paragraphs in quotation marks are excerpts from the third of these articles:

“The intriguing question posed in this article and the past two Eye of Prophecy articles relating to the fate of the Jewish Temples is designed as a challenge to explain what happened to them and why. To stimulate reflection about the repercussions of such a devastating time of Jewish history. To investigate the staggering impact on the entire Jewish faith WHEN Solomon’s Temple, then (hundreds of years later) Herod’s Temple, was destroyed. But also Gentile participation in this history pertaining mostly to religious systems that, to varying degrees, were patterned after and around the Mosaic Laws.

To once again come to terms with the rolling Premise of these articles: No Temple, no sacrificial offerings. No sacrifices, no atonement forgiveness of sins. No forgiveness, no redemption. No redemption, no right standing with God.”

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(Depicts destruction of Solomon’s Temple)

In place of the daily, monthly, and annual sacrifices, Jews today rely heavily on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, as a means of forgiveness of sins against God once a year. The Roman Catholics seek forgiveness of sins through periodic confession with their priest, whom they call, “Father” (contrary to the very words of Jesus who said, “Call no man, Father”). Then the penitent parishioner is given such absurd duties in order to be forgiven as to repeat “Hail Mary” five times. The greater the offense, the more Hail Marys’ must be said.

The Apostle Peter, himself, (who the Catholics claim was the first Pope) tells us that every born-again believer in Jesus is a priest.

“And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (I Peter 2:5).

Not only priests, but “living stones” that have replaced the Temple that once stood in Jerusalem. Because the Kingdom of Heaven currently on earth is found in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of the true church of God (I Peter 2:6).

Nor do we need an earthly priest (priests) as a mediator between God and ourselves. “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (I Timothy 2:5-6).

Jesus Christ did away with the priestly system of atonement, because he is the High Priest for all people, Jew and Gentile alike.

“Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands” (Hebrews 8:1-2).

And, “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said: ‘The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned my back on them, says the Lord. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Hebrews 8:6-10, quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34).

And, “When God speaks of a ‘new’ covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear” (Hebrews 8:13).

The Jewish author of the book of Hebrews knew that the New Covenant had already replaced the Old Covenant; it would just be a matter of time before the Levitical sacrificial system would be “obsolete.” A few years later that is exactly what happened when the Romans ruthlessly sacked Jerusalem and demolished the Temple in 70 AD. The Law of Moses could never save anyone, not because the Law was inadequate. But because no human being could keep that Law.

The following paragraph is italicized for sheer emphasis:

So I humbly and earnestly ask the observant Jew and the practicing Roman Catholic: Why are you trying to hang onto to a system of good works and rabbinical or priestly mediation when, in fact, God’s New Covenant has been available to you since the first century? You don’t need to consult with or seek mediation through Rabbis, who (as much as I respect their devotion to God) offer conflicting advice that often contradicts their own Scriptures. You don’t need absolution through a priest or the repeated shedding of Jesus blood through the sacrament of Mass. In fact, that is an insult to God and to Christ, mocking his once and for all sacrifice for your sins. You don’t need to ask Mary to intercede for you; there is one and only one Mediator, the man Christ Jesus who just happens to also be the Son of God.

Only Jesus, who perfectly, without sin, fulfilled the entire Law of Moses was qualified to make atonement for our sins. It was the death of the just for the unjust, the righteous for the unrighteous, the perfect for the imperfect.

Jesus-cross-grave

Biblical salvation is truly a free gift from God that, under no circumstances or conditions, can be earned by any number of good deeds or the keeping of regulations and rituals. A born again believer in Messiah Jesus recognizes that good deeds are a grateful response to what Christ did for us—a result of our salvation … not the means of salvation.

True children of God and of Abraham (through Isaac) understand that God has imputed his righteousness to us through the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. His righteousness is our righteousness. We have none of our own.

Summary

Although the Vatican’s reasoning behind their decree is faulty, I nevertheless applaud their decision. Stop trying to convert Jews to a system that distorts the New Covenant of Grace freely offered through the once and for all saving sacrifice of Jesus atoning death on the Cross. There is a far better way through what Jesus accomplished by offering the greatest price ever paid (his very blood and life) to achieve the greatest salvation known to man … a complete pardon of our sins and a total assurance of everlasting life in heaven.

As in Paul’s time, to this very day, “So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say, ‘God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear’” (Romans 11:7-8, quoting Isaiah 29:10).

But God did not utterly reject his people, the Jews; though it must have seemed so when they were dispersed to the four corners of the earth in the Great Diaspora of 70 AD. Because of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, Paul asks and answers the question:

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it … For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! (Romans 11:11-15).

Again for emphasis, I italicize the following paragraph:

That time is almost here. All over the world we see thousands upon thousands of Jews who have claimed Jesus as Messiah and have personally received him as Savior and God. That is a force that cannot be stopped, because God is behind it. His magnificent plan of Israel’s physical return to the Promised Land is unfolding on a daily basis. His equally spectacular purpose for all (the believing remnant) of Israel to be saved is at hand. Just ask any Messianic Jew, and he or she will tell you about the saving love of Jesus Christ. They will say: “Go tell it on the roof tops. Shout it aloud to every Jew and Gentile you know. Proclaim it on the mountain of God in Jerusalem. Messiah Jesus has come as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And he is coming back soon as the Lion from the Tribe of Judah to set all things right in Israel, and the whole world!”

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

Things to Ponder

To all Jews, both observant and non-observant, please consider this: Since the God of Israel announced the New Covenant through your prophet, Jeremiah, why have there been no kings in Israel? Why have there been no priests and prophets in Israel less than a generation after Jesus Christ proclaimed during the Passover supper?: “…This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as sacrifice for you” (Luke 22:20).

Could it be that your final, once for all Prophet and High Priest has come to you? That the New Covenant has been given to you? Could it be that the King of kings will soon return to rule and reign from Israel? As a nation, you have been reborn from the floods of dispersion and the fires of Nazi death camps. Now as individual Jews, don’t wait until it’s too late, when you will look on the Messiah and mourn for him whom you pierced (Zechariah 12:10).

Stop working so hard to earn God’s favor. You can’t do it, no one can. Listen to the words of Messiah Jesus: “…This is the only work God wants from you; Believe in the one (Jesus) he has sent” (John 6:29).

Your Messiah beckons you to heed his words to Nicodemus, a Jewish Member of the Sanhedrin who came secretly to Jesus looking for answers, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

He implores you to say, “Yes,” to him as your Redeemer and Messiah.

“Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’” (John 6:35).

Listen to his invitation: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Revelation 3:20).

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“Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” (I John 5:9-13, italics for emphasis).

Where is the Temple? Part III

13 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Tags

Jewish Temple, Messiah Jesus

Where Is The Temple? (Part III … A New & Better Way)

As a rule, most people respond favorably to challenges in their life; as long as they are able to unscramble, manage, and otherwise adjust to whatever consequences or variations the challenges might bring. Whether adapting one’s lifestyle to include a new spouse, managing a sudden decrease in income, or just handling an unannounced visit from relatives, life is full of tests and tasks… of changes and conflicts.

The intriguing question posed in this article and the past two Eye of Prophecy articles relating to the fate of the Jewish Temples is designed as a challenge to explain what happened to them and why. To stimulate reflection about the repercussions of such a devastating time of Jewish history. To investigate the staggering impact on the entire Jewish faith WHEN Solomon’s Temple, then (hundreds of years later) Herod’s Temple, was destroyed. But also Gentile participation in this history pertaining mostly to religious systems that, to varying degrees, were patterned after and around the Mosaic Laws.

To once again come to terms with the rolling Premise of these articles: No Temple, no sacrificial offerings. No sacrifices, no atonement forgiveness of sins. No forgiveness, no redemption. No redemption, no right standing with God.

(1) Solomon’s Temple: God removed his very presence from this magnificent Temple; therefore, from among his people. Some six years before King Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and tore down the Temple, Ezekiel witnessed God’s glory depart from the Temple. “Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them” (Ezekiel 10:18-19). A short time later, “Then the glory of the Lord went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east” (Ezekiel 11:23).

The mountain to the east of Jerusalem is none other than the Mount of Olives. Amazingly—beyond mere coincidence—this is exactly where Messiah will step foot upon his spectacular (return) appearance to rescue Israel from annihilation during the Great Tribulation (Zachariah 14:4). Prophetically, Messiah will enter Jerusalem by the same Eastern Gate, currently sealed and impassable, through which God withdrew his presence. Thus, the Glory of the Lord that temporarily returned to the 2nd Temple in the form of Messiah Jesus will reappear permanently to Israel and the whole world.

(2) Herod’s (the 2nd) Temple: When this temple was razed to the ground by the Roman Legions, the Mosaic Covenant Sacrificial System ceased to function as the ongoing source of redemption.

1Temple

Depiction of Temple Worship & Offerings (Can you guess which Temple?)

The loss of God’s glorious presence among his people followed by removal of sacrificial shedding of blood for atonement of sin dealt devastating blows to the heart of Judaism and the soul of the Jewish people. By and large, they have never recovered from this dual discipline; administered as a result of their continuous disobedience to God and denial of their Messiah sent by God to reconcile and restore them back to God. But one day (soon) all that will change!

They will recover and rejoice, because all of Israel will be saved … individually and nationally, physically and spiritually.

Speaking to the Gentile believers in Rome, the Apostle Paul cautioned them optimistically: “I want you to understand this mystery … so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, ‘The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins’” (Romans 11:25-27, italics for emphasis).

Please remember … Paul was a Jew, who’s zealous die-hard ambition to defend the Judaic Law of Moses had consumed him. That is until Messiah Jesus supernaturally appeared to Paul (Saul), and challenged him to explain why he was persecuting the Christians, which was a direct attack on Messiah Yeshua, himself. Paul’s heart, life, and destiny miraculously changed. Then, Jesus consumed and compelled him. As is sometimes said: The rest is history.

Concerning the Jewish Temples, the historical evidence is undeniable: Since the destruction of Solomon’s Temple, God’s Shekinah glory (his majestic presence) had been glaringly absent from the Temple. Then, the essence and substance of God’s forgiveness through the Atonement Sacrifices abruptly ceased with the loss of the 2nd Temple. According to the Law of Moses—which to varying degrees is still practiced or at least recognized by millions of Jews the world over—without the God-ordained place and procedure for shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin … no acquittal for the penalty for sin.

Where, then, is the Temple?

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Depicts Destruction of Herod’s Temple

Is There a Replacement Remedy for the Absence of a Temple?

God, in his supernatural sovereignty, would see to it that destructive removal of both Temples would be replaced with something and someone even better. Indeed, that was God’s plan from the very beginning—to provide a Messiah Savior who would restore the glory and presence of God because he, himself, is God. “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

As the King of all kings, he would reestablish King David’s dynasty. “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity….” (Isaiah 9:7).

And, as we shall soon see, he would assume the High Priestly Order of Melchizedek by offering himself as the final, perfect sacrifice for all mankind. Thus, the lamentable loss of both Temples was—like an intricate tapestry—providentially woven into God’s stunningly brilliant plan for his chosen people AND for Gentiles, who were not originally God’s people, but would become his people; Jew and Gentile … one new creation, one new man. A new universal Temple built by God himself, in the hearts of men, women, and children from nations the world over.

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

In this passage, God’s holy people are the Jews … with the word holy meaning set apart for a special purpose. We are his house (dwelling place) means both Jew and Gentile (We). And this new dwelling place is built equally on the foundation of the (Old Testament) prophets and (New Testament) apostles. Moreover, Messiah Jesus is the CORNERSTONE of this incredible building. This sensational spiritual structure has become a (the new) holy temple for the Lord. Both Jew and Gentile are part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

In times past, only the Jewish High Priest could approach God once a year in the Temple’s Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. A Gentile could never enter the Temple itself; only in the Court of the Gentiles. But with the New Covenant God graciously changed all that: “Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other (between Jew and Gentile) was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us” (Ephesians 2:16-18).

This is all possible because the Old Covenant configuration of sacrificial atonement that took place in the earthly temple was completed, perfected, and replaced by the New Covenant’s heavenly standard whose Temple and ultimate sacrifice is Messiah himself.

The Perfect High Priest, After the Order of Melchizedek

We find only a brief record of Melchizedek in the book of Genesis, but a detailed account of this mysterious man in the New Testament. The book of Hebrews daringly, but logically explains how Jesus ultimately fulfilled the priestly order of the first High Priest, which was Melchizedek, not Aaron. How and why Yeshua was qualified to become and remain the Eternal High Priest.

It’s also vital to understand that Hebrews was written by a Jew (as were nearly all of the New Testament books) who fully understood and accepted the fact that, “…We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands” (Hebrews 8:1-2).

The Jewish writer of Hebrews unveils the mystery of this extraordinary Priest/King: “Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. Now the Law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed” (Hebrews 7:4-7).

The author of Hebrews then contends, “…Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on “(Verse 8, italics for emphasis). From all the Scriptural evidence about Melchizedek, but especially this verse, many Bible scholars and commentators (including me) firmly believe that Melchizedek was not only the ultimate prototype of a High Priest and King, but that he was actually the pre-Incarnate Messiah (Jesus), who made several appearances before his actual birth in Bethlehem.

Listen closely as the writer of Hebrews contests the enduring effectiveness of the Levitical system by clarifying the contrast between the Aaronic priesthood and the Priestly Order of Melchizedek: “So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law is based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?” (Hebrews 7:11).

Then the author presents a conclusive challenge that justifies a New Covenant and a different, superior Mediator of that Covenant: “And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, ‘You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek’” (Hebrews 7:12-17). Psalms 110:4 is quoted here.

Next, “The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever” (Hebrews 7:28).

The author of Hebrews then explains the responsibilities of a high priest and The High Priest; why the functions of the earthly priests were meant only to be a shadowy prelude to the real (ideal) model. “And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning, ‘Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain’” (Hebrews 8:3-5).

Thus, it’s profoundly clear that the original Tabernacle, then the Temples were types or shadows patterned after the perfect Temple in heaven. A Temple not built by human hands; rather the Temple of God, himself, contained in the very body of Yeshua … the Incarnate Messiah. “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).

In the following passage, we once again see the incomparable excellence of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant, the new Temple over the Old Temple, and the new Sacrifice over the old sacrifices.

“That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice” (Hebrews 9:23-26).

AMAZING! Permanent removal of sin, not just perpetual partial covering of sin. No need for continued animal offerings, nor an earthly temple in which to perform those sacrifices.

So, you see: God made something ultimately good and lasting out of the two greatest tragedies that ever befell the Jewish people … the horrific, humiliating destruction of the Temples. But that was his plan all along.

Why a New Covenant … A New Temple?

Because the Lord knew that his people (all people) never could and/or never would keep the first covenant at all times in all points. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious and holy standards and requirements (Romans 3:23).

The Lord fully understands the natural bent of mankind: That of trying to earn God’s favor, trying to merit salvation and eternal life by performance, by innate worth, by good works; instead of simply agreeing with God and accepting his grace … the wonderful, matchless gift of God’s own Son as a substitutionary sacrificial payment for all the wrong things we have done.

Thus, God gave the Law for two reasons: (1) as dependable as the conscience of man can sometimes be, it is not constantly adequate or endlessly reliable to unerringly distinguish right from wrong. Hence, it was necessary to establish universally objective moral and spiritual laws (summarized in the Ten Commandments) so that no one would excuse immoral behavior by saying they didn’t know it was (for example) wrong to steal. (2) To give men and women every chance possible to earn their salvation by obeying these laws perfectly. But because no one has ever kept the Law in every point, the Law ended up sentencing us to everlasting death.

How sadly ironic: the only thing earned is physical and then spiritual death (separation from God forever). “For the wages of sin is death….” (Romans 6:23a).

As asked and answered by Paul, “Why, then was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised….” (Galatians 3:19) Paul goes on to identify this ultimate child of promise as Messiah Jesus.

Listen again to the words of Hebrews: “If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said (Then the writer quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34): ‘The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people … And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Hebrews 8:7-10, 12).

A New and Better Way

What about this New Covenant, which was announced by the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah just a few years before the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple? Has the New Covenant arrived? If so, when? How? By whom?

Listen to these penetrating words spoken by Jesus to the Jewish Pharisees: “And haven’t you read in the Law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” (Matthew 12:5-8, Jesus quoted from Micah Chapter 6).

Astounding! Jesus refuted the unfounded allegations of the Pharisees that the disciples were breaking the Sabbath by eating some heads of grain still on the stalk … through the Pharisees legalistic interpretation that the disciples were harvesting the grain. With divine authorized authority, Jesus declared that he was greater than the Jewish Sabbath, greater than the Temple, greater than the Law of Moses. Jesus IS the Sabbath. Jesus IS the Temple. Jesus IS the Living Word of God (John 1:1).

There’s more: In answer to an argumentative question from the Jewish religious leaders as to who gave him the authority to drive out the money changers from the Temple, Jesus replied, “…Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of his body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken” (John 2:19-22, NASB).

Remember the startling statement by Jesus at the last Passover supper with his disciples. He announced that the New Covenant was about to begin.

“After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you’” (Luke 22.20).

Here, I would like to quote an excerpt from my book, Out of the Abyss (pages 66-67).

Jesus proclaimed this unparalleled new covenant from Jerusalem, the God-ordained location of annual Passovers. In no uncertain terms, Christ explicitly announced that he himself would be the blood sacrifice required by God to start, satisfy, and seal the very covenant predicted by Jeremiah … The Son of Man who spoke these words would soon be nailed to a cross as the ultimate sacrificial Passover Lamb, exclusively selected and sent by God to redeem Israel and the whole world.

While he hung on the cross, the very Temple curtain that separated the sacrificial inner sanctuary (Holy of Holies) from the rest of the Temple was inexplicably ripped apart. Three days later Jesus arose from the dead to forever ratify the total efficacy of so great a sacrifice and so great a salvation that he purchased with his life’s blood. Those who have accepted his sacrifice and redemption can freely enter the very presence of God at any time from any place in the world. For not only is the Temple curtain gone, so is the Temple itself. Until the return of Messiah, the Temple of God is now the body of Christ. God the Holy Spirit resides in the heart of every believer. Those in Christ are the body and Temple of the living Triune God.

We love you Lord, because you first loved us! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

Some thirty years later, the Apostle Paul would write his last two epistles to Timothy. In keeping with the main purpose of Paul’s writings—to encapsulate the entire life, death, and resurrection of Jesus into the eternal tenets of the Christian faith—he states: “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5).

Hence, we have the incomparable, immeasurable, and irreplaceable New Covenant of Grace. “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins” (Ephesians 1:7).

Christ became the Temple of the Living God. We, who have placed our trust in his awesome once-for-all atoning sacrifice, need not search for a temple built by human hands. For we are part of a better Temple. Listen to this affirmation from the Apostle Peter:

“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (I Peter 2:4-5).

Equally remarkable are Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (I Corinthians 3:16-17).

800px-Temple_Mount_(Aerial_view,_2007)_02

Temple Mount Today, But No Jewish Temple

Summary

Where is the Temple? The question must be answered because to dismiss it, to ignore it, to pretend that it doesn’t matter is to maintain that a person’s self-enabling obedience to God’s laws, meriting God’s favor through good works or charitable activities as the means of salvation, and earning a destiny in heaven can be achieved WITHOUT the parallel and equally significant mandated remedy for atonement of sin through the sacrificial offerings required by Almighty God. You simply can’t have one without the other.

So, does the question even have an answer? The answer to that question depends upon whether anyone earnestly and honestly searching for the truth will agree that a New Covenant is necessary and is in place. For, without the sacrificial offerings, the Law can only judge. Without a replacement to the Old Testament system of Atonement that ended with destruction of the Temple, the Law can only condemn.

However, for all who agree that Jesus is the Messiah who arrived on the scene of history as Biblically prophesied hundreds of years earlier saying Messiah would come before the (2nd) Temple would be destroyed; that he died and rose again as the ultimate perfect sacrifice for their sins; then place their complete trust in his redemptive atonement thereby entrusting their eternal destiny to his finished work on the cross, they will have positively answered the question.

The New Temple is Christ and Christ is in every person who accepts him as personal Savior.

Let’s get personal: If you prefer to stake your eternal destiny on your ability to keep the law, then you still haven’t answered the question. Indeed, there is no answer to your dilemma. Why? Because the Law of Moses demands perfect compliance—with continual sacrificial offerings as a divine solution for noncompliance, either willfully or carelessly.

Which is why, “…the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, ‘The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: You are a priest forever.’ Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God” (Hebrews 7:18-22).

Things to Ponder

God still gives us free will, the option to choose. But concerning atonement, redemption, salvation: forgiveness is available only through the shedding of blood. The Old Covenant was a temporary shadow. It is gone, along with the Temple. Will you choose the Old or the New?

Then: The Presence of God only in the Temple; withdrawn before the Temple’s destruction, because of disobedience.

Now: The Kingdom of Heaven residing and reigning in the hearts of believers in Yeshua.

Soon: The Kingdom of God resting and reigning on the earth from Jerusalem, with Yeshua, himself, living among his people.

Where is the Temple? Can you answer? Will you answer?


Answer to Photo Question: Solomon’s Temple, because God’s Shekinah glory is still present as shown near the top of the picture

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  • The Real Reason for Palestinian Terrorism
  • The Reign of Terror
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  • The Seal of Approval
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  • The Two Witnesses (Part III)
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  • The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?
  • The Whole Truth
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  • The Woman and the Beast (Part II)
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  • The Woman and the Beast (Part IV)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part V)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part VI)
  • The Wonder Of It All … Birth of the Child!
  • The World Wants a Messiah … But It Needs (The) Messiah
  • There’s No Place Like Homs
  • There’s Resurrection; And There’s Resurrection!
  • Three … A Divine Number of God!
  • Times of & Fullness of the Gentiles … What Do They Mean?
  • To Be or Not To Be … in Heaven?
  • To Be Or Not To Be … In Heaven? (A Revisit)
  • Trump, Cyrus, and the Jewish Temple
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part I … Turmoil)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part II … Tragedy)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part III … Terror)
  • Two-State Solution & The Seven-Year Treaty … Impossible?
  • Two Thirds of the Jews Killed … Past or Future?
  • U.S. President Agrees with God … Jerusalem Is Israel’s Capital!
  • Under the Radar
  • UNESCO / “Theatre of the Absurd” Against Israel
  • United Nations Downsizing of Israel (Resolution 2334)
  • Value of Prophecy
  • West Bank or Judea/Samaria? What’s In A Name?
  • What Is A Saint?
  • What Is Done To Israel Will Be Done In Return / The Iran Nuclear Deal
  • What Is Done to Israel Will Be Done in Return / Dangers of a Divided Jerusalem
  • What is Palestine & Who Is A Palestinian?
  • What is the Rapture?
  • What Is The Unpardonable Sin?
  • When the Rapture?
  • Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here?
  • Where Is The Temple? Part I
  • Where Is The Temple? Part II
  • Where is the Temple? Part III
  • Who is Messiah?
  • Who Is the Antichrist & How Will He Appear (Part I)
  • Who Is The Antichrist & How Will He Appear? (Part II)
  • Who the Rapture?
  • Whom Do You Most Want To See In Heaven?
  • Why the Rapture?
  • Why the Rapture? (A Revisit)
  • Why The World Idolizes Antichrist & How It Reacts To The Tribulation
  • Wiles of the Woman
  • Will All Children Be Taken in The Rapture?
  • Will Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation? (Part I)
  • Will Believers Go Through The Great Tribulation? (Part II)
  • Will There Still Be Unbelievers Throughout Eternity?
  • Yom Kippur / With Or Without Atonement?
  • Zechariah’s Dramatic Description of Antichrist’s Fatal Wounds

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