Christians who believe the Temple of God will be physically rebuilt a third time do not realize what they are declaring. There are many important reasons why there cannot be a third physical Temple of God, which we will explore in this post.
Some Christians believe that a third physical Temple Of God will be rebuilt due to the prophet Ezekiel’s vision. However, this vision was of a spiritual Tabernacle and not a physical one. This is not a vision of a physical temple because this would contradict the prophet Daniel’s prophecy, which does not state anything about this. Furthermore, Daniel is the only prophet that Jesus quoted regarding the Temple, not the prophet Ezekiel. Finally, we see in the book of Revelations, that the new Temple of God will be in heaven.
Revelations 21:22 – I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
The Purpose Of The Temple Of God
The purpose of the Tent of Meeting and Temple Of God, was to house the Ark of the Covenant. This carried God’s presence as per the Old Testament. It is important to remember that sacrifices and offerings can only take place within the Temple of God, which can only be located in Jerusalem, currently where the Dome of the Rock Mosque is situated.
Leviticus 17:2-4 – Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.
Deuteronomy 12:5-7 – But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; 6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
1 Kings 3:2 – The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 35:3 – He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord: “Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.
Numbers 7:89 – When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him.
1 Kings 6:19 – He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.
1 Kings 8:6-9 – The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
Hebrews 9:1-5 – Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
Only Levites could touch and maintain the Ark of the Covenant.
Deuteronomy 10:8 – At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today.
God specifically states that a time will come when the Ark will be no more (lost) and another will not be remade.
Jeremiah 3:16 – In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.
The Ark of the Covenant and the Temple of God are now spiritual concepts which will remain forever and ever, Amen!
Revelations 11:19 – Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
The Prophets Daniel & Ezekiel Speak Of A Spiritual Temple of God
How can there be a third Temple of God when Jesus states that a time will come when no one will worship the Father on the mountain in Jerusalem? Jesus states in:
John 4:20-24 – Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
When Jesus speaks about the Temple of God, he refers only to the prophecy of Daniel.
Matthew 24:1-2 & 15 – Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”…15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand)
Mark 13:1-2 & 14 – Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”
2And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”…14“So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ [f]spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Jesus is quoting this from Daniel.
Daniel 9:27 – He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
Daniel 11:31 – “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.
Daniel 12:11 – “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
The ‘lawless one’ is Muhammed and the many whom he made a covenant with, are the Muslim people. The abomination and the desolation Daniel and Jesus are speaking about is the Dome of the Rock Mosque which has been built on the Temple site in Jerusalem in honor of Muhammed. More specifically, the actual building is sitting on the same sacred location as where the daily sacrifices were offered.
Daniel 9:25-27 – Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.
As we can see, all of these prophecies have come to pass. The Messiah came during the time of the second Temple. He was murdered and to the Jewish people, he seemed to have accomplished nothing.
Daniel 9:27 – The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Islam was introduced by Muhammed. In his honor, the Dome of the Rock mosque was built; stopping the daily sacrifices from ever being reinstated. It is important to remember that sacrifices and offerings can only be performed within the Temple of God at the exact site where the Dome of the Rock is situated.
Leviticus 17:2-4 – “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.
Deuteronomy 12:5-7 – But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; 6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
1 Kings 3:2 – The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD.
Priests In The Temple Of God Are From The Tribe Of Levi
Believing there will be a third physical Temple of God is not only misguided, but for Christians, it is also dangerous. There is a very important reason why Christians should not believe the false teaching that the Temple of God will be physically rebuilt. It is because as per God’s commandments in the first covenant, only Levites (those from the tribe of Levi) can be priests and work, offer sacrifices and perform rituals in the physical Temple of God.
Numbers 18:1-8 – The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. 2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law. 3 They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die. 4 They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.
5 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. 6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting. 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
Exodus 27:21 – In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.
Only Levites Can Be Priests In The Temple Of God
Since the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah, he cannot work in the physical Temple as per the old temple system rules because he is not from the tribe of Levi. Paul also states this in:
Hebrews 7:13-14 – 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
Only Levitical priests can offer sacrifices, offerings and perform rituals in the Temple of God.
Leviticus 1:1-8 – The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
3 “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. 4 You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. 5 You are to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 6 You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar.
Leviticus 1:10-13 – “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, you are to offer a male without defect. 11 You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. 13 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
Leviticus 1:14-17 – If the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He is to remove the crop and the feathers and throw them down east of the altar where the ashes are. 17 He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
The Messiah Shall Be From The Tribe Of Judah
This is extremely significant because according to scripture, the Messiah shall be from the tribe of Judah. This means that if the Temple of God was physically rebuilt, Jesus would not be able to serve as High Priest within that physical Temple! Just as he did not work in the second Temple that was standing and in full operation during his ministry here on earth. Furthermore, sacrifices to receive forgiveness of sins would be reinstated in the Temple – and Jesus’ death would have become pointless and obsolete. May it never be!
The following scriptures show that the Messiah shall come from the tribe of Judah.
Genesis 49:9-10 – You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
Isaiah 11:1-10 – A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Jeremiah 23:5 – “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.
Jeremiah 33:15 – “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.
We know that King David was from the tribe of Judah, and in turn, so was Jesus.
2 Samuel 2:4 – Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.
Revelations 22:16 – “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
Revelations 5:5 – Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Matthew 1:1 – ‘This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:’
Jesus: A Superior High Priest
For Christians, Jesus is our High Priest according to the more superior order of Melchizedek and not Levi. Melchizedek was a priest during the time of Abraham which was long before the Levitical priesthood and the Temple of God was established.
Hebrews 2:17-18 – For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 4:14-15 – Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 5:1-6 – Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
Continued Hebrews 5:7 says ‘During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.’
Hebrews 6:19-20 – We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus: High Priest From Order Of Melchizedek
Jesus is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as Paul explains this important fact in:
Hebrews 7 – This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.
17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Through Jesus’ perfect obedience to God, he became the source of eternal salvation, and was designated High Priest by God according to the eternal priesthood in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 8 – Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. 3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
As we can see, the physical Temple of God was just a copy and shadow of the Temple in heaven, made by God himself through the Messiah.
Continued Hebrews 8:7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” 13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
The Flawed First Covenant And Temple
Hebrews 9:1-18 – Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. 6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
As long as the physical Temple of God is still functioning, we will not have access to the Most Holy Place. The Levitical High Priest would enter the inner room of the Temple only once a year with blood which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance (iniquity).
10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Jesus Established a New Perfect Covenant & Temple
The point of Jesus’ ministry was to serve as our High Priest in the true Tabernacle which is in heaven. Through Jesus’ blood and superior priesthood, we now have access to the Most Holy Place through the Holy Spirit, which was not available to us through the operation of the physical Temple as it says in the next verse:
Hebrews 9:11 – But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
Hebrews 9:12 – Jesus entered the inner room using his own blood through his perfect obedience, thus obtaining eternal redemption for us.
Having not been a Levite, Jesus could not have entered the inner room on our behalf. This proves that there is now a spiritual Temple which operates according to the order of Melchizedek.
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
If the physical Temple system is reinstated, what would be the point of Jesus’ eternal sacrifice? What sacrifice, more perfect and holier than Jesus could possibly be offered in the Temple that would be more acceptable to God for the sins of mankind? There is none – it’s impossible!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
Hebrews 7:26 – Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
The old covenant, physical Temple system and Levitical priesthood were all flawed. That is why there was a need to establish another priesthood and order. According to Hebrews 7:26, unlike Levitical priests who serve in the physical Temple, Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices day after day – for his own sins and for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once and for all.
Jesus established a new covenant, Heavenly Temple and eternal priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. We now have an eternal covenant, with an eternal Temple served by an eternal High Priest. Hallelujah!
In conclusion, Christians who believe there will be a third physical Temple of God are essentially denying that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. They are also rejecting his eternal second covenant and heavenly Temple system. This is the basis of Christianity, and so waiting for an earthly Temple system to be reinstated, is like declaring the end of one’s faith and salvation.
Zechariah 6:12-13 – Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’
The Old Testament clearly states that the Messiah must be the one to rebuild the Temple of God, and Jesus has fulfilled this through the spiritual temple from heaven. Christians who believe in a third physical temple, are denying core Christian beliefs that Jesus is the Messiah and has rebuilt the third Temple but as a spiritual Tabernacle from heaven. Jesus has established an entirely new temple system based on an entirely new covenant.
Revelations 21:22 – I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
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