Millennial Temple
Questions & Answers
Dr. John Hoole – December 7, 2013
Today, I want to address a number of questions I have been asked with regard to the Temple that will exist during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ here on earth. But, to begin, I want to address once again why I believe the Ezekiel 40-48 should be taken as a prophecy about a literal and physical temple here on earth.
I believe there is overwhelming scriptural evidence predicting a literal Temple during the literal Millennial Kingdom on earth. The prophets Isaiah, Daniel, Joel, Haggai and Zechariah all include passages of the reign of the Messiah, which only make sense if taken literally to mean what the word written actually say. But because many theologians believe that the Church of this age has replaced Israel, anything prophetic about Israel must be taken allegorically, not literally.
So, when Isaiah 56:5 speaks of a future building that Jehovah calls “my house” and “having walls” some have great difficulty taking it to mean exactly what is say. And when Isaiah 2:2-3 speaks of Jerusalem, Judah and the “house of the Lord” being established on the “holy mountain” called” Mt. Zion,” they have to find ways to spiritualize these labels.
In addition, there are verses, like Isaiah 60:13, which speak of the cypress, the pine and other trees taken from Lebanon that will be used in the future temple, it is so much easier to take these description as literal trees and temple.
An even greater argument for taking the last nine chapters of Ezekiel as literal in it normal grammatical understanding, can be taken by staying within the book of Ezekiel. You see, the Millennial Temple is not the only Temple mentioned in the book of Ezekiel. In chapters 8 through 11, Ezekiel is given a vision of the Temple that existed at that time in Jerusalem. All theologians agree that in these chapters Ezekiel is speaking of a literal existing temple.
These earlier four chapters in Ezekiel mention architectural terms similar to the later chapters, like, the door of the north gate of the inner court (8:3), the altar (8:16), the porch (8:16), the threshold of the temple (9:3), the east gate of the Lord’s house (10:19). The book loses continuity if the same descriptions used in chapters 40-43 are not taken literally. To accept the first 39 chapter of Ezekiel as literal, but not the last 9, is to lose its unity.
Also, when you see the description of the glory of the Lord leaving the temple in the early chapters of Ezekiel, something accepted by all as a literal departure, how does one not also take it literally when, in Ezekiel 43:4, the glory is said to return to the Temple. And to have the glory of God leaving temple in Ezekiel 10:19 by way of the east gate, and in Ezekiel 43:4, returns through the east gate, makes it without consistency to accept one gate as literal but not the other.
I believe Ezekiel’s prophecy of a future Temple is the means to restoring the presence of God to Israel. If Ezekiel describes the desecration of the first temple which causes the glory of the Lord to depart, then when the holiness and glory are restored to the temple of God, it makes most sense if it occurs in a literal temple. Ezekiel’s book is written to comfort the Jews of his day and their descendants, over the loss of their Temple. Would the prophecy of a non-literal temple have given them such comfort?
Now, let me address a number of the questions that have been raised. To answer these questions I will read many biblical passages. I will also address come questions that were not asked in our last meeting.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE?
While it is true that it took human effort to build the first two temples, and we also believe it will take human effort to build temple #3 during the 7-year Tribulation, temple number 4 will be constructed differently. To begin, let’s look at a passage in Zechariah.
Zechariah 6:11-13 NKJV
11 Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
12 Then speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: "Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both."'
This passage tells us that someone called THE BRANCH will build the Temple. The Branch also is said to have the glory of God on Him, and He will be a priest on His throne. That says the person will be both priest and king. So, who is the Branch?” There are a number of other passages that will help answer this question. Let’s start with Isaiah 11.
Isaiah 11:1-2 NKJV
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
I hope you are starting to understand that only Jesus can be the Branch. The descriptions in the verses we have read thus far can only be describing the Jewish Messiah. And, by the way, that is the way the Jews interpret these verses. They just don’t realize at this time that Yeshuah (Jesus) is that man.
Jesse lived at least 8 generations after Judah, the father of this tribe had lived. Samuel was the prophet, and Jesse’s ancestors had lived in Bethlehem for several generations. Bethlehem was in the land given to the tribe of Judah by Joshua.
Now, how does one tie Isaiah 11 to the Millennial reign of Christ? If you continue to read that chapter, there will be no doubt.
Isaiah 11:4-10 NKJV
4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."
The apostle Paul actually quotes from Isaiah 11.
Romans 15:12 NKJV
12 And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope."
Paul connects Jesus descending from Jesse to Him being the hope of Gentiles also.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 NKJV
5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
With what we have read in the Bible thus far, there should be no doubt that BRANCH is Jesus the Messiah. But there are several other Scriptures that will continue to corroborate this fact.
Jeremiah 33:15-17 NKJV
15 'In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
16 In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'
17 "For thus says the Lord: 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.”
Finally, we have the ultimate description of the Branch!
In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped.
He is called "the Branch of the Lord" He is the Son of God, not just the son of the man David! Yet this verse also describes Him as "the fruit of the earth," meaning that, though He is God, He is also from mankind. He could claim being a full descendant of both God and humanity!
Jesus, the Branch, will build the Millennial Temple.
WHERE IS THE THRONE OF JESUS LOCATED DURING HIS 1,000 YEAR REIGN?
Right now we are entering the Christmas season. And one of the passages often read or quoted at this time is from Isaiah 9.
Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever.
We are told in this passage that during the Millennium, Jesus will occupy the throne of David.
One of the Psalms adds that the place of His throne is in Zion.
Psalms 146:10 NKJV
10 The Lord shall reign forever — Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!
And Joel 3:17 (NKJV) adds:
17 "So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy…
Jesus, ha Mashiach, will reign on the throne of David, which is located on Mt. Zion. The reason I bring to our attention, Mt. Zion, is because that is the place where the Temple is. And in the last 9 chapters of Ezekiel, which speaks of the Millennial Temple, we are told precisely where the throne of God is. In these chapters, the prophet Ezekiel is presented with a vision of many aspects of the Temple.
Ezekiel 43:5-7 NKJV
5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
6 Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me.
7 And He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places.
The throne of the Messiah will be on Mt. Zion, on earth, in the Temple.
WHAT ANIMALS ARE SACRIFICED AT THE TEMPLE DURING THE MILLENNIUM?
I know there are some Christians who believe there is no need for sacrifices during the reign of Christ. We will spend more time on this topic in a future lesson, but, while I do believe the Bible teach there will be sacrifices, I want to address the question raised in our last gathering.
I think we will see that the animals that were sacrificed until the Temple was destroyed in A.D.70 will be essentially the same in the Millennium.
Ezekiel 43:19 NKJV
19 You shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,' says the Lord God.
The sacrifice of a bull is again mentioned two verses later in verse 21 and in Ezekiel 45:18, 22.
In verse 22, another animal is sacrificed.
Ezekiel 43:22 NKJV
22 On the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull.
In verse 25, a goat is prepared for sacrifice.
In verse 23, the bull is mentioned once again, along with another animal that will be sacrificed.
Ezekiel 43:23 NKJV
23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish.
And then there is also the sacrifice of lambs, along with a bull and a ram and a grain offering.
Ezekiel 46:6-7 NKJV
6 On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish.
7 He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah.
In addition to the above sacrifices of animals, there will also be grain and first-fruit offerings and drink offerings (45:17). The sacrifices during the millennium are mentioned in a number of other verses in Ezekiel’s writings.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SACRIFICES MADE DURING THE MILLENNIUM AFTER BEING SACRIFICED?
The priests in charge of the sacrifices and those that work in the Temple will eat the remainder of meat and grain. This means they will not be vegetarians. In the millennial temple complex, there are several kitchens in its design.
Ezekiel 44:29-31 NKJV
29 They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering; every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs.
30 The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest's; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.
31 The priests shall not eat anything, bird or beast, that died naturally or was torn.
Although the priests will eat the meat of sacrifices, in the 31st verse, they are told they are not to eat animals that have died a natural death nor those torn to death.
Earlier in this vision seen by Ezekiel, we are told where they eat the remains of the sacrifices.
Ezekiel 42:13 NKJV
13 Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separating courtyard, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall lay the most holy offerings — the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering — for the place is holy.
What measuring devices are used in measuring the Millennial Temple?
In our previous lesson, I said two measuring devices were used in Ezekiel 40 – 49.
1. Standard Cubit – which is generally taken as 18 inches.
2. Handbreadth – which is 3 inches.
3. Long cubit, which is a standard cubit and a handbreadth in length – making it 21 inches.
4. Rod (reed) – which was 6 long cubits in length – or 10½ feet in length.
There is one measuring device I overlooked in Ezekiel 40.
Ezekiel 40:3 NKJV
3 He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.
In addition to the measuring rod, the man had a “a line of flax.” And we find it being used in Ezekiel 47 where the river of living water is mentioned.
Ezekiel 47:2-3 NKJV
2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.
We still are not told how long the flax line was, but with it he was able to measure 1,000 cubits. We do, however, find something similar in two other biblical passages.
Zechariah 2:1-2 NKJV
1 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
2 So I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length."
While we are not told how long the “measuring line” is in this verse, there is one more use of it where a length is given.
Jeremiah 52:21 NKJV
21 Now concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, a measuring line of twelve cubits could measure its circumference, and its thickness was four fingers; it was hollow.
Here, we are told of a “measuring line” that is 12 cubits in length. If we understand the cubit being used here as standard cubit, the line is 18 feet in length.
There is one more use of the reed (or rod) in the New Testament.
Revelation 21:15-16 NKJV
15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
In this case, I know this is not the earthly Jerusalem that is being measured, but, rather, it is the measuring of the New Jerusalem that will descend from Heaven to earth.
WHAT ARE THE SIX CHAMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THE GATES OF THE MILLENNIAL TEMPLE GROUNDS?
Last week, I made mention of these chambers, which cause some to raise what their use is. I said they were “guard chambers,” but I errantly compared them in my mind to similarly structured gates in ancient Israel. Let me explain.
1 Kings 9:15 NIV
15 Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord's temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, e the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.
Notice those last three cities. One way Solomon shored up the defense of these three cities was to change the way the city gates were built. Another way to fortify a city was to build water systems that would provide water to the city if they were under siege for a lengthy time.
Let me show you the Solomonic gate here at Hazor. Rather than one gate, Solomon built a six chamber gate – three on each side. Between each of the three pairs would hang a heavy gate. If the enemy broke through or burned the first gate, they would become “sitting ducks” in a cramped area.
How do we know this gate was built by Solomon. There are records of his building this variation of gate. But the Biblical record we read a moment ago helps us. We read 1 Kings 9:15, a moment ago, where it tells us Solomon fortified three cities. They were Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
I have shown you the triple gate at Hazor. Here are the ruins of the gate at Gezer. And here is a nearly identical gate at Megiddo. Once again, the Bible tells us these things.
Now, back to the Millennial Temple and its gates. All six gates have a similar construction to the Solomonic gates. There are three chambers on each side of the path through the gates.
However, in rereading the account in Ezekiel, they are never called guard gates. In the NKJV, they are called “gate chambers.” In the NIV, they are called “alcoves.” The Septuagint Greek translation of these passages, when translated into English, are described as Porticos.”