The Mystery of Ezekiel’s Temple Liturgy

When you finish this book, you will learn many extraordinary concepts.

A) The cross of Christ, prophetically fulfils and causes to cease only three Old Testament sacrifices. 1) The evening burnt offering stops. 2) Two Day of Atonement sin offerings stop; these cleanse the high priest and the people from their sins. Christ has for sin atonement made! The cross fulfils one of the functions of the altar outside the camp. Both altars continue in Ezekiel’s temple liturgy.

B) Messiah will build the temple of Ezekiel’s vision. At that time Ezekiel’s liturgy will be used. This has several changes from the liturgy God gave to Moses (the Mosaic and Levitical liturgy). Main differences include: no Day of Atonement, no High Priest, changes and substitutions in the annual holidays, and changes in quantities of sacrifice. This work notes and explains these changes - solving the mystery of Ezekiel’s liturgy.

C) In the future, the “man of lawlessness” (Antichrist) sits in the rebuilt temple, displays himself to be God (2 Thess 2:4) and ends sacrifice (Matt 24:15 ; Dan 9:27 ; Dan 12:11). After those days, King Messiah rules from David’s throne , builds Ezekiel’s Temple and follows Ezekiel’s liturgy.

D) This work integrates the Old and New Testaments and produces the logic and interpretative tools (hermeneutic) to understand why and how God will return to temple worship. Where God’s glory abides is the foundation. It is the cipher to solve the mystery of how the Old and New covenants interact. Basically, escalations from the tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and Ezekiel’s temple are all manifestations of God’s external Shekinah glory. Prophetic fulfilment only occurs in the New Jerusalem, when God and His Shekinah glory permanently dwell with men on earth! In contrast, the new covenant concerns itself with God’s glory dwelling within the believer. The death of Jesus is God’s sin offering which cleanses believers from their sin. Christ has for sin atonement made! As the believer grows into the holy character God intends - God writes His law on the believer’s heart. God puts His inner glory inside the believer. God’s glory is the cipher to test this model. Understanding that God’s shekinah glory dwells in the heavenly throne (which the temple replicates) and that God’s inner glory dwells in believers are keys to understand this book.

E) Even though Nehemiah’s temple did not have God’s Shekinah glory, God promised, AThe glory of this present house will be greater than glory of former house. … In this place I will grant peace.@ (Haggai 2:9 NIV). During this temple’s existence we must find the one who did more miracles than Moses (Dt 18:15), who radiates the inner glory of God, whose death cleanses people from their sin and brings peace. This work agrees with the Jews that in the future Messiah will rule as king on David’s throne. Yet this work forces them to find God’s suffering servant during the days of Nehemiah/Herod’s temple. The rent temple veil which occurred at the death of Jesus is God’s proof that Jesus is the suffering servant Messiah and that His death provides a new way of access to God.

F) Tabernacle typology teaches that any sin sacrifice whose blood is presented before the mercy seat is eaten by no human. Christ, our High Priest, offered His blood before the mercy seat in the heavenly temple. Therefore no one literally eats His sacrifice. This insight enables Roman Catholics to renounce their current teaching. This may become a future litmus test of true faith.

Differences exist between the Mosaic tabernacle (Ex 25-31; Lev 1-9,16,23) and Ezekiel’s temple (Ez 40-48) in furniture, consecration, holidays, and daily ritual. The mystery of Ezekiel’s temple liturgy involves 1) the lack of a high priest, 2) holiday changes (such as dropped Day of Atonement), 3) required daily burnt offerings reduce to one and 4) changes in amounts offered. Using a literal, future approach to Ezekiel 40-48, this work offers reasons for these changes. I believe in plenary inspiration (hence prophetic fulfilment) and the Reformed view: one way of salvation by faith in God/Messiah and recognition of His progress in our redemption.
The Jewish reader accepts that God’s Word is eternal. Yet without elasticity to move from pattern to escalation (partial reality) and finally to fulfilment (total reality), this reader will hold to the shadows in Moses (Mosaic shadows) and miss the transitions in God’s dwelling place. Mosaic tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and Ezekiel’s Temple, all are escalations where God’s Shekinah, His external physical glory, dwells with mankind. Fulfilment finally occurs in the New Jerusalem. There is Ano temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple@ (Rev 21:22 NASB). Not only is God’s glory in the city (Rev 21:23) but the LORD God himself is there, for the inhabitants will see God’s face (Rev 22:4). No wonder the loud voice proclaims, ABehold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people and God Himself will be among them@ (Rev 21:3 NASB).
The Christian reader likewise must accept that God’s Word has different emphasis in different ages. This reader is so caught up with this Gentile age of worshiping God “in spirit and in truth@ (Jn 4:24) that he can hardly imagine God returning to a temple age. Without elasticity to move from pattern to escalation (partial reality) and finally to fulfilment (total reality), this reader will hold to the finished work of Messiah only to miss out that Messiah’s work is not finished! As suffering servant, Messiah’s work is finished. He made atonement with His sin offering (Heb 10:12). His work as king still remains. We use the hermeneutic of typology to simultaneously hold to New Testament truths, while we move onward into the future ages. The New Testament interrupts the Old Testament development of God’s external glory dwelling with His people. Where God and His glory abide is the foundation of this book. It becomes the cipher to solve the mystery of how the Old and New Testaments interact. The NT book of Hebrews helps immensely!
This book first demonstrates that Ezekiel’s temple and liturgy (Ez 40-48) will used in the future. Then we analyze the details of each component in the tabernacle and Ezekiel’s temple. Details include priesthood, consecrations, tabernacle articles, sacrifices and festivals. It is boring, but this foundation must be made. This allows us to identify similarities and differences. Similarities indicate continuation of tabernacle ritual. Differences indicate changes to a different era. Of special interest are the specific sacrifices that cease. These spotlight what Mosaic shadows have found their reality. This defines what Messiah has done as God’s suffering servant.