Many look for Ezekiel’s temple built of brick and mortar in Jerusalem in the coming days. One of the points for a spiritual understanding instead is that Ezekiel’s measurements are incomplete. The height measurements do not exist except for the two front pillars. Which means people would need to add to God’s word, which is a sin, to build it. So if built according to Ezekiel’s given measurements, it would resemble a bar of soap with two chopsticks standing upright, representing the pillars in front of it.
Also with incomplete measurements, only God could build it to his plan. And the Temple would then represent Jesus, God’s temple made without hands. In whom God lives. So from the beginning we understand the Temple can only be a symbol of Christ, the Temple made without hands where God lives.[ii]
Also, a feature of the Temple runs opposite to the natural laws of entropy. As a central characteristic of the Temple.[iii] Making it more symbolic than literal. The temple vision has a trickle of water beginning in the temple. And growing in size as it leaves the temple, then growing into a river.
And this also depicts Jesus’s miracles of multiplying the loaves and fishes. His creating seeing eyes from clay. And his raising people from the dead, including himself and believers on the last day. Also Jesus spoke of inexhaustible living waters flowing from the bellies of those who believe in him. All pointing to the Temple made without hands in Christ.
A physical Temple would also reject his shed blood on the cross. And a return to animal sacrifices which would leave sin unatoned for. The animal sacrifices called for by Ezekiel atoned for sin as they once did. But found their fulfillment and end in Christ. And according to Hebrews, they remain eternally fulfilled in him.[iv] So this would place all under the warning passages in Hebrews 6.
Where did the physical third temple idea come from? Simply put, Jesus fulfilled Daniel’s 70th week as foretold. Daniel shows Christ stopped the sacrifices in the middle of the 70th week, with the sacrifice of himself. But the kingdom they expected did not arrive. So they turned Jesus who fulfilled the prophecy in the middle of the 70th week, into Antichrist and inserted a gap of unlimited duration between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week. Pushing the 70th week thousands of years into the future. But it came not from scripture, but from their blindness.
And since the kingdom Daniel spoke of came had to come in the days of the Roman Empire, these thought there must be another Roman Empire before this can happen. So today we have a false prophecy about a restored Roman Empire. And since Antichrist must then sit in the Temple of God, they must build a Third Temple. And since he must stop animal sacrifices in the middle of the week, animal sacrifices must resume. But Daniel shows Christ stopped the sacrifices in the middle of the 70th week, with the sacrifice of himself. And Ezekiel’s temple description and Hebrews does not allow for any of this.
The size of Ezekiel’s temple is approximately the same size as the boundaries of ancient Jerusalem itself during the second temple era.143 The description by Ezekiel generally lists only lengths and widths, not heights, except for side pillars of 60 cubits (Ezek 40:14).
Jonathan Menn. (n.d.). Biblical Eschatology. Ezekiel's temple incomplete measurements
[ii] “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.” John 2:19–21 (KJV 1900)
[iii] “And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.” Ezekiel 47:3–5 (KJV 1900)
[iv] “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” Hebrews 7:26–28 (KJV 1900)
Also with incomplete measurements, only God could build it to his plan. And the Temple would then represent Jesus, God’s temple made without hands. In whom God lives. So from the beginning we understand the Temple can only be a symbol of Christ, the Temple made without hands where God lives.[ii]
Also, a feature of the Temple runs opposite to the natural laws of entropy. As a central characteristic of the Temple.[iii] Making it more symbolic than literal. The temple vision has a trickle of water beginning in the temple. And growing in size as it leaves the temple, then growing into a river.
And this also depicts Jesus’s miracles of multiplying the loaves and fishes. His creating seeing eyes from clay. And his raising people from the dead, including himself and believers on the last day. Also Jesus spoke of inexhaustible living waters flowing from the bellies of those who believe in him. All pointing to the Temple made without hands in Christ.
A physical Temple would also reject his shed blood on the cross. And a return to animal sacrifices which would leave sin unatoned for. The animal sacrifices called for by Ezekiel atoned for sin as they once did. But found their fulfillment and end in Christ. And according to Hebrews, they remain eternally fulfilled in him.[iv] So this would place all under the warning passages in Hebrews 6.
Where did the physical third temple idea come from? Simply put, Jesus fulfilled Daniel’s 70th week as foretold. Daniel shows Christ stopped the sacrifices in the middle of the 70th week, with the sacrifice of himself. But the kingdom they expected did not arrive. So they turned Jesus who fulfilled the prophecy in the middle of the 70th week, into Antichrist and inserted a gap of unlimited duration between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week. Pushing the 70th week thousands of years into the future. But it came not from scripture, but from their blindness.
And since the kingdom Daniel spoke of came had to come in the days of the Roman Empire, these thought there must be another Roman Empire before this can happen. So today we have a false prophecy about a restored Roman Empire. And since Antichrist must then sit in the Temple of God, they must build a Third Temple. And since he must stop animal sacrifices in the middle of the week, animal sacrifices must resume. But Daniel shows Christ stopped the sacrifices in the middle of the 70th week, with the sacrifice of himself. And Ezekiel’s temple description and Hebrews does not allow for any of this.
The size of Ezekiel’s temple is approximately the same size as the boundaries of ancient Jerusalem itself during the second temple era.143 The description by Ezekiel generally lists only lengths and widths, not heights, except for side pillars of 60 cubits (Ezek 40:14).
Jonathan Menn. (n.d.). Biblical Eschatology. Ezekiel's temple incomplete measurements
[ii] “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.” John 2:19–21 (KJV 1900)
[iii] “And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.” Ezekiel 47:3–5 (KJV 1900)
[iv] “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” Hebrews 7:26–28 (KJV 1900)
