Over the years I've been studying eschatology from a premillennial point of view. Recently I came across the following video and I have some questions I was hoping someone could help me with.
- #59 Ezekiel's Temple is not Millennial
Prior to watching the video above, I was already starting to favor the Septuagint over the Masoretic Text (however I believe the Apocrypha is a collation and not part of the canon). Several premillennialists seem to think that the Temple described in Ezekiel 40-46 is approximately one mile long on each side. I decided to check the measurements of Ezekiel 42:15-19 in “A New English Translation of the Septuagint” (NETS). I noticed that the Septuagint renders the measurement in Ezekiel 42:17 as five hundred cubits. With that said, I believe the Temple described in Ezekiel 40-46 is much smaller than what several premillennialists suppose. I think these people may have misunderstood the Masoretic rendering of the measurements provided in Ezekiel 42:15-19. In fact, I believe the Temple described in Ezekiel 40-46 is indeed the Second Temple and that a prophetic transition occurs at Ezekiel 47:1.
In Isaiah 7-9 there is a prophetic transition. There is a near-future fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14-16, however, the prophecy also predicts the coming of Jesus Christ in the distant future. Isaiah 9 is connected to Isaiah 7-8, however, Isaiah 9 prophetically transitions from the typology used in previous chapters to distinct, particular identification (e.g. Isaiah 9:6).
I believe that Ezekiel 40-46 is describing a near-future Second Temple which typifies a distant future Millennial Temple. As I said before, I believe a prophetic transition occurs at Ezekiel 47:1 and that the Temple being described in Ezekiel 47:1-2 is a distinct, future Millennial Temple.
Notice that there’s water flowing from both the Temple in Ezekiel 47 and the eschatological Temple in Joel 3:18. In both cases, the water flows into the same area which, in my opinion, suggests that the Temple described in Ezekiel 47 is the same Temple described in Joel 3:18.
Ezekiel 47:6-8 (ESV)
The Arabah (Arabah Location)
https://naturalishistoria.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/dead-sea-rift-valley-diagram.jpg (Jordan River Valley)
Joel 3:18 (ESV)
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/a... and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim (Valley of [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim Location)
Also, if Ezekiel 45:22 was describing a yet to be realized future event then I believe it would contradict Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14, and Hebrews 10:18. I believe that Ezekiel 40-46 is describing the Second Temple as well as pre-Christian Levitical ordinances.
Here are my questions...
Outside of Ezekiel 40-46 there seem to be some eschatological passages that describe future sacrifices/offerings. However, I’ve noticed that none of them are sin (Chattath) or guilt (Asham) offerings.
(please excuse my lack of accents or proper punctuation of Hebrew/Greek words, I’m a layman in the fullest sense).
The eschatological sacrifices/offerings I’m referring to can be found in the following verses.
Isaiah 56:7
Jeremiah 33:18
Zechariah 14:16-21 (does this necessarily include Leviticus 23:33-44 or is it possible that the Feast of Tabernacles is different in the future?)
Malachi 3:3-4
I noticed that in the above verses the following sacrifices/offerings are included: Olah, Zebach, Minchah, and in Leviticus 23:33-44 Ishshah and Nesek are included in addition to the aforementioned.
Can a Burnt Offering (Olah), Grain Offering (Minchah), Drink Offering (Nesek) and Zebach/Ishshah be carried out strictly as thanksgiving or devotional functions? Do any of them have to involve sin or guilt?
Thanks,
Anthony
Prior to watching the video above, I was already starting to favor the Septuagint over the Masoretic Text (however I believe the Apocrypha is a collation and not part of the canon). Several premillennialists seem to think that the Temple described in Ezekiel 40-46 is approximately one mile long on each side. I decided to check the measurements of Ezekiel 42:15-19 in “A New English Translation of the Septuagint” (NETS). I noticed that the Septuagint renders the measurement in Ezekiel 42:17 as five hundred cubits. With that said, I believe the Temple described in Ezekiel 40-46 is much smaller than what several premillennialists suppose. I think these people may have misunderstood the Masoretic rendering of the measurements provided in Ezekiel 42:15-19. In fact, I believe the Temple described in Ezekiel 40-46 is indeed the Second Temple and that a prophetic transition occurs at Ezekiel 47:1.
In Isaiah 7-9 there is a prophetic transition. There is a near-future fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14-16, however, the prophecy also predicts the coming of Jesus Christ in the distant future. Isaiah 9 is connected to Isaiah 7-8, however, Isaiah 9 prophetically transitions from the typology used in previous chapters to distinct, particular identification (e.g. Isaiah 9:6).
I believe that Ezekiel 40-46 is describing a near-future Second Temple which typifies a distant future Millennial Temple. As I said before, I believe a prophetic transition occurs at Ezekiel 47:1 and that the Temple being described in Ezekiel 47:1-2 is a distinct, future Millennial Temple.
Notice that there’s water flowing from both the Temple in Ezekiel 47 and the eschatological Temple in Joel 3:18. In both cases, the water flows into the same area which, in my opinion, suggests that the Temple described in Ezekiel 47 is the same Temple described in Joel 3:18.
Ezekiel 47:6-8 (ESV)
The Arabah (Arabah Location)
https://naturalishistoria.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/dead-sea-rift-valley-diagram.jpg (Jordan River Valley)
Joel 3:18 (ESV)
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/a... and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim (Valley of [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim Location)
Also, if Ezekiel 45:22 was describing a yet to be realized future event then I believe it would contradict Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14, and Hebrews 10:18. I believe that Ezekiel 40-46 is describing the Second Temple as well as pre-Christian Levitical ordinances.
Here are my questions...
Outside of Ezekiel 40-46 there seem to be some eschatological passages that describe future sacrifices/offerings. However, I’ve noticed that none of them are sin (Chattath) or guilt (Asham) offerings.
(please excuse my lack of accents or proper punctuation of Hebrew/Greek words, I’m a layman in the fullest sense).
The eschatological sacrifices/offerings I’m referring to can be found in the following verses.
Isaiah 56:7
Jeremiah 33:18
Zechariah 14:16-21 (does this necessarily include Leviticus 23:33-44 or is it possible that the Feast of Tabernacles is different in the future?)
Malachi 3:3-4
I noticed that in the above verses the following sacrifices/offerings are included: Olah, Zebach, Minchah, and in Leviticus 23:33-44 Ishshah and Nesek are included in addition to the aforementioned.
Can a Burnt Offering (Olah), Grain Offering (Minchah), Drink Offering (Nesek) and Zebach/Ishshah be carried out strictly as thanksgiving or devotional functions? Do any of them have to involve sin or guilt?
Thanks,
Anthony
