Yes... I agree with that. The
Ezekiel 40-48 vision given Ezekiel is on the same order as John was given in
Revelation 21 & 22.
It's always nice to find common ground
I can agree that God's Word does sometimes use symbols to describe a prophecy, but not always.
I would actually agree here with you. For example "see your king comes to you riding on a donkey". Zechariah 9:9 was literally fulfilled by Jesus riding on a literal donkey (matthew 21:5).
Or how about, "they will look upon whom they pierced". Zechariah 12:10 was literally fulfilled when Jesus's side was literally pierced with a spear (John 19:27).
In the parable of the wedding feast, the angry king sending an army to destroy the original wedding guests was literally fulfilled with God using the Roman army to destroy Jerusalem in 66-70ad.
From this we see there are plenty of examples where scripture is fulfilled in a literal manner, and also when scripture is symbolically pointing to a future literal fulfillment. The OT did and Jesus did it through parables.
So how do we know when should be understood as a literal or symbolic? Not from our own interpretation, but from the New Testament.
The
Ezekiel 40-48 vision is not given as symbology. It is a LITERAL prophecy. They are literal events that are to occur as written, which is why there's so much physical detail attached, even the actual physical location of God's River on earth once it is returned.
Moses was also given a extreme amount of detail under the old covenant for temple ordinances and worship. And yet the NT declares these very specific details as only shadows point to Christ and the New covenant.
The New testament shows us that the while temple arrangements, the animal sacrifices, and temple rituals were literal things, they were ONLY SHADOWS of the new covenant, and not the realities themselves. They were "symbolic" as the author of Hebrews clearly states.
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands,
which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Hebrews 10:1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities
Hebrews 9:6-10 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 9+but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing
(which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
The New testament shows that under the New covenant, WE are the temple of God, not an earthly temple building. All of the literal things of temple ordinances were only shadows that pointed to the reformation under the new covenant through Christ.
2 corinthians 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,and they shall be my people.
Ephesians 2:20-22 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God bye the Spirit.
Our Lord Jesus gave that during His Ministry. He has since given us more info about the very end of this world, and the world to come in His Revelation. There will be a "thousand years" period after His return on the 7th Trumpet
I disagree that revelation is "new" information. I believe all of revelation can be found in the OT, gospels, and epistles.
Considering the numerous different futurist interpretations of revelation on this website alone, I would argue it is not wise to interpret revelation outside of the other books of the Bible.
And that is when He will reign here on earth, over all nations, with His elect.
Jesus already reigns over the earth now, as clearly stated in the scriptures:
Jesus is already the ruler of the kings of the earth:
Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
According to Paul, Jesus is already reigning. Reigning in this verse is "present tense"
1 corinthians 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
Jesus is already above all rule and power, and authority and dominion in BOTH AGES
Ephesians 1:20-21 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come
That is the subject of
Zechariah 14 also
I agree. But reading Zechariah 14 in a literal manner contradicts the NT.
Zechariah 14 requires nations to come to Jerusalem to partake in the feast of booths. The New testament states coming to Jerusalem is not a requirement (john 4:21), nor is parting in the feasts of the old covenant (colossians 2:16-17). Thus if the 2nd half of zechariah 14 is referring to the earthly Jerusalem, it is a contradiction of NT teaching.
Therefore the Jerusalem of Zechariah 14, must be pointing to the heavenly Jerusalem of the new covenant.
1.) the living waters of Zechariah 14 refer to the coming of the Spirit
John 7:38-39 Whoever believes in me, as
f the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
2.) Paul allegorically calls the heavenly Jerusalem the new covenant.
Galatians 4:24-26 Now this may be interpreted allegorically:
these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;
e she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
3.) The author of Hebrews states we "have come" (past tense) to the heavenly Jerusalem
Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering
Thus Zechariah 14 points to the work of Christ and the new covenant.
Thus the wicked and Satan are not destroyed until after that future "thousand years" of
Revelation 20.
The 1,000 years was fulfilled at Christ's first coming.
You are relying on that
Matthew 13:49-50 Scripture to serve a doctrine of men, rejecting further info He gave about that in His Revelation.
Doctrines of men separate revelation from the rest of Scripture. Revelation is not "new" information. Revelation should only be interpreted in light of the rest of scripture.
We'll have to wait and see about that, because the OT prophets other than Ezekiel also show Jesus returning to earth to reign over the nations. Even the angels in Acts 1 told His disciples who witnessed His ascension to Heaven that He will return in like manner as He went into Heaven. And they were upon the Mount of Olives for that, where He ascended from, and where He is prophesied to return.
How did Jesus go "into" heaven?
Acts 1:9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up,
and a cloud took him out of their sight.
Surely you don't believe that is just symbology, and instead think that our Lord Jesus isn't really going to return to this earth???
I interpret Jesus coming from heaven to destroy Jerusalem, in the same way God came down from heaven to destroy enemies and nations
God coming down from heaven to defeat David's enemies
2 samuel 22:10 He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
God coming down from heaven to judge Egypt
Isaiah 19:1 This is the burden against Egypt: Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud; He is coming to Egypt.
God coming down from heaven to judge Samaria
Micah 1:3 For behold, the LORD comes forth from His dwelling place; He will come down and tread
on the high places of the earth.
Do you believe the vineyard came to destroy the wicked tenants, or is this still future?
Matthew 21:40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”
Well, I am not a Futurist.
So then you believe all of the olivet discourse and most if not all of revelation is fulfilled?
That is only because God 'blinded' those (Rom.11), not that our Lord's parables are impossible to grasp, for He said the eyes and ears of His disciples did hear and were blessed. In our time, we are given The Holy Spirit Comforter Who is promised to teach us all things. So we are supposed to also understand, as His disciples were given to.
We are to understand the spiritual reality that the OT pointed to.
2 corinthians 2:14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Thus, the disciples had to have their minds opened by the Spirit.
Where do the apostles teach of a future earthly temple building in which believers worship in? They don't.
The subject was about Ezekiel's temple, not the idea of being born again per
John 3.
I know, but the interpretation principle is the same. You don't believe being born again means to literally come out of your mothers womb a 2nd time, but points to a spiritual truth under Christ. Thus, why do you interpret the Ezekiel temple, in the polar opposite way: as a literal physical building, especially when the NT teaches that WE, and not a building, are the temple of God?
No, not necessarily. But I do agree it is pointing to a still existing Jerusalem on earth after...
The ezekiel temple = the New Jerusalem = the body of Christ under the New covenant. We can use scripture to interpret scripture to prove this.
1.) the Ezekiel temple = the New Jerusalem, as BOTH have the river flowing from them (Ezekiel 47:1, revelation 22:1). BOTH Contain the throne of God (Ezekiel 43:6-7, Revelation 22:3). BOTH have fruit growing each month and leaves for healing the nations (Revelation 22:2, Ezekiel 47:12). BOTH have gates with the 12 tribes written on them (Ezekiel 48:30-35, revelation 21:12-13).
2.) The new Jerusalem = the body of Christ under the New covenant, as BOTH are built on the foundation of the apostles (revelation 21:14, ephesians 2:20-22). BOTH are where God dwells with His people (revelation 21:3, Ephesians 2:20-22). BOTH are the bride of the lamb (revelation 21:2, ephesians 5:31-32).