Elder Goh Kee Tai

 

Altar, tabernacle and the temple of God

Israel was graciously chosen by God to be ‘a kingdom of priests and an holy nation’ (Ex 19:6) as His witness to the nations around her. God appeared to Abraham and the patriarchs in several locations as and when He pleased.

 

Altar

In commemoration of the divine revelation and a claim of the land which God had promised to them and their descendents, a simple sacrificial altar in the form of stone or pillar was erected and consecrated for worship and animal sacrifice. Such altars were built in different places at Sichem, Bethel, Hebron and Beersheba (Gen 12:7,8;13:18;22:13; 26:24,25; 28:18,22;33:20). When the Israelites were delivered from their 400-year bondage in Egypt and arrived at Mt Sinai, God revealed His glory to the people and made His covenant with them. Moses built an altar according to God’s specifications at the foot of the mountain and offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings to ratify the covenant (Ex 20:24-26; 24:4-8). Altars were also built in various sites to offer burnt and peace offerings after the Israelites had entered the Promised Land (Jos 8:30-35), and during the period of the judges and kings (Judg 6:24;21:4;1 Sam 7:17;14:35; 2 Sam 24:25).

 

The Tabernacle

God instructed Moses to construct a sanctuary, who was also called ‘tabernacle’, ‘tent’, ‘tabernacle of congregation’, ‘tabernacle of witness’ in which God would dwell among His people (Ex 25:8,9; 26:36; 29:32; Num 17:7). It provided Israel a visible central religious gathering place for the people to worship the Lord and a sign of national and religious unity among the 12 tribes. It was a meeting place of God and His people and where God revealed His will to the children of Israel (Ex 29:43,45). God empowered His craftsmen with the Holy Spirit to construct the tabernacle which was set up nine months after Israel’s arrival at Mount Sinai (Ex 31:3; 19:1;40:17).

 

The tabernacle consisted of three sections: the outer court, the inner court or Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. In the outer court were the brazen altar for animal sacrifice (Ex 27:1-5) and the brazen laver of water for ceremonial cleansing of the priests (Ex 30:21). A golden table of shewbread (Ex 25:30), a golden lamp stand (Ex 25:31) and a golden altar of incense (Ex 30:1,3) were located in the Holy Place. The Ark of the covenant and its golden mercy seat covering (the place of propitiation where sins were covered) with two golden cherubims with outspread wings (Ex 25:10-22) was placed in the Holy of Holies which was separated from the Holy Place by a thick veil (Ex 26:31-35).God prescribed the sacrificial system which provided atonement for the sins of the people. The offerings include sin-offering, burnt-offering, peace offering and thank offering which were all provided by God to restore fellowship with with and to find salvation in Christ (Lev 1-7). On completion and sanctification of the tabernacle, each tribe brought a burnt, a sin and a peace offering for the dedication service. A fire came down from heaven and consumed the offerings and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Lev 9:24; Ex 40:34; Num 7).

 

The tabernacle was a pattern of the sanctuary in heaven (Heb 9:24) and provided a preview of it with ‘the ark of his testament’ (Rev11:19). It prefigured the perfect approach to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, the living Word who was made flesh and dwells among His people (Jn 1:14; Heb 10:19-20). The burnt offering and trespass offering typified Christ’s offering Himself unto death as the sacrificial Lamb (Heb 10:5-7). It was the full and final sin offering pleasing and acceptable to God and we have peace with Him through our Lord Jesus Christ (Is 53:10;2 Cor 5:21; Rm 5:1).

 

The priests and the high priest from the line of Aaron, served in the tabernacle and ministered to the spiritual needs of the people. Each year, on the day of atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat to atone for the sins of the people (Lev 16:33,34).

 

The weekly sabbath was ordained by God as a holy day of rest and worship patterned after His work of creation. It was a sign of God’s unique covenantal relationship with the nation of Israel (Ex 31:13). God also ordained six holy feasts (Lev 23:4-44) which pointed to God’s great work of redemption for fallen men through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ and future events till His return (Rev 5:9). The passover feast points to Christ work of redemption at Calvary (1 Cor 5:7).

 

The Ark of the covenant symbolised Divine presence and power among His people; it enabled them to cross river Jordan on dry ground (Josh 3:17) and to capture Jericho (Josh 6;12-20 ). After the conquest of Canaan by Joshua, the tabernacle was located at Shiloh (Jos 18:1) which became the religious centre for Israel. Unfortunately, during the time of Samuel, the people put their trust in the Ark rather than on their almighty God. Israel carried it into battles with the Philistines, but it fell into the hands of the enemies (1 Sam 4:11). The people were devastated by the loss of the Ark as it meant absence of God’s glory among them (1 Sam 4:22). In the Philistines cities where the Ark was placed, it wrecked havocs with their pagan god destroyed and the citizens struck down with plague (1Sam 5:4,6,9,11). The Ark was returned to Israel and it remained in Kirjath-jearim for 20 years until David brought it back and installed it at Jerusalem ( 2 Sam 6:17). The tabernacle was replaced by a temple 334 years later in 950 BC.

 

The first Temple

When David had consolidated his kingdom and power and built a magnificent palace for himself, he was determined to construct a Temple to house the Ark of the covenant: ‘I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains’ (2 Sam 7:2).God did not permit him to undertake this project as he had shed much blood of the enemies of Israel (1 Chron 22:8). It was only at the age of 70 years that David was permitted to make preparation for its construction, and the blueprint of the Temple (designed by God) was handed over to Solomon at a special dedicatory service (1 Chron 28:19; 29:20).

 

The Temple was twice the size of the tabernacle and completed in seven years (1Ki 6:38). It was a symbol of national and religious unity of Judah. At the grand dedication service, the people witnessed a fire which came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices (2 Chron 7:1). The presence of God was shown by a cloud in the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the covenant was placed (1 Ki 8:6,10) and the glory of God filled the Temple (2 Chron 7:2).

 

Under the idolatrous kings of Judah, pagan altars and deities were added to the Temple (2 Ki 16: 10;21:4,7). Josiah systematically suppressed idolatry and brought spiritual reforms during his reign; he repaired the Temple, removed and burnt all articles for idol worship and resited the Ark again in the sanctuary (2 Ki 23:4; 2 Chron 35:3).

 

God judged Judah for her idolatry and willful disobedience (2 Ki 23:27). Ezekiel was given a vision of the Temple before its destruction. He was deeply grieved by the idolatrous worship, sun worship, and departure of the glory cloud from the mercy seat through the east gate of Jerusalem (Ez 8:5-16; 10:4,18,19). In 586 BC, Jerusalem was burnt and the Temple destroyed by the Babylonians, after a period of 373 years of existence (2 Chron 36:17-20).

 

The second Temple

By God’s providence, the next superpower, the Medo-Persian empire under Cyrus, decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:2,3). In 536 BC, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, about 50,000 Jews returned; the foundation of the Temple was laid, the altar built and the sacrificial system reinstated (Ezra 2:64; 3:2,11). Because of opposition from the enemies, the work was stopped for 15 years, but finally completed in 516 BC (Ezra 6:15). It was smaller and less magnificent than that of Solomon’s temple (Ezra 3:12). By the good hand of the Lord, in 455 BC, Ezra, the scribe, returned to refurbish the Temple and brought spiritual revival to the people (Ezra 7:9,10). This rebuilding project reflected God’s unceasing grace, lovingkindness, tender mercies and sovereign will to bless Judah.

 

During the reign of the Greeks, Antiochus Epiphanes, a vile, ruthless and anti-Semitic Greek-Syrian king, desecrated the temple by erecting a pagan altar, placed a huge statute of Jupiter in the Holy of Holies and forced the Jews to offer sacrifice to it (Dn 11:31). He also sacrificed a huge pig on the pagan altar and forced the priests to swallow the flesh. Jerusalem was finally liberated by the Maccabees, the Temple cleansed and proper worship reinstated (Dn 11:32-35).

 

Under the Romans, King Herod remodelled and enlarged the temple in 19 BC in an attempt to reconcile the Jews rather than to glorify God. It was the centre of religious activities for the Jews. Jesus Christ had a high regard for it as everything in it was holy because God dwelt in it and sanctified it (Mt 23:17,21). Our Lord went to the Temple in Jerusalem and observed the Passover feast and Feast of tabernacles (Jn 2:23; 7:2,10). He asked the lepers whom He had healed to go to the Temple to observe the cleansing ceremony (Mt 8:4; Lk 17:14). Unfortunately, the priests profaned the holy sabbath (Mt 12:5), desecrated it by turning the house of God and a house of prayers (Mt 21:13) into a ‘house of merchandise’ (Jn 2:16) and a ‘den of thieves’ (Mt 21:13). It reflected the spiritual emptiness and depravity of Israel. The religious leaders could not be reformed and persisted in their sins of legalism and self-righteousness. The Temple was unworthy for the presence of God and unfit to exist. Jesus had to cleanse it from further spiritual defilement (Mk 11:15,16). The imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple caused Him to weep (Lk 19:41-44).

 

When the first church was established in Jerusalem, the apostles continued to worship and prayed in the Temple (Act 2:46;3:1). As prophesied by Christ (Mk 13:1,2), it was completely destroyed and desecrated by General Titus in AD 70, more than 500 years after it was built in 516 BC.

 

The Tribulation Temple

During the first part of the seven-year great tribulation period, the Antichrist, the end-time world dictator energised by Satan (2 Th 2:9), and arch enemy of Jesus Christ, will make peace with Israel and allow the Jews to rebuild the Temple and to offer sacrifices in it (Rev 11:1). However at the mid-point of his reign, he will break the covenant (Dn 9:27), abolish Jewish worship and elevate himself to the position of deity and places an image of himself in the Temple to be worshiped (2 Th 2:4). When Christ returns to earth at the end of the tribulation period, He will destroyed the Antichrist and all his followers at the battle of Armageddon (Rev 19:19,21). Both the Antichrist and his right hand man, the false prophet (Rev 13:11-18), will be cast alive into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20).

 

The millennial Temple

During the millennium period, Israel will be restored as God’s people possessed with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ezek 36:27). A new temple will be located in the holy oblation, a parcel of land set apart for God (Eze 45:1). It will once again provide a dwelling place for the Shekinah glory of the LORD (Eze 43:4) and the centre for the world to worship Christ, the King of glory.

 

A number of articles in the first Temple will not be found in it. There will be no veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holines as it was torn apart at the death of Christ at Calvary, and there is no more barrier to keep men from the glory of God and we now have direct access to our Saviour (Mk15:38;Heb 10:19-20). There is no table of shewbread as Christ, the Living bread, the Bread of life (Jn 6:35), is present in the midst of the Temple. No lamp stand is present as Christ is the Light which shines brightly into every heart in the world (Jn 9:5). There is no Ark of the covenant as the Shekinah glory will hover over all the world. The east gate will be closed as the God of Israel has entered and He will no longer depart from the people (Eze 43:4).

 

However, the brazen altar for animal sacrifices will remain (Eze 46:1-15) as a reminder to millions of children born to parents of saved mortal Jews and Gentiles who enter the millennium on the need to be born again to receive eternal salvation in Christ. Although satanic influence will be obliterated in the millennium, mortal beings with sinful nature are totally depraved, deceitful and desperately wicked (Jere 17:9). None of them is righteous before the thrice holy God. Thus, the object lesson of these sacrifices is a stern reminder of the holiness of God, the corruption of sin, the finished sacrifice paid by Jesus in God’s redemptive work of salvation for sinful men, and the necessity of the new birth (Jn 3:5).

 

The Feast of Tabernacles will be revived and celebrated as an expression of the joy of the people and contempt for sin. Those who do not keep the Feast will have the blessings of heavenly grace withdrawn (Zech 14:16-19).

 

The temple of Christ’s body

With the rejection by the nation of Israel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection and ascension into the heavenly sanctuary, God no longer dwelt among His people in the Temple in Jerusalem (Act 7:2-53). He now indwells by His Holy Spirit in each of His redeemed children only who loves Him and keeps His word (Jn 14:23): ‘What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?’(1 Cor 6:19).The rejection of Jesus of Nazarite as the promised Messiah by the Jews opened the way of salvation for the Gentiles who are redeemed by His precious blood and adopted by the heavenly Father as joint-heirs with Jesus Christ as God’s witnesses on earth (Rm 8:17; chapters 9-11).

 

The church of Christ comprising both Jews and Gentiles (Act 15:13-18), has replaced the nation of Israel as God’s witness on earth. It is the spiritual temple of the living God, made without hands (Mk 14:58), with Christ as the corner stone, the apostles and prophets its foundation and each Christian a stone in the building (Eph 2:19-22; 4:16; 1Pet 2:5;Heb 3:6).

 

Jesus, our High Priest, has already entered the heavenly sanctuary, and we may also enter it with confidence by the perfect sacrifice of His blood (Heb 6:19,20; 10:19). In the new Jerusalem, we shall see Him face to face (Rev 22:4): ‘thetabernacleofGodiswithmen,and he will dwellwith them,andthey shall be his people,and God himself shall be with them,and be theirGod’ (Rev 21:3).

 

Conclusion

We are the temple of the living God, and the Holy Spirit indwells us. We ought not to defile it, but to be holy and live a holy life: ‘let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Cor 7:1). We should constantly remind ourselves that we are bought with a great price, therefore we should glorify Christ with our body (1Cor 6:20). As priests of God, we ought to reconsecrate our lives daily and offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto the Lord (Rm 12:1).We are sternly warned not to profane the holy temple of God through sins and schism: ‘Ifanymandefilethetempleof God,him shall God destroy’ (1Cor 3:17). We must not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14). We ought to be united in our service and labour for Him as we see the day of the Lord fast approaching. Amen.