The Mystery of Ezekiel’s Temple Liturgy: Why Ezekiel’s Temple Practices Differ from Levitical Law

By Hilary Arthur Nixon Ph.D

Ezekiel’s Temple liturgy, Ezekiel 40–48, is God’s revelation. Its use is future, when Messiah is king on David’s throne. Mystery surrounds it—no high priest, altered festivals, changes to Mosaic Law, and a return to animal sacrifice? Solving the mystery, this book shakes up our theology!

This book first demonstrates the future necessity for Ezekiel’s Temple and liturgy. 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 laid. It allows us to identify similarities and differences. Similarities indicate continuation of Tabernacle ritual. Differences indicate changes for a new era. Sacrifices that cease are of special interest. These spotlight what Mosaic shadows have found their reality. This defines what Messiah has done as God’s suffering servant. Christ’s death made atonement for sin and therefore the Day of Atonement festival ceases.

As the mystery of Ezekiel’s Temple unfolds, we make sense of God’s revelation to Ezekiel. But in doing so, it radically alters our theology. Current thinking is that the cross fulfils all functions of the court altar. But if that were true, there would be no court altar sacrifices in the future! In Ezekiel, the evening burnt offering stops, and all other sacrifices continue! The cross only fulfills one of the functions of the altar outside the camp. Theological adjustment is needed on the cross and atonement to understand Messiah’s resumption of Tabernacle ways. For Roman Catholics, Tabernacle typology proves no one eats the sacrifice where blood enters the Tabernacle. Jews hold to the eternality of God’s Word, but they cannot hold to the shadows and miss the reality. Ezekiel’s ritual changes Mosaic Law. It also forces them to find God’s suffering servant during the existence of the second temple!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973605713

Hilary Arthur Nixon Ph.D

His seminary training instilled devotion to the Bible - God’s Eternal Word. His Ph.D.on the Tabernacle Articles gave insight on interpreting Biblical Types. His life calling is to understand how the Old and New Covenants interact. He holds to scripture, even when it messes up his theology!

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 Hilary Arthur Nixon, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Keywords: Ezekiel’s Temple; Tabernacle; Biblical typology; Atonement; Cross; Shekinah Glory; Christian Apologetics

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0570-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0572-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0571-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017915212

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/08/2019

Contents

Bible Versions

Abbreviations

Introduction

Necessity for Ezekiel’s Temple

How Solomon Fits the Prophetic Pattern

Why King Messiah Must Build a Temple

Offering Vocabulary

Definitions

The Purpose of the Mosaic Priesthood

Background and History of the Initial Priesthood

Ezekiel’s Levites Minister to the People

Ezekiel’s Zadokites Minister to God

The Zadokites

Atonement in General

New Testament Keys to Understand Ezekiel’s Temple Puzzle

In Ezekiel, Why Does The Prince Never Function As High Priest?

Old Testament Sacrifice in General

Who Supplies the Mosaic Sacrifices?

How the Prince Participates in Ezekiel’s Temple

Ratification of Book of the Covenant at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24)

Blood Dispersal

Consecration Ceremony for the Mosaic Tabernacle

Consecration of Levites

Consecration Ceremony in Ezekiel’s Temple

Order of Tabernacle Articles

Temple Articles in Ezekiel’s Temple

Incense Altar

Laver

Court Altar

Overview of Sacrifice in the Mosaic Era

Overview of Sacrifice in Ezekiel’s Temple

Holidays in The Mosaic Era

Holidays in Ezekiel’s Temple

Overview of Day of Atonement

Day of Atonement in The Mosaic Era

Substitutions for Ezekiel’s Dropped Day of Atonement

What Did Jesus Accomplish At Calvary?

Why Is There No Day of Atonement in Ezekiel’s Code?

Why Did Jesus Die at Passover?

In Ezekiel’s Temple, Why is There No Feast of Weeks?

Ezekiel Adds New Annual Temple Festivals

In Ezekiel’s Temple, Why is there No Festival of Trumpets?

Occurrence of Sacrifice in the Different Eras

Burnt Offering

Grain Offering

Drink Offering

Fellowship or Peace Offering

Expiatory Offerings Include Sin And Guilt Offerings

If He Commits Iniquity

Atonement in Ezekiel’s Temple

Atonement Nuances Observed In This Book

How the New Integrates with the Old Testament

Hermeneutic of Typology

Prior Attempts To Deal with Ezekiel’s Temple

Difficulties with Literal Future Interpretation

Chronology

What Direction Did Zerubbabel Take and Why?

Babylon’s 70 years: 609–539 BC

Cyrus and the Cyrus Cylinder

Conclusion

Appendix

Similarities Between Tabernacle and Ezekiel’s Temple

Differences between Tabernacle and Ezekiel’s Temple

Keys To Unlock the Puzzle of Ezekiel’s Temple

How Ezekiel Compensates For Dropped Day of Atonement

Time And Why Calendars Have Holidays on Different Dates

Comparing Mosaic and Ezekiel’s Festival Calendars

Substitutions For Ezekiel’s Dropped Day of Atonement

Mosaic and Ezekiel’s Offerings

Theology of the Cross

The Lamb of God

The Way of Marriage and Divorce

Born of the Virgin Mary

The Law and the Prophets

Table of Tables

Table 1: Holy and Most Holy Things, Offerings, Articles, and Places

Table 2: Seven Common Characteristics of Mosaic Sacrifices

Table 3: Consecration Sacrifices (Each Day for Seven Days)

Table 4: Tabernacle Offerings by Aaron after Consecration

Table 5: Mosaic Altar Consecration and Priest Ordination

Table 6: Procedural Order of Offerings At Consecration of Levites

Table 7: Ezekiel’s Court Altar 8 Day Consecration

Table 8: Moving Day Coverings over Tabernacle Articles

Table 9: Death Penalty Sins in the Ten Commandments

Table 10: Death Penalty Sins Not in the Ten Commandments

Table 11: Sacrifices In Ezekiel

Table 12: Mosaic and Ezekiel’s Festival Calendars

Table 13: Ezekiel’s Temple Cleansing and Atonement Festivals

Table 14: Passover’s Daily Offerings

Table 15: Festival of Tabernacles (7 Daily Offerings)

Table 16: Comparison of Sabbath Offerings

Table 17: New Moon Offerings in Mosaic and Ezekiel’s Future Eras

Table 18: Sacrifices on Day of Atonement

Table 19: Analysis of the Day of Atonement

Table 20: Substitutions For Ezekiel’s Dropped Day of Atonement

Table 21: Sacrifice in Different Eras

Table 22: Offerings in Ezekiel’s Temple

Table 23: Required Daily Burnt Offerings

Table 24: Substitute Bears Sin

Table 25: Atonement in Ezekiel’s Temple

Table 26: Tabernacle Illustrations of Covering and Atonement

Table 27: Places God’s Glory Consecrates (or Sanctifies)

Table 28: Ellicott’s Objections to Literal Future Interpretation

Table 29: Chronology

Table 30: Eras for Tabernacle and Temples

Table 31: Similarities Between Tabernacle and Ezekiel’s Temple

Table 32: Differences between Tabernacle and Ezekiel’s Temple

Table 33: Modern Livestock Terms and Ages

Table 34: Sacrificial Animals and Gifts

Table of Figures

Figure 1 Time Line

Foreword

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 earthly 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, The 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 (Deut 18:15), who radiates the inner glory of God, whose death cleanses people from their sin and brings peace. This work agrees with the Jewish reader 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 offering 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 letterally eats His sacrifice. This insight enables Roman Catholics to renounce their current teaching. This may become a future litmus test of true faith.

Bible Versions

Abbreviations

BT Babylonian Talmud

NT New Testament

OT Old Testament

Introduction

Differences exist between the Mosaic Tabernacle (Ex 25–31; Lev 1–9,16,23) and Ezekiel’s Temple (Ezek 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 no 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, Behold, 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 (John 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 (Ezek 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.

Necessity for Ezekiel’s Temple

The Mosaic Tabernacle was a portable tent of meeting. God’s revelation had Moses write, Construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. Ex 25:8–9 NASB. That pattern is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven (Heb 8:5). From this Greek word, τύπoς, translated as pattern, we get the concept of type as in typology. Biblical Typology is the hermeneutical key to understand what Messiah has done and will do.

In the wilderness, God promised to choose a permanent place for the Tabernacle (Deut 12:5,14,18,26). David found that place at Araunah’s threshing floor (2 Sam 24:15–25). David wanted to build God’s Temple (2 Sam 7:2) but God had him subdue the enemies (1 Kin 5:3). Nevertheless, God through Nathan gave promise to permanently establish David’s house.

When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers. I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My loving kindness shall not depart from him, ... Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. 2 Sam 7:12–16 NASB

Note: when he commits iniquity will be returned to much later. Current focus is on the temple and how the builder’s house, kingdom and throne are forever established. Note. Here are no conditional aspects based on human action. So, God unilaterally and unconditionally promised this blessing to David. God said it, so all of it will happen in prophetic fulfilment. When only part of a prophecy comes into reality that is an escalation (a heightening), a coming into reality, a shadow, an application of a partial truth or principle applied to a situation. In short that is a type. Hence there may be many applications of principles or situations in a prophecy; but there is only one prophetic fulfilment, when every detail comes into reality.

How Solomon Fits the Prophetic Pattern

Solomon clearly thought he was the promised descendant. Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel (1 Kin 8:20 NASB). God promised rest from enemies (Deut 12:10); in Solomon’s reign there were no enemies (1 Kin 4:24; 8:56). Solomon built the first temple (1 Kin 7:51) hoping it would be a place for Thy dwelling forever (1 Kin 8:13 NASB). Indeed, God Himself said, I have consecrated this house, which you have built by putting my name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually (1 Kin 9:3 NASB). So, Solomon’s Temple is an