Jesus' 'Jacked Up Idea' of What The Bible Says

A little later than promised, but here it is. I had intended this to be the last in the series, since it relates directly to sayings by the Master Himself. But a mild case of force majeure has dictated otherwise. By happy coincidence, the subject of temple sacrifices also features prominently in this piece, so it could be considered a germane continuation of my recent exchanges with Refreshed.

A word of warning, however. If you are of a nervous disposition, find something else to read. This author does not mince his words or pull his well-planted punches. Neither does he give any quarter or take any prisoners. Some might say he is too combative for his own good, but I do not think this detracts too much from his well-argued points.

That said, proceed with caution if you think you can 'handle the truth'.

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 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.

Jn 7, (cf Jer. 2:13; Zech. 14:8; 1 Cor.10:4; Jn 4:1-15 and Rev. 22:1-2).

Literalism and the Third Temple
Among the prophecies of the O.T., there is a section that deals with the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem and the restoration of the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Mosaic Law. We refer to Ezekiel, chapters 40-46, where we have a description of a vision given to the prophet fourteen years after the destruction of Solomon's Temple (40:1). It gives in detail the pattern of a Temple which he was "to show to the House of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern."  (43:10). He was to "write it in their sight that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them" (v. 11). 

The Problem of Animal Sacrifices
In keeping with their literalism and their ideas of a future restored glory for earthly Israel, millennialists locate this Temple in Jerusalem, either during or shortly before the millennial age. As Philip Mauro pertinently remarked, "The millennium becomes the convenient dumping ground for all the Scriptures that present any difficulty."  (The Hope of Israel, p.114). We repudiate this fan-tastic interpretation as a dangerous and anti-Christian delusion, antagonistic to everything Paul teaches in Hebrews 9 and 10, and antagonistic to the very heart of the Gospel of Christ. Because, as a cursory examination will show, an essential part of Ezekiel's vision was the description of the animal sacrifices to be offered in this temple. They are listed and described in chapters 40, 42, 43, 45 and 46; and, we are told, sacrifices are to be offered once again in the chiliast's millennium. We feel compelled to register our strongest possible objection to this Judaistic betrayal of the Gospel. Virtually every page of the NT is a trumpet blast against such an unholy idea. 

One simple question should settle this matter once and for all time: What ended the old system and abolished animal sacrifices in God's relationship with men? Was it the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Roman armies? Absurd! It was the great sacrifice of Calvary that wiped away all types forever. To teach that the God of the NT will honour a revival of the old Jewish types when that great victory of His Son is consummated at His Glorious Advent is an effrontery to Him and a studied insult to the dying Redeemer. How Christian teachers can possibly entertain such a notion is a complete mystery to us, but it demonstrates the amazing power a false theory can exercise over the minds of even godly people. 

Let every chiliast who reads these lines ponder the matter, and ask themselves this question: "Can you honestly conceive of the Son of God, the King Eternal, reigning over His universal Kingdom, manifesting the mighty triumph of His Redeeming sufferings, yet presiding at services with smoking altars, human priests, and the blood of slaughtered animals poured out for cleansing from sin?" We know of nothing more repulsive ever suggested or imagined in the name of prophetic fulfilment, and nothing more calculated to bring it into disrepute. The repeated affirmations of the epistle to the Hebrews - that the old covenant sacrifices were "figures of the true", "could not make perfect", and were only "until the time of reformation", "are taken away",  and that God "had no pleasure in them" - should forever silence these Jewish fables of the Last Days.

Scofield, evidently troubled by the whole business, endeavours to evade the implications of his theory by commenting thus on Ezekiel 43:19: "Doubtless these offerings will be memorial, looking back to the Cross as the offerings under the Old Covenant were anticipatory, looking forward to the Cross. In neither case have animal sacrifices power to put away sin" (Reference Bible, p.890). This is desperately poor evasion — but no chiliast can think of anything better. There are two fatal objections. First, the passages themselves refute the idea they are "for a memorial", i.e., if one holds to bald literalism. They are definitely affirmed to be "sin offerings", "trespass offerings", etc. The whole five Levitical offerings are detailed, and are stated to be for the purpose of cleansing of the house, and making reconciliation for the House of Israel (40:32; 42:13; 43:27; 45:17, etc).

Second, is it seriously suggested that the work of the Son of God on the Cross will need animal sacrifices to perpetuate its memory and meaning? The very idea is both abhorrent and preposterous in equal measure. All who have ever held or taught such a monstrous idea should hang their heads in shame and publicly repent. This is a doctrine of a god who walks backwards! A god who is worse than the apostate Jews who patched up their rent Temple veil after Calvary's judgment. A god who goes back on his Son's victorious cry, "It is finished!" But enough! This wretched teaching found its way into Protestant thought in the early 19th Century via a Jesuit publication, aided and abetted by minds infatuated with Jewish traditions. That provenance alone should be sufficient to condemn it as thoroughly anti-scriptural, and we are happy to consign it to the netherworld whence it came.

There is a further thought on this subject, however: If this daily slaughter of animals is to take place in this alleged "millennium", where is the wonderful millennial picture of the glorious peace and tranquility of the natural creation? We are constantly regaled with ecstatic word pictures of this Kingdom where "the lion and the lamb lie down together" (actually, the Scripture says 'the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb') and nothing shall hurt or destroy in all His holy mountain? But if the theorists are to be taken seriously, countless numbers of little lambs will not have the chance of cuddling up to a benevolent old Leo; Levitical priests will deprive them of that happy experience; and as for nothing hurting or destroying, the sacrifice of countless animals dispels that delightful anticipation. But how can there be this animal slaughter, if the "whole creation is delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God"? No! We reject this abomination completely, and feel that every spiritual mind must do the same. 

Before leaving the subject, one further word may be needful. Speaking to a zealous and able advocate of chiliasm regarding these alleged millennial sacrifices, and presenting objections along the above lines, the only answer received was, "well, what interpretation can you give?" There is no doubt that honest chiliasts are extremely worried over Ezekiel's Temple; it bristles with difficulties as far as their theories are concerned. As for the correct interpretation, we are convinced the true picture can find only one logical realisation — namely, the eternal realities of the New Covenant. One thing is absolutely certain - the NT establishes without any doubt that the types of the Tabernacle, Temple, holy mount, Jerusalem and promised land, etc., have gone forever, and all that they foreshadowed is unalterably realised in that "habitation of God, through the Spirit", the Church of His Redeemed People. The theologians of the NT know of no other Temple, and we reject the spurious interpreters who would seek to overthrow them. 

Rivers of Living Water
Consider, for example, just one particular of the vision that supports our position. In chapter 47, the prophet describes a unique feature of the Temple, viz. the waters that flowed therefrom. No other Temple had been marked by such a feature, and the most reasonable understanding of the scene almost certainly indicates that a spiritual event and interpretation is called for. What is that event? We believe there are several NT Scriptures that help in the understanding of the vision. Our Lord, on at least two occasions, made the great promise that those who came to Him and drank would never thirst again, and would experience "rivers of living water" flowing from their being. He affirmed that this was "as the Scripture hath said" (John 7:38). 

Now, as a matter of fact, there is no such statement in the OT. How then can we regard our Lord's words as finding their basis in the ancient Scriptures? We believe there is a clear and logical answer - namely, that those OT Scriptures that speak of promised divine blessings under the symbol of flowing waters or rivers are not literal (in the sense of referring to physical rivers at an earthly Jerusalem), but are pictorial representations of the rivers of blessing that were to flow from the Church of Christ consequent upon the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is confirmed by the words of John following the above statement of our Lord: "This spake He of the Spirit which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given". 

Thus the Lord Jesus was already giving His disciples a guide as to the correct understanding of how the OT prophecies were to have their fulfilment — not in earthly, physical blessings to the Jewish people, but in heavenly spiritual blessings for the new Israel. And this undoubtedly applies to Ezekiel's vision. Let the chiliast indulge his fanciful imaginations of a future literal temple - we delight in that mighty river which burst from the Holy Temple on the Day of Pentecost, and now fills the world, having brought healing and life wherever it has gone.

Arthur Carver
The Great Consummation, pp 93-95 (lightly edited).

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