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CHAPTER NINE
ALL SCRIPTURES ARE
VIBRANT MORAL MESSAGES FROM A LIVING SAVIOUR
At Pentecost the disciples of
Jesus were united in Peter's interpretation because he made his
declaration "standing up with the eleven" (Acts 2:14).
Their present spiritual application of the kingdom prophecies
(which the Jews applied only in a strictly literal sense in relation to
the future) made the Old Testament a new and a living book for them and
their hearers. No longer was it a book containing dry records of the
past, and future blessings which were unrelated to the present, but a
Book containing a past and a future which lived in the present -
a living book vibrant with messages from a living Christ. Not only were
proofs afforded by the Old Testament itself, but the living Christ
by his ever-present Spirit gave an experience in harmony with the
interpretation.
The New Testament teaching is
clear that, since the rejection of the Jewish nation, the church is now
the "temple" in which Christ by His Spirit reigns. "The
man of sin" - the counterfeit king-who was to sit "in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thess. 2:3,
4) is the Papacy within the spiritual temple - the professedly
Christian church. Futurists - whether Papal or supposedly-Protestant -
apply this prophecy in connection with a literal temple yet to be built
in literal Jerusalem by an enemy of the literal Jews. Futurism fails to
see the moral purpose of the prophecies concerning "the temple of
God" referred to in 2 Thess. 2:3, 4, and in other temple prophecies
such as described in Ezek. 40-48 and in Rev. 11:1. By applying these
prophecies literally in relation to the future and Palestine, they fail
to understand the present moral purpose for which they were
given.
Paul not only spoke of the
church as being God's "temple," but also of each individual.
(Ephes. 2:21, 22; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, etc. The tabernacle in the
wilderness was made after the heavenly "pattern" (Ex. 25:9,
40). After Moses had completed every detail of the structure and all the
furnishings "as the Lord had commanded" him (Ex. 40:16, 19,
21, 23, 25, 27, 29,31), "the glory of the Lord filled the
tabernacle" (v.35). The same thing occurred at the dedication of
Solomon's temple. (1 Kings 8:10, 12; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14; 7:2.) The
spiritual lesson is obvious: when we do all that the Lord commands us to
do we, too, shall be filled with the glory of God. The New
Testament command: "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephes.
5:18) is tantamount to urging us to obey God in everything, for only in
this way will the Spirit of God flood the soul with His glory. ". .
. the Holy Ghost, Whom God hath given to them that obey Him"
(Acts 5:32).
The temple described so
minutely in Ezek. 40-48 also has its present fulfillment in the
Christian church, and each individual believer. Individually as well as
collectively the Messiah is now building His "temple" in which
He now reigns in power. (Zech. 6:12,15; 1 Cor. 3:16,17; 6:19; Ephes.
2:21,22, etc.) The minute and most exact measurements of each part of
the temple is experienced by those who seek to do only that which is in
harmony with the Divine measuring rod. (Compare Ezek. 40:3, etc., with
Rev. 11:1.) Christian experience harmonizes with the interpretation. All
the temple scenes of the Bible whether as recorded in the history of
ancient Israel or in the prophetic portions of Scripture - were written
to typify God's moral purpose, and that by them individuals might find
the way of salvation. This truth has been clearly pointed out by the
author of the book entitled: "The Desire of Ages." This
well-known writer says :-
"From eternal ages it was God's
purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to
man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator.
Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. . . . But by the
incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God
dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man
becomes again His temple. God designed that the temple at
Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open to
every soul" (p.161).
"In the cleansing of
the temple, Jesus was announcing His mission as the Messiah, and
entering upon His work. . . . In cleansing the temple from the
world's buyers and sellers, Jesus announced His mission to cleanse
the heart from the defilement of sin - from the earthly desires, the
selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the soul" (ibid.).
Solomon's magnificent temple
symbolized the church and each believer. Concerning the building of this
temple on Mount Moriah we read: "And the house, when it was in
building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither:
so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard
in the house, while it was in building" (1 Kings 6:7). The
noiseless building of this temple typified the building of Christ's
spiritual temple by the quiet operations of the Spirit of God. (See
Ephes. 2:21, 22.) The author of "The story of Prophets and
Kings," p.36, says
"Of surpassing beauty and
unrivalled splendour was the palatial building which Solomon and his
associates erected for God and His worship. Garnished with precious
stones . . . was a fit emblem of the living church of God on earth,
which through the ages has been building in accordance with the divine
pattern, with materials that have been likened to 'gold, silver,
precious stones,' 'polished after the similitude of a palace' (1 Cor.
3:12; Ps. 144:12). Of this spiritual temple Christ is 'the chief
cornerstone; in Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto
an holy temple in the Lord.'"
"Through Christ was to be
fulfilled the purpose of which the tabernacle was a symbol - that
glorious building, its walls of glistening gold reflecting in rainbow
hues the curtains in-wrought with cherubim, the fragrance of
ever-burning incense pervading all, the priests robed in spotless white,
and in the deep mystery of the inner place, above the mercy seat,
between the figures of the bowed, worshipping angels, the glory of the
Holiest. In all, God desired His people to read His purpose for the
human soul." ("Education," p.36.)
"Though the ministration
was to be removed from the earthly to the heavenly temple; though the
sanctuary and our great high priest would be invisible to human sight,
yet the disciples were to suffer no less thereby. . . . While Jesus
ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the
minister of the church on earth." ("The Desire of
Ages," P.166.)
"We are in the day of
atonement, and we are to work in harmony with Christ's work of cleansing
the sanctuary from the sins of the people. . . . Those who do not
sympathise with Jesus in His work in the heavenly courts, who do not
cleanse the soul temple of every defilement . . . are joining with the
enemy of God and man." ("Review and Herald," January 21,
1890.)
"His church is to be a
temple built after the divine similitude, and the angelic architect
has brought his golden measuring rod from heaven, that every stone may
be hewed and squared by the divine measurement, and polished to shine as
an emblem of heaven, radiating in all directions the bright, clear beams
of the Sun of Righteousness." ("Testimonies to
Ministers," p. 17.)
In these extracts we see
applied the principle that the tabernacle in the wilderness, the temple
in Jerusalem, and the temple described in prophecy, symbolized God's
moral purpose for His church and for each individual.
Incidents, such as the
Babylonians' destruction of Solomon's temple (2 Chron. 36:17-19); their
carrying off to Babylon the vessels belonging to the house of God (2
Chron. 36:18; Ezra 1:7-11; Dan. 1:2) and using them there in the service
of their false gods (Dan. 5:2, 3); the deliverance and the return of
ancient Israel from their Babylonian captivity, the rebuilding of the
broken down temple and city of Jerusalem, etc., are all recorded in
the Scriptures (Ezra, Neh., Hag., etc.) for a moral purpose.
While the study of sacred history is interesting and profitable in
itself, yet the main reason for which these incidents are recorded is
that by them we might receive spiritual strength. "For whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope"
(Rom. 15:4). Not only may we discern the building of Christ's church and
of each individual believer in the building of the tabernacle and the
temple, but the restoration of the backslidden soul or church
as an habitation of God may be seen in the rebuilding and restoration
of the temple and its services after being subjected to assault and
damage at the hand of the forces of Babylon. A writer who always draws
the moral lesson from the historical records of Scripture, says:-
"The work of restoration
and reform carried on by the returned exiles, under the leadership of
Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, presents a picture of a work of spiritual
restoration that is to be wrought in the closing days of this
earth's history. . . Varied were the experiences that came to them as
they rebuilt the temple and the wall of Jerusalem; strong was the
opposition they had to meet. . . . The spiritual restoration of
which the work carried forward in Nehemiah's day was a symbol, is
outlined in the words of Isaiah: 'They shall build the old wastes, they
shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste
cities.' (Isa. 61:4.) 'They that shall be of thee shall build the old
waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations;
and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of
paths to dwell in.' (Isa. 58:12.)" ("Prophets and Kings,"
p.677.)
When describing the call of
God's people out of spiritual Babylon, the Revelator (he uses the same
principle throughout the Apocalypse), refers to the moral purpose of
literal Israel's call out of the literal city of Babylon, and their
return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and city. (See Rev. 18:4.)
Individually, people are now being called out of Babylon to repair and
to restore the true worship of God.
The damage done in the Dark
Ages by the spiritual Babylonians to the spiritual temple and city of
God (Rev. 11:1, 2) is being repaired. The vessels taken from the house
of God in Jerusalem (Dan. 1:2) and used in the service of Satan's
Babylonian false system of worship (Dan. 1:2; 5:1-4) are being restored
to the house of true worship. (Ezra 1:1-11; Matt. 17:11.) The rebuilding
and restoration of an individual and the church as a temple of God are
illustrated in this experience of Israel.
Keeping in mind the New
Testament principle of applying Old Testament history and prophecy in
connection with God's moral purpose not only causes the book to be a
living book, pulsating with power and purpose, but guides us in our
interpretation of prophecy. |
