This doesn’t happen very often….the date is given right in the reading. That allows us to know that this specific prophecy was given 4 years before Jerusalem fell
One of the things that has come out of my reading the Bible this year is a better understanding of how the exiles ended up in Babylon. Exiles from the north showed up first, then exiles from the first siege of Jerusalem where the city was plundered but not destroyed, and the final exodus would be when it actually is burned to the ground in 587 BC.
The temple that will be destroyed is the one Solomon built. When it falls, it will mark the end of the “first temple period”. It is so named because another temple will be built by Ezra, and improved upon by Herod. That temple will be standing when Jesus comes to earth, and it will be destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, marking the end of the “second temple period”. In order for their to be a “third temple period” another temple would have to be built…and that hasn’t happened yet. I say “yet” because there is some controversy about whether a third temple will be built. Some say it isn’t needed since God dwells within His people and the sacrificial system is ended. Others read the chapters of Ezekiel that we are coming into and say that it is clearly prophesied to happen. I guess we will have to read on and draw our own conclusions.
Reading chapter 20 I come up with the following observations:
1. God is still bothered by the sins of people who died 500 years ago. For Him I suppose it seems like yesterday.
2. God has wanted to wipe the Israelites out several times (and who could blame Him?) but He relents because He doesn’t want dishonor or shame to be brought to His name. Thinking of that I suppose God is downright angry with people who do vile things and associate themselves with Him and His name. I’m thinking of people who call themselves Christians that kill abortion doctors, and those who incite their churches to protest soldiers returning from battle, mocking them and spreading lies…..all in God’s name. And then there are those who preach and teach the opposite of what the Bible says… and use God’s name to identify themselves. Yes, if God didn’t want people to think badly of Him because of what happened to Israel…imagine what He’s thinking now.
3. I notice that God says “He revealed Himself” when He brought the people out of Egypt. Since God has always been present, that must mean that over the years people had forgotten about Him and wandered off to worship idols. The plagues and the parting of the sea, and it’s collapse back on Pharaoh’s army was “God revealing Himself”. I hadn’t thought of that in quite that way before. I had always framed those events with punishment and/or protection….not so much with revelation.
4.Verse 15 says that Israel was the “most beautiful place on earth”. That’s God’s opinion of that piece of land…I wonder if it looked the same then as it does now? I only ask because I think it’s prettier here. I guess I’ll have to let God change my mind about that.
5.Honoring the Sabbath day keeps coming up. Why do I keep seeing this everywhere? It’s clearly important to God, but I can’t seem to establish a clear image of what “honoring” looks like. Maybe it’s because I work every Sunday already. I have a hard time believing that hospitals should be closed on Sunday. Would God want that? Should fireman respond on Sunday? And if it’s okay to save someones house that is burning, then is it okay to harvest a crop that will be destroyed by the weather if you wait another day? Is it okay to enjoy a movie on Sunday, or are my actions causing someone else to work? Sigh.
6. The exile is Israel’s “second desert wandering”. They were purged and cleansed in the desert after refusing to enter the Holy Land..that lasted 40 years. Now they are exiled for 70 years…according to Jeremiah (Ch 25) the people hadn’t allowed the land a sabbath rest one out of every seven years for the last 590 years. So 70 years allowed the land it’s “Sabbath”.
And we’re back to the “Sabbath” again.
In Chapter 20:41-42 it speaks of the people returning from exile and offering sacrifices. and in Chapter 21:27 the kingdom doesn’t reappear until the “one who has the right to judge it” appears. That’s clearly Jesus, right? Okay, so if the kingdom doesn’t reappear until Jesus does, then the beginning of the second temple period probably isn’t the time that God is talking about in 20:41. How can the people “return and offer sacrifices” when the kingdom hasn’t truly reappeared? Jesus was the reappearance of the “kingdom”, but in His day no one offered sacrifices to Him. They still offered them at the temple that Herod had improved upon, but 21:27 says that it is “handed over to him who has the right to judge it” that would be Jesus after the crucifixion. Knowing that sets the stage for sacrifices to be offered to Jesus at some future point, doesn’t it? They can’t be sacrifices for sin…but if you notice, in chapter 20 “offerings and gifts” are mentioned along with sacrifices.
Will there be another temple erected where we will bring our tithes, offerings and other gifts before the Lord? Will we travel there to present to Him whatever the Holy Spirit motivates us to contribute? Will we one day stand before the Lord on the earth and await His command to send us in a certain direction?
Only time will tell…
Faithfully,
PR