In the Gospel of John, Yeshua was talking to the religious leaders who wanted a sign from God to show them that Christ was given the authority to do what he had just done. (John 2:14-19, KJV)
He had just poured out the changers’ money, tipped over their tables, and driven out the sacrificial animals with a braided whip, probably sending people in all directions to avoid the stampede.
According to Mark’s account of the incident. Yeshua would not allow any man to carry any vessel through the temple. (Mark 11:16, KJV)
Those vessels held the blood of sacrificial animals that were being taken to the priest to sacrifice for the sins of the people as Moses had commanded them to do.
Christ was preventing this process from taking place.
If actions speak louder than words, then it is clear from this scene about the views of Yeshua regarding the blood sacrifice that was taking place in the temple.
He drove out the sacrificial animals, and he prevented the blood that was already collected from being taken to the priest.
Christ was making a loud statement against the ancient Mesopotamian practice of blood sacrifice, and his actions were in line with the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah who had clearly spoken out about God’s displeasure with blood sacrifice and burnt offerings.
Instead of heeding the warnings of Isaiah and Jeremiah, both prophets were executed. Unphased by their words, the Children of Israel continued their temple practice until the Babylonians completely leveled Solomon’s temple and led them away into captivity.
When the citizens of Jerusalem were allowed to return from the Babylonian exile, they constructed a second temple.
It was a modest structure compared to Solomon’s Temple until King Herod came on the scene.
Herod took the second temple and made it opulent. It was a grand spectacle of architectural beauty constructed with the finest materials.
Herod’s Temple awed all those who saw it, even the disciples. In Mark 13:1-2, KJV) it is recorded that,
And as they went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
And Jesus answered him, See this great building? There will not be one stone left upon another; that shall not be thrown down.
Christ was prophesying about the destruction of Herod’s Temple that would occur in 70 AD when the Romans leveled it because of the insurrection of some of the Jewish citizens.
So, the day that Christ was causing an uproar in the temple, he was questioned by the religious leaders. They demanded a sign from God to show them that Christ had the authority to do such a thing.
Christ’s only reply was, “I will destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
The author of John interjects that Christ was talking about the temple of his body, and that after he had risen from the dead, the disciples remembered his words, believed the scripture, and they believed the word which Jesus had said.
It is interesting because all through the book of John, the author interjects his thoughts on what Yeshua meant when he was speaking about different subjects.
So, my question is, could John have been wrong in his interpretation of just what Christ meant?
The answer that I see all through the Gospels, is yes, John could have misinterpreted the meaning of what Christ meant, and here’s why.
Throughout the Gospels, it is mentioned over and over that the disciples did not understand Christ. They didn’t get his parables, they didn’t know he was about to die, even though he spoke about his death to them in plain terms.
And, towards the end, it is clear that they were afraid to ask him anything. Instead, they would try to interpret the meaning of Christ’s words by discussing the issues amongst themselves.
Therefore, John or whoever wrote the book of John 70 years after the death of Christ is suddenly an expert about what Christ meant on so many different subjects?
No.
God has shown me that Christ’s comment did not pertain to his resurrection from the dead at all, but rather, it had to do with his second coming. And, in order to understand Christ’s comment, one has to dissect out the terms that need to be examined.
Firstly, a search of the scripture is necessary to see if there is another time frame that could represent three days, rather than a literal three days.
Next, one must know exactly what the temple represents.
And, finally, why Christ would destroy the temple, and rebuild another.
Pertaining to the timeline and thanks to Peter, he wrote,
Be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. (2 Peter 3:8, KJV)
Peter was writing this to account for the reason that the day of the Lord had not yet occurred.
This teaching must have come from Christ, because it is not mentioned in any other place throughout the Bible. Peter states it emphatically which makes complete sense to me that Christ would have taught that God is not bound by our time system.
Could Yeshua have been talking about three thousand years rather than a literal three days?
Of course, he could.
So, if this is the case, we are entering the third day or the third millennium. The third day is about to dawn since the crucifixion of Christ if a thousand years is as one day.
In Revelation, Christ promises to the faithful, that he will give them the morning star. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
In literal terms, the morning star is Venus; it is the brightest star in the sky just before day break. One can look into the sky and see Venus shining brightly, which signals that the sun is about to rise.
And, we know spiritually that the sun always represents Christ.
Therefore, Christ’s promise of the morning star is a head’s up to the spiritual ones to let them know that his coming is fast approaching. It is a reward to them for being faithful.
Could this be our morning star?
Next, we need to look at the temple. It represents the place where all the religious Laws of Moses are required to take place, the main activity being—blood sacrifice to God for the remission of sin as Moses taught.
Therefore, the temple represents blood sacrificial religion, and it is that very practice that God denounced clearly through the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah, several of the lesser prophets, and even David.
God does NOT want blood sacrifice.
However, people are determined to keep the belief alive that God requires it.
Christianity is built upon the premise of the human sacrifice of Christ.
Paul took the Jewish temple religion and substituted Christ as the unblemished lamb. Thus, creating a new blood sacrificial religion in a “spiritual temple” that Christians are taught by their leaders is built by God.
It is not true.
Christ was referring to a true spiritual temple devoid of blood sacrifice, and he showed it by his actions that day in the temple.
God does not want blood—never did, never will.
The belief that God needs blood for the remission of sin is a pagan belief that came from Babylon and the cities of Mesopotamia.
Abram was supposed to walk away from it, and here we are 4,500 years later, still dealing with pagan beliefs.
In Revelation chapter 18, when the Angel announced that Babylon the great is fallen…And, I heard another voice from Heaven saying, “come out of her my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.
This, is the temple that Christ will destroy with the brightness of his coming, the temple of lies that claims that blood sacrifice is the pathway to God.
Even worse, they’ve distorted the truth about the precious blood of Christ. It was never an offering, it was spilled by evil men who hated him because he represented the truth of God.
When that temple is destroyed, Christ will build a house for God, the one written about in 1 Chronicles 17:10-14. (JPS version, Hebrew Bible)
In this passage, David was feeling guilty that he had not built a temple in which to house the Ark of the Covenant, and that is when Nathan came to him and said,
And, I declare to you: the Lord will build a house for you. When your days are done and you follow your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingship.
He shall build a house for Me and I will establish his throne forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to Me…and I will install him in My house and in My kingship forever, and his throne shall be established forever.
The temple that Christ is talking about is not a place where violence is subjected toward animals or humans in order to obtain their blood to cover sin.
Rather, it is within us, where peace and love reigns supremely, a people who truly know God.
It is a spiritual structure that is built where Christ is the cornerstone, and not only is he installed in that house, but others will be as well. This is recorded in Isaiah as he writes,
Assuredly, Thus said the Lord God:
Behold, I will found in Zion, Stone by stone, A tower of precious cornerstones, Exceedingly firm. (Isaiah 28:16, Hebrew Bible/JPS version)
Christ is the chief cornerstone, and those who follow the true path of his teachings will be replicas of the magnificent cornerstone in the spiritual house of God that Christ will build in three days.
But first, he will destroy their temple just as he said he would.