"From the beginning of the Book of Ezekiel in chapter one, we read of the same theme regarding the four creatures and the chariot resembling the Holy Spirit. We ought not to ignore that “When the Living Creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the Living Creatures were lifted up …” Ezekiel even explains it “Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the Spirit went; …” (Ez. 1:15-20)
This is exactly what Christ spoke of the Holy Spirit describing Him as the wind: “where the wind blows”. This “storm wind,” is the same fiery wind is brought to the shore – namely to the great day of the Lord, the whirlwind which will segregate sheep from goats, just as it was in the day of the Pentecost, as the whirlwind blew, it granted the Church the Spirit of discernment, not to condemn the wicked outside it, but to spiritually judge those inside it. Such wind is what Christ spoke of “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). It is no wonder why in the Semitic language “wind” and “spirit” sound the same: Ruah (Hebrew) Riyah/Rouh (Arabic)."
This particular point I would need to look into before a comment can be made.
"Ezekiel even ends his book by a description of the coming temple that came as a symbolic image of the heavenly temple or the higher Jerusalem, similar to the way it came in the book of Revelation.
Two different passages, you don't have to interpret a literal chariot, wheels or creatures and come up with a literal temple. My take on the temple being built, I don't think it would be built by an institution, who it is built by I don't know, all I can say is, it has no backing from the Anti-Christ and will be defiled by Anti-Christ and then cleansed by Jesus Christ, used later in the Millenial reign. Regardless of who builds it, the claim of a literal temple stands.
"This temple has three gates which symbolize the Trinity, the main gate, entrance facing east (Christ) as it is the one leading to the sanctuary and the Holy of the Holies. The other two, one facing north and another facing south; with the same measurements like the one facing east; all three are equal. Ezekiel’s book symbolize the Holy Trinity; Father (His throne), Son, and the Holy Spirit. God’s throne is described in metaphor: “And above the firmament over their heads, was the likeness of a throne …” (we ought to start at chapter 1 and not 40) to end in His heavenly temple and tabernacle. This is the holy city – the higher Jerusalem, man finally uniting with God the Father in His Son through His Holy Spirit. These gates are twelve and are the same twelve gates of the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:13) even in Matthew “Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 8:11).
This settles this whole issue, especially when we connect the consecration of the altar, a daily sacrifice should be offered for 7 days (Ez 43:25) just as Malachi prophesied “from the rising of the sun to its setting”. This is what apostolic-succession churches do where communion is offered as a “sacrifice” daily."
While I defend the Trinity as biblical and I think many should defend it as such, it is a stretch to say that the temple symbolizes the Trinity. Furthermore, communion is not what Ezekiel had in mind in Ezekiel 43:25:
"25 “For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. 26 For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27 At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”"
This refers to what it says, burnt offerings, sin offerings etc, there is nothing about communion or the Eucharist even foretold. Since Jesus comes and there will be a 1000* year reign, communion will no longer be practiced, not because Anti-Christ removes it, but because we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). See this previous paper regarding Communion and the grain offering: http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-abomination-of-desolation-response.html
Answering Judaism.
This particular point I would need to look into before a comment can be made.
"Ezekiel even ends his book by a description of the coming temple that came as a symbolic image of the heavenly temple or the higher Jerusalem, similar to the way it came in the book of Revelation.
If this is a literal temple, then this “fiery chariot” and “wheels” is a literal UFO, and the “four living creatures” are actual man, ox, eagle and lion. Why not also insist on the construction of wheels the color of Beryl, and all four must be the same likeness were a wheel must be in the middle of a wheel with rims were full of eyes and when the Living Creatures were lifted up from the earth, the man, ox, eagle and lion, that the wheels are also lifted up?
It was Christ, not some temple institute, who builds Ezekiel’s temple: “He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in His hand, and He stood in the gateway” (Ez 40:3) and in John’s Revelations “His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace” (Rev 1:15) standing in the gateway, proclaims that there is no entry into that holy city except by Him; as He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He cries out: “I am the Door, if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). “There is no salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12)."Two different passages, you don't have to interpret a literal chariot, wheels or creatures and come up with a literal temple. My take on the temple being built, I don't think it would be built by an institution, who it is built by I don't know, all I can say is, it has no backing from the Anti-Christ and will be defiled by Anti-Christ and then cleansed by Jesus Christ, used later in the Millenial reign. Regardless of who builds it, the claim of a literal temple stands.
"This temple has three gates which symbolize the Trinity, the main gate, entrance facing east (Christ) as it is the one leading to the sanctuary and the Holy of the Holies. The other two, one facing north and another facing south; with the same measurements like the one facing east; all three are equal. Ezekiel’s book symbolize the Holy Trinity; Father (His throne), Son, and the Holy Spirit. God’s throne is described in metaphor: “And above the firmament over their heads, was the likeness of a throne …” (we ought to start at chapter 1 and not 40) to end in His heavenly temple and tabernacle. This is the holy city – the higher Jerusalem, man finally uniting with God the Father in His Son through His Holy Spirit. These gates are twelve and are the same twelve gates of the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:13) even in Matthew “Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 8:11).
This settles this whole issue, especially when we connect the consecration of the altar, a daily sacrifice should be offered for 7 days (Ez 43:25) just as Malachi prophesied “from the rising of the sun to its setting”. This is what apostolic-succession churches do where communion is offered as a “sacrifice” daily."
While I defend the Trinity as biblical and I think many should defend it as such, it is a stretch to say that the temple symbolizes the Trinity. Furthermore, communion is not what Ezekiel had in mind in Ezekiel 43:25:
"25 “For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. 26 For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27 At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”"
This refers to what it says, burnt offerings, sin offerings etc, there is nothing about communion or the Eucharist even foretold. Since Jesus comes and there will be a 1000* year reign, communion will no longer be practiced, not because Anti-Christ removes it, but because we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). See this previous paper regarding Communion and the grain offering: http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-abomination-of-desolation-response.html
Answering Judaism.
*24th of July 2024. Mistakenly said 100 year not 1000.
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