Reflection B.13 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? / Ezekiel 40-42, A Third Temple?

You’re on a whistle-stop ‘ten-cities-in-fourteen-days’ European tour. You had three days in Paris and then two days in Rome. Now you have two days in London. On your first day you had a highly cultural visit to the British Museum. That was great! Today, your tour guide takes you to a former railway depot in North Acton. In front of you is an expanse of rubble, some diggers and huge dump trucks. Huh? She takes you over to a large information board.

“HS2 will be a catalyst for growth”, it says. “The high-speed backbone of Britain’s transport network.”

“But will it be?” you ask your tour guide.

***

You’re on a whistle-stop tour of Old Testament prophecy. You had three days in Isaiah and two days in Jeremiah. Now, you’re in your second and last day in Ezekiel. Your tour guide takes you to chapters 40-42. They provide a detailed architectural plan for a temple. But it’s for a temple that doesn’t presently exist and never has existed.

“Will it exist?” you ask your tour guide. “Will that be part of our ‘End Time’ picture?”

You detect the slightest trace of a smile from your tour guide.

“In early church history people like Jerome and Gregory the Great thought Ezekiel’s picture could only be taken symbolically”, she explained. “In the 12th century, the Scottish theologian Richard of Saint Victor took it literally. Recently, some people don’t think Ezekiel wrote these chapters at all. After all, it’s as if a Byron suddenly turned into a Brunel! But even if Ezekiel didn’t write it, I’m not sure that it makes a lot of difference. We’d still accept it as part of the Bible, I think…”

“I see. And recent commentators?”

“Many recent commentators think the picture is symbolic. They don’t think Ezekiel’s plan could actually be implemented. One commentator has likened it to Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech. Something that is envisioning, but not necessarily to be implemented in reality.”

You take a moment to digest this.

“But surely Martin Luther King’s dream does need to be implemented in reality! And Ezekiel’s plan is very detailed, isn’t it? It’s more than a vision statement.”

Your tour guide smiles.

“I couldn’t agree more! Some commentators think the plan was for a temple the exiles should have built after they returned to Jerusalem from exile. And some commentators think the plan is for a temple that will be built in ‘End Times’. That’s what Jews think. In fact, there’s a group of Jews who are already making detailed plans.”

“Wow. So, it could be built?!”

Your tour guide shrugs in a non-committal way. “Well … there’s a mosque there, and it’s been there for 1,300 years.”

“But what about scripture?” you ask. “How do you read it?”

“There are some verses in the New Testament which make you think. For example, Paul talks about a man of lawlessness who will be revealed. He will take his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. So clearly there must be some kind of temple! The question is, what kind? Irenaeus, who was a second century bishop, took the verse to mean a literal temple. But many modern commentators take it to mean the church. There are also some verses in Revelation which speak of a temple – Revelation 11:1,2, for example. But there are many ways to interpret them…”

“So?” you ask in suspense. “What do you think? Will a temple be part of our ‘End Time’ picture?”

Your tour guide looks thoughtful.

“Ezekiel’s temple, you mean? Because there already is a temple, you know. You’re part of it!”

“Oh, yes, of course,” you say, catching on.

“I’m really not sure what to make of these passages of scripture”, your tour guide says. “But I think I’d lean towards it being built.”

“Well, if it is built, I guess it would mean that we’re in ‘End Times’!”

“I guess it would”, she says.

***

In front of you, a digger lifts a pile of rubble onto a dump truck. Your tour guide smiles.

Have a good day!

Simon