Acts 15:16
LITV 16 After these
things "I" will return and "will build again the tabernacle of
David which has fallen," "and I will build again the things which
have been demolished," and I will set it up, Amos 9:11,
12
Amos 9:11-12
CAB 11 In that day I
will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and will
rebuild the ruins of it, and will set up the parts thereof that
have been broken down, and will build it up as in the ancient
days: 12 that
the remnant of men, and all the Gentiles upon whom My name is
called, may earnestly seek Me, says the Lord who does all
these things.
"the remnant of men"-
is here in the LXX, interpreted "men". Anthropos or humanity
usually refers to God's covenant people. It may here include those
who believed in the messiah yet were descendents of Esau rather
than the 12 tribes of Jacob, since the Hebrew text has "Edom" where
the Greek text has "anthropos". At first only the faithful remnant
of humans from the 12 tribes recieved the Holy Spirit. They
earnestly sought the Lord and were convinced by the Holy Spirit to
take the gospel of their God to all the other nations also. Don't
Jews and Edomites and Gentiles alike (i.e., all nationalities)
earnestly seek God today in the church? The church is clearly
identified in the Bible as the new
temple.
The word "a" was added to the following text. ECB
translaters add the word "the" instead of "a". And "you" is
definately plural.
1 Corinthians 3:16
CLV 16 Are
you not aware that you are
a temple of God and the spirit of God is making
its home in you?
The city of David was
rebuilt after the exile so that the perfect human could be raised
in the land; and then He was lifted up above the land to draw all
to Himself. God set it up for His Son to become the completed image
of God in eschaton Adam. And since He is the image of God in the
son of human, He stood up and called Himself the
temple (his body; the body of
Christ). It caused a great persecution to come onto
the faithful Jews who followed Him because the typical temple was
going away; in favor of the presence of God in people. The image of
God was being set up in His people at the time of the end of the
old covenant world.
John
2:13-22 Jesus knew they would kill Him and that He would destroy
their typical temple.
KJV 13 And the Jews'
passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem. 14 And found in
the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the
changers of money sitting: 15 And when he
had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the
temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers'
money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said
unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my
Father's house an house of merchandise. 17And his disciples
remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten
me up. 18 Then answered
the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing
that thou doest these things? 19 Jesus answered
and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up. 20 Then said the
Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt
thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he
spake of the temple of his body. 22 When
therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that
he had said this unto them; and they believed the
scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Jesus throne was such a threat that Herod had tried to kill him
as a toddler.
1 Corinthians 12
LITV 1 But
concerning the spiritual things, brothers, I do not wish you to be
ignorant. 2 You
know that being led away, you nations were led to dumb
idols. 3 Because
of this I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of
God says, Jesus is a curse. And no one is able to say Jesus is
Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah
16:5
CLV 5 And prepared
by kindness is a throne, and seated on it in truth, in the tent of
David, is a judge. And he inquires for judgment, and swift is
justice."
Isaiah 16:5
CAB 5 And a throne
shall be established with mercy; and one shall sit upon it with
truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and earnestly seeking
judgments, and hastening righteousness.
Jesus' disciples were
the true brethren whom He appointed to work on the new
temple.
1 Kings
3:9
Thomson 9 give
therefore to thy servant a heart to hear and to judge thy people
righteously, and to discern between good and evil; for who can
judge this thy people,
Exodus
35:35
Thomson 35 and hath filled them with wisdom,
knowledge and skill to know how to make all the works of the
sanctuary, and to weave the embroidery and tapestry with scarlet
yarn and cotton thread; to execute every kind of work in
architecture and embroidery.
1
Corinthians 12:4
LITV 4 And
there are differences of gifts, but the same Spirit;
Romans 12:4
LITV 4 For even as
we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the
same function,
Matthew
23:1-15
CLV 1 Then Jesus
speaks to the throngs and to His disciples, 2 saying, "On
Moses' seat are seated the scribes and the
Pharisees." 3 All, then,
whatever they should be saying to you, do and keep it. Yet
according to their acts do not be doing, for they are saying and
not doing." 4 Now they are
binding loads, heavy and hard to bear, and are placing them on
men's shoulders, yet they are not willing to stir them with their
finger." 5 Now all
their works are they doing to be gazed at by men, for they are
broadening their amulets and magnifying the
tassels." 6 Now they are
fond of the first reclining place at the dinners, and the front
seats in the synagogues, 7 and the
salutations in the markets, and to be called by men
'Rabbi.'" 8 Now you may
not be called 'Rabbi,' for One is your Teacher, yet you all are
brethren." 9 And 'father'
you should not be calling one of you on the earth, for One is your
Father, the heavenly." 10 Nor yet
may you be called preceptors, for One is your Preceptor, the
Christ." 11 Now the
greatest one among you shall be your servant." 12 Yet anyone
who shall be exalting himself shall be humbled, and anyone who
shall be humbling himself shall be exalted." 13 Now woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are locking the
kingdom of the heavens in front of men. For you are not entering,
neither are you letting those entering to enter." 14 - 15 Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are going about
the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever he may
be becoming one, you are making him more than double a son of
Gehenna than you are."
The unbelievers wanted
Judaism to remain in Herod's temple. They were not predicting a
third temple. Jesus called the Jewish religious leaders "sons of
Gahenna". He did not have third temple plans for the unbelievers
either. Gahenna is not a good place to build a third
temple.
Matthew
26:55
LITV 55 In that
hour, Jesus said to the crowds, Have you come out to take Me with
swords and clubs, as against a robber? I sat with you daily
teaching in the temple, and you did not lay hands on
Me.
The image of God from heaven arrived to tabernacle in His
people. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit; 50 days after His resurrection,
which was 10 days after His ascension. The Jews may have been
meeting in or near the temple when the Holy Spirit arrived to
tabernacle in His made-new covenant people.
John 12:32
CLV 32 And I, if I
should be exalted out of the earth, shall be drawing all to
Myself."
Interlinear 12:32 And if I am
exalted out of the land I shall be drawing all to
myself.
(The word men is not in the
text. The word all means all of every kind not just the humans:
sons of God, sons of adam, Jews, 12 tribes)
Yet even after recieving the Holy Spirit, the Jewish believers
still tended to be Judaizers.
Acts 15:5-17
YLT 5 and there rose
up certain of those of the sect of the Pharisees who
believed, saying—`It behoveth to circumcise them, to
command them also to keep the law of Moses.' 6 And there were
gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this
matter, 7 and there
having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said unto them,
`Men, brethren, ye know that from former days, God among us did
make choice, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of
the good news, and to believe; 8 and the
heart-knowing God did bare them testimony, having given to them the
Holy Spirit, even as also to us, 9 and did
put no difference also between us and them, by the faith having
purified their hearts; 10 now,
therefore, why do ye tempt God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to
bear? 11 but,
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to
be saved, even as also they.' 12 And all the
multitude did keep silence, and were hearkening to Barnabas and
Paul, declaring as many signs and wonders as God did among the
nations through them; 13 and after
they are silent, James answered, saying, `Men, brethren, hearken to
me; 14 Simeon did
declare how at first God did look after to take out of the nations
a people for His name, 15 and to this
agree the words of the prophets, as it hath been
written: 16 After
these things I will turn back, and I will build again the
tabernacle of David, that is fallen down, and its ruins I will
build again, and will set it upright— 17 that the
residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all
the nations, upon whom My name hath been called, saith the Lord,
who is doing all these things.
Why
rebuild it? So the remnant of faithful humans (residue
of men) can take the gospel to all the animals
of the creation. Jesus even told the humans to preach to all
creation.
Mark 16:15 (to the humans)
KJV 15 And he said
unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature.
But why didn’t’ Jesus just say
preach the gospel to all men? Why did he say “creature”?
Because He was talking to Hebrews who knew what He meant. Why did
He give Peter a vision of all the creatures? Answer: to convince
Peter that He really meant it. Because Peter was a Jew who knew the
symbolism. Remember when
Jesus called the gentiles "dogs"? He was referring to them as
animals, and not humans. They lacked the truth and presence of
God. Now, not only Jews, but people from any nationality can
be the tabernacle of God's Spirit.
Be
careful how you build with your bretheren. God's image lives in us.
Glorying in men would corrupt the building project.
1 Corinthians 3
CLV 1 And
I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to
fleshy, as to minors in Christ." 2 Milk
I give you to drink, not solid food, for not as yet were you able.
Nay, still, not even now are you able,3 for
you are still fleshly. For where there is jealousy and strife among
you, are you not fleshly and walking according to
man? 4 For
whenever anyone may be saying, "I, indeed, am of Paul, yet another,
"I, of Apollos, will he not be fleshly? 5 What,
then, is Apollos? Now what is Paul? Servants are they, through whom
you believe, and as the Lord gives to each." 6 I
plant, Apollos irrigates, but God makes it grow up." 7 So
that, neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is
irrigating, but God Who makes it grow up." 8 Now
he who is planting and he who is irrigating are for one thing. Yet
each will be getting his own wages according to his own
toil. 9 For
God's fellow workers are we. God's farm, God's building, are
you." 10 According
to the grace of God which is being granted to me, as a wise foreman
I lay a foundation, yet another is building on it. Yet let each one
beware how he is building on it." 11 For
other foundation can no one lay beside that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ." 12 Now
if anyone is building on this foundation gold and silver, precious
stones, wood, grass, straw, 13 each
one's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident,
for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing
each one's work - what kind it is." 14 If
anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get
wages." 15 If
anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall
be saved, yet thus, as through fire." 16 Are
you not aware that you are a temple of God and the spirit of God is
making its home in you? 17 If
anyone is corrupting the temple of God, God will be corrupting him,
for the temple of God is holy, which you
are." 18 Let
no one be deluding himself. If anyone among you is presuming to be
wise in this eon, let him become stupid, that he may be becoming
wise, 19 for
the wisdom of this world is stupidity with God. For it is written,
"He is clutching the wise in their craftiness." 20 And
again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are
vain." 21 So
that, let no one be boasting in men, for all is
yours, 22 whether
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or
the present, or that which is impending - all is
yours, 23 yet
you are Christ's, yet Christ is
God's."
The one foundation is Christ; not
Paul or Appolos or any other Jew.
The only thing that lasts forever
is God's people with His good image of Christ being built into
them.
"You" is
plural in verse 23, as in all you members are the body of Christ.
The church is where the One True God lives today. You (plural) are
the church body. The completed image of God stood up in Jesus, who
plainly said to the Jews that
the temple He would
resurrect in the new covenant would be His own body.
He then sent
the Holy Spirit to raise His image of God in other Jews. They were
told to finish putting the old typical mortal man to death.
The new
man cannot die or be put to death. Jesus died as the old man;
eschaton Adam. The only begotten then became the first son in the
new covenant. Adam was first son of the old covenant. Obviously he
was corruptible.
1 Corinthians 15:53-55 KJV
53 For this corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
54 So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Returning to the types, if that were possible, would corrupt
the new temple. The temple is no longer typical. Moses was a type
of Christ. Moses was corruptible and mortal. Christ is
incorruptible and immortal. Returning to Moses in spite of
Christ would bring corruption back into the temple of
God.
1 Corinthians 3:17
CLV 17 If
anyone is corrupting the temple of God, God will be corrupting him,
for the temple of God is holy, which you are."
A yoke is used so two can plow together. The apostles did not
team up with the unbelievers for work on the new temple. And they
explained to the believing pharisees that Judaism would not be
required in the new temple. Judaism is made of corruptible
types.
2 Corinthians 6:14-16
CLV 14 Do
not become diversely yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership
have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what communion has light
with darkness? 15 Now
what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part a believer with
an unbeliever? 16 Now
what concurrence has a temple of God with idols? For you
are the temple of the living God, according as God said,
that I will be making My home and will be walking
in them, and I will be their God, and they shall
be My people."
If the
Jewish apostles had to correct even the believing pharisees when
they tried to teach the church their Judaism (Acts 15:5), then just
maybe the same typical errors are being taught to the church again
today. But this time we even let the unbelievers teach us a
nonfunctional form of vestigial 'Judaism'. The temple types still
existed when the real Judaism was trying to subvert the true temple
of the Holy Spirit, even as it was being realized!
Acts
15:1
YLT 1 And certain
having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren—`If ye be
not circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye are not able to be
saved;'
Today some Christian believers
teach the bretheren that helping to rebuild the typical temple in
Jerusalem is neccessary? Do we really need to help rebuild a palace
for circumcised unbelievers to sacrifice animals in?
Some of the 'church fathers'
also believed that a temple would be rebuilt in their
future.
Origen's opinion was that
the Antichrist would build a stone temple for the purpose of
claiming divine worship. Those who were against Christ already
tried to keep the stone temple to worship their god in, but God
would not let them. Someone who is anti Christ can not worship the
true God; no matter what types they try to bring back.
John 14:5-6
LITV 5 Thomas said to
Him, Lord, we do not know where You go, and how can we know the
way? 6 Jesus said to
him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.
Many theologians and orthodox
churches continue to believe that Ezekiel 40-47 pertained to the
new covenant church rather than to a third typical temple. I don't
think we need another stone house of prayer for all Jews to return
to animal sacrifices so they all can get saved. Why didn't Jesus
tell Thomas that his Jewish children would need to return to animal
sacrifices in another temple so all Jews could get saved?
Thankfully God convinced the faithful Jews to let the Gentiles into
their resurrected body of Christ. The faithful descendents of Peter
and Thomas still assemble in the body of Christ on earth. They are
not trying to get back into the body of Moses, but some unbelievers
are trying to resurrect the body of Moses. The corruptible body of
Moses died but Moses himself isn't dead! He is with Christ in the
realized tabernacle of God in heaven. Moses is in the ecclesia of
Christ with us.
In the first exodus they left
the bondage of Egypt. In the second Exodus Jews left the bondage of
Judaism. Are we
really going to have third exodus when all the believing Jews obey
God by leaving their new covenant church to go back to old covenant
Jerusalem? I must confess that I used to believe that the Jewish
believers should obey and go to "Jerusalem", but it never really
made sense to me.