Where Did the Glory
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The Chosen People September 2016 Volume XXII, Issue 7 WHERE DID THE GLORY GO? INSIDE: The Glory of the Lord and the Temple • Where Was the Temple Located? • The Superior Priesthood of Yeshua: Hebrews 4 Shalom dear friends in the Messiah, Tabernacles, although after the these events which I am sure will enrich It is hard to believe that September is seriousness of the first two, the Feast of your personal Bible study. Be sure to visit here! For so many of us this means the Tabernacles is a lot of fun and known as Dr. Price’s website and order some of his beginning of school, church activities, a time of great rejoicing! fascinating books (worldoftheblble.org) and the return of our very active lives We have a few different tools that — don’t miss them! after hopefully a restful summer. you can order to help you better I am also very grateful for the The Jewish community, of course, is understand the holidays. The first is our ongoing work and writing of Dr. Arnold in the midst of planning services for the brand-new Messianic Jewish Art Fruchtenbaum. Arnold is one of my Jewish High Holidays: The New Year Calendar, which focuses on the variety mentors and he came to faith through (Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement of foods linked to the holidays—with Chosen People Ministries many years ago (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles recipes included! under the ministry of Miss Ruth Wardell. (Sukkot). These three great festivals all fall Secondly, we have a number of Arnold was discipled by missionaries from within the seventh month of the Jewish excellent books that describe the Jewish Chosen People Ministries and then years calendar, which usually corresponds with holidays and point to the ways in which later began his own ministry called Ariel, the fall months on the Western calendar. Jesus the Messiah fulfills these festivals. a wonderful teaching ministry, and I hope This year, the Jewish holidays fall on the My wife and I wrote a book called that you will become more familiar with Western calendar as follows: The Fall Feasts of Israel and we also offer this great work. Arnold was a regular New Year: a book on all seven of the great festivals attendee at the camping programs of Sunday, Oct. 2nd – Tuesday, Oct. 4th found in Leviticus chapter 23 written Chosen People Ministries (called the American Board of Missions to the Jews The Day of Atonement: by Dr. Daniel Fuchs, a former president at that time). I believe this experience Tuesday, Oct. 11th – Wednesday, Oct. 12th of Chosen People Ministries. Please see the back page of this newsletter or visit gave Arnold a great heart for Bible The Feast of Tabernacles: www.chosenpeople.com/store to order teaching and for the value of camping as Sunday, Oct. 16th – Sunday, Oct. 23rd these and other great resources. a mentoring tool. In general, even the most secular I know that you will enjoy these When I was a very young believer, Jewish people will celebrate Rosh opportunities to better understand your I met Arnold and his wife Mary Anne Hashanah (literally— the head of the year), Jewish heritage in the Messiah! and actually attended the first ever but even more Jewish people will Camp Shoshana in the Adirondack celebrate The Day of Atonement, which Mountains in 1974. I was already a is considered the holiest day of the The Temple Bible college graduate and was on my Jewish calendar. Probably fewer Jewish The theme for this newsletter is the way to seminary at the Talbot School of people will celebrate the Feast of Temple, and I asked our good friend Theology (part of Biola University), but Dr. Randall Price, author of more books will never forget the foundational than can be named, to give us some fresh teaching I received during many weeks information about the most current of intensive study at Camp Shoshana. archaeological research regarding the During one of those Bible studies, Temple in Jerusalem. I know that you Arnold shared from the Book of Ezekiel will thoroughly enjoy Dr. Price’s about the meaning of the term Shekinah article. There is quite a bit of interest glory. Over the years, I’ve continued to in the rebuilding of the Temple and study this great biblical concept and Dr. Price takes a very sober view of wanted to share with you a few quick thoughts about the relationship between WHERE DID THEGloryGO? 2 The Chosen People January_2009_Newsletter_Lead-MG_AS_Draft.doc the glory of God and the Temple— When the priests withdrew from the Nations without a full manifestation of especially in light of the coming Jewish Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of His glory. The writers of the New holidays. the Lord. And the priests could not Testament describe Jesus as the fullness perform their service because of the cloud, of the glory of God…in the flesh! The Temple and for the glory of the Lord filled his temple And the Word became flesh, and dwelt (1 Kings 8:10-11). the Jewish People among us, and we saw His glory, glory as Unfortunately, the children of Israel of the only begotten from the Father, full The Temple was the heart and soul quickly reverted to disobedience and of grace and truth (John 1:14). of the biblical Jewish faith. Over the last ultimately the glory of God would And He is the radiance of His glory 2,000 years, since the destruction of depart from the Temple, leaving the and the exact representation of His Herod’s temple, the Jewish people have building an empty shell. The glory of nature… (Hebrews 1:3). reformulated the Jewish religion in light God left the Temple, according to I believe that His coming in the of our inability to sacrifice and shed Ezekiel chapters 8–11 in three stages.1 blood for the atonement of sins flesh gives us the assurance that one day Again, I am grateful to Arnold and He will return and that this Glory will (Leviticus 17:11). Jewish people have other great scholars like Charles always known that the only place where not only fill the future Temple, but the Feinberg, who also wrote a superb whole earth! As John writes, sacrifices could be made was at the commentary on the Book of Ezekiel, And there will no longer be any night; Temple and therefore, after the who point this out so clearly. destruction of the Temple, all sacrifices and they will not have need of the light of Eventually the glory of God left by for sins ceased. a lamp nor the light of the sun, because way of the Eastern Gate of the Temple! the Lord God will illumine them; and Today Jewish people offer “sacrificial This passage must be viewed in light of replacements” including prayers, good they will reign forever and ever Ezekiel 43:1-2, where the prophet (Revelation 22:5). deeds and contrition of soul as our envisions the future Kingdom Temple I realize that there are many good personal sacrifices to the Lord in hopes again becoming filled with the glory of Bible interpreters who suggest that the of His granting forgiveness. There are God and that the returning glory of coming of Jesus and His identifying many well-known stories of great rabbis God would come through the Eastern Himself with the Temple in John 2:19-21 who went to their deathbeds wondering Gate. The glory of God will return the makes the future Temple unnecessary whether or not their sins were forgiven. same way it left! and therefore the future Temple This is the problem, of course, when Then the man brought me to the gate there is no recognizable means or mentioned by Ezekiel should not be facing east, and I saw the glory of the viewed as literal. However, I see no moment when one knows that their sins God of Israel coming from the east. His are forgiven. Jewish people live with reason not to accept both. Certainly, voice was like the roar of rushing waters, Jesus is the quintessential home of God’s ambiguity, not knowing if our good and the land was radiant with his glory works and repentance are enough for glory as He is the fullness of God in the (Ezekiel 43:1-2). flesh, but that does not mean that a God to forgive us of our sins. future temple could not also be filled Jesus and the Glory of God with the glory of God. I suppose this The Glory of God Perhaps the simplest lesson to learn remains to be seen! And hallelujah, and the Temple from the departure of God’s glory is that those of us who know the One who I believe that we sometimes the Lord cannot dwell in a house came as our atonement secures us front- overemphasize the animal sacrifices in tainted by disobedience and sin. Ezekiel row seats for both Israel and all the ancient Temple and forget that the describes a litany of sins (Ezekiel 8:5-18) humanity’s glorious future! most important part of Temple worship committed by the Jewish people as the Enjoy the was the glory of God present and basis for the Glory’s departure from the newsletter and thanks hovering above the mercy seat where Temple. God could not remain in the for your prayers and the once-a-year Yom Kippur offering Temple nor among the Jewish people faithful support! was made.