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A Handbook of Answers to Objections to the Temple Of

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A Handbook of Answers to Objections to the Temple Of HANDBOOK OF ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS TO 'THE TEMPLE OF EZEKIEL'S PROPHECY' BY HENRY SULLEY PLUS i TWO LARQE SUPPLEMENTS AND VARIOUS SMALLER SUPPLEMENTS ^ ON EZEKIEL'S TEMPLE tr it * ALPHEGA PRODUCTIONS P.O. Box 268, Greensborough, Vic. 3088, Aus*«!ia MELBOURNE 1976 ISBN 0 009302 03 O INTRODUCT I ON It is indeed regrettable that in the Brotherhood today there is a tendency by some not only to ignore sudi a monumental work as "Die Temple of Bsekiel's Prophecy* by Brother Sulley but alfto a criticism of his exposition and even disbelief that such a Temple be literally erected in Ht. 21cm at the return of Christ. Criticism of an exposition of the scriptures is not wrong in itself. If it wai% the Truth would never have been born in the latter days, criticism should, however, be logically valid, objective, contractive and above all, following the principles of sound Biblical study and research. For example, criticism should take into full account the context of the section under scrutiny; the original language from which our English version is a translation! the ccsparative renderriogs of such original words and phrases i an integrated fnd overlapping theme which finds its support and amplification in othet texts of the word* a venerable respect for the text under scrutiny to accept it in its original language form, inerrant and inspired, unless there is substantial evidence to indicate corruption or interpolation. It is because many of the criticisms raised against Brother Sulley9 s exposition do not follow the above logical guidelines for Truth that this publication is produced. The idea of this "Handbook" was originally conceived by a young brother in Adelaide who, after having delivered a short address on an aspect of BMkiel*s Temple was severely criticised by other brethren * where the real target for their arrows was really Brother Sulley1 a exposition. This brother went away and searched out a number of the criticisms raised and, satisfying himself that they were invalid, set about to provide an index of short answers to such objections. Since then, the work has been significantly expanded and enlarged by a number of brethren to include answers to some fifty objections which have arisen either verbally or in written form, plus additional supplements which we believe will be of great advantage to the reader. The "Answers" must obviously be brief, dealing with the core of the objection, in order to include so many in a publication of manageable site. Readers are however invited to write to the publishers where they believe 'that the anstrer is incomplete or unjust to the proposed objection. He would also welcome the knowledge of other objections which have been raised and are not included in this Handbook so that a careful scriptural examination may be made of them and an answer provided. "Prove all things? hold fast that which is good19. P.E. Pickering. CONTENTS FORWARD PREFACE PART i OBJECTIONS & ANSWERS SECTION A A Temple for the Age to Come? pages 1 SECTION B The Time of the Temple's Construction, pages 4 -5 —r SECTION C The Site of the Temple and Extent of the Inheritance. pages 7 11 SECTION D The Size of the Temple. pages 12 • 13 SECTION E The Construction of the Temple. pages 14 • 2? SECTION P The Prince. pages 24 - 28 SECTION G Concerning the Sons of Zadok* pages 28 • 31 SECTION H Law, Priests and Sacrifice* pages 32 - 35 SECTION J The Residential City. pages 35 3$ SECTION K The Movement of Mortals in the Temple* pages 36 - 37 PART ii ARTICLES FROM "THE CHRISTADELPHIAN11 MAGAZINE ; i The Forthcoming Plan of the Ezekiel Temple. pages 39 - b) "if ii A House of Prayer for all Peoples - The Size of the Temple, pages 43 - 44 iii Ezekielfs Temple - Large or Small* pages 46 - 79 iv The Prince - Priest of the Age to Come. pages 81 - 110 PART iii INDEX t Principal References used as the basis of objections to Bro. Henry Sulley's Exposition of the Temple of Ezekiel's Prophecy. page 111 I ii A Topical Subject Index to the Objections discussed. pages 112 - 11: I PART iv Reproductions from Bro. Sulley's work of 11 Plates referred I to in this present publication. I I i I I I SECTION A I A Temple for the Age to Come ? \ Objection 1 That there will not be a literal temple in the Kingdom th I an idea developed from the passage, 'The Most High dwe not in temples made with hands'1 (Acts 7*48)• I I Answer The quotation of Stephen from Acts 7x48 is used later by Paul in Acts 17*24, However the original source of the quotation is I Kings 8*27, where Solomon prays at the dedication of the temple that he has built« The context I of Solomon's prayer at this place is that though the heavens cannot contain Yahweh, much less the temple, yet may His eyes be upon this place where God had promised to I set His name* The quotation does not therefore deny a literal temple I but establishes the fact of God's omnipresence* The title MOST HIGH.is equivalent to the Hebrew word ELYON, signifying 1 1 Mighty One , i#e. Lord of heaven and earth (Gen,24*3, I Kings 8*23). Stephen uses this point to illustrate the I futility of trusting in a temple built by Herod and such not "according to the pattern showed to thee in the^BQMnt11 (Acts 7;44| Ex,25*40)» The tabernacle, Solomon's temple I and the temple of Ezekiel's Prophecy chapters 40 to 48 are, however, Divine in pattern, "that I may dwell among them" t (Ex.25*8). It should be realised however, that on the principle of I Cor,15*46, "first that which is natural} and afterwards I that which is spiritual11, there is a spiritual temple of the Israel-ecclesia being developed (Ephf2*19-22), which is the antitype of the "natural11 Israel Temple* This principle will repeat itself in relation to "all peoples". During I the millenium there will be a literal "House of Prayer for all nations" (Isa«56*7) and then at the end of the Kingdom Age the righteous of all the nations will partake of the r Spirit community of the saints, described in Rev,21 as a "Bride-Temple", when "God shall be all in all" (I Cor.15* 28)•, Other references to be considered are Isa#2i2-4j i Mic.4*l-2; Zech,6sl2| Hag.2:9$ P$a.l5sl| 48*12-13$ 122*1-9. A warning To spiritualise the temple of the age to come without the basis of a literal temple may rob us of our i vision of the future, for "where there is no vision the people perish" (Prov.29*18)« Further theorising,may ultimately lead to spiritualising the kingdcta of God fin r earth to heaven going and immortal soulism. i i Objection 2 That John saw no temple, in his vision of the New Jerusalem recorded in Rev.21:22, and therefore there will be no literal temple in the Kingdom Age. Answer The proposition is based on a misunderstanding of the purpose of the book of Revelation. This is clearly \ intended to be a book of "signs" (Rev.l:l) (Grk SEMAINO * M "to express i>y signs or symbols"), and not that of literalH 'phenomena • \ ' F » * The chapter itself is quite specific when in v2 and vlO the city is described as "coming down from God out of heaven". Obviously a spiritual city, the Lamb's Bride (v9)f is being described (Cf Gal.4:26) which is not ta be confused with Jerusalem, the city where Christ will rule. It should be realised that the book of Revelation else- where speaks of a temple (11:1-2) so that the book becomes contradictory if these verses are to be understood literally. The Greek word NADS translated temple in Rev*21*22 actually means "nave", that is, "The sanctuary in the temp into which only the High Priest could lawfully enter, for example* Luke 1:9,21-22" (Vine). The chapter is a description of the glory of Christ and his bride and an exposition of these points will be found in feUREKA VolJI, pp,359-361, 536, 550, and Vol.Ill, pp.433, 609-610, to which the reader is referred* Objection 3 That the prophecy of the temple contained in Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48 was for Ezekielfs contemporaries only* Construction would be dependent upon Judah's faithfully serving God* Since however Judah did not remain faithful, the temple was not built and will now never be built* Answer Yahwgh declared: "Seek ye out the book of Yahweh and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate" (Isa.34*16)* Further this promise does not take into account numerous other references to the Temple contained in the Psalms and the prophets* These prophecies are Messianic in character and show that the temple will be built at the second advent of Christ, e.g. Zech.6tl2-15j "Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of Yahweh..." This quotation from Zechariah follows the seventy-year captivity, during which period jEzekiel ministered, and yet speaks with certainty of the glorious future for Israel. A similar prophecy is found in another prophet after the exile, namely Hag.2:9. Ezekiel understood the future faithlessness of Israel and speaks of the over- throw of the nation in such passages at Ezek.21:25-27, "I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no I more, until he come whose right it isj and I will give I it him".
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