The Future Temple in the Book of Ezechiel

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The book of Ezechiel mentions a temple near the end (starting around chapter 40). I’ve heard that the Church interprets this passage as being filled by our Lord’s establishment of the Church (or something along those lines…) but the last part of Ezechiel gives very specific instructions that some books I’ve read have interpreted very literally. For instance it devotes seven whole chapters to how many cubits the various rooms are and the animal sacrifices taking place (which are supposed to be superseded by the New Testament and Christ’s atoning death). How can we interpret how many cubits a room is figuritavely?
 
How can you not interpret the number of cubits figuratively?

Honestly, you have nooooo idea what a research project you could give yourself. Any time the Bible starts mentioning numbers, you can pretty well bet that something symbolic is going on. This is considered true in both the Jewish and Christian traditions of interpreting scripture. (I don’t know much about it myself, but I know there’s tons of it.)

Now, how does the general figurative interpretation work? Well, imagine you had a dream that you were watching someone building a house. You wake up with a clear memory of everything you’ve seen, and that you were told to tell somebody about it. So you tell your shrink or your significant other – and they probably see what you can’t. You’re dreaming of a garden that’s exactly the same layout as the cemetery where your mom is buried. You’re dreaming of a living room that’s just like your boss’ office. Stuff like that tells people what the dream is about.

Likewise, the Temple in the vision and its architectural details refers to lots of other things, which scripture scholars are reminded of. A lot of it reminds them of Solomon’s Temple, of course. But a lot of it turns out to be a preparation for God announcing that He’s coming back to dwell among us.

We as Christians know that Jesus is the Son of David (like Solomon) who is Wisdom (like Solomon) – but Jesus is also God come to dwell among us. If you believe in the Real Presence, you know that Jesus does dwell in tabernacles in temples, as well. 🙂

So there’s foreshadowing of Jesus and foreshadowing of His Church and even individual Christians (each could be a more perfect Temple than Solomon’s). You can add in a lot more (like the gate only God goes through being a foreshadowing of Mary and Jesus’ virgin birth from her), but that should give you a start.
 
Is this the temple, where the water flows from it, getting deeper and deeper as it gets further away? You see fishermen all along its banks catching fish in the water. The trees provide fruit all year long. The river gives life where ever it goes, traveling eastward toward the Araba.

Is that the temple you’re talking about.

Well, it just so happens that that is the reading during the Jewish Festival of Lights that we read about in John chapter 7. The priest circle the altar 7 times pouring water from the pitcher (from the pool of Siloam) onto the altar.

Anyway, this is the scene when Jesus stands up and says, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: 'Rivers of living water will flow from within him.” What the Jews misunderstood in their ritual, is that Jesus is the Temple (Destroy this temple and I will raise it in 3 days) and that the Holy Spirit is the water that flows from the heart of the Temple. Jesus’ death brings forth the Holy Spirit (“I must leave you, so that the Holy Spirit can come”).

Of course, the fishermen are members of the Church guided by the Holy Spirit to bring others into the Church.

The fruit trees are our good works, bearing fruit 12 months a year, or continuously.

That’s what’s behind the Temple in Ezekiel.

BTW, a cubit is approximately 1-1/2 feet (18 inches).
 
Thank you guys for clarifying this prophecy. Do you have any good commentaries on the Book of Ezechiel (like the Church Fathers)?
 
Hi all, I’ve been wondering about this question myself recently! I can see how Ezekiel’s vision can be interpreted figuratively, like the Fathers do. But so much detail? It seems quite different from the other prophets, e.g. Isaiah. Ezekiel also goes into the details of all the sacrifices that will be offered in the new Temple. The Church teaches that we should take the literal meaning of Scripture primarily and the allegorical only secondarily (see Pius XII, Divino afflante Spiritu). Lev23’s interpretation is similar to the Jewish one that it is the Temple that will be built in Jerusalem when the Messiah comes. This makes sense but only adds to the question, why are there all these Mosaic sacrifices and rites prescribed?
 
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