Fulfillment of the prophecies and Promises of a new Temple in Ezekiel Research Paper

Fulfillment of the prophecies and Promises of a new Temple in Ezekiel 40-48 - Research Paper Example To understand whether the prophecies are fulfilled, one has to relate these prophecies to the language in which the text is rendered, the relationship between the New Temple and the Restoration of Israel, the literal animal sacrifices in the Kingdom Age, the promise of a New Temple and the Coming of Christ, and the development and portrayal of the idea of the New Temple in the New Testament. Scholars view the fulfillment of the prophecies and promises from different angles. While many are of the opinion that these prophecies are merely symbolic, others believe that these prophecies have a literal context, and these will be fulfilled in the future. While the former group considers the prophecies as a symbolic representation of idealistic views, the latter argues that Ezekiel meant the temple to be literally constructed and consecrated for worship. The debates notwithstanding, the fact remains that Ezekiel’s proposition of the temple is founded on literal premises, rather than f igurative allusions, by way of its reliance on earthly language, understanding of historical events, rituals to be performed in the temple, the expected Second Coming of Christ and the development and portrayal of the ideas of the New Temple in the New Testament. ... Besides, he refers to priests donning linen robes and performing rituals in the New Temple. Scholars such as Feinberg, Gray, Kelly, Pentacost and Scofield maintain that all these allusions tend to validate that Ezekiel meant the temple to be literal rather than symbolic or figurative. Ezekiel 40-48 is based on the hermeneutical assumptions and manifests the same exegetical techniques. Most of the terms used are Christian and the â€Å"allusions to Ezekiel in the book of revelation are based on the Hebrew text†1 On another level, the contents of the book promote ritual codes of behavior that protect the community from the threat of impurity and set the whole ritual system inside the impregnable fortress of the new community. It is not only in the content that the prophet’s background becomes evident but also in his constant and striking use of cultic language. Many scholars believe that Ezekiel’s text â€Å"uses for preference the priestly/cultic language of defi lement†2 Even when the sins illustrated in the work are not in themselves ritual, Ezekiel frequently applies cultic language to explain them. Ezekiel’s inventive reaction to the crisis was to refresh the old institution of the temple by expanding its symbolic language further than the strictly priestly sphere and taking it into a level where the literal meaning would become evident through his allusions about the ordinary materials such as common wood or stones (Ezekiel 40:16, 22, 26, 34, 37, 42, 41:16-22, 25-26). This is in utter contrast with John’s version, which speaks of a heavenly city made of â€Å"gold, pearls and rare gemstones† (Revelation 21: 16- 21). Thus, by the deployment