Matthew 23:38: "See, your house is left to you desolate." Jesus issued a devastating but necessary judgment upon the entire temple-priest syndicate, a money changer operation corrupted beyond any spiritual usefulness for God's people.
So many dispensational or Zionist-leaning Christians tend to think there is still some spiritual significance to old covenant paraphernalia, or a certain physical piece of real estate. But they miss the weight of Jesus' words of final judgment in Matt 23. Jerusalem, particularly the temple and priestly system, was supposed to be the spiritual loci for God's people. To gather and commune with a holy God through offerings, sacrifice, worship, and taking refuge in his special but dangerous Glory presence contained in that place and that system.
But Jesus, after final judicial inspection of the fig tree and its being barren of any fruit (Mark 11), announced that Glory presence would once for all abandon that house. "Desolate" = no more specific space and time system of atonement and cleansing from the guilt of sin. From then on, one must come to faith in Jesus Christ through the preaching ministry of his ambassadors the apostles.
That's why the author to the Hebrews wrote something interesting a little later in that same century to Jewish Christians who were considering going back to the old covenant religious practices. The author argued that, since the risen Christ who was the fulfillment of the priesthood and the temple had ascended triumphantly, and once and for all made a sacrifice for sin, that all "Jewish" religious rituals dependent on the old covenant system of altar and sacrifices are DEAD works that must be repented of (Hebrews 6:1). They can only come to Christ in order to be near to God, to receive grace, forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
The ark of the covenant? Long long long long gone and done with. God's intense, holy presence no longer descends upon inanimate objects like that, not since He sent His only begotten Son in flesh and blood.
Why does DJT have a venerated replica of it? Likely due to Chabad family entanglements. Make of that what you will.
Thanks for your excellent summary! When I read comments such as yours I am encouraged in my faith. I realize that I'm not alone in how I view the broad scope of scripture.
I've been in "the Way" for about 42 years. Sadly, for the 1st 20 years of my Christian walk I was a dispensationalist. In fact I taught dispensationalism to junior high, high school and college age young people. I can't believe I missed the clear teachings of scripture for so long. At any rate I've since "repented" of my ignorant and unlearned ways.
Matthew 23 is a powerful condemnation of apostate Israel. The fig tree in Mark 11 along with the olive tree in Romans 11 gives us a picture of the true Israel of God. In Revelation John spoke against those who call themselves "Jews" but are of the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9 & 3:9).
The replica that DJT has could just be for the benefit of dispensational/evangelical Christians who are still tied up with the necessity of a 3rd Temple in Jerusalem. Or a hat tip to his Chabad family entanglements - or both!
Maybe Trump is just a huge fan of Raiders of the Lost Ark? My friend who used to work for McFarlane Toys has a casting from the original gold Hovitos idol prop used in the beginning of the movie.
Good stuff. Yes, I also had my dispensational phase decades ago. And tried to convince others in those errors, ugh. But we can't beat ourselves up too much, the end times campaigns and intricacy with how those Dispie bible teachers isolated and chopped up prophetic sections of scripture seemed so convincing, since they worked without an overarching framework. When there is no sense of the drama and progression of redemptive history from Genesis to Revelation, it's easy to misunderstand or ignore how Paul argued for example in Romans 4 and Galatians 3-4 how the blessings promised to Abraham were meant to be for all nations through the Seed promise fulfilled in Christ.
Yes indeed - "end time campaigns & intricacy" - introduced to American Chrisitians compliments of the Scofield Reference Bible! Which was funded by who?
Many stories about the location/disposition of the Arc of the Covenant. Some say that that was the real reason why the Templars were in Jerusalem for as long as they were, and that they spirited it out of Jerusalem and to France, and then to Scotland, and then eventually to the USA, etc. Still others say that it was brought up the Nile to Ethiopia and is still there today.
Lots of stories. Not a lot of proof for those stories.
Thoughtful, although your wall looms ahead - "Do this in memory of me."
Recreating the outward sign of the holy act must be done at a dinner table or altar, right? So it would seem clear that the hidden nature of the hoarding priestly class of the Hebrews was being rebuked, not a blanket condemnation of any sacred space for all time.
Once you've used bread and wine in the doing this in memory of Him, you can't just toss excess things out in the garbage! You need a place to keep the blessed artifacts. Especially since evil sacrilegious people try to steal then to desecrate them, so a secure but visible place, because nothing should be hidden from the faithful... See how this goes?
Bingo.
Matthew 23:38: "See, your house is left to you desolate." Jesus issued a devastating but necessary judgment upon the entire temple-priest syndicate, a money changer operation corrupted beyond any spiritual usefulness for God's people.
So many dispensational or Zionist-leaning Christians tend to think there is still some spiritual significance to old covenant paraphernalia, or a certain physical piece of real estate. But they miss the weight of Jesus' words of final judgment in Matt 23. Jerusalem, particularly the temple and priestly system, was supposed to be the spiritual loci for God's people. To gather and commune with a holy God through offerings, sacrifice, worship, and taking refuge in his special but dangerous Glory presence contained in that place and that system.
But Jesus, after final judicial inspection of the fig tree and its being barren of any fruit (Mark 11), announced that Glory presence would once for all abandon that house. "Desolate" = no more specific space and time system of atonement and cleansing from the guilt of sin. From then on, one must come to faith in Jesus Christ through the preaching ministry of his ambassadors the apostles.
That's why the author to the Hebrews wrote something interesting a little later in that same century to Jewish Christians who were considering going back to the old covenant religious practices. The author argued that, since the risen Christ who was the fulfillment of the priesthood and the temple had ascended triumphantly, and once and for all made a sacrifice for sin, that all "Jewish" religious rituals dependent on the old covenant system of altar and sacrifices are DEAD works that must be repented of (Hebrews 6:1). They can only come to Christ in order to be near to God, to receive grace, forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
The ark of the covenant? Long long long long gone and done with. God's intense, holy presence no longer descends upon inanimate objects like that, not since He sent His only begotten Son in flesh and blood.
Why does DJT have a venerated replica of it? Likely due to Chabad family entanglements. Make of that what you will.
Thanks for your excellent summary! When I read comments such as yours I am encouraged in my faith. I realize that I'm not alone in how I view the broad scope of scripture.
I've been in "the Way" for about 42 years. Sadly, for the 1st 20 years of my Christian walk I was a dispensationalist. In fact I taught dispensationalism to junior high, high school and college age young people. I can't believe I missed the clear teachings of scripture for so long. At any rate I've since "repented" of my ignorant and unlearned ways.
Matthew 23 is a powerful condemnation of apostate Israel. The fig tree in Mark 11 along with the olive tree in Romans 11 gives us a picture of the true Israel of God. In Revelation John spoke against those who call themselves "Jews" but are of the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9 & 3:9).
The replica that DJT has could just be for the benefit of dispensational/evangelical Christians who are still tied up with the necessity of a 3rd Temple in Jerusalem. Or a hat tip to his Chabad family entanglements - or both!
Maybe Trump is just a huge fan of Raiders of the Lost Ark? My friend who used to work for McFarlane Toys has a casting from the original gold Hovitos idol prop used in the beginning of the movie.
Good stuff. Yes, I also had my dispensational phase decades ago. And tried to convince others in those errors, ugh. But we can't beat ourselves up too much, the end times campaigns and intricacy with how those Dispie bible teachers isolated and chopped up prophetic sections of scripture seemed so convincing, since they worked without an overarching framework. When there is no sense of the drama and progression of redemptive history from Genesis to Revelation, it's easy to misunderstand or ignore how Paul argued for example in Romans 4 and Galatians 3-4 how the blessings promised to Abraham were meant to be for all nations through the Seed promise fulfilled in Christ.
Yes indeed - "end time campaigns & intricacy" - introduced to American Chrisitians compliments of the Scofield Reference Bible! Which was funded by who?
Excellent post, ty.
Many stories about the location/disposition of the Arc of the Covenant. Some say that that was the real reason why the Templars were in Jerusalem for as long as they were, and that they spirited it out of Jerusalem and to France, and then to Scotland, and then eventually to the USA, etc. Still others say that it was brought up the Nile to Ethiopia and is still there today.
Lots of stories. Not a lot of proof for those stories.
Thoughtful, although your wall looms ahead - "Do this in memory of me."
Recreating the outward sign of the holy act must be done at a dinner table or altar, right? So it would seem clear that the hidden nature of the hoarding priestly class of the Hebrews was being rebuked, not a blanket condemnation of any sacred space for all time.
Once you've used bread and wine in the doing this in memory of Him, you can't just toss excess things out in the garbage! You need a place to keep the blessed artifacts. Especially since evil sacrilegious people try to steal then to desecrate them, so a secure but visible place, because nothing should be hidden from the faithful... See how this goes?