Chapter 84
CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE
Part I – The Old Testament Temple
Matthew 21:12-17
Before we begin this study let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Holy Father, we ask You to please open our spiritual ears and eyes so we can hear and see what You, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Your Word are teaching us. Please Father God let us not only be true hearers of Your Word but cause us to take heed and act upon what You are teaching us.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
After Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, He went into the Temple of God and cleansed it. To read what happened we go to,
Matthew 21:12-13
[12] Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. [13] And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
Since the length for the study of this topic is quite long, it is divided into the following two chapters.
The first chapter, chapter 84, focus’ on the Old Testament Temple and the types of merchandizing that prompted Jesus to cleanse it.
The second chapter, chapter 85, focus’ on how the cleansing of the Old Testament Temple serves as an object lesson for some of the practices that are present within today’s New Testament Temple, the church.
With this brief introduction in mind let us now begin our study of,
THE OLD TESTAMENT TEMPLE
To help better appreciate the sacredness of the Old Testament Temple, the desecration that was taking place and why Jesus did what He did we will,
1. Review some background material as to the history, design, construction and purpose of the Old Testament Temple.
2. Explore Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple.
3. Read what happened after Jesus cleansed God’s Holy Temple.
Let us begin with some,
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Since the Old Testament talks about three temples or tabernacles, the following background material is offered to help clarify the chronology or timeline and historical setting of these temples.
The first temple was built under the direction of Moses. It was constructed during Israel’s exodus from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. This temple was often identified as the Tent of Meeting. It was referred to in this manner because it was the place where God would meet and give direction to the representatives of Israel, who were Moses and the priests (Exodus 25:23). This temple was in actuality a tent composed of wood boards, cloth and animal skins (Exodus 26:1-36). It was used throughout Israel’s exodus in the wilderness of Sinai. Each time the nation was to move from one place to another, the tent was dismantled, carried and reassembled by the Levites (Numbers 4:1-33). This temple was also used by the Israelites during the early years of their stay in the promised land of Canaan. Specifically, it was used throughout the reigns of King Saul and King David.
In approximately 954BC1, under the direction of King Solomon, a son of King David, the second temple was built in Jerusalem. This temple was fashioned after the pattern of the temple built by Moses. However, it was a permanent structure. Specifically, it was composed of huge quarried stones. Until the time of the Babylonian invasion, this temple was used by the Israelites for approximately 368 years. In approximately 586BC2, under the authority of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian army overran Jerusalem and took the citizens captive. During this military campaign they also destroyed the temple built by King Solomon.
After the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon, a third temple was constructed. This temple was built under the leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel. It too was a permanent structure and was completed in approximately 512BC3. However, even though it was fashioned after the pattern of King Solomon’s temple, it was smaller in stature.
Even though it is not part of the Biblical record, it is noted that in approximately 20-19BC4, King Herod refurbished and expanded the temple. King Herod's rationale for this undertaking was that he felt the temple of Joshua and Zerubbabel did not measure up to the glory of the one built by King Solomon5. During the days of our Lord and Savior’s sojourn upon this earth, this was the temple that was standing.
Let us now proceed to,
THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND SOME OF THE PURPOSES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TEMPLE
To do this we begin with a,
Brief overview
At the time that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments along with the rules and regulations for the sacrificial system, He also instructed Moses to build a Temple and its associated furnishings. These furnishings were the altars, lamp stand, etc. To see this let us read what God said to Moses concerning the construction of this Temple and its furnishings.
Exodus 25:40
[40] “See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
In other words, the design and construction of the Temple and its furnishings was the design God gave to Moses. In a similar fashion, God gave King David the design and plans for the Temple that was to be built by his son Solomon. To see this let us read from,
1 Chronicles 28:11-12
[11] “Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. [12] He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD ..."
In reading the New Testament we discover that not only was the Old Testament Temple’s design dictated by God but was also a shadow or copy of the heavenly things. This is revealed to us in within the teaching about Jesus’ role or position as our High Priest. To see this we go to,
Hebrews 8:4-5
[4] For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; [5] who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … Because of Jesus’ earthly lineage is from the Tribe of Judah, He could not be a priest. This is because when God gave Moses the Moral and Ceremonial Law, He said that the earthly priests were to come from the tribe of Levi. Hence, Jesus is the High Priest of a new and better covenant.
5a … When Jesus entered the city Jerusalem, the Temple still standing there was a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.
Let us now move on to some of the specific aspects of the Temple.
First of all there were,
TWO MAJOR SECTIONS OR PARTITIONS OF THE TEMPLE
These two major partitions or sections were: (1) the outer court and (2) the tabernacle or sanctuary.
To help us receive a clearer picture of the Old Testament Temple let us now review a description of the two major sections. To do this we will use the descriptions God gave to Moses for the construction of the first Temple.
(Before we do this it is noted that it is not the purpose of this chapter to cover the spiritual significance for the two major sections of the Temple and their associated furnishings. The spiritual aspect of these partitions and furnishings is the subject of chapter 15 in the studies titled;” Old Testament Foreshadowings.”)
With this in mind let us begin with,
The Outer Court or Courtyard
This portion of the Temple or Temple area that surrounded the Tabernacle was 100 cubits in length and fifty cubits wide (Exodus 27:18).
In the Old Testament days, a cubit was the distance from a person's elbow to the tip of their middle finger7. In determining distances for today’s measurement units, it is generally accepted that one cubit equates to eighteen inches8. Thus, the length of the courtyard was approximately 150 feet, and its width was approximately 75 feet.
It was in the courtyard, in front of the entrance to the Tabernacle itself, where the Brazen Altar was placed. This was the altar upon which the animal sacrifices were burned. Thus, it was also called the Altar of Burnt Offering. To see this let us read from,
Exodus 40:29
[29] “He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the LORD commanded him."
This was the area or portion of the Temple where the people would come to offer their animal sacrifices to God. After the offering was slaughtered the priest would then: (1) Offer the blood of the animal by sprinkling some of it on the corners of the altar. And (2) Portions of the animal’s carcass would be burned on top of the altar.
It was through these offerings the people would pray, make confession of their sins, worship, and praise God (For a more detailed description of these activities please go to the collection of Bible studies titled; “Old Testament Foreshadowings.”
Between the brazen altar and the entrance to the Tabernacle, which was the dwelling place of God’s Presence, was the Bronze Basin or Laver. Since the Basin was filled with water, during the days of King Solomon, it was called the Sea. It was with the water from the Basin that the priests washed their hands and feet before they ministered at the Altar of Burnt Offering or go inside the Tabernacle. This is described for us in,
Exodus 30:17-21
[17] “Then the LORD said to Moses, [18] "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. [19] Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. [20] Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the LORD by fire, [21] they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.""
Note that only the priests were allowed to enter into the Tabernacle.
Let us now proceed to review the design and construction of,
The First Tabernacle, Tent of Meeting or Sanctuary, which means dwelling place
The original Tabernacle consisted of three walls made of forty-eight boards that were overlaid with gold. The width of each board was one-and -one half cubits. Twenty boards, standing upright, were used for each length. The remaining eight boards were used for the width of the back wall. Thus, the Tabernacle that Moses built was approximately 45 feet long and 18 feet wide. A description of this construction is provided to us in Exodus 26:15-29.
The roof of the Tabernacle was made with four coverings: (1) badger skin, (2) ram skin, (3) goat hair and (4) linen. A description of this roof is provided for us in Exodus 26:1-14.
The entrance to the Tabernacle was made from woven yarn and linen thread. This screen was supported by five pillars that were overlaid with gold. A description of this entrance way is provided in Exodus 26:36-37.
Inside the Tabernacle structure was divided into two sections. These sections were separated by a veil or curtain woven from yarn and linen thread. One section was called the Holy Place and the other section was identified as the Holiest of Holies or the Most Holy Place. To see this let us read from,
Exodus 26:31-33
[31] “Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. [32] Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. [33] Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place."
Let us now see what furnishings were placed within them.
To do this we begin with,
The Holy Place
The Holy Place contained three major items. One of the items placed in the Holy Place was called the Table of Show Bread. This is sometimes translated to be the Table of the Bread of the Presence. A description of this table is found in Exodus 25:23-30.
In Exodus 25:30 we are told that the Bread of the Presence was to be placed upon this table. The Bread of Presence was actually twelve loaves of bread. To ensure freshness, on each Sabbath, the priests replaced the old loaves with twelve new ones. To see this let us read from,
Leviticus 24:5-8
[5] “Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. [6] Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. [7] Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the LORD by fire. [8] This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant."
The second item placed in the Holy Place was the Lamp Stand or Candlestick. The Lamp Stand was designed and constructed to hold seven lamps. A description of this fixture can be found in Exodus 25:31-40. As one reads Exodus 25:40 we are again reminded that the Temple, along with its furnishings, were designed by God. To see this let us read what God said to Moses when He gave him the instructions for the design and construction of the lampstand. To do this we go to,
Exodus 25:40
[40] And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.
The Lamp Stand along with its lamps was placed in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. One of the functions of the priests was to insure that throughout the evening the lamps were continuously lit. To see this let us read from,
Exodus 27:20-21
[20] “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. [21] In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come."
The last major fixture to be placed within the Holy Place was the Altar of Incense. A description for it can be found in Exodus 30:1-6.
Every morning and evening the priest was to burn incense upon this altar. This was done so that the sweet aroma of the incense was continually present before God. To see this let us read from,
Exodus 30:7-8
[7] “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. [8] He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come."
The section behind the curtain or veil within the Tabernacle was,
The Holiest of Holies or Most Holy Place
This was where the Ark of the Testimony, sometimes identified as the Ark of the Covenant, was placed (Exodus 26:34).
The reason this portion of the Tabernacle was called the Most Holy Place was because this is where God's Presence or Glory resided. More specifically, in the Old Testament days, the Presence of God resided between the two cherubim that were on top of the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:4).
To make atonement for the people of Israel, once a year the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holiest of Holies (Leviticus 17:29-34).
With this in mind we can now see that,
THE TABERNACLE WAS THE HOUSE OF GOD
In other words, in the Old Testament days, God's presence resided in the Tabernacle, which was part of the Temple area. To see this a bit more clearly let us read what happened after the Israelites completed the construction of the first Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting. This event is recorded for us in,
Exodus 40:33-35
[33] “Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. [34] Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [35] Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."
In addition, the Bible also teaches us that after King Solomon built the second Temple, God filled the structure with His presence. To see this, let us read what happened after the Temple was completed and all its furnishings were placed in their proper place. It is recorded in,
1 Kings 8:10-11
[10] “When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. [11] And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.
SUMMARY
With all this background in mind one can begin to realize how sacred and holy the Temple area must have been. One can also begin to realize that with God’s Presence residing within it, the whole Temple area must be treated with the utmost respect and reverence.
With these thoughts in mind, let us now explore,
JESUS’ CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE
To read what Jesus did when He entered the Temple, we go to,
John 2:13-17
[13] Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [14] And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. [15] When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. [16] And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” [17] Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
To better understand Jesus’ anger and what motivated Him to react so violently towards the merchant’s activity let us first address,
THE MONEY CHANGERS
Before we look into what was going on at the time Jesus entered the Temple it would be helpful to review the following,
Background of the Temple tax
In the Old Testament we find that a Temple tax was imposed by the Lord for the Israelites to: (1) make atonement for taking a census of the people and (2) to use the monies for the service of the Temple. To see this let us read about the required tax to be paid during a census. To do this we go to,
Exodus 20:11-16
[11] Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: [12] “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. [13] This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. [14] Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord. [15] The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves. [16] And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”
Let us notice the following verses,
13-14 … For those who were 20 years old or older, a silver half-shekel was to be given, which is approximately $64 in 1983 United States currency9.
15 … This tax was a fixed amount of money for both the rich and poor.
16 … The money was to be used for the service of the Temple or as identified during the time of Moses, the Tabernacle of Meeting.
This Temple tax remained in force throughout Israel’s history. This also included the time of Jesus’ sojourn upon this earth.
With this in mind let us now explore what was going on with respect to,
The Temple Tax activity within the Temple
According to the book titled; Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim10 it was the custom of the Jews to pay the Temple Tax during the time when they came to Jerusalem for the celebration of the mandatory feasts. Since many of these visitors came from various countries, see Acts 3:5-11, it was mandatory for them to exchange their foreign money for the required one half-shekel per person to pay the Temple Tax. This money exchange spawned a very profitable business, which by the way was sponsored by the High Priest and his sons. To perform this money exchange the money changers charged a fixed rate of a Maah, which was approximately $32 for every silver half shekel. As noted earlier, the silver half shekel was worth approximately $64 in 1983 United States Currency9. Thus, the money changers were making an approximate 50% profit for the transfer of each one-half silver shekel.
Let us now move on to the issue of,
THOSE WHO SOLD SACRIFICAL ANIMALS
As we did with the money changers let us begin this portion with the,
Background of the sacrificial animals
A major element of the ceremonial law was the sacrificial system, see Leviticus 1:1-7:38. These animal sacrifices were used for sin offerings, whole burnt offerings, peace offerings, etc. Depending upon the particular type of offering, its purpose and its circumstances various types of animals, such as sheep, oxen, goats and/or doves were to be sacrificed. The one stipulation within the ceremonial law was the animal to be sacrificed had to be in perfect or unblemished condition. For an example let us read from,
Leviticus 1:3
[3] If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord.
There was also a provision within the ceremonial law that if the worshipper lived too far from Jerusalem to bring his sacrifice or if he did not have one, he could purchase their offering in Jerusalem. To see an example of this provision, let us read about the tithe as recorded in,
Deuteronomy 14:24-26
[24] But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, [25] then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. [26] And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
With this background let us now explore,
The activity with respect to the sacrificial animals within the Temple
According to the book titled; Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim10 this law and custom also spawned another profitable industry. This industry was also sponsored that by the High Priest and his sons. The core or key focus of this industry was to raise and sell to the worshipper unblemished animals. These animals were inspected and certified for their acceptability to be an offering to God. Naturally, these animals were sold at inflated prices.
To ensure the acceptability of animals raised and brought by the worshipper for their sacrificial offering, it was mandatory for trained inspectors to certify that their home raised animals met the unblemished requirements. If rejected, the worshipper had to purchase a certified unblemished animal as a substitute. Naturally, these inspectors were paid a fee for their service.
SUMMARY
This activity of the money changers and those who inspected and sold certified sacrificial animals occurred within the outer court of the Temple. Thus, given the historical background, purpose, design and holiness of the Temple one can easily see how the priests desecrated the Temple with their merchandizing and profiteering.
Consequently, to be able to offer their sacrifices and in essence worship and pray to God, the worshipper had to pay a fee. As we covered above this fee was for the animal certification and/or the exchange of foreign money.
As Jesus saw these activities one could understand how holy anger must have risen within Him and moved Him to rid the Temple of all this irreverent behavior. To get a glimpse of how Jesus must have felt let us read the rebuke He gave as recorded in,
Matthew 21:13
[13] And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
To read what happened after Jesus cleansed the Temple, we first go to the,
THE NEAR TERM AFTERMATH
We begin with the activities Jesus did for,
THOSE WHO WERE TRULY SEEKING GOD
These people were those who came to the Temple to pray, worship, offer their sacrifices, and seek His help.
First of all, we find that Jesus healed the blind and lame. To see this let us continue our reading from Matthew and read from,
Matthew 21:14
[14] Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Secondly, Jesus constantly taught the people about God’s Kingdom. To see this let us read from,
Luke 19:47a
[47a] And He was teaching daily in the temple. …
As a result, we find that the people praised Him. This is recorded in,
Matthew 21:15-16
[15] But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant [16] and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,
‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”
Let us now address the activity of,
THOSE WHO WERE ABUSING THEIR AUTHORITY FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT
These people saw Jesus as a threat to their power, authority, and a source of income. Consequently, they sought how they could destroy Jesus.
Mark 11:18-19
[18] And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.
This brings us to,
THE LONG TERM AFTERMATH
After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God the Father fulfilled His promise to extend to all man-kind a new covenant. To see this we go to,
Hebrews 8:7-13
[7] For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8] Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— [9] not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. [10] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [11] None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. [12] For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” [13] In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
To make this clear, in 70 AD, approximately 40 years after Jesus ascended back into Heaven, God sent the Roman army under the leadership of General Titus to destroy the Temple. Today Herod’s temple still lies in ruin.
Before we close this study, let us review just,
THREE OF THE MANY BLESSINGS OF THE NEW COVENANT
1. There is no longer a physical structure where the children of God are required to go to worship and praise Him.
To see Jesus foretold this would happen, let us read the following excerpt of His conversation with a Samaritan woman.
John 4:19-24
[19] The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” [21] Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. [24] God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
2. God no longer resides in a physical building. Instead He, the Holy Spirit, lives within the born-again believer. In other words, we are a temple of God.
1 Corinthians 3:16
[16] Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
3. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between us and God the Father.
1 Timothy 2:5
[5] For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.
Shall We Pray?