Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

The Millennial Temple and the Golden Age to Come

by John D. Keyser

The Bible plainly teaches what every preacher across this land should already know: the Law was given to the Israelites, it belonged to them, and they were under its requirements. It not ONLY was given to the Israelites as their possession, it was given exclusively to Israelites as their possession. This exclusiveness is made clear in the following passage:

"He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments ["laws," Moffatt translation], to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation; and as for His judgments ["commands," Moffatt translation], they have not known them. Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 147:19-20, NJKV).

Ezekiel 36 and 37 in the Old Testament speak of the day when YEHOVAH God will bring His people Israel back to their land (36:24; 37:1-12). He reassured them that they will turn to the LORD then and that He will put His spirit within them.

Regarding a future Temple, YEHOVAH promised in 37:26, 28, "I will...set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore," and "my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore."

A sacrificial system will be reinstituted, somewhat similar to that of the Old Testament, but with some changes. Notice Isaiah 56:

"Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to be His servants, and to bless the LORD's name and observing the Sabbath without profaning it, and who hold fast My covenant: these I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will rise up to be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the LORD God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel: I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered" (Isaiah 56:6-8, The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible).

Then, in Zechariah 2:11 we read:

"And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you."

Since atonement cleansing was necessary in the Old Testament (see Leviticus) because YEHOVAH's Shekinah Glory was residing in the midst of a sinful and unclean people, similarly the return of YEHOVAH God's Shekinah Glory to the Millennial Temple will require atonement cleansing for those non-Israelite people who survive through to the Millennial Age. Animal sacrifices during this time will serve primarily to remove ceremonial uncleanness (providing ritual cleansing of the priests, sanctuary, and utensils) and prevent defilement from polluting the Millennial Temple and environs.

The Old Testament sacrifices did not save; rather, they looked forward and pointed to the atoning work of the Messiah. The millennial sacrifices will provide ritual cleansing for the non-Israelite people approaching the Temple confines. We must remember that the Old Testament sacrificial laws, as given by YEHOVAH God to Moses, were NEVER associated with salvation. That is, the priests of Israel did not perform sacrifices so that they, or the people, could attain eternal salvation. They were done to atone for sins, temporarily, until the next set of sins were committed.

Israel -- and Israel ONLY -- was given the Law and the promises pertaining to redemption; the rest of the nations of the earth are obviously NOT under the Law and, consequently, have not sinned since sin is defined as the breaking of the Law! The Messiah was chosen and anointed by YEHOVAH God to be "the once and for all" sacrifice for the people of Israel ONLY -- and not the other nations!

Notice, now, the following verses --

"Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a servant, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we [of Israel] might receive the adoption as sons [of YEHOVAH God]" (Galatians 4:1-5, NKJV).

Notice that it says nothing about redeeming those who were not under the Law! Why not? Why would YEHOVAH God not want to redeem non-Israelites as well? Simply put, He could not! He could purchase them, but He could not redeem them. The reason is simple when one understands that the word "redeem" means to "buy back." Only people who had once been the possession of YEHOVAH God could be bought back or redeemed. Which people had previously been YEHOVAH's possession?

"Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5-6, Tanakh).

"For you [Israel, see Deuteronomy 6:4] are people consecrated to the LORD your God: of all the peoples on earth the LORD God chose you to be His treasured people" (Deuteronomy 7:6, Tanakh).

It is quite clear. ONLY Israelites had been the "possession" of YEHOVAH God, and ONLY Israelites, who had subsequently been divorced and rejected by YEHOVAH, could be bought back or redeemed by YEHOVAH God through the death of the Messiah. Both Old and New Testaments attest to the accuracy of these statements:

"The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the LORD" (Isaiah 59:20, NKJV).

"Blessed be Jehovah [YEHOVAH] the God of Israel, because He has turned His attention and performed deliverance toward His people" (Luke 1:68, The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).

"But we [the two on the road to Emmaus with the Messiah after his resurrection] were hoping that it was he [the Messiah] who was going to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21, NKJV).

The Temple and Confines

The Millennial Temple will be built in Jerusalem over the Gihon Spring in the City of David where the previous Temples were located, however it will be much larger than any of its predecessors.

A unique feature of the Millennial Temple will be a river flowing out from the Gihon Spring under the Temple threshold toward the east. The waters will divide, with one half going toward the Dead Sea and the other half toward the Mediterranean Sea (Zechariah 14:8). The waters will gradually deepen and bring life in the form of trees, fish, etc. This life-giving water will be a constant reminder to the Israelite people of the presence of YEHOVAH God and His blessings.

The land of Israel will be enlarged to encompass Tyre and Sidon on the Mediterranean, Damascus to the north and east, and spread down to the sea Galilee, past the Dead Sea, swing around to the Wadi of Egypt, and back to the Mediterranean. This is to accommodate all the Israelites gathered in from around the world.

Each tribe of Israel will be given a portion of land. Seven tribes will be situated to the north, while a central section will be allotted to the priests, the Levites, the city of Jerusalem, and farm and pasture land. The southern portion of the land will be given to the remaining five tribes. All segments will stretch from the Mediterranean to the eastern border of the land.

We find recorded in Zechariah 2 where YEHOVAH God says:

"Sing, Jerusalem, and rejoice! For I have come to live [shakan] among you, says the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH]. At that time [of the end] many nations will be converted to the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH], and they too shall be my people; I will live [shakan] among them all. Then you will know it was the LORD of Hosts [YEHOVAH, YHVH] who sent me to you....Be silent, all mankind before the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH]; For He (in the form of the 'Shekinah) has come to Earth from Heaven, from His holy home (10-13)."

The Golden Age to come, which Zechariah said was to follow the return of the "Shekinah" at the end of the age, describes the city and surrounding areas as being at peace in an age when people can grow old in a secure environment. To those who lived in Jerusalem, in the hearing of Zechariah, that would seem like a miracle -- so great was the desolation of the place. But of the conditions that would follow the RETURN of the "Shekinah" to the Temple at the end of the age Zechariah records:

"Thus said the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH]: I have returned to Zion, and will dwell [shakan] in Jerusalem....Thus said the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] of hosts: There shall yet be old men and women in the squares of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of their great age. And the squares of the city shall be crowded with boys and girls playing in the squares. Thus said the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] of Hosts: Though it would seem impossible to the remnant of this people IN THOSE DAYS, shall it also be impossible to Me? -- declares the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] of Hosts" (Zechariah 8:4-6).

The "Branch"

The Millennial Temple that YEHOVAH God is returning to is to be built and engineered by Yeshua the Messiah! Notice:

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From his place he shall branch out, and he shall build the Temple of the LORD [YEHOVAH]; yes, he shall build the Temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne, so he shall be a PRIEST on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both [YEHOVAH God and the Messiah]" (Zechariah 6:12-- 13, NKJV).

Who is this "Branch" that Zechariah refers to here? In Jeremiah 23:5-6 we read the following:

"Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is his name by which he will be called: the Lord our righteousness."

Clearly, this refers to the coming reign of the Messiah over Israel here on this earth!

Isaiah records the same time in chapter 11. "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a BRANCH shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (verses 1-2)."

Once again, as during Solomon's Temple and Herod's Temple, the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH God will be present in the Millennial Temple! Here is what the Bible records of the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH God in Solomon's Temple after it was dedicated:

"The fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the Glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house" (2 Chronicles 7:1, 2).

The Kingdom of YEHOVAH God can only be established when the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH God fills the Holy Place in the Millennial Temple. The Millennium will witness the reception of the Messiah by the nation of Israel (Revelation 10), and it will also witness the return of the Shekinah Glory to the Holy of Holies to rule over the entire earth!

Vast Differences

Although there are many similarities to Solomon's Temple, there are also vast differences in the Millennial Temple. For example, there is no reference to, or need for the Ark of the Covenant, for the True Ark will be in their midst! However, while the Ark itself will no longer be needed, the Bible indicates that the Mercy Seat that sat atop the Ark will be returned to the Millennial Temple from its hiding place in Ethiopia. (For more information read our article The Mystery of the Ethiopian Eunuch!). The same holds true for the High Priest, for the Messiah himself will hold this esteemed office!

The regenerated nation of Israel will be a priestly nation, administering to the needs of the surrounding nations.

Millennial Israel will have at its center the Temple, housing YEHOVAH's Shekinah Glory and the throne of the Messiah who will be king over Israel. Sacrifices will continually be done in this Temple for those non-Israelites that "go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts [YEHOVAH God] , and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16) during the Kingdom Age. It will have some similarities to the Mosaic system and also some new features, but it should not be mistaken for a reinstitution of the Mosaic law system since the Old Testament system did NOT take away sin from Israel -- the Messiah's "sacrifice for all time" did.

Sacrifices to Resume for Non-Israelites!

Now that we have seen that Israel -- and Israel ONLY -- was given the Law and the promises pertaining to redemption, then the rest of the nations of the earth are obviously NOT under the Law and, consequently, have not sinned since sin is defined as the breaking of the Law! The Messiah was chosen and anointed by YEHOVAH God to be "the once and for all" sacrifice for the people of Israel ONLY -- and not the other nations!

So we have to ask, What about those non-Israel people? What does Scripture say about these? It is safe to say that the Bible says very little. There is, however, a chapter in the Book of Isaiah that deals with this very question -- notice!

"For thus says the LORD: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon My salvation will come, and soon My deliverance will be revealed. Blessed is the one who does this, and the person that holds fast, who observes the Sabbath without profaning it, and restrains his hands from doing any evil. Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, 'The LORD will surely exclude me from His people'; and let no eunuch say, 'I am just a dry tree.' For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who observe My Sabbaths, and who choose the things that please Me and hold fast My covenant: to them I will give in My house and within My walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off" (Isaiah 56:1-5, The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible).

It is, however, important to notice what is NOT said here -- no offer of salvation and eternal life! An everlasting name is promised, as well as joy in YEHOVAH's house of prayer. The very fact that foreigners (non-Israelites) will be offering burnt offerings and sacrifices on YEHOVAH's altar indicates that they are not under the Law. They were not given the Commandments, Statutes and Judgments that were given to Israel. Because they did not have the Law of Moses to break, why should they need redeeming from the curse of that broken Law? Throughout Scripture, redemption is spoken of only in regard to Israel. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" refers only to the "all" within those to whom the Law was given (Romans 3:19).

We must remember that the Old Testament sacrificial laws, as given by YEHOVAH God to Moses, were NEVER associated with salvation. That is, the priests of Israel did not perform sacrifices so that they, or the people, could attain eternal salvation -- they were done to atone for sins, temporarily, until the next set of sins were committed.

The Role of Non-Israelites in the Millennium

At first glance the passages in Isaiah tend to confirm that foreigners will become one with Israel as one people, that YEHOVAH's blessing upon Israel will overflow to other races. While it is true that foreigners are blessed in their being joined to Israel, it is the manner in which they will be blessed that most people fail to understand. They will be blessed as becoming "servants and handmaids"! This we clearly see in Isaiah 14:

"For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors" (Isaiah 14:1-2).

Mercy is “on Jacob” and this excludes all the other races. The meaning of foreigners being “joined” to Israel says nothing about mercy to foreigners; “joined” having a different meaning. So, as we read on, many passages confirm that those joining themselves to Israel become “servants and handmaids” to Israelites. “Possess”, as in “shall possess them”, has the meaning of “take possession”. Israel takes “possession” of the foreigners.

The “people”, as a congregation is one unit, comprising of masters and servants, just as the “church in the wilderness” under Moses was, where the “congregation of the LORD” (edah) was comprised of Israelites, together with the “mixed multitude”. In the wilderness the two groups, within the one unit, were treated the same in regard to Law, but were treated differently in Temple service, with only the cahal (Israelites) being able to attend the tabernacle.

We also know from Biblical statements that no one can enter the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God unless they are of Israel. Therefore, it means that people of other races have no eternal life in the Kingdom and if there is no eternal life in the Kingdom, there is no eternal life of any kind available to them. It is not a case of them being “condemned”; it is simply a matter of them having no eternal life.

Unworthy Israelites will die, be resurrected, condemned and have their spirit taken from them (this is the message of the parable of the Ten Talents). Their lifeless bodies will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire. This should be a matter of concern to every individual Israelite. But if someone of another race is to die and never to be resurrected, what does it matter to them once they are dead? There is no awareness in the grave, only corruption of the body. If you go to sleep and do not wake up until lunchtime tomorrow, you will not know what time the sun rose. If you die in your sleep, you will not know you are dead.

Life after death is a mystical vision for most races and involves speculation about a fabulous harem for Arabs on the one hand, through to re-incarnation for the Hindus, on the other. The Bible tells us nothing about the resurrected life other than that we cannot even begin to imagine it. If we care about it, as Israelites, we will strive to attain it and will receive it. If we care not, we will see it momentarily and know absolute remorse, panic and terror as we face oblivion in the Lake of Fire. But once that occurs, we will know nothing and will be the same as any non-Israelite who dies. There is no such thing as Hell and eternal punishment -- only life and oblivion. (Be sure to send for or download our article, What About the Non-Israel Races if Israel is Exclusive?).

These things are not spelt out in black and white in the Bible, but they are the corollaries of what is spelt out for Israel -- and Israel only.

Conclusion

The very presence of YEHOVAH God returning to Jerusalem to reside among his people Israel require that the Israel people be worshipping in a rebuilt Temple in the days ahead. According to Gary Arvidson:

"The texts above concern the prophesied future Temple which will be greater in glory than the former....The Second Temple was so poorly outfitted when compared to the First, that when returning Jews [Judahites] saw it, they cried. Though Herod rebuilt the Second Temple, and made it more grand in size -- it still did not have the full majesty of golden wealth as found in Solomon's Temple.

"In Jewish minds, these are the only two Temples -- even though a number of refurbishings and reconstructions have occurred within these two historical Temple periods. Though Herod's Temple has been designated by some Jewish sources as "the Second Temple rebuilt by Herod," we have not yet witnessed the construction of the prophesied Third Temple. It remains ahead of us" (In Search of: King David's Tomb & Treasure, pp. 127-128).

In order for this to be accomplished, we need a long period of peace in Judea -- when could this be? It would be difficult to imagine a past period of time when this kind of peace existed. However, Haggai 2:6 points us to this time:

"For thus said the LORD of Hosts: In just a little while longer I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land; I will shake all the nations. And the precious things of all the nations shall come [here -- in Jerusalem], and I will fill this House [the Temple] with glory, said the LORD of Hosts. Silver is Mine and gold is Mine -- says the LORD of Hosts. The glory of this latter House [Temple] shall be greater than that of the former one, said the LORD of Hosts; and in this place I will grant prosperity [and peace] -- declares the LORD of Hosts" (Haggai 2:6-9, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures).

Clearly, these texts in the book of Haggai reveal that the new Third Temple in Jerusalem will be one with incredible riches and in a time of durable peace, such as the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God!

Also, in 2 Samuel 6, we read that King David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and placed it in a simple tent next to the Gihon Spring and his palace. Unlike Moses’ Tabernacle or Solomon’s Temple, this structure had no veil, no separation -- only continual worship before YEHOVAH God’s presence. While Moses’ Tabernacle emphasized ritual sacrifices and priestly intercession, David’s Tent was centered on unceasing praise and worship. It was a prophetic picture of the access we now have through the Messiah, our High Priest.

It should be remembered that this simple portable tent of David was the legitimate "Temple" leading up to Solomon's construction of the permanent Temple of wood and stone. Most people have overlooked the fact that David's tent served as the Temple until the permanent Temple was finished and the Ark transferred to it. Since it took seven years to build Solomon's Temple, the people had to have somewhere to worship YEHOVAH God during this time.

Moving forward to the beginning of the Millennium, a similar scenario will take place: In Amos 9:11 the prophet states that the Tent of David will be restored in the last days when the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God is ushered in -- notice!

"That day [the beginning of the Millennium] I [YEHOVAH God] will re-erect the tottering hut [a booth, tent] of David, make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old," (The Jerusalem Bible).

Then, in the New Testament, we read:

"After this I [YEHOVAH God] will return, and I will set up again [as in the time of David] the tabernacle [tent] of David which has fallen down [in disrepair]; and I will repair what has fallen from it, and I will set it up: So that the men who remain [at the beginning of the Millennium] may seek after the LORD, and also all the Gentiles [House of Israel] upon whom my name is called; so said the LORD who does all these things." (Act 15:16-18, Lamsa Bible).

While most commentators interpret these verses to mean that David's dynasty has fallen and is no longer ruling over the modern descendants of Israel, the Bible reveals that the present royal houses of Britain and Europe are indeed descended from David, and still ruling over their people in some cases; so these verses must be referring to the actual, physical tent of David that has fallen into disrepair wherever it has been stored all this time (see In Search of King David's Tomb & Treasure, by Gary Arvidson).

During the time of the construction of the Millennial Temple YEHOVAH's people will also need a place of worship, and it appears that "David's Tent" will once again perform that function.

The animal sacrifices in the Millennial Temple will be tests of obedience for the non-Israelite nations as well as a way of approaching and maintaining fellowship with YEHOVAH God and the Israelites living during the Millennial Age. But it can NEVER offer them eternal life. This can only occur if YEHOVAH God raises up a sin-free non-Israelite to be the "once and for all" sacrifice for the non-Israelite peoples of the earth. The Bible appears to be silent on this issue.

However, we should be aware that the temple of Ezekiel's vision (chapters 40-48) is NOT a reference to the future Temple in Jerusalem during the Millennial Age. For more information, send for or download our article, Misinterpreting Ezekiel's Temple Vision.