This section comes from the book:  King Messiah in His Holy Temple co-authored by John McTernan.  If you would like to order a copy, send a check for $15.00 to Branch of David, P. O. Box 444, Liverpool, PA  17045

“This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.” Ezekiel 43:12

   In chapters 40-42, great detail is given to the dimensions of the temple, the walls surrounding it and the entrance gates to it. The exact dimensions are given with great detail. The temple complex will be a huge square with the outside walls measuring approximately 900 feet on each side. Parts of this temple complex are 100 to 120 feet high. Even the designs on the paneling of the inside of the temple are given. The temple will be engraved with palm trees and cherubims.

   Great detail is also given to describe the altar of sacrifice and the feasts which will be performed during this time. God tells Ezekiel to show Israel the form of the house and everything connected with it. Ezekiel was to write what he saw as the LAW, and this is called the law of the house. What Ezekiel wrote will be the law under King Messiah. This is the law of the temple, and it will be observed under King Messiah. If Ezekiel did not mention an item, then it was not there.

   What Ezekiel witnessed he wrote as he was directed by God Himself. King Messiah is holy, and the temple structure and laws all reflect God’s holiness. At that time, Jerusalem will be called God’s holy mountain.

   The scriptures to show that everything involving the temple will be holy follow:

Ezekiel 43:12 “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.”

Isaiah 66:20 “And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

Obadiah 1:17 “But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.”

Zechariah 8:3 “Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.”

   This law will supersede the law of Moses. It is vastly different than the ordinances under Moses. The Messiah’s house will be vastly different than previous temples or the tabernacle in the wilderness. All this is because King Messiah will reign under the New Covenant and not the covenant at Sinai.

   The scriptures to show that what Ezekiel wrote is the law of the temple and will be the law under King Messiah follow:

Ezekiel 40:4 “And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall show thee; for to the intent that I might show them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.”

Ezekiel 43:11 “...show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.”

Ezekiel 43:12 “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.”

Ezekiel 44:5 “And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.”

King Messiah will teach this law from the temple

   When the Lord Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom, all the nations of the earth will come to Jerusalem to worship Him and be taught the law of God. All the people will flow into Jerusalem to be taught the law. According to Ezekiel, the law that will be taught will be the law of the temple. The entire structure of the temple, plus the feasts and ordinances all have spiritual meaning and this will be the law that is taught. This law teaches God’s holiness.

   The law of the temple will have a direct relationship to the New Covenant. Under the New Covenant, the law of the temple will be known in the earth as the waters cover the sea. It is King Messiah who will teach this law and explain all the meanings of His magnificent temple and the ordinances of it. He will teach how all the ordinances show His work on the cross for the redemption of man from sin. The temple and everything associated with it will be an object lesson. All this will show the holiness of God. The scriptures to show this follow:

All the nations to flow into Jerusalem to be taught by King Messiah the law

Isaiah 2:2 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (3) And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 11:1 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (2) And 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; (3) And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD...

(4) But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

(9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

The full knowledge of the LORD will be under the New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt...

(33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

What is Absent from the Messiah’s House is Very Important

   Ezekiel was told to write about the temple and the fashion or the equipage of it. He wrote exactly what he saw of the temple and what it contained. The huge magnificent temple contained the throne of King Messiah and a small table. Outside the temple, he saw a large altar for sacrifice. The two pieces of equipment were a small table before the throne and the altar.

   Ezekiel was told by Almighty God to write what he saw and this was the law of the temple. If Ezekiel did not report it, then the item of the temple or the feast was not there. Ezekiel wrote what God showed him would be in the Messiah’s house.

Ezekiel 43:11 “...show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. (12) This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.”

   The fact that Ezekiel failed to record any additional items in the temple is of great importance. The Tabernacle in the Wilderness and Solomon’s temple all had equipment which will be absent from King Messiah’s house. Ezekiel’s temple had the throne of God which was not in the previous temples. A list of the major missing items follows: Menorah, Table of Shewbread, Altar of incense, Veil that hid the most holy place, Laver of Brass, Ark of the Covenant and the office of Aaronic high priest.

   A comparison of the previous temples with King Messiah’s shows that the items missing are not needed because they were replaced by the presence of King Messiah. The missing items were all types or representations of what King Messiah was and His ministry. With the physical presence of King Messiah in His house, there will be no longer any need for these items, including the high priest.

   Before examining these items, it is important to understand the layout of the temples. The first temple was called the tabernacle in the wilderness. It will be referred to as the tabernacle. The design and fixtures in it were given to Moses by God. The temples built in Jerusalem followed this design. They all had a main rectangular edifice which had two sections within it; the holy place and the most holy place. King Messiah’s temple will retain the general physical layout of the holy place and the most holy place together in one edifice.

   The holy place contained the menorah, table of Shewbread and the altar of incense. The most holy place was separated by a veil and had the Ark of the Covenant in it. The high priest could only go in the most holy place once a year on the Day of Atonement. Just outside the entrance to the temple was the altar of sacrifice and the laver of brass.

   An examination of each of these missing items shows they were fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. Let’s examine each item to show how Jesus of Nazareth, King Messiah fulfilled each of these items:

Ark of the Covenant

   The most important item in the tabernacle was the Ark. The Ark was box shaped about four feet by two feet by two feet in size. It was made of wood overlaid with gold. The Ark was located in the most holy place behind the veil. This veil separated the most holy place from the rest of the temple. Placed in the Ark were the stones which the 10 Commandments were written on, a pot of manna and Aaron’s rod that budded. The Ark had a solid gold cover which also had two gold cherubim with their wings spread. Cherubim are angelic beings that are always near the throne of God.

   The top of the cover was called the Mercy Seat. Once every year the high priest would sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat to atone for sin. God’s presence literally hovered just over the Mercy Seat and between the two cherubim.

Exodus 25:22 “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the Ark of the Testimony”

   The prophet Jeremiah ties together the Ark and the throne of God. Jeremiah said the day would come when the Ark would no longer be remembered because Jerusalem would become the throne of God. This would happen under the reign of King Messiah when all the nations would come to Jerusalem to worship and man’s heart would be free of evil. Theses scriptures follow:

Jeremiah 3:16 “And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. (17) At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.”

   When King Messiah is reigning there will be no Ark. The Ark is not mentioned in the temple. It has been replaced by the throne of God just as Jeremiah 3;16,17 stated it would be. In the most holy place where the Ark used to be located will be the throne of God. When the Lord Jesus is reigning, it will be from His throne in the most holy place of the temple. Just as Jeremiah stated, there will be no more Ark, the Ark will not be mentioned nor will it be thought of. Why think of the Ark, when the God of Israel in His glory is sitting on the throne!

   The Ark was the type or shadow, but the throne is the reality. This is a very important concept which Jeremiah 3:16,17 is showing. The Ark was only a type of God seated on His throne. When God is actually seated on the throne, there is no need for the Ark. This concept of a piece of the temple equipment being a type is very important when examining the furnishings of the LORD’s house.

   The following scriptures show the throne has replaced the Ark:

Ezekiel 43:5 “So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. (6) And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. (7) And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile,...”

   God’s presence hovered over the Ark, but His fullness in His glory will be on the throne in His house. The Ark contained the 10 Commandments, the pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod. The Commandments represent the word of God; the manna is God’s supernatural life from heaven; and Aaron’s rod represents resurrection from the dead.

   All three being housed in the Ark point directly to King Messiah. When King Messiah is seated on His throne, He is the word of God. He is our supernatural life from heaven. He is the resurrection and the life.

King Messiah is the word of God in the flesh

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

King Messiah is manna from heaven

John 6:49 “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. (50) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

(51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

King Messiah is the resurrection and the life

John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Veil of Separation

   In the previous temples and the tabernacle, between the holy place in the temple and the most holy place was a veil. No one could look directly into the holy place where the Ark of the Covenant was located. The high priest would go through the veil into the most holy place once a year to atone for the sin of the people. Now through the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, man is no longer separated from the holy God of Israel. There is absolutely no need for a veil in King Messiah’s house to separate Him from His people.

Exodus 26:33 “And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”

Matthew 27:50 “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

Hebrews 10:19 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”

Menorah or Candlestick

   In the holy place of the tabernacle and the previous temples was the pure, golden menorah to give light. The glory of the Messiah is going to light His house. There will be no need for a menorah. Of far greater importance than lighting the temple is King Messiah being the light of the world. In the presence of King Messiah, there will be no spiritual darkness. The menorah only pointed to the Messiah being the light of the world. The following scriptures show this:

Exodus 25:31 “And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made...(37) And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.”

John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Isaiah 2:4 “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (5) O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.”

Table of Shewbread

   In the holy place was a golden table with 12 loaves of unleavened bread placed on it. Bread is the staple of physical life. King Messiah is the sustainer of both physical and spiritual life. With the presence of King Messiah, there is no need for a Table of Shewbread. He is the bread of life.

Exodus 25:23 “Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. (30) And thou shalt set upon the table Shewbread before me alway.”

John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Altar of Incense

   This altar was in the holy place just before the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place. It was used on the Day of Atonement as part of the ceremony to atone for sin. With the presence of King Messiah and being under the New Covenant, it is no longer needed.

Leviticus 16:12 “And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil: (13) And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not”

Hebrews 9:11 “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Laver of Brass

   Between the altar of sacrifice and the entrance to the tabernacle was the laver of brass. The laver was a round and deep, bath like object. The priests would cleanse themselves in it before entering into the tabernacle. The washing of the body before ministering before the holy God of Israel was a picture of being spiritually clean. Through the words of King Messiah, there is no longer a need for the laver. Sinners become clean through His word and shed blood. The scriptures to show this follow:

Exodus 30:18 “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.”

John 15:3 “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”

Hebrews 10:21 “And having an high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Zechariah 13:1 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”

   Israel will have been sprinkled clean at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. The sprinkling to cleanse Israel at the coming of the Messiah is very similar to the washing of water in the laver before coming into the presence of the LORD in the tabernacle.

   The sprinkling of water is a picture of being made clean by the work of the Holy Spirit within a person’s heart. It is the cleansing of the heart from sin that makes a person clean before God. The washing with water in the laver is a picture of being cleansed by the word and Spirit of God under King Messiah.

   The idea of the laver of brass will be fulfilled at the second coming of King Messiah when Israel will be made clean. There will be no need for the laver in King Messiah’s house. Israel will be clean and holy before Him. The scriptures from Ezekiel follow:

Ezekiel 36:24 “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. (25) Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. (26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

Office of the High Priest

   God told Ezekiel to write what he witnessed and this would be the law of the temple. Ezekiel wrote about the priests ministering to the LORD. He even described their dress, but there was no mention of the high priest. With great detail, He mentions the priests ministering before the Lord and a description of their garments. The priests are given instructions on how to dress when they minister before King Messiah.

   The high priest normally wore beautifully colored garments with a breastplate and a mitre (turban) with a gold crown. On the Day of Atonement, he took off the beautiful garments and wore simple garments when he went into the holy place. The garments the high priest wore on this day were called holy garments. This is the type of garments the priests will wear before King Messiah, holy garments. The high priest or his special garments are never mentioned by Ezekiel. The scriptures to show this connection follow:

Leviticus 16:4 “He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.”

Ezekiel 44:17 “And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. (18) They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.”

   When King Messiah is reigning there is no need for an Aaronic high priest. He is the eternal high priest. His eternal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek replaces the Aaronic high priest. There is no veil blocking the throne and no need for the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat. There is no Ark, but in the Messiah’s house there is a throne. The one who shed His blood to redeem mankind is sitting on the throne; therefore, He is now the eternal High Priest. The Levitical priesthood will be under the Melchizedek high priest in the temple.

   Because there has been a change in the priesthood from Aaron to King Messiah, there also has to be a change in the law. The Melchizedek priesthood is under the New Covenant and not the law of Moses. The scriptures to show this follow:

Hebrews 7:11 ‘If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? (12) For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

(15) “And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, (16) Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

(22) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

The One Item that Remains Under the law of the temple:  the Altar of Sacrifice

   The one item that carried over from the tabernacle is the altar of sacrifice. This altar is described in great detail along with the sacrifices that are going to be offered on it. The altar will be directly in front of the entrance to the temple. King Messiah sitting on His throne will be able to watch the ceremony on the altar. The priest offering the sacrifice will walk up the steps of the altar and face directly into the temple. He can look through and see the Messiah sitting on his throne as he is conducting the ritual.

   This altar is unique. The Hebrew word, ari'ey (Strong’s 741) is found only three times and is translated altar all three times in Ezekiel 43. The strange thing is the only time this word is used in the Bible, it is used where it has to be translated as altar. The context of this verse requires that it be translated as altar. The usual word translated altar is the Hebrew word, mizbeach (Strong’s 4196).

   The scriptures showing the use of the Hebrew word ari’ey for altar follow:

“So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns. And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof. Ezekiel 43:15,16

   The reason this is so important is the Hebrew word, ari’ey, has the same root as the Hebrew word for lion. The Hebrew word for lion is, ariy (Strong’s 738). The tribe of Judah is referred to as a lion, and the King Messiah is coming through the line of Judah! He is identified in the Bible as the Lion of Judah. King Messiah, the Lion of Judah, will be looking at the rituals of the sacrifices on the altar called ari’ey! What a beautiful spiritual picture of the priest offering a sacrifice on “ari’ey” and then looking at “ariy” sitting on His throne. The scriptures showing the Messiah is from the line of Judah follow:

Genesis 49:9 “Judah is a lion's (ariy) whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion (ariy), and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? (10) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

Revelation 5:5 “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”

   Under the New Covenant, God will remember sin no more; therefore, the offering made on this altar will be for memorials to what King Messiah did on the cross. He will teach the full spiritual meaning of the altar and the sacrifices. The nations will flow to Jerusalem to be taught the law of the temple by the Son of God sitting on His throne! He will teach how all of the tabernacle pointed to His coming and the law of the temple to what He did. He will teach how everything about the temple is holy.

Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Hebrews 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Micah 4:2 “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”