Bible Study Seattle

Why did God establish temples?  What is the purpose of a temple?  To have a place to approach God.  And God’s temples always involve sacrifices.  Why?

Many Christians have been misled to believe that ‘we are saved by grace’.  Yes, but it implies that there are no consequences for our sins.  At least not in heaven.  When a believer dies, it’s instant paradise.  Oh, what a deception of Satan!  Satan has many lies that many believe.  The first might be the most effective.  “You won’t die.”  Genesis 3:4  This seemed to be true.  God told Adam & Eve that they would surely die the day they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.  But they didn’t die that day!  So Satan modified his lie: your body will die but your soul is immortal.  Of course they did die that day –  “A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by.”  Psalm 90:4

The next implication of Satan’s lie is that there are no consequences to our sins.  The Israelites had to do bloody, gross sacrifices, but Jesus apparently did away with that practice.  Or did he?  Why is there a temple in heaven?  “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.”  Revelation 11:19

Does this mean there are sacrifices in heaven?  Did Jesus nail the Law to the cross or the offenses of the Law?  And have you ever heard a Christian explain this prophecy, “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.”  Zechariah 14:16

I thought the sacrificial system died at the cross?  No.  How do we explain Ezekiel’s prophecy, “ I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.”  Ezekiel 40:5

Another Temple?  After Jesus died?  How do we explain this?  Why does Peter say, “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;”  1 Peter 4:17   If we are instantly translated to heaven, where is the judgment?  Or can there be judgment in heaven since there are sacrifices in heaven(?)