Journey to the Open Tomb: the Temple that is no More

The Shrine of the Book is a museum in west Jerusalem, dedicated to the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is a fascinating visit for anyone interested in the preservation of God’s Holy Word. Scrolls that were buried for 2000 years emerged from the caves around the Dead Sea, well preserved in sands of time.

The model of the temple that you see in this picture actually stands out in the open air just inside the entrance to the museum. A whole city has been built to scale and appears as Jerusalem would have appeared at the time of Christ. It helps the pilgrim imagine what Jesus saw as He moved toward the Eastern Gate on that Palm Sunday.

Jesus encountered some Greeks who were shut out of the temple but not away from Him. John 12 records them saying “We would see Jesus.” They had come to worship in Jerusalem at Passover but the court of the Gentiles was full of moneychangers and merchandise. Jesus would cleanse the temple of buyers and sellers but it wasn’t appreciated by those in charge.

The temple was divided into sections. There was a court of the Gentiles and a court of women. Then there was the outer court where sacrifices were offered for sin and guilt. The Holy place was separated from the Holy of Holies by a thick veil. Once a year, on The Day of Atonement, the High Priest went into this dark chamber and offered blood for the sins of Israel. Everything was about to change.

On Golgotha (the location is debated), on Friday (the day is also debated), Jesus shed His blood on the cross for the sins of the whole world. All who by faith believe in Him are forgiven. When Jesus died, the veil separating mankind from Holy God was torn from top to bottom. God paid the price for our sins and He tore the veil. You are invited to come to Him. “It is finished!” The whole system of blood sacrifice was no longer necessary.

In 70 AD, the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and burned the temple. The gold of the temple melted and the Roman legion pulled down every stone to retrieve the gold. Not one stone was left standing, just as Jesus said. Today on that Temple Mount stands the Dome Of The Rock. It is the third most holy site for Islam.

That temple area is the most valuable piece of real estate on the planet. It figures greatly in end time prophecy.