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"In the second temple there wanted the fire from heaven, the Ark with the Propitiatory
and the Cherubim, the Urim and Thummim, the Shechinah or tabernacling glory, the
Holy Ghost, and the anointing oil."
"Things are not asked or enquired after now (by Urim and Thummim) by the
high priest, because he does not speak by the Holy Ghost, nor does any divine afflatus
breathe on him."
What the Temple of Zerubbabel, and of Herod lacked, was found in its fullness and
reality in the Lord Jesus. The fire from heaven, which spoke of the acceptance of the
offering, found its fulfillment when heaven was opened and the voice was heard saying:
"This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." The Ark, Propitiatory, and
Cherubim are all included in the fact that Christ was "The Lamb of God". The Urim and
Thummim are found in Him too, and in the Holy Spirit of Whom He said: "He shall lead
you into all truth." We have already explained that the Shechinah glory is referred to in
John 1: 14, and we also read that the Holy Ghost was not given to Him by measure.
Finally, in connection with the anointing oil, we have the advent of the Messiah Himself,
the Christ, the Anointed One.
Here we must stop for the time being. In our next article we shall hope to deal with
the story of Nicodemus.
#18. The Testimony in Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria (2: 13-4: 42).
Jerusalem. The New Birth (2: 24 - 3: 12).
pp. 82 - 90
We have heard the first (A1) of the threefold testimony given in Jerusalem, and for the
sake of clearness we here repeat the headings.
The Testimony in Jerusalem (John 2: 13 - 3: 21).
A1 | THE TEMPLE (2: 13-23). The cleansing. The prophetic sign.
A2 | NEW BIRTH (2: 24 - 3: 12). The Kingdom of God.
A3 | AIONIAN LIFE (3: 13-21). Condemned or saved.
We now take up the second witness (A2) given in Jerusalem, this time "by night".
The structure is simple, and has been set out on page 38. This section commences in the
closing verses of chapter 2:, where the words "He knew what was in man" (John 2: 25)
are followed by "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus", and we do not
read far before we realize how truly "He knew" what was in that man's heart.
Nicodemus is referred to by John on three different occasions.
(1)
When men came by night, as recorded in John 3:
(2)
When he interposed at a meeting of the Pharisees, saying, "Doth our law judge any
man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" (John 8: 51).
(3)
After the death of Christ, when Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
about a hundred-pound weight (John 19: 39).