Reinstituting the Tabernacle Sacrifices in the City of David

Israel’s conducting of the sacrifices as mandated by G-d ceased with the destruction by the Romans of the Temple in 70 A.D. (See https://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/qorbanot.htm). It was and has continued to be believed that it is improper to conduct sacrifices without the Temple.  While perfectly understandable from the perspective of Evangelical Christians, who believe the declaration of John the Baptist that Jesus is “the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)—eliminating the need for sacrifice until the time of the Millennial reign of the Messiah (Revelation 20:4) when the next Temple will accommodate G-d’s program of sacrifice (Ezekiel 40-48), G-d’s mandate for sacrifice is unconditional and does not require a temple.  Accordingly, the Kohanim should immediately reinstitute the sacrifice system in Israel. 

1.      In connection with G-d’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses, He declared: “You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.  If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.” Exodus 20:24-25. The mandate was unconditional, and there is no mention of a temple. 

2.      In Exodus 12:14 we see that G-d instituted the Passover sacrifice—an event that was to be celebrated “as a feast to Y—H; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.” In Exodus 34:25 we see that was to be conducted annually.  Again, this mandate is unconditional, and there is no mention of a temple. 

3.      The Tabernacle sacrifices were instituted later: 

* Exodus 29 – Records the sacrifices associated with the Tabernacle.

* Leviticus 3, 4, 7, 10, 17, 22 – G-d provides details regarding the Tabernacle sacrifices.

* Leviticus 9 – The Tabernacle sacrifices begin--in a tabernacle structure--not a temple.

4.      With regard to the place of the sacrifices, in Deuteronomy 12:5-6 Moses declared, “But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.”  Here again is another unconditional mandate, and notably there is no requirement that the sacrifices be conducted in a temple.  G-d reiterated many times that the sacrifices were to be conducted in the place where He chooses for His Name to dwell.  See Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 12:13-14, 12:17-18, 16:2 and 16:5-6. 

5.      Where is the place that G-d chose? 

a.  Mount Ebal - Deuteronomy 27:2-7 & Joshua 8:31 - Specifically declared 

b.  Shiloh - Jeremiah 7:12 - Where Eli and Samuel resided

c.  Ramah - 1 Samuel 7:15-17 - Not directed expressly; however, Samuel offered sacrifices there, and it is unlikely that Samuel would have done so without authorization from G-d.

d.  In Jerusalem - 2 Chronicles 6:6 – “I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there.”

e.  Very specifically, in the Tabernacle of David in the City of David in Jerusalem – Not directly mandated; however, it appears to have been accepted by G-d: 

o   “So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.  When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts” (2 Samuel 6:17-18; see also 1 Chronicles 16:1). 

§  Note that David’s decision is highly likely to have been guided by the Spirit of G-d. 

o   I Samuel 16:13 – “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah” (emphasis added). 

o   Psalm 27:6b – (a Psalm of David) –“… And I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Y—H.” 

o   Psalm 76:2 – (a Psalm of Asaph) – “His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion.” 

§  2 Samuel 5:7 – “Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.” 

§  Isaiah 40:9-10 – “Go up on a high mountain, Zion, messenger of good news, Raise your voice forcefully, Jerusalem, messenger of good news; Raise it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His compensation is with Him, And His reward before Him.” 

f.  Note that for some unknown reason, Solomon offered sacrifices to G-d in Gibeon (about 5 miles north of the Temple Mount), before he built the First Temple - 1 Kings 3:2-5 - apparently accepted by G-d, because G-d spoke favorably to Solomon after this offering.

g.  Later, the Ark of the Covenant is moved under the direction of Solomon from the City of David to the Temple Mount and into the Temple that Solomon had built, using the plans of his father, King David: 

o   1 Kings 8:1 – “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion.” 

o   I Kings 8:62-64 – “Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord. And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.  On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the Lord, because there he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.” 

o   There is no question that this relocation was significant, considering that after placing the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple, “[a]nd it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”  1 Kings 8:10-11. 

6.      Note that it was David’s idea to build a temple in the first place. 2 Samuel 7.  G-d even said to Nathan that a temple was not what G-d requested, 2 Samuel 7:7, but He informed David that one of David’s descendants would build a temple. 2 Samuel 7:13 (a prophetic passage--looking forward to the Messiah yet simultaneously indicating that Solomon would build the Temple). 

7.      Note, too, that Solomon built the First Temple—probably at the Temple Mount area—not because of G-d’s instruction, but because of Solomon’s decision (although perhaps guided by G-d). 1 Kings 8. 2 Chronicles 6:19-20. 

8.      The Messiah will rebuild the fallen Tabernacle of David. See Acts 15, Amos 9:11-12.  This Tabernacle of David appears to be distinct from the Temple as described by Ezekiel where sacrifices will be conducted (see Ezekiel 40-48). 

Thus, considering the relevant passages of Scripture, it is clear that G-d's mandate for sacrifices is unconditional, and the place ordered by G-d for His Name to dwell is Jerusalem.  King David’s decision to place the Ark of the Covenant and conduct sacrifices at the area of Mount Zion and the City of David was not objected to by G-d, may indeed have been guided by G-d, and is foretold by the prophet, Isaiah.  Since Israel has significant control over this area, action should be taken immediately by the Kohanim to reinstitute the sacrifice system in the area of Mount Zion and the City of David.

If G-d wants Ezekiel's temple (the likely 3rd temple design) (Ezekiel 40-48) to be constructed on the Temple Mount, He will sovereignly clear the way for this to occur.  However, until that happens, there is no reason to delay the implementation of the mandate of sacrifice, given from the Almighty Creator and Sovereign of the Universe.