I find as I talk to people many do not understand the organization or the purpose of the Temple in Jerusalem. We want to relate the Temple to something familiar in our world, to the church. But the Temple was not the church. The Temple was the place of prayer and sacrifice.
In our world there are many churches and many denominations. In the world of Jesus’ time there was one … and only one Temple. The Temple was located in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. The Temple was the most important institution in Jewish life, instituted by God in the days of Moses, and built first by Solomon, and rebuilt by Zarubabel and then by King Herod. While there were many synagogues, there was one … and only one Temple.
In our world we go to church on Sunday, or as the Jews refer to Sunday, the first day of the week. We attend church on Sunday to worship God and to remember that Jesus arose from the grave on the first day of the week. The Jews go to Synagogue on the seventh day (Sabbath). They go to the Temple when needed. The scripture specifically instructs, “Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed:” (Dt 16:16) The Jews also go to the Temple to make a desired or required sacrifice (See Leviticus 1-7). Some would go regularly for prayer.
In our world we sing hymns and worship, and the same could be done in the Temple. There was not a real song leader or time of singing, however, some of the priests who were musicians would stand between the Court of Israel and the Court of the Women to sins Psalms to the people. There were prescribed Psalms people sang as they ascended to the Temple, prescribed daily psalms sung by the priests, and other psalms people would sing in worship.
In our world we hear a pastor or a priest give a sermon. In the Temple there was no sermon, that is not what the Temple was about. The Temple was a place of sacrifice. People would come, and give their offerings to the priest. They could not enter the Holy Place, only the priests could enter. The people stayed outside. The people prayed. They heard music if the priests were singing. Occasionally there were men, such as Peter, who came to the Temple courtyard and preached. But it was a sideline activity. The main purpose of the Temple was to give offerings to God and to pray.
In our world the pastor is called by the church or sent through the denomination. In the days of Jesus there were no denominations. We read of the Saducees, they served the Temple. We read of the Pharisees, they were lawyers, and worshipped in the Synagogues. The Essenes were a monastic group who lived in their own communities. And there were the Jewish people who connected with the Temple (because the law of Moses ordered this), and the Synagogue, which was a community of faith near their home.
In our world pastors can and do move. In the times of Jesus the Priesthood was by birth. Men were not called to go to a church, they were born into their place of service. Father passed on to son the traditions of the faith and the practice of the priesthood. Men served between the ages of 25 and 50. After 50, men retired and would mentor younger priests.
Through Advent Journeys you will visit a world which is very different that our world. The world of Jesus is worth reading about and studying, for in so doing you understand Jesus, the people around him and the New Testament in a much fuller way.
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