One Thing You Still Lack
CONT., page 10
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE
Everyone is no doubt familiar with the fact that Yahshua entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, and upon arriving at the temple made for himself a scourge of cords and drove out the money-changers. But did you know that the accounts of these events vary considerably in the gospels, providing some most remarkable and consistent testimony of Yahweh's plan regarding His temple, His church? Let us see these differences and note the outstanding testimony that is provided.
In first Remnant Matthew, Yahshua rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and a colt (Matthew is the gospel of unique doubles, including this one) and straightway "entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer;" but you are making it a robber's den'" (Matthew 21:12-13). Let us now proceed to second Remnant Luke and see what that account reveals.
In Luke 19 we read that Yahshua entered into Jerusalem on "a colt" and equally went straightway to the temple and "began to cast out those who were selling, saying to them, 'It is written, "And My house shall be a house of prayer," but you have made it a robber's den'" (vss. 45-46). Now let us go back and see what Mark records.
Christianity Mark, as one might expect, is greatly different from Matthew and Luke. When this writer first saw that the gospels have very specific messages to the two Remnants and Christianity, as well as the pure kingdom of God, I noticed that this account was one of the most obvious and clear contradictions in the gospels. I thought then - if anyone argues that there are no contradictions in the Bible, this one would convince anyone that there indeed are.
In Christianity Mark, Yahshua entered into Jerusalem on "a colt" and, now watch this, He "came into the temple; and after looking all around, He departed for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late" (Mark 11:11). Wait, hold on! What happened to the temple cleansing that Matthew and Luke recorded? In Christianity Mark Yahshua did not cleanse the temple on the day He rode into Jerusalem, but rather He only looked around the temple and then went up to Bethany and spent the night! So did He ever cleanse the temple? Yes, but to find out when, we must keep reading.
In the next verse and those following, we read - "And on the next day, when they had departed from Bethany, ... they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry a vessel through the temple."
Unmistakably (and we did not even discuss the cursing of the fig tree which affords ironclad evidence), there is a remarkable difference between the accounts of Matthew and Luke, and that in Mark. In first Remnant Matthew and second Remnant Luke, Yahshua cleansed the temple and cast out the money-changers on the same day that He entered Jerusalem on the donkey. But in Christianity Mark, He cleansed the temple and cast out the money-changers one day later. What can this mean?
You can be most certain that the Holy Spirit had clear intentions in providing this contradiction riddle; that is if you really believe that He is the author of these books. For if He is, there is something here that He is wanting to tell us, if we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart and mind that is open to learn. But before we comment further on these remarkably differing accounts, let us very importantly see what the kingdom of God John account records concerning these events.
In John, Yahshua found a young donkey (the disciples did not go and bring Him one), He sat on it, and evidently He rode into Jerusalem. That's it! There was no entering the temple, no casting out the money-changers, none of that! So one might assume that Yahshua did not cleanse the temple according to this record in John. But, let us look a little further. Did Yahshua cleanse the temple in John? Indeed He did; but not when the other three gospels recorded it! Remember, John is written per the pure kingdom of heaven, and its message is very often different from the other three gospels. So when did Yahshua cleanse the temple in kingdom John? It was not later in His ministry as in the other gospels; but rather, in John it was at the very beginning, the second act performed by Yahshua!
In kingdom John we read that Yahshua and His disciples went to a wedding where He turned the water into wine. According to John, this was His first work. Then we read that right after that He went to Jerusalem, and it was then He cast out the money-changers - "And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers seated. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money-changers, and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, 'Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise.' His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Thy house will consume Me'" (John 2:14-17).
One can be most certain that this zeal that Yahshua had for His Father's house when He personally made the scourge of cords and cast out the money-changers, is the same zeal He has for His Father's house now! But His true house is far more than a building built with cold stones that were torn down and the temple burned by fire by the Romans. No, His true temple is built of living stones, and His will and plan is equally to cast out the money-changers! How will He do this? When will He do this? This is all testified to in these separate gospel accounts. Let us see.
Here is a summary of the accounts. In first Remnant Matthew and second Remnant Luke, Yahshua dealt with this matter of money-changing on the same day that He triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. In contrast, in Christianity Mark He dealt with money-changing one day following His triumphal entry. But then in kingdom John, we find that the money-changing issue in the temple is dealt with at the very beginning, just after the water was turned into wine at a wedding. With this summary, are you already beginning to get some of the picture that the Holy Spirit is quite obviously providing? Let us expound upon what we have evidenced here in this most significant contradiction riddle.
When will Yahshua deal with the matter of money in the two Remnant? We have been examining in this writing the effectual covering the Remnant must place upon themselves in order to have the authority to go to the Father to commune with Him and to speak on His behalf. This is quite certainly a "money" issue, as we have seen. Did the first Remnant "temple" have the money-changers cast out of them? Yes, all but the contrasting and most enlightening witnesses, Ananias and Sapphira. All others in the first Remnant were like Barnabas, who sold what he had for the common wellbeing of the whole. The money-changer was cast out of Barnabas, as well as the entirety of the first Remnant, not only bringing the cleansing of the "temple," but also providing the most essential covering over the bride.
Will the money-changer be cast out of the second Remnant when Yahshua makes His triumphal entry on the donkey of Pentecost? (This is a preparatory period, not His literal return; but prepares for that return.) Will the second Remnant place upon themselves the covering of holding all things in common, and thus in their hearts and lives have the money-changer severally dealt with? According to the testimony of second Remnant Luke, yes, they too, like the first Remnant, will have the money-changing issue dealt with on the day of Yahshua's donkey-born entrance. (The donkey is prophetic of Pentecost.)
Both the first Remnant as well as the second Remnant bear the common testimony that the money issue will be dealt with on the day of Yahshua's visitation. This must be accomplished in the second Remnant in the same way it was in the first Remnant - holding all things in common and not considering the things that one has to be their own. The money-changer was and once again will be cast out of the temple. This is a very dramatic and revealing testimony regarding the covering of the bride that we have been considering in this writing.
But what of Christianity? The money issue must be dealt with in them as well; but anyone who takes even a squinting peek at Christianity knows that the money-changer is clearly still in the temple. This must be dealt with in Christianity; it must be in order for Christians to enter into the pure kingdom of God. And it will be; but when?
It is too late for the money issue to be dealt with in Christianity. The vast majority of Christians are in the grave. Even if every Christian today began to hold all things in common (which is a sad impossibility), they would account for only a very small fraction of the whole of Christianity.
In Mark we read that Yahshua went into the temple upon His triumphal entry, "looked all around," but left there and went to Bethany for the night. Why? Because "it was already late." Equally, it is too late to deal with Christianity. With 99% of its followers in the grave, the money issue cannot be dealt with as it was in the whole of the first Remnant, and must equally be dealt with in the whole of the second Remnant. Yahshua instead went to Bethany, which is always prophetic of the Remnant. This is where Lazarus resided and was raised from the dead after Yahshua waited "two days" (John 11:6), or prophetically, after waiting 2,000 years. Yahshua turns to the Remnant to abide with them until the next day when Mark Christianity can have the money issue in them dealt with.
So when will the money issue be dealt with in Christianity? The Mark account of cleansing the temple plainly tells us. It will be one "day" after Yahshua's triumphal entry on the donkey. Christianity must wait a "day" before the money issue is dealt with.
What does this mean? Plainly stated, Christianity will not enter into the Millennium in resurrected bodies to reign with Yahshua for 1,000 years - a "day." That privilege will be given to the two-part Remnant who are prepared in part for such by straightway overcoming the money issue - their covering. Christians will remain either in the grave or in their earthly bodies until the next "day" (i.e., after the Millennial reign), whereupon they will have the money-changer cast out of them as well in order to prepare them for entrance into the pure John kingdom. This is clearly why the money-changers were cast out of the temple one day later in Christianity Mark - because they will have the money issue dealt with one "day" after it being fully dealt with in the two-part Remnant.
We have just stated that the money issue must be dealt with in order to prepare us for our entrance into the pure John kingdom. This truth is made dramatically clear in John by the highly unique placement of cleansing the temple at the very outset of Yahshua's ministry, preceded only by the wedding feast where the water was turned into wine!
Solomon declared - "knowledge is easy to him who has understanding" (Proverbs 14:6). Is there not a message here that is screaming at us when we look at it with the understanding of the two Remnant? What could be more obvious in what is taking place here where the Holy Spirit intentionally moved the cleansing of the temple to the very beginning of kingdom John? Is it not plain that the wedding here pictures the wedding of the Lamb when water is turned into wine, when Yahshua receives His two brides (His Leah and His Rachel)? And then the first thing that takes place following the wedding is the cleansing of the money-changers from the temple?
John is prophetic of the pure kingdom of heaven, and entrance into that kingdom is via His marriage to us; and one of the first things that must take place in order to enter into that kingdom is the money-changer must be cast out of us. It was cast out of the first Remnant, and it will have to be cast out of the second Remnant as well. That is why kingdom John uniquely moves the money-changer issue to the first of the book - because it is an issue that must be dealt with FIRST in order to enter into the pure kingdom.
For the Remnant, this will occur upon their establishment, on the same day Yahshua visits them on His Pentecost donkey. But for Christianity, Yahshua looks at them and, considering that it is late, decides to wait a "day," spends the night with His Remnant, and casts the money-changers out on the following "day."
Once again, Yahweh has given us one more clear witness of what must be done for the Remnant bride to be covered. In kingdom John, when Yahshua left the wedding, the first thing He did was to deal with the money issue. Equally, as Yahweh now prepares His Rachel Remnant bride, this writing marks a proclamation of the first priority of the bride - she must cover herself! According to John, the wedding is followed by a temple cleansing, getting rid of the money changing. And as we have seen, this act covers the bride so that she may pray and prophecy. This is the clear, dramatic, and highly meaningful testimony Yahweh has given us in these most telling accounts, these highly revealing contradiction riddles.
Thus, as we saw in the meaning of the name of the second place of provision for Elijah (Zarephath, or "place of purification"), as well as in the meaning of small Zaccheus' name ("purified or cleansed"), now once again we see with the cleansing of the temple the repeated testimony of Yahweh's cleansing and purification for the Remnant. The cleansing of the temple affords a unique and highly specific message in this purification - the casting out of the money-changing.
And before closing this section, it is also worth noting here the passage from Isaiah 56:7 which Yahshua quoted when cleansing the temple. Let us read that passage, as well as the verse following.
"For My house will be called a house of prayer for the peoples." The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, "Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered."
Who are the ones "already gathered"? They are our first Remnant brethren who have already had the money-changer cast out of them and have been gathered under the altar, and are there waiting and praying. It is to these that we must be gathered, and we must gather now under one and the same covering - holding all things in common and selling everything as there is common need.
Continue to page 11 of One Thing ... for THE BRIDE MADE HERSELF READY