Lucas 19
A.T. Robertson · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 19
Robertson says dierchomai "seems to be almost a technical term for a missionary tour or evangelistic journey." Dierchomai - 42x in 40v - come(1), coming(1), go(1), go across(1), go over(2), go straight(1), go through(1), going(1), going through(1), going throughout(1), gone through(2), made their way(1), pass(2), pass through(1), passed(1), passed through(7), passed...through(1), passes(2), passing(2), passing through(3), pierce(1), spread(1), spreading(1), through*(1), traveling through(2), went about(3). Matt. 12:43; Mk. 4:35; Mk. 10:25; Lk. 2:15; Lk. 2:35; Lk. 4:30; Lk. 5:15; Lk. 8:22; Lk. 9:6; Lk. 11:24; Lk. 17:11; Lk. 19:1; Lk. 19:4; Jn. 4:4; Jn. 4:15; Acts 8:4; Acts 8:40; Acts 9:32; Acts 9:38; Acts 10:38; Acts 11:19; Acts 12:10; Acts 13:6; Acts 13:14; Acts 14:24; Acts 15:3; Acts 15:41; Acts 16:6; Acts 17:23; Acts 18:23; Acts 18:27; Acts 19:1; Acts 19:21; Acts 20:2; Acts 20:25; Rom. 5:12; 1 Co. 10:1; 1 Co. 16:5; 2 Co. 1:16; Heb. 4:14 Dierchomai - 153x in 147v in the Septuagint. Gen. 4:8; Gen. 15:17; Gen. 22:5; Gen. 41:46; Exod. 12:12; Exod. 14:20; Exod. 32:27; Lev. 26:6; Num. 20:17; Num. 20:18; Num. 20:20; Num. 31:23; Deut. 2:7; Jos. 3:2; Jos. 16:3; Jos. 16:6; Jos. 18:4; Jos. 18:13; Jos. 18:14; Jos. 18:15; Jos. 18:17; Jos. 18:18; Jos. 19:12; Jos. 19:13; Jos. 19:27; Jos. 19:34; Jdg. 5:16; Jdg. 11:18; Jdg. 11:20; Jdg. 21:20; 1 Sam. 2:30; 1 Sam. 2:35; 1 Sam. 6:20; 1 Sam. 9:4; 1 Sam. 9:27; 1 Sam. 12:2; 1 Sam. 14:23; 1 Sam. 26:22; 1 Sam. 30:31; 2 Sam. 7:7; 2 Sam. 11:27; 2 Sam. 15:34; 2 Sam. 17:22; 2 Sam. 17:24; 2 Sam. 20:14; 2 Sam. 24:2; 1 Ki. 3:6; 1 Ki. 18:5; 1 Ki. 18:6; 2 Ki. 4:31; 2 Ki. 4:42; 2 Ki. 14:9; 1 Chr. 4:38; 1 Chr. 17:6; 1 Chr. 21:4; 2 Chr. 15:12; 2 Chr. 17:9; 2 Chr. 20:10; 2 Chr. 23:15; 2 Chr. 30:5; Neh. 12:31; Est. 6:11; Job 41:16; Ps. 18:12; Ps. 42:4; Ps. 42:7; Ps. 66:6; Ps. 66:12; Ps. 73:7; Ps. 73:9; Ps. 88:16; Ps. 90:4; Ps. 103:16; Ps. 104:10; Ps. 104:20; Ps. 105:13; Ps. 105:18; Ps. 124:4; Ps. 124:5; Prov. 28:10; Cant. 4:8; Isa. 13:20; Isa. 21:1; Isa. 41:3; Isa. 43:2; Isa. 52:1; Isa. 59:14; Jer. 2:10; Jer. 8:20; Jer. 13:1; Jer. 22:8; Jer. 37:4; Jer. 48:32; Lam. 4:21; Lam. 5:18; Ezek. 5:17; Ezek. 9:4; Ezek. 14:17; Ezek. 16:6; Ezek. 16:8; Ezek. 29:11; Ezek. 44:2; Ezek. 47:3; Ezek. 47:4; Ezek. 47:5; Joel 3:17; Amos 5:17; Amos 6:2; Amos 8:5; Jon. 2:3; Mic. 2:13; Mic. 5:8; Nah. 1:15; Hab. 1:11; Zech. 10:11; Here are a few examples... Genesis 15:17+ It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. Exodus 12:12 ‘For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments–I am the LORD. Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. Ezekiel 9:4+ (The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” J R Miller on Jesus' passing through - This was Zaccheus' day of opportunity. Jesus is ever passing by. He does not linger. He may come again--He does continually come again. But He is ever moving on, and blessing we would get from Him at any time--we must get as He passes by. All the days seem alike as they come to us; but each one is really individual and peculiar, coming with its own opportunities, privileges, and blessings. If we do not take just then the gifts it offers, we never shall have another chance to get them, and always shall be poorer for what we have missed. (Ed: Should this truth not motivate us to fight off the powerful temptations of sin so that we do not grieve the Spirit's workings and miss the opportunities the Spirit of Jesus presents to us as He is "passing through" our day? Indeed, if we give in to sin, it will veil our spiritual eyes to the day's supernatural opportunities and this fact should STRONGLY MOTIVATE each of us to fight the good fight of faith [1 Ti 1:18, 6:12+], by the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the body, [Ro 8:13+], abstaining from evil in whatever "form" it rears its tempting head [1 Th 5:22+], to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against our soul [1 Pe 2:11-note].) Luke 19:2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. KJV Luke 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. NET Luke 19:2 Now a man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. CSB Luke 19:2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ESV Luke 19:2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. NIV Luke 19:2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. NLT Luke 19:2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. NRS Luke 19:2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. YLT Luke 19:2 and lo, a man, by name called Zaccheus, and he was a chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich, he was a chief tax collector and he was rich: Lu 18:24-27 2Ch 17:5,6 Luke 19 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18, 19 The Two Rich Men - J.G. Bellet Luke 19:1-10 Why Jesus Came - Steven Cole Luke 19:1-10 A Sinner Meets a Seeking Savior, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 19:1-10 A Sinner Meets a Seeking Savior, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 19:1-10 Jesus: The Seeking Savior, Part 2 - John MacArthur A RICH DESPISED TAX COLLECTOR And there - The NAS does not translate the interjection idou which means "Behold" and is used to grab the reader's attention, in this context being used to introduce a new character. We have just met Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46+, Lk 18:35-43+), the blind beggar who met Jesus as He was passing by and had obtained his sight and his soul for his faith had also saved him from eternal destruction. I like Warren Wiersbe's outline for the changes Zaccheus experienced the day Jesus passed by - "Lk 19:2-4 = A Man Became a Child (ran down the street like a little child"), Lk 19:5 = A Seeking Man Became Found; Lk 19:7-8 = "A Small Man Became Big; Lk 19:9-10 = A poor man became rich (The child of God is born rich, for he shares "every spiritual blessing" in Jesus Christ [Eph. 1:3]. We have the riches of God's mercy and grace [Eph. 1:7; 2:4] as well as the riches of His glory [Phil. 4:19] and wisdom [Rom. 11:33]. These are "unsearchable riches" that can never be fully understood or completely exhausted [Eph. 3:8])...When a day begins, you never know how it will end. For Zaccheus, that day ended in joyful fellowship with the Son of God, for he was now a changed man with a new life. Jesus is still seeking the lost and yearning to save them. Has He found you? (Be courageous Luke 14-24) The name of Zaccheus - Zaccheus is derived from a Hebrew verb zakak which means to be bright, clean, pure, innocent (cf "make yourselves clean" - Isa 1:16). Thayer says Zaccheus means "pure, innocent." What an ironic name, because tax collectors were considered anything but pure, and in fact were treated as "unclean" by the Jews, and certainly an unlikely candidate for salvation! However as noted below with each of Luke's mention of tax collectors (Lk 3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:10) he has described them as accepting the teaching of the Lord or actually being saved! God sees not as man sees (1 Sa 16:7)! John
Lucas 19
Robertson writes "Apparently Jesus and Zacchaeus had come to the house of Zacchaeus and were about to enter when the murmur became such a roar that Zacchaeus turned round and faced the crowd." Edersheim comments on the grumbling crowd (Lk 19:7) and its effect on Zaccheus writing "Oh, terribly fatal misunderstanding of all that was characteristic of the Mission of the Christ! (Referring to Jesus reaching out to a hated tax collector, cf Lk 15:1-2+) Oh, terribly fatal blindness and jealousy (cf "envy" in Mk 15:10)! But it was this sudden shock of opposition which awoke Zacchaeus to full consciousness ("Zaccheus stopped!"). The hands (of the crowd) so rudely and profanely thrust forward only served to rend the veil (that had previously covered Zaccheus' mind and heart). It often needs some such sudden shock of opposition, some sudden sharp contest, to waken the new convert to full consciousness, to bring before him, in clear outline, alike the past and the present. In that moment Zacchaeus saw it all: what his past had been, what his present was, what his future must be. Standing forth, not so much before the crowd as before the Lord, and not ashamed, nay, scarcely conscious of the confession it implied - so much is the sorrow of the past in true repentance swallowed up by the joy of the present - Zacchaeus vowed fourfold restoration, as by a thief, of what had become his through false accusation, as well as the half of all his goods to the poor. And so the whole current of his life had been turned, in those few moments, through his joyous reception of Christ, the Saviour of sinners; and Zacchaeus the public robber, the rich Chief of the Publicans, had become an almsgiver. NET Note - Zacchaeus was a penitent man who resolved on the spot to act differently in the face of Jesus’ acceptance of him. In resolving to give half his possessions to the poor, Zacchaeus was not defending himself against the crowd’s charges and claiming to be righteous. Rather as a result of this meeting with Jesus, he was a changed individual. So Jesus could speak of salvation coming that day (Lk 19:9) and of the lost being saved (Lk 19:10). Pritchard - This is the only place in the Bible where Zaccheus is recorded saying anything. Not bad for a new convert.
Lucas 19
Robertson says that to export figs from Attica was against the law, but it was a lucrative trade, so there were people whose business it was to inform the authorities about the illegal traffic and they were called sukophantai. Vine does not dispute this, but also traces its meaning from the practice of shaking a fig tree to make it give up its ripe fruit, so Zacchaeus and men like him were adept at shaking down rich men for their wealth. The very fact that the saved man used this word about his former life indicates how much he now abhorred his former practices. (What the Bible Teaches – Luke) I will give back four times as much - Zaccheus was a truly transformed man! He was bringing forth ''FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS.'' (cf Lk 3:8) Jesus had accused the religious leaders of not believing John the Baptist's call to repent and even when these self-righteous hypocrites saw the ''fruit'' of a changed life in the tax-gatherers and harlots they refused to repent of their evil thoughts and believe. (Mt 21:31-32). (See What was the meaning and importance of the baptism of John the Baptist?) We can be sure that there were religious leaders in the crowd who witnessed Zaccheus' startling words to give to the poor and make restitution. That is the last thing the Pharisees and other religious leaders would have expected to hear from the lips of a tax collector. And yet they heard them from Zacchesus, but they still steadfastly refused to believe in Jesus even as they witnessed the great miracle of a new birth! Their response reminds me of Jesus' words (in the context of speaking in parables) "while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE, FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ (Mt 13:13-15) And so the SAW and HEARD Zaccheus, but they still did understand what they were witnessing! A T Robertson - Restitution is good proof of a change of heart. D. L. Moody used to preach it with great power. Without this the offer of Zacchaeus to give half his goods to the poor would be less effective.
Lucas 19
Robertson says indicates "the collective whole" of mankind. The lost is not a special group among the billions of mankind but a descriptive term for all men (ch. 15). The simple facts about his lostness are that all are lost; no one can save himself; each one who is saved was once lost; Christ alone can save, and there is a time of seeking and saving that will soon be past forever. (What the Bible Teaches – Luke) Clarkson on Lost - The sense in which each sinful human soul is lost. (1) It has lost its way; it is a traveler going in the wrong direction, away from his home toward the perilous precipice. (2) It has lost its treasure, its heritage; for it has lost its peace, its harmony, its accordance with all those beings to whom it is most nearly and vitally related; it has lost its hopes. (3) It has lost its worth, its likeness to the Holy One; it has been brought down to folly, to that which is unbeautiful and unworthy. Was lost (622)(apollumi from apo = away from + olethros = state of utter ruin) conveys the sense of utter destruction of one's purpose for which they were created which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Had Zaccheus died without placing his faith in Jesus, he would have been thrown into a horrid place of purposeless existence! This fate is almost beyond our human comprehension. We would rather say it means annihilation, cessation of existence, but that is sadly not true, even though some teach this false doctrine. Every person ever born will end up in one of two places - Either alone in hell fully conscious of its torments or in Heaven with God fully capable in a glorified body to experience perfect joy and eternal bliss. Dear reader, surely there is no comparison between these two fates! If you have never believed in Jesus, believe today, and you will immediately be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, form lost to found! Apollumi as it relates to mankind is not the loss of being per se, but is more the loss of well-being. It means to ruin so that the person (or thing) ruined can no longer serve the use for which he (it) was designed. The Gospel promises everlasting life for the one who believes. The failure to possess this life will result in utter ruin and eternal uselessness but not a cessation of existence. It is a place where there is no hope! As Adrian Rogers said "There are only two places where there's no hope. One is in Hell because when you go to Hell, you've lost hope. The other is in Heaven because when you're in Heaven, you don't need hope!" Steven
Lucas 19
Robertson says the idea is that labor is an annoyance, bad, evil; Noun poneria derived from poneros) means evil including evil, malignant character, pernicious, that which is morally or socially worthless, wicked, base, bad, degenerate. Poneros speaks of evil in active opposition to good. It means actively harmful, hurtful, evil in effect or influence. Poneros denotes determined, aggressive, and fervent evil that actively opposes what is good. Poneros is not just bad in character, but bad in effect (injurious)! This is a very strong adjective! Poneros is used 72 times in the NT and in the NAS is translated as follows with only one occurrence of worthless - bad(5), crimes(1), envious(1), envy*(1), evil(50), evil one(5), evil things(1), malignant(1), more evil(1), more wicked(1), vicious(1), wicked(6), wicked man(1), wicked things(1), worthless(1). All of Luke's uses of poneros -Lk. 3:19; Lk. 6:22; Lk. 6:35; Lk. 6:45; Lk. 7:21; Lk. 8:2; Lk. 11:13; Lk. 11:26; Lk. 11:29; Lk. 11:34; Lk. 19:22; Acts 17:5; Acts 18:14; Acts 19:12; Acts 19:13; Acts 19:15; Acts 19:16; Acts 25:18; Acts 28:21 Luke 19:23 'Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?' Then why did you not put my money in the bank: Ro 2:4,5 I would have collected it with interest: Ex 22:25-27 De 23:19,20 Luke 19 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 19:11-27 Doing Business for Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 19:11-27 Fitting Rewards from the Returning King - John MacArthur A BAD INVESTMENT IN TIME AND ETERNITY Then why did you not put my money in the bank (trapeza) and having come, I would have collected it with interest? - Whose money? The master's money. It's potential was wasted. Money in a handkerchief will not yield much interest! While many people look at banks and bankers with a bit of suspicion, Jesus clearly seems to justify their existence and their practice of lending money for interest. It is not clear what the bank might represent in relation to the Gospel "mina."
Lucas 19
Robertson says that the deliberate conduct of Jesus here could have but one meaning, namely, that this was His formal presentation of Himself as the Messiah. The crowds realized this and entered into the spirit of the occasion. The people, however, expected the Lord to set up His rule in opposition to that of Rome, and deliver the Jews from the yoke of their oppressors. Matthew adds "And most of the multitude spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees, (NOTE: ONLY JOHN TELLS US THEY WERE PALM TREES) and spreading them in the road." (Mt 21:8+) Comment: Luke says nothing about the spreading of branches, but all the other Gospels mention branches (which only John identifies as palm branches). And so the crowd is throwing the palm branches on Jesus' path. John seems to suggest that the crowd was also waving the palm branches (although waving n is not definitely stated) as they were shouting "Hosanna!" (which means "Save Now" or "Save, we pray.") Take a moment of respite to play and worship the coming King as you sing Hosanna. John records On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! (cf Mt 21:9, 15, Mk 11:9-10) BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “FEAR NOT (from Isaiah 40:9 and the following from Zechariah 9:9) DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. (John 12:12-16+) Comment: In Jn 12:16 what is these things? This refers to the Old Testament prophecies such as the one quoted here in John 12:13 from Psalm 118:25-26 and John 12:15 from Isaiah 40:9 (the "fear not") combined with Zechariah 9:9. Recall that after His resurrection, Luke records "Now He (THE RESURRECTED LORD) said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Lk 24:44-45+). Due to the fact that palm branches (Luke does not mention palm branches, only Jn 12:13) were placed before Him, this day is often called "Palm Sunday." The event is recorded in Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:12-15. All accounts agree in substance with each adding certain detail. Some writers suggest that the chronology of events favors Jesus' entry on Monday rather than Sunday (see John MacArthur's sermon). Brian Bill on cloaks - Can you imagine what all this commotion would have done to the colt? Remember, it had never been ridden before and now Jesus was on its back, the crowd was shouting, and cloaks and branches were being laid in front of it as it walked down the hill toward Jerusalem. The laying of cloaks on the road would be like rolling out the red carpet for someone today. In 2 Kings 9:13, people spread cloaks under King Jehu as he walked on the bare stairs. The people recognized Jesus as royalty and gave Him the honor afforded a King. (Luke 19:28-44 A Big Crowd Meets a King)
Lucas 19
Robertson quips "It is amazing how short a time the work of reformers lasts!" It is intriguing that Jesus began His ministry cleaning out the corruption in the Temple complex and three years later ended His ministry carrying out the same cleansing! Is there a message here for us in America where so many are using their version of "Christianity" to make money and receive acclaim from men? (That's a rhetorical question!) For context let's look at His first Temple cleansing... The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers (kermatistes = only here = dealer in small money) seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords (NOT DESCRIBED AT HIS SECOND CLEANSING), and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers (kollubistes) and overturned (anatrepo) their tables; (STOP FOR A MOMENT AND IMAGINE GENTLE JESUS FLIPPING OVER TABLES!) 16 and to those who were selling the doves (CHARGING POOREST OF POOR EXORBITANT RATES!) He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” (John 2:13-16+) It is noteworthy that the two Temple cleansings are the only acts of "holy violence" recorded of the Lord Jesus. In this case Jesus revealed Himself as Lord of the temple (cf. Mt. 12:6). Exactly how Jesus accomplished the seemingly insurmountable task is uncertain because (refer to diagram above) the Court of the Gentiles is almost the size of 10 football fields! This is holy indignation moving mountains! Lawrence Richards comments "Herod the Great dedicated 40 years and untold wealth to beautify the Jerusalem temple. That temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world, and drew thousands of Gentile as well as Jewish visitors to Judea. Yet Christ’s anger that its courts had become a “den of robbers” reminds us that the true significance of any house of worship is not found in how it looks but in what happens there." (Borrow The 365 day devotional commentary) John MacArthur gives a vivid description of the corrupt, horrific state of the Court of the Gentiles... The Court of the Gentiles had been turned into basically a business center. And the business was selling animals needed for the sacrifices (twice daily and then the Passover). One Passover record indicates 260,000 lambs were slain, so you can just imagine how many animals would have been in the courtyard! And you had to buy other necessities for offerings and sacrifices. Then there were moneychangers. All of this was basically called the Bazaar of Annas (ED: SEE ALFRED EDERSHEIM = "The Temple-market and the Bazaars of the sons of Annas are identical"). Annas and Caiaphas both being high priests ran the operation and became filthy rich selling franchises to people who sold the animals and changed the money and sold the oil and the other things that were used. They sold these franchises for very high prices and then skimmed off a huge percentage of the profit of shop owners, so that the Court of the Gentiles was just jammed with these shops. Lightfoot writes there was always a constant market in the Temple in that place (THE COURT OF THE GENTILES)....One might ask, “Well why don't they bring their own animals?” They should and they could choose the best one in the flock without spot and without blemish. But if you brought your own animal, it was risky because every animal that was sacrificed had to pass priestly inspection. And it was to the benefit of the priests to reject your animal because when they rejected your animal, you had to buy their animal. And you would be forced to do that at an exorbitant price, and a huge percentage would be skimmed off and paid to the chief priests. And if they rejected your animal, some records say you would have to pay ten times the fair price. This is robbery and extortion by the priests. The noise, the filth, the stench of all the animals, the chaos of a stockyard in the Temple of God was nauseating to Christ – the corruption, the robbery, the thievery, by people who had no conscience about bilking the poor. And there were sellers of doves and pigeons because there were some people so poor they could not afford a lamb, so according to Leviticus 12:6,8 the poor people could offer two doves. Doves would be worthy in today's money about a dime each but they would cost about $10 each there. The travesty, the prostitution, the perversion, the corruption was just vile and blatant. Then there were the moneychangers, kollubos is the word that is a part of the word “moneychangers.” It means “small coins.” Every Jew had to pay a half-shekel temple tax near the Passover time. A month before, you could pay it locally, but if you got to Jerusalem and you had not paid it, you had to pay it in the Temple, and you had to pay it with a certain required coinage. And if you did not have the exact amount, then you had to change your money, and they charged you 25% to change money. The whole "Bazaar of Annas" was vile and had become a hangout for every crook, charlatan, conman of all sorts plying their trade. That is where Jesus went. Religion was corrupt. That is where He gave His attention. He was repulsed by what He saw and smelled and heard. Jesus was on His turf. “My house,” He says in Lk 19:46 quoting from Isaiah 56:7, "You have brought your corruption into My house.”...He goes to defend God and God's house against the blasphemers. (Sermon) It is surprising that all four Gospels record Jesus' cleansing and yet none have any hint of resistance by the authorities to actually attempt to prevent Him from cleansing the Court of the Gentiles. Is this a manifestation of supernatural power/intervention? We simply don't know, but remember that this area was up to 10 football fields in size and it seems to be a genuine miracle that one Man could accomplish thorough cleansing of such a huge area filled with animals and riff-raff! Of course, this is not just any man but is the God-Man and He is filled with righteous anger and with the Holy Spirit! One writer has even suggested that some of the prophetically knowledgeable Jews might have seen His actions as fulfillment of Malachi 3:1-3+ which says " “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His Temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3“He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness" Jesus lodged at Bethany that night (Mt 21:17) and came to the city early the next morning, cursing the fig tree at that time (Mark 11:12) and it was at that time that He cleansed the Temple. This temple area had become an area of merchandising. The activities were relegated to the Court of the Gentiles. Every male Jew was required to pay 1/2 shekel temple tax. He was charged three or four cents to change the money if he possessed the coin of equivalent amount, and if not, he was charged an additional three or four cents for the giving of change. Animal sacrifices were as much as fifteen times more expensive inside the temple than outside. However, these sacrificial animals were "guaranteed acceptable" because they had been provided by the priests. These booths of this merchandizing area were called "Booths of Annas" and belonged to the high priest's family. Therefore, in cleansing the temple Jesus attacked not only the institution but likewise the personalities who had become very wealthy at the expense of the worshipers. den of thieves-banded together for plunder, void of moral principle. The milder term "house of merchandise" used on the former occasion was just as suitable. William Lane has some interesting background on Jesus' cleansing of the Temple noting that "On the Mount of Olives, which was considered a part of the Temple precincts for ritual purposes, there were four markets where pilgrims could buy doves and other ritually pure objects of sacrifice for Temple offerings (TJ Taʿanith IV. 8). These markets were not under the jurisdiction of the High Priest, but of the Sanhedrin." (NICNT-Mark) Ryrie - This occurred on Monday of Holy Week, though Christ did this same thing at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:12-16). This is the second time Christ purged the Temple (see John 2:13-17, the beginning of His ministry). The animals, guaranteed to be without blemish, were sold for sacrificial purposes, and Greek and Roman coinage was changed into the standard half-shekel required for the Temple tax. The merchants were guilty of profanation of the Temple and of excess profiteering. (Borrow Ryrie Study Bible) W A Criswell - "Those who bought and sold" refers to merchants who sold animals that were needed for the sacrifices, and other things like wine and oil which were also needed for some offerings. The heart of the problem was commercialism in holy precincts, as well as unequal exchange rates and the attachment of exorbitant prices to the purchase of sacrificial animals. Through sharp dealing, merchants and money changers were fleecing the pilgrims. The commercial enterprise in the temple was offensive for more reasons than merely the location of the sellers. Exorbitant prices for sacrificial animals made offering a sacrifice so costly that the poor were almost certainly either excluded or impoverished. The deliberate falsification of rates of exchange in changing Roman for Jewish coins afforded still other unlawful profits for the temple. (Believer's Study Bible) Temple (2413) is the Greek word hieros and adjective which in the neuter singular is hieron (as found in Friberg's definition below) to which A H Strong assigned a different number 2411. Hieros is defined by Louw-Nida as "pertaining to being appropriate for the expression of worship and reverence." In 1 Cor 9:13 hieros refers to the activities in the Temple involving the performance of various rituals. In 2 Ti 3:15 hieros refers to the "sacred writings" (the Holy Scriptures which in context would be the OT Scriptures as that was all that was available to the Jews). Friberg on hieros (hieros, a, on) - (1) with a basic meaning what belongs to divinity, sacred, holy (2Ti 3.15), opposite bebelos (profane); (2) substantivally; (a) to hieron = as a sacred enclosed area under the protection of a god temple (Acts 19.27); (b) predominately of the Temple of God at Jerusalem, including the whole sacred area with its buildings, courts, walls, and gates ( Mt 21.12); (c) ta hiera = as everything that belongs to the Temple and its service the holy or sacred things (1 Cor 9.13) BDAG has separate definitions listed for hieros and hieron, summarized as follows [BDAG] HIERON (substantive neuter of the adjective hieros) sanctuary, temple (a) of Gr-Rom. temples; the temple of Artemis at Ephesus Acts 19:27. (b) of the temple at Jerusalem, including the whole temple precinct w. its buildings, courts, etc. (c) in a general sense, whether polytheistic or monotheistic: 1 Cor 9:13 [BDAG] HIEROS - (1) pert. to being of transcendent purity, holy, adj.. Holy hands, that touch nothing profane 1 Cl 33:4; (2) belonging to the temple and its service, holy thing, subst. ta hiera, Hieros - 74x in 69v - sacred(1), sacred services(1), temple(71). Matt. 4:5; Matt. 12:5; Matt. 12:6; Matt. 21:12; Matt. 21:14; Matt. 21:15; Matt. 21:23; Matt. 24:1; Matt. 26:55; Mk. 11:11; Mk. 11:15; Mk. 11:16; Mk. 11:27; Mk. 12:35; Mk. 13:1; Mk. 13:3; Mk. 14:49; Mk. 16:8; Lk. 2:27; Lk. 2:37; Lk. 2:46; Lk. 4:9; Lk. 18:10; Lk. 19:45; Lk. 19:47; Lk. 20:1; Lk. 21:5; Lk. 21:37; Lk. 21:38; Lk. 22:52; Lk. 22:53; Lk. 24:53; Jn. 2:14; Jn. 2:15; Jn. 5:14; Jn. 7:14; Jn. 7:28; Jn. 8:2; Jn. 8:20; Jn. 8:59; Jn. 10:23; Jn. 11:56; Jn. 18:20; Acts 2:46; Acts 3:1+; Acts 3:2; Acts 3:3; Acts 3:8; Acts 3:10; Acts 4:1; Acts 5:20; Acts 5:21; Acts 5:24; Acts 5:25; Acts 5:42; Acts 19:27; Acts 21:26; Acts 21:27; Acts 21:28; Acts 21:29; Acts 21:30; Acts 22:17; Acts 24:6; Acts 24:12; Acts 24:18; Acts 25:8; Acts 26:21; 1 Co. 9:13; 2 Tim. 3:15 Vine merges hieros and hieron writing that "hieros is an adjective that denotes "consecrated to God," e.g., the Scriptures, 2 Ti 3:15....The neuter singular hieron denotes a Temple." Naos refers to the Temple proper, including the inner sanctuary, composed of the outer room, the Holy of Holies and the innermost Holy Place. When our Lord taught in the Temple, He taught in the hieron, in one of the temple porches. He expelled the money-changers from the hieron, the court of the Gentiles. When the veil of the temple was rent at the time of the death of our Lord (Mt 27:52), it was the veil of the naos, the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. When Zacharias entered the temple to burn incense (Lk 1:9+), he entered the naos, the Holy Place where the altar of incense stood while the multitude were in prayer outside he people were “without,” in the hieron (Lk 1:10+). Jesus used naos in a figurative to refer to His body as a temple (Jn 2:19, 20, 21). Paul extends this meaning to the individual believer's body as the dwelling place or inner sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6:19), the inner sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Drive out (1544)(ekbállō from ek = out + bállō = to cast, throw, drive) means to cast, throw out often with the idea of force (Mt. 8:12; 15:17; 25:30; Acts 16:37, 27:38; Lxx - Lev. 14:40). Gingrich - 1. drive out, expel lit. throw out more or less forcibly Mt 9:25, 34 ; 21:12, 39; 25:30; Lk 9:40; 11:20; Jn 2:15; Ac 9:40. Disdain, spurn Lk 6:22; repudiate Gal 4:30; 3 Jn 10.—2. without the connotation of force: send out Lk 10:2; of assignment to a task Mk 1:12; release Ac 16:37.—3. take out, remove Mt 7:4f; Mk 9:47; Lk 10:35; bring out Mt 13:52; Jn 10:4; evacuate 15:17. Leave out of consideration Rev 11:2. Lead on Mt 12:20. Ekballo - Matt. 7:4; Matt. 7:5; Matt. 7:22; Matt. 8:12; Matt. 8:16; Matt. 8:31; Matt. 9:25; Matt. 9:33; Matt. 9:34; Matt. 9:38; Matt. 10:1; Matt. 10:8; Matt. 12:20; Matt. 12:24; Matt. 12:26; Matt. 12:27; Matt. 12:28; Matt. 12:35; Matt. 13:52; Matt. 15:17; Matt. 17:19; Matt. 21:12; Matt. 21:39; Matt. 22:13; Matt. 25:30; Mk. 1:34; Mk. 1:39; Mk. 1:43; Mk. 3:15; Mk. 3:22; Mk. 3:23; Mk. 5:40; Mk. 6:13; Mk. 7:26; Mk. 9:18; Mk. 9:28; Mk. 9:38; Mk. 9:47; Mk. 11:15; Mk. 12:8; Mk. 16:9; Mk. 16:17; Lk. 4:29; Lk. 6:22; Lk. 6:42; Lk. 9:40; Lk. 9:49; Lk. 10:2; Lk. 10:35; Lk. 11:14; Lk. 11:15; Lk. 11:18; Lk. 11:19; Lk. 11:20; Lk. 13:28; Lk. 13:32; Lk. 19:45; Lk. 20:12; Lk. 20:15; Jn. 2:15; Jn. 6:37; Jn. 9:34; Jn. 9:35; Jn. 10:4; Jn. 12:31; Acts 7:58; Acts 9:40; Acts 13:50; Acts 16:37; Acts 27:38; Gal. 4:30; Jas. 2:25; 3 Jn. 1:10; Rev. 11:2 QUESTION - How many times did Jesus cleanse the temple? Why did He cleanse the temple? ANSWER - Jesus cleansed the temple of the money-changers and sellers of merchandise because of His disgust at what they had made of God’s house of prayer and His zeal to purify it from the abuse of ungodly men. Judea was under the rule of the Romans, and the money in current use was Roman coin. However, the Jewish law required that every man should pay a tribute to the service of the sanctuary of “half a shekel” (Exodus 30:11–16), a Jewish coin. It became, therefore, a matter of convenience to have a place where the Roman coin could be exchanged for the Jewish half shekel. The money-changers provided this convenience but would demand a small sum for the exchange. Because so many thousands of people came up to the great feasts, changing money was a very profitable business and one that resulted in fraud and oppression of the poor. Also, according to the Law, two doves or pigeons were required to be offered in sacrifice (Leviticus 14:22; Luke 2:24). Yet it was difficult to bring them from the distant parts of Judea, so a lucrative business selling the birds sprang up, with the sellers gouging the faithful by charging exorbitant prices. There were other merchants selling cattle and sheep for the temple sacrifices as well. Because of these sellers who preyed on the poor and because of His passion for the purity of His Father’s house, Jesus was filled with righteous indignation. As He overturned the tables of the money-changers, He condemned them for having turned God’s house of prayer into “a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13). As He did so, His disciples remembered Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.” Jesus’ first cleansing of the temple is described in John 2:11–12 as having occurred just after Jesus’ first miracle, the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. John makes it clear that it was “after this” that He went to Capernaum, where He “stayed for a few days.” Then in the next verse (verse 13), John tells us that the “Passover of the Jews was at hand” (NKJV). These verses trace Jesus’ movements over a short period of time from Cana in Galilee to Capernaum and eventually to Jerusalem for the Passover. This is the first of the two times Jesus cleansed the temple. The Synoptic Gospels do not record the temple cleansing mentioned in John 2, instead only recording the temple cleansing that occurred during Passion Week. The second cleansing of the temple occurred just after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the last week of His life. This second cleansing is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke but not in John. There are differences in the two events, aside from their being nearly three years apart. In the first cleansing, temple officials confronted Jesus immediately (John 2:18), whereas in the second cleansing, the chief priests and scribes confronted Him the following day (Matthew 21:17–23). In the first event, Jesus made a whip of cords with which to drive out the sellers, but there is no mention of a whip in the second cleansing. So there are two recorded occasions when Jesus cleansed the temple—the first time at the beginning of His public ministry, and the second time just after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem shortly before He was crucified.GotQuestions.org Related Resource: Alfred Edersheim - The Cleansing of the Temple (based on John 2:13-15) QUESTION - What is the significance of the triumphal/triumphant entry? See animated entry ANSWER - The triumphal entry is that of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the crucifixion (John 12:1, 12). The story of the triumphal entry is one of the few incidents in the life of Jesus which appears in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). Putting the four accounts together, it becomes clear that the triumphal entry was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus’ day, but to Christians throughout history. We celebrate Palm Sunday to remember that momentous occasion. On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey’s colt, one that had never been ridden before. The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit on, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees. The people hailed and praised Him as the “King who comes in the name of the Lord” as He rode to the temple, where He taught the people, healed them, and drove out the money-changers and merchants who had made His Father’s house a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). Jesus’ purpose in riding into Jerusalem was to make public His claim to be their Messiah and King of Israel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew says that the King coming on the foal of a donkey was an exact fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus rides into His capital city as a conquering King and is hailed by the people as such, in the manner of the day. The streets of Jerusalem, the royal city, are open to Him, and like a king He ascends to His palace, not a temporal palace but the spiritual palace that is the temple, because His is a spiritual kingdom. He receives the worship and praise of the people because only He deserves it. No longer does He tell His disciples to be quiet about Him (Matthew 12:16, 16:20) but to shout His praises and worship Him openly. The spreading of cloaks was an act of homage for royalty (see 2 Kings 9:13). Jesus was openly declaring to the people that He was their King and the Messiah they had been waiting for. Unfortunately, the praise the people lavished on Jesus was not because they recognized Him as their Savior from sin. They welcomed Him out of their desire for a messianic deliverer, someone who would lead them in a revolt against Rome. There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ as Savior, nevertheless hoped that perhaps He would be to them a great temporal deliverer. These are the ones who hailed Him as King with their many hosannas, recognizing Him as the Son of David who came in the name of the Lord. But when He failed in their expectations, when He refused to lead them in a massive revolt against the Roman occupiers, the crowds quickly turned on Him. Within just a few days, their hosannas would change to cries of “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:20-21). Those who hailed Him as a hero would soon reject and abandon Him. The story of the triumphal entry is one of contrasts, and those contrasts contain applications to believers. It is the story of the King who came as a lowly servant on a donkey, not a prancing steed, not in royal robes, but on the clothes of the poor and humble. Jesus Christ comes not to conquer by force as earthly kings but by love, grace, mercy, and His own sacrifice for His people. His is not a kingdom of armies and splendor but of lowliness and servanthood. He conquers not nations but hearts and minds. His message is one of peace with God, not of temporal peace. If Jesus has made a triumphal entry into our hearts, He reigns there in peace and love. As His followers, we exhibit those same qualities, and the world sees the true King living and reigning in triumph in us.GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Was Jesus ever angry? ANSWER - When Jesus cleared the temple of the moneychangers and animal-sellers, He showed great emotion and anger (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; John 2:13-22). Jesus’ emotion was described as “zeal” for God’s house (John 2:17). His anger was pure and completely justified because at its root was concern for God’s holiness and worship. Because these were at stake, Jesus took quick and decisive action. Another time Jesus showed anger was in the synagogue of Capernaum. When the Pharisees refused to answer Jesus’ questions, “He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:5). Many times, we think of anger as a selfish, destructive emotion that we should eradicate from our lives altogether. However, the fact that Jesus did sometimes become angry indicates that anger itself, as an emotion, is amoral. This is borne out elsewhere in the New Testament. Ephesians 4:26 instructs us “in your anger do not sin” and not to let the sun go down on our anger. The command is not to “avoid anger” (or suppress it or ignore it) but to deal with it properly, in a timely manner. We note the following facts about Jesus’ displays of anger: 1) His anger had the proper motivation. In other words, He was angry for the right reasons. Jesus’ anger did not arise from petty arguments or personal slights against Him. There was no selfishness involved. 2) His anger had the proper focus. He was not angry at God or at the “weaknesses” of others. His anger targeted sinful behavior and true injustice. 3) His anger had the proper supplement. Mark 3:5 says that His anger was attended by grief over the Pharisees’ lack of faith. Jesus’ anger stemmed from love for the Pharisees and concern for their spiritual condition. It had nothing to do with hatred or ill will. 4) His anger had the proper control. Jesus was never out of control, even in His wrath. The temple leaders did not like His cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:47), but He had done nothing sinful. He controlled His emotions; His emotions did not control Him. 5) His anger had the proper duration. He did not allow His anger to turn into bitterness; He did not hold grudges. He dealt with each situation properly, and He handled anger in good time. 6) His anger had the proper result. Jesus’ anger had the inevitable consequence of godly action. Jesus’ anger, as with all His emotions, was held in check by the Word of God; thus, Jesus’ response was always to accomplish God’s will. When we get angry, too often we have improper control or an improper focus. We fail in one or more of the above points. This is the wrath of man, of which we are told “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:19-20). Jesus did not exhibit man’s anger, but the righteous indignation of God.GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is the significance of the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem? ANSWER - The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by a wall containing eight major gates. Moving counter-clockwise from the northern-most gate are Herod’s Gate, the Damascus Gate, the New Gate, Jaffa Gate, Zion Gate, the Dung Gate, the Eastern Gate, and the Lions’ Gate. The Eastern Gate, facing the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley, is unique in that it is completely sealed shut. Some commentators see the Eastern Gate’s obstruction as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The Eastern Gate of Jerusalem is also called the Golden Gate or the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2). In Hebrew, it is Sha'ar Harahamim, the “Gate of Mercy.” It is currently the oldest gate in the Old City, having been constructed in the 6th or 7th century AD. Also, it is the gate that gives the most direct access to the temple mount—if a person could pass through the arches of the Eastern Gate, he would be very close to where the Jewish temple used to stand. When Jesus entered Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives in Matthew 21, He used a gate in the same location as the current Eastern or Golden Gate. The Eastern Gate was sealed shut in AD 1540–41 by order of Suleiman the Magnificent, a sultan of the Ottoman Empire. It’s believed that the reason for the closing of the Eastern Gate was to prevent the Jewish Messiah from gaining entrance to Jerusalem. Jewish tradition states that the Messiah will pass through the Eastern Gate when He comes to rule. The Muslim Suleiman was attempting to thwart the Messiah’s plans with sixteen feet of cement. The Eastern Gate has remained sealed for nearly the past 500 years. It’s the sealing of Jerusalem’s Eastern Gate that has caused many students of prophecy to sit up and take notice. The book of Ezekiel contains several references to a gate that faces east. In Ezekiel 10:18–19, the prophet sees the glory of the Lord leave the temple through “the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house”; the glory then moves east of the city to the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 11:23). Later, Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord return to the temple via “the gate facing east” (Ezekiel 43:1–5). Then, in Ezekiel 44:1–2, we read of the gate being closed: “The man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. The Lord said to me, ‘This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it.’” Finally, in Ezekiel 46:12 we read that there is one person, a “prince,” who may enter via the eastern gate: “When the prince provides a freewill offering to the LORD . . . the gate facing east is to be opened for him. . . . Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.” Some interpret these passages in Ezekiel as references to the Lord Jesus Christ. The glory of the Lord coming into the temple is seen as the triumphal entry (Ezekiel 43:2; Matthew 21:1–11). The command to permanently shut the gate because the Lord has entered it (Ezekiel 44:2) is seen as a prediction of the walling-up of the Eastern Gate by the Muslims in AD 1540. And, finally, the “prince” to whom the gate will be opened (Ezekiel 46:12) is seen as Christ Himself at the second coming—the Prince of Peace will return to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) and enter Jerusalem by way of the re-opened Eastern Gate. This interpretation is popular and leads to much dramatic speculation about how and when the Eastern Gate will be unsealed. However, there are some textual problems with that interpretation. First, there is a difficulty in connecting Ezekiel’s “gate facing east” with the Eastern Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. Ezekiel specifically says the gate he saw is “the outer gate of the sanctuary” (Ezekiel 44:1); that is, it’s a gate of the temple court, not a gate of the city. Second, the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem is not the same one that Jesus rode through in His triumphal entry. The modern Eastern Gate was not constructed until centuries after the time of Christ. The original gate that Nehemiah built (and possibly dating to the time of Solomon) is underground, below the current gate, as documented by archaeologist James Fleming in 1969. It was through the lower gate (now underground) that Jesus would have entered Jerusalem in AD 30. Third, the temple that Ezekiel sees in chapters 40–47 is not the same temple that Jesus was in, and the Jerusalem he describes is quite different from the Old City of Jerusalem that we know of today. The millennial temple (the third temple) measured in Ezekiel is significantly larger than the first two temples, and the Jerusalem of the millennium will have twelve gates, not eight (Ezekiel 48:30–35). Finally, and most importantly, the “prince” in Ezekiel 46 is not the Messiah. Rather, he is the overseer of Jerusalem during the millennial kingdom. He is not Jesus, but he serves under Jesus’ authority. We know that this prince is not the Lord because he must make a sin offering for himself as well as the people: “On that day the prince is to provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land” (Ezekiel 45:22). Whoever the prince is, he is a man with a sin nature that must be atoned for. In summary, the “gate facing east” that Ezekiel describes is different from the Eastern Gate visible today in the old wall of Jerusalem. The current (sealed) gate did not exist at the time of Christ, so the Lord never entered it. The location of the earlier Eastern Gate (the one Jesus entered) is below present-day ground level, and it does not agree with the detailed description of the future temple complex as given in Ezekiel 40–42. We surmise, then, that the eastern gate of Ezekiel 44 will be part of the future millennial temple complex. It is yet to be built. How then do we interpret the coming and going of God’s glory and the closing of the eastern gate in Ezekiel’s prophecy? Like this: the prophet sees the glory of the Lord departing from the temple in chapter 10 because of the gross wickedness of the people—this is the first temple, destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Later, in chapter 43, Ezekiel sees the glory return to the temple—this is the new, enlarged temple of the millennial kingdom. In chapter 44, Ezekiel is told that the eastern temple gate “is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it” (verse 2). In other words, in the millennium the glory of the Lord will not depart from the temple. The avenue of the prior exit (to the east) is blocked, symbolizing the permanent presence of the Lord among His people. The eastern gate will only be opened on the Sabbath and the New Moon to allow for the prince to bring his sacrifices (Ezekiel 46:1–2).GotQuestions.org Luke 19:46 saying to them, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." BGT Luke 19:46 λέγων αὐτοῖς· γέγραπται· καὶ ἔσται ὁ οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς, ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτὸν ἐποιήσατε σπήλαιον λῃστῶν. KJV Luke 19:46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. NET Luke 19:46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of robbers!" CSB Luke 19:46 and He said, "It is written, My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!" ESV Luke 19:46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers." NIV Luke 19:46 "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.' " NLT Luke 19:46 He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves." NRS Luke 19:46 and he said, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers." YLT Luke 19:46 saying to them, 'It hath been written, My house is a house of prayer -- but ye made it a den of robbers.' GWN Luke 19:46 He said to them, "Scripture says, 'My house will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a gathering place for thieves." NKJ Luke 19:46 saying to them, "It is written,`My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a`den of thieves.'" Ps 93:5; Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11; Ezekiel 43:12; Hosea 12:7; Matthew 23:14 Luke 19 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 19:45-20:8 By What Authority? - Steven Cole Luke 19:45-48 The King Confronts Corruption - John MacArthur Jesus Overturns Moneychangers - video PERVERSION OF GOD'S HOUSE OF PRAYER Saying to them, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER (proseuche),' but you have made it a ROBBERS' (lestes) DEN (spelaion) - Jesus lays claim with the words "My house," the clear implication being that (1) the Temple is His and (2) He is God! Jesus once again is validating that He is indeed the long awaited Messiah of Israel as He quotes from Isaiah and Jeremiah to justify His radical actions... Isaiah 56:7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Jeremiah 7:11 “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD. Prayer (4335)(proseuche from pros = toward or immediately before + euchomai = to pray or vow) is the more general word for prayer and is used only of prayer to God. The prefix pros conveys the sense of being immediately before God and hence invokes the ideas of adoration, devotion, and worship. The basic idea of this verb is to bring something, and in prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests. In early Greek culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it be accepted. Later the idea was changed slightly, so that the thing brought to God was a prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealed to God for His presence. For believers the necessary "Offering" has been made "For there is one God, and one Mediator also between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Ti 2:5, cf Heb 7:25note "through Him") Hendriksen amplifies this thought writing "In the days of Jeremiah, too, as is proved by that prophet's famous Temple Discourse, the Jews were oppressing aliens, stealing, murdering, etc. Nevertheless, they continued to offer their sacrifices in the temple; as if such merely formalistic worship of Jehovah would do any good, and as if the very presence of the temple would protect them from the outpouring of God's wrath. It was then that Jeremiah had said, "Do not trust in lying words (DELIVERED BY FALSE PROPHETS), saying, 'The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, is this.' (Jer 7:4)... Has this house that is called by my name become a den of robbers in your eyes?" (Jer 7:11) In the days of Christ's sojourn history was repeating itself: the temple had again become "a cave of thieves," an allusion, perhaps, to the rocky caves in the hills of Judea, where thieves and robbers would often assemble (ED: THE IRONY IS THESE ROBBERS DID NOT EVEN NEED TO HIDE IN CAVES BUT BLATANTLY CONVERTED GOD'S PLACE OF WORSHIP TO A PLACE OF ROBBERY!) The thieves were crowding out the Gentiles or "nations." (Borrow Exposition of the Gospel of Luke) John Blanchard applies Jesus' actions to our life today asking "Do you have a genuine concern for the glory of God and courage in facing opposition and countering evil in today’s society?" Matthew has... And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” 12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove 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. 13 And He *said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” 14 (FOLLOWING IS NOT IN LUKE'S GOSPEL) And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna (Mt 21:9, Mk 11:9-10, Jn 12:13) to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” (Mt 21:11-16a) Comment: The children knew the Scriptures better than the religious leaders, because they acknowledged Jesus as the "Son of David" (cf Bartimaeus the Blind Beggar in Lk 18:38-39+, the only place in Luke where someone uses this clear Messianic title.) The Pharisees did not want to see Jesus acknowledged as the Messiah! How ironic that only those who were little children (and like little children Lk 18:16-17+) and the one who was physically blind could "see" Jesus' true identity as the promised Messiah! Mark's description (Mk 11:17) is more complete as he adds the words "for all the nations" to "House of prayer." Nations is synonymous with "Gentiles" which has great spiritual significance for as Luke records in (Acts 13:47+ quoting Isaiah 42:6) God "commissioned" the Nation of Israel to be a light to the Gentiles (Nations) declaring "I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’” In large measure, sadly the Jews rejected and/or ignored their divine commission throughout the centuries. Can you imagine a Gentile wanting to worship God in the Court of the Gentiles which had become a veritable stockyard! The commission to be a light for the Gentiles would soon be given to a smaller number of select Jews (e.g., see Paul - Acts 26:17-18+). And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”