And the temple of God was opened in heaven
The temple at Jerusalem, to which the allusion is, was the place
of public worship; this, in times of idolatry, was shut up, and
fell to decay; and when there was a reformation its doors were
opened, and that repaired; and to this the reference seems to be;
and the sense is, that at this time the pure worship of God will
be restored, and there will be a free and uninterrupted exercise
of it; the temple will be open to all; here everyone may come,
and sit, and worship without fear; churches will now be formed
according to the original plan, and primitive order and
institution of them; and the laws of Christ concerning the
admission, regulation, and exclusion of members, will be
carefully and punctually observed; the ordinances of Christ will
be kept, as they were first delivered, and be purged from all the
corruptions introduced by Papists or retained by Protestants; the
ordinance of the Lord's supper will be freed from the senseless
notions of transubstantiation and consubstantiation, and from all
vain and impertinent rites and ceremonies that attend it; and the
ordinance of baptism will be administered, both as to mode and
subject, according to the word of God, as well as be cleared from
the superstitious rites of the sign of the cross, chrism, spittle
in short, all external worship will be pure, plain, and
evangelical: hence it appears, that by this temple is not meant
the church triumphant, and the happiness of the saints in heaven,
as becoming visible, not even the new Jerusalem church state, or
the personal reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years; for
in that state there will be no temple at all, nor will the saints
then need the sun, or moon of Gospel ordinances, ( Revelation
21:22 Revelation
21:23 ) ;
and there was seen in his temple the ark of his
testament:
the ark was a chest, in which the covenant or tables of the law
were put; upon it was the mercy seat, and over that the cherubim
of glory, shadowing it; between which were the seat of the divine
Majesty; this ark stood in the holy of holies, and was seen only
by the high priest once a year, and was covered with a covering
vail, ( Numbers
4:5 ) ; it was wanting in the second temple F23; to
this the allusion is here; (See Gill on Hebrews
9:4). Now in this spiritual Gospel church state, through
the pure ministry of the word, and the faithful administration of
ordinances, the mysteries of the Gospel, into which angels desire
to look, signified by the cherubim over the mercy seat, will be
clearly revealed to all Christians, Jews and Gentiles;
particularly to the former, from whom they have been hid; the
vail that is over their hearts will then be done away, when they
shall be turned to the Lord; and indeed the vail which is overall
people will then be removed; and those truths which have been so
much obscured by antichrist will be clearly seen; and especially
the Lord Jesus Christ, the antitype of the ark, in whom are hid
the treasures of wisdom; by whom the law, and the two tables of
it, are fulfilled; and in whom they are pure and perfect; and by
whom the covenant of grace is ratified and confirmed; and in whom
it is sure; and through whom God is propitious to his people, and
grants them communion with him; he will be visibly held forth in
the ministry of the word; and be seen in the glory of his person,
and offices, and grace; who has been so long and greatly hid, and
kept out of sight by Popish and Mahometan darkness;
and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and
an
earthquake, and great hail;
which may be understood of the vials of God's wrath, that will be
poured out upon the pope and Turk; which though mentioned last,
will be first, and make way for this spiritual state;
particularly the things here spoken of may be compared with what
will be at the pouring out of the seventh vial, ( Revelation
16:18 Revelation
16:21 ) ; or this may design the powerful "voices", and clear
ministrations of the Gospel, and the efficacy of them at this
time; which, like "thunders", will awaken the consciences of men,
and, like "earthquakes", will make them shake and tremble, and
cry out, what shall we do to be saved? and as "lightnings"
illuminate their understandings, and give them a clear discerning
of divine things; and as "hail" beat down all self-righteousness
and self-confidence, and all errors, heresies, superstition, and
will worship. Though I suspect, that these several things are
expressive of the change and revolution that will be made after a
time, in this happy and comfortable state; and that the cold,
which generally attends an hail storm, represents that coldness
and lukewarmness, into which the churches of Christ will again
sink, expressed in the Laodicean church state, in which condition
Christ will find them when he personally appears; so that the
seven seals, with the seven trumpets, bring us exactly to the
same period of time as the seven churches do.
``And they took all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, with the vessels of the ark of God, and the king's treasures, and carried them away into Babylon.'' (1 Esdras 1:54)
``4 And open your hearts in his law and commandments, and send you peace, 5 And hear your prayers, and be at one with you, and never forsake you in time of trouble.'' (2 Maccabees 1)