Readings: Tisha b’Av (9th of Av)

Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of Israel’s month of Av (typically, July/August), is a solemn day of mourning in Judaism, commemorating major tragedies in Jewish history. Historically, it marks events such as:

• The destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.
• The destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in A.D. 70.
• Other calamities, including the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 and the fall of Jerusalem during the First Crusade.

In Jewish tradition, Tisha B’Av is observed with fasting, prayer, and reading the Book of Lamentations, reflecting on suffering and exile. The day emphasizes repentance and hope for redemption, often linked to the future restoration of the Temple and the coming of the Messiah.

Readings

• Lamentations 1–5
• Deuteronomy 4:25-40
• Jeremiah 8:13-9:24

Messianic significance

Tisha B’Av carries profound significance through the lens of Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah. Here are some of the layers of meaning:

Yeshua as the Tabernacle and Temple

The Gospel of John states, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14), portraying Yeshua as the divine presence dwelling among humanity, akin to the Tabernacle or Temple. His declaration that His body is the Temple, “rebuilt in three days” (John 2:19-21), signifies His death and resurrection as the fulfillment and transcendence of the physical Temple’s role in atonement and divine presence.

Believers as temples and living stones

The apostle Paul teaches that the bodies of believers are “temples of the Ruach haQodesh” (Holy Spirit; 1Corinthians 6:19), indicating that God’s presence dwells within each believer, making them living sanctuaries. Similarly, the apostle Shimon Kefa (Simon Peter) describes believers as “living stones” built into a spiritual house for Adonai (1Peter 2:5), forming a collective, living Temple dedicated to God’s service.

Prophetic hope and fulfillment

The prophets Haggai and Zechariah envisioned the Temple’s restoration after the Babylonian exile, a hope partially fulfilled by Ezra, Nehemiah and Zerubbabel and by Herod the Great, but filled to its fullness in Yeshua, who embodies the divine-human connection.

“The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,” says the LORD of hosts, “and in this place I will give peace,” declares the LORD of hosts.

Haggai 2:9 NASB

Ezekiel’s vision of a future temple (Ezekiel 40–48), notably lacking an Ark of the Covenant, suggests a shift from physical symbols to direct divine presence, fulfilled through Yeshua as the ultimate atonement.

New Jerusalem and ultimate fulfillment

The Book of Revelation describes the New Jerusalem with no temple, as “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22). This underscores the Messianic hope that Yeshua’s presence, alongside believers as living temples, fills full the purpose of a physical Tabernacle/Temple, for Adonai to dwell in the midst of His people. Ultimately, the throne of Adonai and the Lamb bring Elohim’s eternal dwelling to be among humanity through the Ruach haQodesh.

For believers, Tisha B’Av is a time to mourn historical losses while celebrating the spiritual restoration and future hope brought by Yeshua the Lamb, and the indwelling of the Ruach haQodesh in believers as “living stones.”

Why is there no ark in Ezekiel’s temple?

The consensus among sages and scholars is that Ezekiel’s temple (Ezekiel 40–48) lacks an explicit reference to the Ark of the Covenant, likely indicating a theological shift toward a direct, unmediated divine presence in the messianic era. Jewish traditions emphasize God’s glory and internalized covenant, while Christian and Messianic interpretations see the Ark’s role fulfilled in Yeshua and believers as living temples. The absence underscores a transformation in how God’s presence and covenant are experienced, aligning with Ezekiel’s vision of restoration and divine closeness.

Scholars and sages propose several reasons for the Ark’s absence in Ezekiel’s temple:

1. Shift to direct divine presence: Ezekiel’s vision emphasizes God’s glory filling the temple (Ezekiel 43:4–5), suggesting that the Ark, as a mediator of God’s presence, is no longer necessary in a time of direct divine communion.
2. New Covenant emphasis: Ezekiel’s prophecy of a “new heart” and “new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26–27) implies an internalized covenant, reducing the need for physical symbols like the Ark, which held the tablets of the Law.
3. Messianic fulfillment: In both Jewish and Messianic views, the messianic era redefines how God’s presence and atonement are accessed. For Jewish scholars, this is through universal knowledge of God; for Christians and Messianics, it is through Yeshua’s atonement and the indwelling Spirit.
4. Historical context: Ezekiel’s vision was given during the Babylonian exile, when the Ark was likely hidden or lost (2Chronicles 35:3; Talmud Yoma 21b). Its omission may reflect the historical reality and a theological shift toward a future without reliance on the Ark.

Talmudic perspective: The Babylonian Talmud (Yoma 21b) states that the Ark of the Covenant was hidden by King Josiah before the destruction of the First Temple and was not present in the Second Temple. Some sages extend this to Ezekiel’s vision, suggesting the absence of the Ark in the future temple indicates a shift in how God’s presence (Shekhinah) is manifested. Instead of being confined to the Ark, God’s glory fills the temple directly (Ezekiel 43:2–5).

Rashi (11th-century commentator): Rashi notes that Ezekiel’s detailed description of the temple omits the Ark, implying that the divine presence itself, rather than a physical object, would be central in the messianic era. He connects this to the idea that God’s glory would no longer require a physical container.

Maimonides (Rambam): In his Mishneh Torah (Laws of the Temple), Maimonides does not explicitly address the Ark in Ezekiel’s temple but emphasizes that the temple’s purpose is to facilitate divine worship and atonement. The absence of the Ark suggests that sacrifices and rituals in Ezekiel’s temple would focus on spiritual connection rather than physical symbols.

Midrashic tradition: Some midrashim (e.g., Tanchuma, Terumah) suggest that in the messianic age, the need for the Ark as a physical representation of God’s covenant will be obsolete, as God’s presence will be universally evident. Ezekiel’s temple, with its focus on divine glory (Ezekiel 43:4), supports this view.

Symbolic or hidden ark

Some traditional sources propose that the Ark might be present in Ezekiel’s temple but is not mentioned explicitly because it is hidden or its role is diminished. The Zohar (mystical Jewish text) suggests that the Ark’s spiritual essence remains, even if not physically present, as the covenant it represents is eternal.

Modern Jewish scholars

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: Sacks argues that Ezekiel’s omission of the Ark reflects a theological shift toward a more universal and direct experience of God. The Ark, as a localized symbol, is less necessary in a vision where God’s presence is pervasive, aligning with the messianic ideal of universal knowledge of God (Ezekiel 36:23).

Dr. Israel Knohl (biblical scholar): Knohl suggests that Ezekiel’s temple vision emphasizes ritual purity and divine order over physical symbols like the Ark. The absence may indicate a new covenantal relationship where God’s law is internalized (Ezekiel 36:26–27), reducing the need for the Ark as a mediator.

Professor Jon D. Levenson: In Theology of the Program of Restoration of Ezekiel 40–48, Levenson notes that the Ark’s absence could signify that the temple itself, filled with God’s glory, becomes the locus of divine presence, rendering the Ark redundant. He connects this to Ezekiel’s focus on God’s return to the temple (Ezekiel 43:1–5).

Christian and Messianic perspectives

Absence as fulfilled in Yeshua

Christian scholars, such as G.K. Beale (The Temple and the Church’s Mission), argue that the Ark’s absence in Ezekiel’s temple points to its fulfillment in Jesus, who embodies the covenant and God’s presence (John 1:14). The Ark, as the seat of atonement, is seen as obsolete because Jesus’ sacrifice fulfills its purpose (Hebrews 9:11–12).

Messianic Jewish scholars, like Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, interpret the lack of an Ark as evidence that Yeshua, as the ultimate atonement, replaces the need for the Ark’s mercy seat. The temple in Ezekiel’s vision is seen as a future, literal structure in the Messianic Kingdom, where Yeshua’s presence fulfills the Ark’s role.

Believers as the new Ark

Drawing from Paul’s teaching that believers are “temples of the Holy Spirit” (1Corinthians 6:19), some Messianic and Christian scholars suggest that the Ark’s absence reflects the internalization of God’s covenant in believers’ hearts, as prophesied in Ezekiel 36:26–27 (cp. Jeremiah 31:31–34). The Ark’s role as the container of God’s law is fulfilled by the indwelling Spirit.