As most know, Christ was crucified and resurrected during the week of Passover (Easter).  It is not my intention to discuss these holidays.  Rather, we will contemplate why Jesus was crucified OUTSIDE the gates of Jerusalem.

Regarding Jesus' crucifixion outside the city, the Nelson Study Bible says the following about Hebrews 13:10-16, "To be outside the gate was considered a disgrace to Jews because it meant being separated from the community.  The author exhorts his readers to take Christ's reproach or disgrace...  In essence, the author's command to go forth to Christ was a command to abandon Judaism.  Anyone found in Christ -- outside of the city gate -- would be considered outside the Jewish community." 

Spiritually, Christ's crucifixion outside the walls of Jerusalem indicated much more than disgrace and separation from the community.  God has revealed to me that it symbolized Jesus Christ's Spiritual separation from His Father, for our sake.  This is why we are told "to go forth to Him".  We are to join Him as one in His reproach, because originally it was our reproach to bear.

Outside The Camp

The Garden In Eden...
The garden typically referred to as the Garden of Eden, was actually a garden in a land called Eden.  Genesis 2:8 makes this clear, "The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. (NKJ) 

I find it very interesting that the Hebrew word translated as 'garden' is literally defined as, "a garden (AS FENCED)".  This word comes from the Hebrew word 'ganan', which means "TO HEDGE ABOUT, i.e. (generally) PROTECT: KJV-- DEFEND."  As we proceed, my interest in this will become more obvious.

As we know Adam and Eve were removed from the garden after eating the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL.  They knew God, therefore, they already knew Good; and they chose to KNOW evil.   Today, the situation is just the opposite.  We KNOW evil, and must choose to KNOW GOD, who is all GOOD. 

In Genesis 2:5-8 we are told that Adam was formed from the dust of the ground IN THE FIELD; and THEN placed by the LORD God in the Garden in Eden.   "the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground...And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  And {then} the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed."  (KJV)

The LORD God placed Adam, and later Eve, in a garden fenced with a hedge.  He did this in order to protect and defend them from all that was 'formed' in the field.  This is evident when we read that all other breathing creatures remained in the field; and after their formation they were brought to Adam to name.    "Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.  And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.  So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast OF THE FIELD..." (Gen 2:19-20; NKJ)

Evil existed OUTSIDE the Garden.  How do we know that the formation OUTSIDE of God's hedged, protected and defended garden possessed evil?  Genesis 3:1-3 proves this saying, 'Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast OF THE FIELD which the LORD God had made.'  And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree OF THE GARDEN?'    And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees OF THE GARDEN; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst OF THE GARDEN, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die'" (NKJ).

The scriptures convince the reader that the FIELD is separated from the GARDEN in Eden.  God has always desired His chosen people to be completely separated from evil.  He has always maintained a spiritual, if not a physical, FENCED, HEDGED, PROTECTED and DEFENDED home for His Beloveds; and He will always continue to do so.

When Adam and Eve choose evil over God's goodness they were moved from the garden to the field's dust, from which they came:    (Gen 3:22-24) "Then the LORD God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to KNOW GOOD AND EVIL. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever'... therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground {the field outside the garden} from which he was taken.  So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.  (NKJ)

The fact that man was returned to the field (dust) that he was formed from, is corroborated in Genesis 3:17-19, "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb OF THE FIELD; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.  (KJV)

Due to sin, Adam and Eve were the first to be moved OUTSIDE the fenced, hedged, protected and defended camp, city, tabernacle and temple of God.

The Old Testament...
As God led His chosen people, Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, He quickly established the Mosaic Law, and the 'outside the camp (wall, city)' discipline.

In Numbers 5:2-3, the LORD explained to Moses why He instituted this ordinance, "Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN BECAUSE OF A DEAD BODY.  Send away male and female alike; SEND THEM OUTSIDE THE CAMP SO THEY WILL NOT DEFILE [foul in a religious sense: unclean (Strong's Conc.)] THEIR CAMP, WHERE I LIVE AMONG THEM." 

At this time God's dwelling place was within a tent, a Tabernacle.  Later He would reside in a permanent structure, the Temple.  God was literally living amongst the Israelites.   For this reason, God insisted that all things that would defile Israel's camp be moved to OUTSIDE the camp's parameters.  Today, because of Christ's death and resurrection, we are the Temple, the dwelling place of God.   (John 2:20-21)

Though I have not listed all the various Mosaic Laws this punishment was associated with, please notice the many various reasons it was imposed:

Sin (Breaking God's Law) -  Foreshadowing Christ's Law Fulfilled In Us...
(Num 15:32-35)  "Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.  And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.  They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.  Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones OUTSIDE THE CAMP."  (NKJ)

Sin (Cursing) - Foreshadowing Christ's Law Fulfilled In Us...
(Lev 24:14) "Take OUTSIDE THE CAMP him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.  (NKJ)

Sickness - Foreshadowing Christ's Healing For Our Physical Body...
(Lev 13:45-46) "Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!'   He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be OUTSIDE THE CAMP". (NKJ)

Atonement - Foreshadowing Christ's Atonement...
(Exod 29:10) "You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull... But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire OUTSIDE THE CAMP. It is a sin offering. (NKJ)

(Lev 16:26-28)  "And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.   The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, SHALL BE CARRIED OUTSIDE THE CAMP.   And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal.   Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and AFTERWARD HE MAY COME INSIDE THE CAMP.  (NKJ)

(Lev 4:2-12)  "Say to the people of Israel, If any one sins unwittingly in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them, if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer for the sin which he has committed a young bull without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering. He shall bring the bull to the door of the (*) TENT OF MEETING before the LORD, and lay his hand on the head of the bull, and kill the bull before the LORD.   And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the TENT OF MEETING; and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the LORD in front of the (*) VEIL of the sanctuary.  And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the LORD which is in the TENT OF MEETING, and the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the door of the TENT OF MEETING... THE WHOLE BULL HE SHALL CARRY FORTH OUTSIDE THE CAMP to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, AND SHALL BURN IT ON A FIRE OF WOOD; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned. 

In every instance, God's original intent for the Tabernacle and Temple is evident.  It is a place where God meets with man.  Did you notice that in all the verses, above, the sacrificial animal's flesh etc. was burned in fire.  Our 'old man', our flesh, is also burned and removed through Jesus Christ.   This is known as the FIRE BAPTISM.

The above verses serve as only a few examples of how the 'outside' discipline was enforced; however, we are able to grasp the reason behind it.  The Bible tells us that God inhabited the Tabernacle, and Holy of Holies within the Temple.  God instituted this discipline so that sin and sickness would not defile His Home. 

Once a year the High Priest would 'enter-in' to the Holy of Holies, to seek and make a blood atonement for God's people, Israel.  Concerning the Holy of Holies, New Unger's Bible Dictionary tells us, "Between the cherubim was the Shekinah (Heb. shekina, "RESIDENCE"), the cloud in which Jehovah appeared above the Mercy Seat <Exo. 25:22; cf. Lev. 16:2>. It was not the cloud of incense <16:13>, but the manifest appearance of the divine glory. Because Jehovah manifested His essential presence in this cloud, not only could no unclean and sinful man go before the Mercy Seat, i.e., approach the holiness of the all-holy God, but even the anointed high priest, if he went before it at his own pleasure, or without the expiatory blood of sacrifice, would expose himself to certain death."

Jesus became sin and sickness for us.  You can quickly see why Jesus Christ, who became our sin and sickness, was not within God's law of acceptance; and therefore, was removed both physically and spiritually from God's presence through death.  He received mankind's DEATH PENALTY 'OUTSIDE' THE CITY WALLS.  This is why Jesus' last statement before entering Hades was, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You FORSAKEN Me?"  (Mark 15:34; NKJ) 

God, The Temple and Jerusalem...
In the minds of Israel, God, His Temple and Jerusalem became one.  In much the same way, Christians believe this also.  We know that our body is a Temple of God; and His Holy Spirit lives within us.  We also understand that the Bible teaches us that God our Father and Christ Jesus are the Temple in New Jerusalem.  Through God's Holy Spirit, we become members in Christ's Bride, who is the New Jerusalem.

We have become as Jesus, when He said, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me..." (John 14:9-11; NKJ); and "See Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (John 14:19-20; NKJ)

The Nation Of Israel At The Time Of Christ's Crucifixion...
At the time Jesus was crucified, the nation of Israel was lost; and only the tribe of Judah remained.  This remnant was absorbed in idolatry, caused through lust and greed.  They were so consumed by the world around them, and their own traditions and religious beliefs that they failed to recognize their Savior, their long awaited King.  Pray, that we as Christians do not fail the same test.

God's people were not righteous; but rather SELF righteous.  They were not 'in love' with their brothers and sisters as God is; but instead they were consumed with SELF love and gratification.  God's concerns were no longer their concerns, they were SELF concerned.  Their ambitions were not to further God's Goodness and Holiness on earth.  They were ambitious for themSELVES and consumed in both worldly greed and the lusts of the flesh.  Yet, in their pious minds they saw themselves as greater in righteousness and holiness than Jesus.  They saw Jesus' TRUTH as a threat to their well established WORLDLY beliefs, their traditions and their religion.

Israel's minds were so blinded by evil that they failed to see their true state of existence; and then repent.   Instead, they attempted to eliminate Jesus Christ, who caused them to see their true image and nature.  They murdered their Savior, the Son of God. 

Just as Cain murdered Abel outside the walls of the Garden in Eden, mankind killed Jesus Christ outside the walls of Jerusalem.  "Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the FIELD {outside the garden}, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him"  (Gen 4:8; NKJ). 

Referring to satan's works through Cain, Jesus said to the Jews, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning...  (John 8:44; NKJ)

As we have read, all that was evil and imperfect was taken outside the walls of the city or camp.  On the day of Christ's crucifixion the opposite was true.  Just as the original 'TENT OF MEETING' was placed OUTSIDE the camp, Jesus, the embodiment of God on earth, dwelt outside Jerusalem.  God's Holiness was crucified OUTSIDE the city walls, while Israel's evil remained WITHIN the walls.  

It was 'outside  the walls' of the city, away from the perversion of God's faith and Israel's false religious teachings, that Jesus Christ suffered in behalf of mankind.  He was murdered in the 'world' by those He was in covenant with, by those God represented as High Priest. 

The Bible calls Jesus Christ our High Priest (Heb 4:14; 6:20).   As our High Priest, making atonement for mankind, He appeared before God bearing man's sin.  Just as the High Priest in Israel's Temple, He "exposed Himself to certain death" for our sakes.     In our stead Christ was crucified OUTSIDE the walls of Jerusalem.  He willingly accepted man's DEATH PENALTY because it was His Father's Will.  As Jesus became consumed in our sin, and unclean before God, His God separated Himself from Him.  Through Jesus' act of selflessness we were given Christ Jesus' righteousness, and received God's Will for us.  He now lives WITHIN us; and we live WITHIN Him.

Upon Christ's crucifixion, Israel had come full circle.  The external law had not taken God's people into God's righteousness.   Only the death and resurrection of God Himself, in their place, could do that.  Evil had taken God's people back to where they had begun.  On this day, Israel went 'OUTSIDE' the camp to meet with God. 

Just as Israel's original tent of worship had been placed OUTSIDE Israel's camp parameters, Jesus, God's Holiness, dwelt 'outside' the walls of Jerusalem on Christ's day of crucifixion.  God's righteousness, holiness and glory remained OUTSIDE, while the unclean and sinful dwelt within the camp on Jesus' crucifixion day.

The New Israel and The Temple Of God...
Nelson's Bible Dictionary teaches us the following, "He {Jesus Christ} taught that everything in it {the Temple} was holy because of the sanctifying PRESENCE OF GOD <Matt. 23:17,21>...  Jesus taught that the church <Matt. 16:18> is the new, eschatological temple <Matt. 18:19-20; John 14:23>." 

Of course, the church of Christ is His Body members.  "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body..." (1 Cor 12:12-13; KJV); and "He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence". (Col 1:18; KJV)

Nelson's continues, "By His death, Jesus opened A NEW WAY INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD.  A new order replaced the old. No longer was the Temple in Jerusalem to be the place where men worshiped God. From now on they would worship Him "in spirit and truth" <John 4:21-24>...  Jesus Himself is the chief cornerstone of the building and so gives it shape and character... The building is holy because it is growing 'in the Lord'... and because God dwells there in the Spirit... 'Lord,' 'God,' and 'Spirit' define this new temple in a trinitarian fashion. The metaphors of God's new people being a temple ('building') and being a body ("growing") are blended in.

In a similar way, Peter used the word house to describe Christians as members of a new, spiritual temple <1 Pet. 2:4-10>. Christ is the chief cornerstone,... a 'living stone, rejected... by men, but chosen by God and precious'... Like Christ, Christians are 'living stones' who are being built into a 'spiritual house,' or temple... The metaphor of the 'spiritual house' is combined with that of the 'holy priesthood' that offers 'spiritual sacrifices'... And this 'royal priesthood' of believers is a 'holy nation,' God's new people who proclaim His praises..., THE NEW ISRAEL <Ex. 19:6>.

In addition to understanding the church as the new, spiritual temple of God on earth that replaced the Temple in Jerusalem, the New Testament alludes to a heavenly temple in whose life the church participates.... The Temple in Jerusalem was only a 'copy and shadow,' a type, of the true temple, which is in heaven <Heb. 8:5>. Therefore the true, heavenly sanctuary into which Christ has entered on our behalf is better than its earthly copy <9:24>. BECAUSE CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST DWELLS IN THIS HEAVENLY SANCTUARY <9:24; 10:12; 19-22>, WE CAN ENTER THE HEAVENLY HOLY OF HOLIES AND PARTICIPATE IN THE WORSHIP OF THE {Spiritual} HEAVENLY TEMPLE  <10:19-22; 12:18-24>. The author appears to define the heavenly temple as "the general assembly and church of the firstborn <12:23>..."  (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Each individual Christian's body is the PHYSICAL Temple of God.  Christ righteousness 'enters-in' and God's law is fulfilled in us.  "Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, THAT WE, having died to sins, MIGHT LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS -- by whose stripes you were healed.  (1 Pet 2:24; NKJ)

Christ 'enters-in', and is God's law fulfilled within our spirit, heart, mind and body.  Through His Spirit, His nature, the law of God is not only exercised, but is completed in us.  In His image, with His nature living in us through His Holy Spirit, we desire, and are able to do what God previously called the Law.  Thus, we enter the Kingdom of God, and the one true church of Christ Jesus, now.  We become separated from the world of sin.

Our Future Temple...
In Revelations we are shown the city New Jerusalem.  We are also told that God Himself is the Temple in NEW Jerusalem. 

We look forward to a perfect society in which man and God will be one.   "In the new heaven and earth "the tabernacle of God" will be "with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God <21:3>". (Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Separation of Good and Evil At The Gates Of The City...
God teaches us in Revelations 21:7-8, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  (NKJ)

God goes on to say, "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may ENTER THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY.  But OUTSIDE are dogs {impure, profane people; Gentile {unsaved}; Unger's Bible Dict.} and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie." (Rev 22:14-15; NKJ)

God continues to separate GOOD and EVIL in our future Kingdom.   He tells us that those who do God's commandments, and therefore overcome through Jesus Christ, are His Son.  These will ENTER THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY of New Jerusalem.  

But OUTSIDE THE CITY GATES are the dogs, cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all who love and practice lies.   They "shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

We enter through the gates, door, into the Kingdom of God now, not later.  Jesus is the door and gate we enter through.   "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and WILL GO IN AND OUT AND FIND PASTURE" (John 10:9; NKJ).   When we live within the Spirit of God we are already members in New Jerusalem.  Luke 17:21 teaches us this, "For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you." We are truly separated from the world who killed their Savior, our brother.

All who are in the Bride, are members in Jesus Christ's Body, AND have had their hearts circumcised through His Holy Spirit.  The Bride consists of all individuals filled with God's Holy Spirit. These are those who in their spirits, hearts, minds and bodies have become separated from the world of sin and evil. 

By choice, those of the world stand OUTSIDE the walls that God has placed around His children.   Through Jesus Christ, God's chosen people are NOW separated from world of evil.   God fences in, protects and defends His Children now, and forever.

God indeed, begins building His Temple, His congregation, from within Himself.   He reaches OUTSIDE Himself, the eternal Temple, towards man.  Plucking individuals from the EXTERNAL WORLD, He separates, loves and Comforts us into our new residency WITHIN the walls of His Spirit, His Temple, His Bride, His New Jerusalem. 

 E-Mail