The Royal Treasury

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The Royal Treasury

“These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.” John 8:20

The first impression from films and story tellers is that Jesus was seated somewhere in the commons as an itinerant preacher teaching the people about religion or Church when he spoke to the Pharisees. The word treasury in in John 8 is from two words meaning “the royal treasury” and “guarded vault or chamber”. This all took place in the gazophulakion, the royal treasury.

There are a number of misconceptions concerning what is taking place and where it all took place within that text. Jesus was in the repository of the public treasury which was the Royal vault. Very few people were allowed in there for security reasons if nothing else. It contained millions of dollars in silver deposited in large chests which held the collected contributions of the citizenry for the running of the government and even the support of the poor. This was a kingdom, a government.

Unfortunately it had severely strayed from what God’s government was supposed to be. They were again returning to the bondage of Egypt. From John to Jesus the people were being called to repentance in Christ’s Kingdom of God at hand.

In this high security area, there were also some luxurious apartments used by the priests who held the office of trust within this government. These men guarded these central funds and their position of power over them. They did not like the idea that this Jesus was by His gospel of the kingdom altering things. They preferred the status quo of their power and wealth.

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.” Mark 12:41

Jesus, as the king, had been observing the practices and procedures in the public treasury.³¹⁷ The words ‘over against’ were from katenanti which was a metaphor meaning “before one i.e. he being judge”. He, as proclaimed king, had already begun to instruct the men within the royal treasury. “Jesus … came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.” John 8:2

There are numerous words translated into set in the New Testament including kathemai, epitithemi, paratithemi, histemi, duno, anakeimai, anapipto among others but the words sat down in John 8:2 is kathizo which is defined, “to set, appoint, to confer a kingdom on one.”³¹⁸

Jesus was already on the throne and king of His kingdom. Thousands of people had already accepted him as king. The Romans even recognized His legitimate claim to the throne, though His kingdom was not a part of their constitutional system.³¹⁹ Rome lacked lawful judicial jurisdiction over Jesus or His kingdom.

“And would not suffer that any man should carry [any] vessel through the temple.” Mark 11:16

Jesus was the most popular king in centuries. It should also be noted that the word translated any man is far more often translated certain or some men. There is some confusion as to what these vessels were. Were the vessels for the blood of sacrificed animals, collecting ashes, or carrying water? Were they used to move or remove funds? Or were the vessels “keylam” or “keylim shel milchamah” as some suggest, instruments of war or weapons?

I have never found a definitive answer as to what Christ was forbidding. Did He freeze the temple funds? Order the soldiers to stop collecting the contribution by force of arms? We know Jesus was not very popular with many of the soldiers because he would surely disband the paid military. A professional army, accumulating gold or silver in the central treasury, the making of treaties or to do anything that returned the people to the bondage of Egypt was strictly forbidden in the law of given by Moses.³²⁰

Christ had been swept into the vacant office of king by popular support. There was opposition, and there had been a history of violence and insurrection surrounding this office since the days of Aristobolus. It was clear that His family and friends feared for his life. Yet, Jesus assumed the role of King and fulfilled the functions of the office. He could not be like the benefactors of other nations who exercised authority one over the other. Hyrcanus would not appeal to the Roman military to drive Aristobolus out of the temple, and Jesus would not resort to armed men doing the same with the corrupt factions within the royal treasury and temple. Did he forbid some men to carry arms in the temple?

It would be interesting to know, but probably the more important thing is that whatever these vessels were, Jesus commanded in the halls of government that at least some men were not to carry them any more within the temple.

Jesus was acting with authority of the king in the heart of the Judean government, because He was the King in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

• 317Gazophulakion a repository of treasure, especially of public treasure.

• 3182523 kathizo another (active) form for 2516; AV-sit 26, sit down 14, set 2, be set 2, be set down 2, continue 1, tarry 1; 48 1) to make to sit down 1a) to set, appoint, to confer a kingdom on one 2) intransitively

• 319John 18:36 “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. The word world is defined “an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government”. The kingdom was not apart of Pilote’s constitutional system.

• 320Deuteronomy 17:16...

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