temple

King David, was disturbed to see the Tabernacle placed in the tent, while he was residing in the palace. He tells Prophet Nathan about his will to build a house for God.

2 Samuel 7:1 “Do you not see that I live in a house of cedar, and that the ark of God has been placed in the midst of tent skins?”

For which God replied through the Prophet

2 Samuel 7:2-17 “Thus says the Lord: Should you build a house for me as a dwelling place? For I have not lived in a house from the day that I led the sons of Israel away from the land of Egypt, even to this day. Instead, I have walked in a tabernacle, and in a tent. And in all the places that I have crossed through, with all the sons of Israel, did I ever speak a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I instructed to pasture my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ ……… And the Lord foretells to you that the Lord himself will make a house for you. And when your days will have been fulfilled, and you will sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will go forth from your loins, and I will make firm his kingdom. He himself shall build a house to my name. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom, even forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.…….And your house shall be faithful and your kingdom shall be before your face, for eternity, and your throne shall be secure continuously.’

History of the Tabernacle

After calling Moses, through a private revelation, he was appointed by God to lead His people to the Promised Land. The first public appearance for the Children of Israel was at Mount Sinai – Exodus 19:11 “For on the third day, the Lord will descend, in the sight of all the people, over MountSinai.” That was frightful experience for them. However, God decides to reside with them and asks Moses to make a tabernacle or ark as a dwelling place for Him.

Exodus 25:8, 9 And they shall make a sanctuary for me, and I will live in their midst. According to exact likeness of the tabernacle, and all of the vessels for its rituals, that I will reveal to you, so shall you make it.”

Bezalel was selected to construct the Tabernacle, as described by God to Moses, through the voluntary offerings of the Israelites. All the Israelites happily donated as there was no doubt regarding the public revelation they received at Mount Sinai.

Exodus 35:29-33“All the sons of Israel dedicated voluntary offerings to the Lord. And Moses said to the sons of Israel: “Behold, the Lord has called by name Bezalel…….”

The chapter of Exodus ends with the completion of Tabernacle and the Glory of God residing in it guiding the Israel to the Promised Land.

Exodus 40:32-36 “After all these things were perfected, the cloud covered the tabernacle of the testimony, and the glory of the Lord filled it. Neither could Moses enter the covering of the covenant: the cloud was covering all things, and the majesty of the Lord was flashing. For the cloud had covered everything. Whenever the cloud departed from the tabernacle, the sons of Israel set out by their companies. But if it remained hanging over it, they remained in the same place. Certainly, the cloud of the Lord lay over the tabernacle by day, and the fire by night, being seen by all the people of Israel throughout all their resting places.”

After the death of Moses, the Tabernacle was the source of power and guidance for the Israelites under the leader ship of Joshua and others.

Joshua 3:13 “And when the priests who are carrying the ark of the Lord, the God of the entire earth, will have placed the steps of their feet in the waters of the Jordan, the waters that are lower will run down and pass away, and those that are approaching above will stand together in a mass.”

King Solomon in charge of building the Temple.

King David arranged all the materials needed to build the temple and Solomon was selected by God to complete the task.

1 chronicles 22: 6-19 “And he called for Solomon, his son. And he instructed him to build a house to the Lord, the God of Israel. And David said to Solomon: “My son, it was my will that I build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘You have shed much blood, and you have battled in many wars. You are not able to build a house to my name, so great was the shedding of blood before me. ……….And I have prepared the timber and the stones for the entire project. Also, you have very many artisans: stoneworkers, and builders of walls, and craftsmen of wood, and those most prudent in doing the work of every art, with gold and silver, and with brass and iron, of which there is no number. Therefore, rise up and act. ……….and build a sanctuary to the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the vessels consecrated to the Lord, may be brought into the house that is built to the name of the Lord.”

King Solomon started building the Temple in the year B.C 967 and completed it in year B.C 957. After completing, Solomon got the second revelation from God.

2 Kings 9: 2-9 And the Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your petition, which you prayed before me. I have sanctified this house, which you have built, so that I may place my name there forever, and so that my eyes and my heart will be there for all days. Also, if you will walk before me, just as your father walked, in simplicity of heart and in equity, and you do all that I have instructed to you, and you keep my laws and my judgments, then I will set the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised your father David, saying: ‘A man from your stock shall not be taken away from the throne of Israel. But if you and your sons, wandering, will have turned away, not following me, and not keeping my commandments and my ceremonies, which I have proposed to you, but instead you go away, and you serve strange gods and adore them, then I will take away Israel from the face of the land, which I have given to them. And the temple, which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast out from my sight. And Israel will be a proverb and a parable among all the peoples. And this house will become an example: anyone who passes by it will be stupefied, and he will hiss and say, ‘Why has the Lord acted in this way to this land and to this house?’ And they will respond: ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God, who led their fathers away from the land of Egypt, and they followed strange gods, and they adored them and served them. For this reason, the Lord led all this evil over them.”

The temple built by Solomon was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon in the year 586 B.C. The temple was desolate for 70 years and rebuilt in the year 515 B.C as prophesied by Jeremiah. It was again desecrated by the Greek king Anthiocus in 169 B.C

1 Maccabees 1:20-23 “in the one hundred and forty-third year, and he ascended against Israel . And he ascended to Jerusalem, with an oppressive Multitude. And he entered into the sanctuary with arrogance, and he took the golden altar, and the lamp stand of light, and all the vessels, and the table for the bread of the Presence, and the vessels of libation, and the vials, and the little mortars of gold, and the veil, and the crowns, and the golden ornament, which was at the face of the temple.”

The temple was rededicated under the leader ship of Judas Maccabees in 164 B.C (1 Maccabees 4:52)

It was renovated by King Herod the Great from 20 B.C on wards. This was the Temple during the time of Jesus Christ. As prophesied by Jesus (Mathew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6) the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.

Respecting the advice of Gamaliel, many Jews accepted Jesus as Christ – The promised Savior for which, the chosen people of God were prepared for over 1800 years from the time of Abraham till the time of Jesus. One of the prominent Jew, who was instrumental in spreading the message of Jesus Christ among the Greeks and Romans, was Paul.

Many unfortunate Jews couldn’t perceive this reality and continued to oppose this Divine eternal path. In spite of severe oppositions and persecutions from his Jewish brethren, Paul and others persevered in spreading the path of eternity. Let’s get some solid evidence from the book of Acts regarding this opposition and enmity.

Acts:13:50: “But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women and the chief men of the city: and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and cast them out of their coasts.”

Acts:14:19: “Now there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium: and, persuading the multitude and stoning Paul, drew him out of the city, thinking him to be dead.”

Acts:17:5: “ But the Jews, moved with envy and taking unto them some wicked men of the vulgar sort and making a tumult, set the city in an uproar: and besetting Jason’s house, sought to bring them out unto the people.”

Thus the remaining Chosen people of God (Jews) of the first Century were split into two, both groups considering that they are implementing the will of God, one by spreading the Gospel and others by opposing it. But what was the actual plan of God. From the book of Isiah, we can see

Isiah:66:1-6 says

“Thus saith the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool: what is this house that you will build to me? and what is this place of my rest?
My hand made all these things, and all these things were made, saith the Lord. But to whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and little, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my words?
He that sacrificeth an ox, is as if he slew a man: he that killeth a sheep in sacrifice, as if he should brain a dog: he that offereth an oblation, as if he should offer swine’s blood; he that remembereth incense, as if he should bless an idol. All these things have they chosen in their ways, and their soul is delighted in their abominations.
Wherefore I also will choose their mockeries, and will bring upon them the things they feared: because I called, and there was none that would answer; I have spoken, and they heard not; and they have done evil in my eyes, and have chosen the things that displease me.
Hear the word of the Lord, you that tremble at his word: Your brethren that hate you, and cast you out for my name’s sake, have said: Let the Lord be glorified, and we shall see in your joy: but they shall be confounded.
A voice of the people from the city, a voice from the temple, the voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense to his enemies.”

After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven to be seated at the right hand side of God, we can see that, The Jerusalem temple lost its Divinity.

Mt:27:51: says “And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom: and the earth quaked and the rocks were rent.”

Heb:9:11,12:

11 But Christ, being come an high Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hand, that is, not of this creation:

12 Neither by the blood of goats or of calves, but by his own blood, entered once into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption.

Rabbis claimed that about

40 years before the destruction of the temple, its enormous doors swung open by themselves and found that way in the morning (y. Yoma 6:43c; b. Yoma 39b), an event which was interpreted by the rabbis as predicting its ultimate Destruction

Other early Christians have followed Josephus and Jerome,72 particularly Tertullian (Adv. Iudaeus 13.15), who says of the rending of the veil that the Holy Spirit which dwelt in the temple prior to Christ’s death departed afterwards: “He deserted the Temple [leaving it] desolate, rending the veil and taking away from it the holy spirit.

What followed later, in the next post….