"Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”" [Matthew 24:1-2 NASB]
The Jerusalem temple was one of the wonders of the world. By the time it was finished, it was about 500 yards long and 400 yards wide.
After the fall of Solomon's temple, the second temple was built by Zerubbabel and Ezra. Herod the Great expanded upon and improved the temple. He began construction in 19 BC, using a work force of 10,000 men for eight years to complete the basic structure. Actual construction continued after his death, and was finished in 63 AD. That's 82 years of construction.
The stones were enormous; fifty feet long, twenty-four broad, and sixteen thick, and so heavy that modern cranes and construction equipment would not be able to lift them. An engineering marvel, it is not known how they were lifted into place. The details are lost to history. They were cut so precisely that they fit together without mortar, and so tight that a knife could not be slipped between them. The stones were a gleaming white marble, and much of it was plated with gold.
About 70 AD, only seven years after the temple was completed, the Jews rebelled against Rome. The emperor, Titus, sent soldiers to quash the rebellion. The last holdout of rebellious Jews, hid themselves in the temple, since it was the strongest and most fortified building in Israel.
Titus had given orders that the temple was not to be harmed, as he admired the architecture and beauty of the building. But it is said that a drunken soldier shot a flaming arrow that ignited in the temple. The fire spread, burning to death all of those who had fled there for safety. The fire was so hot that the gold plating melted and seeped between the stones. In order to get to the gold, the Romans tore down the temple stone by stone, so that not one was left standing.
For over 1,000 years the temple was the center of Jewish society. What was to be a place sanctified and reserved for the worship of God, became a marketplace, and a refuge for corrupt leaders. That which was designed to bring people together for the worship of God, took Gods' place in the minds and hearts of many.
When Solomon built the first temple, the glory of God filled the temple. Ezekiel saw, in a vision, the glory of God depart the first temple before its destruction. When Jesus left the second temple for the last time, he was - in a sense - the glory of God leaving the temple, and predicting its destruction.
In the Christian world, we can find cathedrals - both ancient and modern - that are wondrous to behold. Marvels of architecture and beauty, often ornamented with stained glass, jewels and gold. The example of the temple should remind us that a building is just a building. There is nothing inherently holy about a church, cathedral, or Vatican.
God doesn't live inside a building. He lives in the hearts of those who enter the building. If the hearts of the people are pure, holy and seeking after God, then God will be there in their midst. If the hearts of the people are corrupt, then God will not be present, regardless of location.
It is okay for God's people to have a nice place to come together and worship, but let us never forget that it is Jesus who brings us together and is worthy of our worship. A building is just a building.
No comments:
Post a Comment