Which Rebuilt Temple?

 

 

 

I hear of a rebuilt temple,

I mean one to come

Where the Jews will worship

In a millennium kingdom.

 

It’s after the tribulation

When the Jews will be gathered in,

And all of them in a single day

Will be saved from their sin.

 

It bothers me, though,

If this is really true,

Then for whom did Jesus die?

This question is to you.

 

When he said, it was finished

What did he really mean?

What was it that was finished,

If not the old covenant theme?

 

If the blood sacrifices were types

And the physical temple a shadow,

Why rebuild a new temple?

Please tell me; I want to know.

 

 

If the middle wall of partition

Was really broken down,

Then on the idea of a new temple

We ought to frown.

 

I like the Sunday school song

We sang so long ago,

It conveyed an understanding

That I think we need to know.

 

“We’re building up a temple

We’re building up a temple

We’re building up a temple of the Lord,

Hey brother, won’t you help?

Hey sister, won’t you help?

We’re building up a temple of the Lord.”

 

1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16

 

What is the nature of this temple?

It’s a temple not made with hands,

But a temple of lively stones:

A spiritual house, as God planned.

 

To offer up spiritual sacrifices

Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ,

We, as lively stones, are God’s temple

Ever since his finished sacrifice.

 

The disciples once went to Jesus

To show him the temple structure

And no doubt, they were disappointed,

As he showed them the sad picture.

 

Not one stone, he said then,

Would be left upon another,

As he foretold the temple’s destruction

The disciples were clearly bothered.

 

They equated this with Jesus’ return

And the end of the world,

“When shall these things be?” they asked,

They were clearly perturbed.

 

The temple was the centre-piece

That is all that they knew,

Just like the ark of the covenant

It was security to the Jew.

 

The temple with its sacrifices

Was coming to its end,

The old covenant would pass away

And this was around the bend.

 

 

This was the rebuilt temple

From back in Persian times

And its destruction, after Herod’s upgrade,

Would be a significant sign.

 

It was a splendid edifice

Of which the Jews were proud

But not long after Jesus’ prophecy

Its destruction would be loud.

 

The end of the Mosaic covenant

The end of the blood sacrifice,

Another would become the focus

And that would be Jesus Christ.

 

So, when I hear of a rebuilt temple

I really have to ask, “Which one?”

It can’t be one in our future

For the temple worship has gone.

 

Stewart Russell © June 2020

 

Beliefs Impact Dreams

 

 

Based on my belief

I often dreamt of Jesus’ return,

I was absolutely convinced

It would be during my sojourn.

 

My night sleep would be filled

With visions of the rapture

But I would suddenly awake

To face reality’s picture.

 

It could be a nightmare

Where I would be left behind

Or caught up in the clouds

At another time.

 

I still recall that time

When I was awakened by a snore,

It was my mother’s trumpeting

That I hear no more.

 

I was steadfast in my gaze

Upon the starry sky

Expecting the Lord would return

And take me on high.

 

By the way, I still do

Though much has been rearranged,

After reading the Word

Quite a lot has been changed.

 

“After reading the Word?

What was he doing all the time?”

I took off the denominational lens

And I disabused my mind.

 

It is amazing how we study

In the light of what we think

And, therein my brother and sister,

Is the denominational link.

 

The denomination we joined

Shapes what we believe

And that influence is what we see

When the Bible we read.

 

We see what we want to see,

It is a denominational thing

And it is even further established

In the songs that we sing.

 

It jumps off the page

Whether it is there or not,

Since for years we have read it

It becomes our lot.

 

We read the pictures presented

Like we did in primary school,

Thus, the concept is cemented

And the denomination rules.

 

We live it out in the daytime

And we dream about it in the night

And as far as we are concerned

It is the only thing that’s right.

 

 

A little brainwashing, perhaps,

Hopefully not the dangerous kind

But at the end of the day,

It is what saturates our mind.

 

Now I read for myself

I no longer have those dreams

And I do not read into the text

What my denomination gleans.

 

I still dream, mind you,

But interestingly, not like before

And the Bible is becoming clearer

As I read it more and more.

 

Stewart Russell © March 21, 2021

 

Life

 

 

Life is a journey

Right here on earth,

It concludes at death

But begins at birth.

 

For some it’s long

For others it’s short

And when it’s real rough

Some even abort.

 

Baby to toddler

Primary to teen

Adolescence and adult

Different acts and scenes.

  

Jobs and careers

Familial responsibilities

Occasional pleasures

But mostly duties

 

Mostly humdrum

Of rituals and routines

The occasional surprise

Disappointments between

 

 Very tough at times

Sometimes smooth

Both young and old

Trying to find a groove

 

Death and dying

Not easy at all,

 Not much we can do

The grim reaper calls.

 

C’est la vie

As the French would say,

That is life

Each and every day.

 

 

From the womb

To the tomb

But that’s not all

So stay tuned.

 

Life to death

From death to life,

Jesus is coming

To end all strife.

 

The dead shall rise

The living too,

When Jesus comes

For me and you.

 

Christ is ours

If we’re born again,

And eternal life

When he shall reign.

 

 

Life here and now

And life hereafter,

That’s the promise

Of the Master.

 

Why die

When you can live?

Come to Jesus

And life he will give.

 

Stewart Russell (c) July 2019

 

 

The Book of Revelation

 

 

 If Revelation is a revelation

Why is it so difficult to understand?

And why is it so puzzling?

I am sure that was not the plan.

 

Surely it’s full of symbolism

And very strange looking creatures,

Their mixture of human and animal

Makes for a weird picture.

 

It speaks of all kinds of events

The timing of which we are uncertain,

Still many associate these events

With the final curtain.

 

But do all of these events

Relate to the end of time?

I am inclined to think not so

And it’s more that what I opined.

 

 

If we could get the timing right

Perhaps, we would have a clue

Concerning when the events unfolded

To give us a better view.

 

In addition to the fore-mentioned

The context would be critical,

And thirdly, but not finally,

Distinguishing the symbolic from the literal.

 

Some things we have seen as literal

Surely cannot be so,

So the meaning of the symbology

Would be something we ought to know.

  

The Bible must be taken as a whole

And is best at explaining itself,

Take the Word away from the Word

And there is absolutely nothing left.

 

So what Jesus said is critical

As it relates to the book of Revelation,

If we can uncover that important link

There would be less misapprehension.

 

We focus on the judgments

Without quite understanding them

And miss the benefits we already have

And therein lies one problem.

 

Revelation is about a journey

It is not simply about the last day,

In fact it is more about Jesus Christ

And the new covenantal way.

 

 

It is the person and work of Jesus

And the Church, his chased bride,

The spiritual and physical resurrections

Of those for whom he died.

 

When viewed in New Testament light

The imagery becomes quite clear,

And much of the current speculation

Simply disappears.

 

The prophetic utterances of the day

Conflict with those in the Word,

And the time setting for Jesus’ return

Is becoming more and more absurd.

 

Let us take our eyes off Israel

And focus on the Gospel of salvation,

Bearing in mind the great commission

Of reaching every nation.

 

Stewart Russell © October 2019

 

Just Like That

 

 

In a moment

In the twinkling of an eye

No time to prepare

Oh me, oh my!

 

I had a chance,

In fact, many a chance

But I blew every one

Now I can’t advance.

 

Many a message

About Jesus’ return,

I never doubt them

But each I spurned.

 

 

I thought,

No, I didn’t think

It would be just like that-

Quicker than a wink!

 

At a precise time

I didn’t give it a thought

Jesus returned

Now I am so distraught.

 

No church for me

Not with those hypocrites,

I was just content

To be a critic.

 

I was there

Or just there about,

That was enough for me

Now I am left out.

 

 

I gambled on time

And time ran out

And of the fact I lost

There is no doubt.

 

Just like that

The end of the line

And this rejecter

Has been left behind.

 

 

And what is worse is,

I believed the Word

But I never mixed faith

With what I had heard.

 

Head belief alone,

Didn’t reach my heart

And as a result

I never made a start.

 

So near yet so far

I assumed and presumed,

The Saviour returned

Now I am doomed.

 

Clearly my friend

This event has not occurred,

You have a chance

Do not be deterred. 

 

Take Jesus now

Before he returns,

Benefit from the lesson

That you have just learned.

 

There is a timeline

And this event is a fact,

Jesus will return

Just like that!

 

Stewart Russell © January 2019

 

Why Are We Still Here?

 

 

Why are We still here?

By now we should have left,

I am speaking of the rapture

I don’t mean death.

 

There was a time I believed

That I would not die

And that I would see Jesus return

Some day in the sky.

 

Maybe that is still possible

But I am not so sure,

The word soon is a little confusing

As the event is yet to occur.

 

From as far as I can remember

Jesus was coming soon,

We even sang in the song

Morning, night or noon.

 

And before my time

My parents and grandparents too,

There was an urgency about the return

Before the night was through.

 

 

I experienced it in my dreams

When I slept at night

And often I would come awake

Immobilized with fright.

 

I would then lie in bed

Wishing for morning to come

And afraid to go back to sleep

Because I was so frightened.

 

I seldom have that dream

Since the soon has worn off

Though concerning Jesus’ return

I would never scoff.

 

For I believe that he will

Though I do not know when

But to be honest with you

For me, that is no problem.

 

However, given the fact

That soon was the time

I believe that we have missed it

Though not left behind.

 

  

 

Hence, the question I asked:

 Why are we still here?

For soon was a long time ago

And not necessarily near.

 

That soon could not be for us

Thousands of years hence,

It is time my brother, my sister,

We shift our defense.

 

I recommend Matthew 24

And the book of Revelation

As well as Mark 13 and Luke 21

For more information.

 

Pay close attention

To “soon” in these Scriptures,

Do not mistake which generation

And you will get the picture.

 

Stewart Russell © May 2020