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

 

Destroy This Temple

 

 

We set so much store by temples

Like the Jews of Biblical times

And when we cannot get to church

It really gets on our minds.

 

To the Jews the temple was everything

It was their heart and soul and life,

It was even their reliable talisman

Whenever they encountered strife.

 

It was their signal place of worship,

It was at the centre of their rites

And as long as they had access to it

They felt safe both day and night.

 

So that when its destruction was foretold

For them, this meant the end

And to them it became more ominous

Since it came from Jesus, their friend.

 

Not one stone to be left upon another

Spoke of the temple’s destruction

And with it the disciples’ hope and security

And this brought utter confusion.

 

 

This was where they met with God

And without it they were lost,

Of course, at the time of this prophecy

Jesus had not yet gone to the cross.

 

Hence, they could be excused

For all that bombarded their minds

But we cannot plead such ignorance

Certainly, not in these post Pentecost times.

 

Destroy this temple, Jesus had said,

And in three days I will raise it up,

They thought he meant the Jewish temple

Instead of his coming bitter cup.

 

He would be whipped until he bled

His face, a bloody disfigurement,

He would be spread-eagle on a cross

And suffer beyond human extent.

 

Destroy these temples, the call goes out

Though not in a physical sense,

But consider the temple of lively stones

Though not the physical one resent.

 

We hold the physical in high esteem

To the extent of sacrosanct,

And we build our confidence around them

Almost like some people trust a bank.

 

 

Church came to screeching halt

When in COVID they had to be closed,

And some were so angry with the authorities

That they exchanged verbal blows.

 

These are not the spiritual temples

No!  Indeed, they are not!

Instead, we are the temple of lively stones-

All of us form the “born-again” flock.

 

Jesus is the chief corner stone

And the Word that holds us together

Along with the blessed Holy Spirit

That binds us to one another.

 

God is the Father of us all

That gave for us His Son,

The bridegroom of the bride, his Church,

The pearl of His heavenly kingdom.

 

 

Put these edifices in right perspective

For they are not the Church,

To trust these stones that have no life

Is to leave us all in the lurch.

 

Instead, trust the one that gave his life

Thus, destroying his own temple

But raised it up as he said he would

Not for one but for all people.

 

He is the life of the ensuing temple,

The risen Christ that was seen,

It is not the place where you go to church

But hopefully on Christ that you lean.

 

On Christ, the risen Lord we lean,

Our life, our hope, our destiny,

He, the cornerstone of our temple is

For all eternity.

 

Stewart Russell © April 12, 2021