Herod’s Temple was destroyed in AD 70.I can only imagine how difficult it was for the Jews to see Roman looters raiding the Temple, carrying with them the golden menorah, the table of shewbread, the altar of incense. How they must have poured ashes upon their heads and covered themselves with sackcloth to see Romans carrying the Ark of the Covenant to be melted down!
I can’t imagine how they Roman conquerors did it, but they razed the Temple that took over 40 years to build as predicted by Yeshua in Mark 13! Leveled it to the ground, destroying for Jews the center of their worship, their lives, their future!
Although the God of the universe had placed His Name there, it was never his original idea for his dwelling place. He had already staked His claim upon us long before the first stone was ever laid or the first one ever toppled over. We would be those “living stones” he’d use to build a new Temple (1Peter 2). We would be that city upon a hill! No army could set seige around it. No battering ram could break down its walls. None of the most skilled foot soldiers could scale its ramparts. No enemy arrows would penetrate the sheilds, helmets, and breastplates of its warriors. The enemies would all be like Goliath beneath their swords–headless and lifeless.
The destruction of the Temple had to occur so that Yeshua could re-direct our focus: He would be our Temple and we would be His. Amazing!
As living stones, we are built upon the foundation of the prophets (Ephesians 2); a prophet like Elijah who told a cloudless sky to rain; like Elisha, who lay on the dead boy’s body and commanded breath to re-enter his body; like Joshua who told the sun to stand still.
We are built upon the foundation of the apostles; like Peter and John who told the crippled man at Jaffa gate to take up his bed and walk; like Paul who exercised authority over a sorcerer and drove him out of business.
And Yeshua is the chief cornerstone! And we are living stones in “God’s household,” “His holy sanctuary,” and His “spiritual house.” Never again will the Temple of God be razed! Never again! Exciting!
PRAYER: Abba, although your people must have grieved terribly when they saw the Temple destroyed, you grieved even more because they could not/would not see themselves the way you saw them, as Your Temple. Help us–Jews and Gentiles–see that in this day. We never need to fear attacks because the gates of hell will never prevail against your Temple. Thank you, Abba! It is our ineffable joy and delight to house Your presence when your essence is too grand for the Heavens and earth to contain. Baruch HaShem! Amen!
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