TEMPLE OF THE LORD!
“…the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (II Chronicles 7:1).
Three temples have been constructed in Jerusalem so far. It was Solomon, son of David who constructed the first temple. On the day of the dedication of that temple, the glory of God filled it. Further, God made a covenant saying, “Now My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer made in this place” (II Chronicles 7:15).
As days went by, the people kept on glorifying the temple but failed to worship God with Spirit and truth. Traditions and rituals crept in. The people went into idol worship. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon completely demolished the temple constructed by Solomon.
Zerubbabel laid the foundation for another temple. His hands also finished it (Zachariah 4:9). Herod built the temple during the period when Jesus Christ was in this world. It took forty-six years to complete it (John 2:20). It was in this temple where Jesus Christ preached. A part of the ministry of Jesus Christ was done here. Thereafter, that temple was demolished by Titus Raiyan in 70 AD.
The Jews all over the world tried to build a temple recently. Though Israel became independent in 1948, the portion in which the temple had been located was with the Arabians. In the year 1967, there was a war of six days duration and in that war, the Jews captured Jerusalem from the hands of the Arabians. Further, the foundation for the new temple was laid in Mount Moriah on 10-06-1984. The Jews who came from the USA alone collected and contributed Fifty thousand million dollars. The construction of the temple was completed and it keeps on reminding us about the Coming of Christ.
Isaiah says, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it” (Isaiah 2:2).
It has been mentioned about another temple. You are that temple. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16).
Dear children of God, your spiritual life should be raised like a holy church in God. It is essential that you should be built and raised in Scripture reading, praying, holiness and the fellowship of the children of God. The Holy Spirit helps in this.
To meditate: “in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).