THE BUILDING OF THE LAST TEMPLE
By Pastor Dick
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Most all the signs stated in the Bible that we should look for to reveal the soon coming of Christ are clearly visible for anyone who wants to see them. They are hard to miss, even for those who try to avoid seeing them. However, there is one final sign that is not as easy to see; it is not displayed for public view like the others. This one has to be viewed in a different way--through the eyes of faith. It is the most glorious of all the signs. Once you get a clear view of it, your life will never be the same! It is the building of the Last Temple! The reason so many cannot see this brightest of all signs is because they are looking for it to appear in the wrong place.
Scores of religions have structures that men call temples of God, but there is only one true Temple of God. Many people around the world are watching and waiting for the building of that final Temple. Most are expecting it to be built in Jerusalem, for it is the city that holds the attention of both Heaven and earth. There is no other city in the world that has the recognition Jerusalem has. It is a city the Bible speaks of over three hundred fifty times. It is so important that ancient maps place it in the center of the earth. It is "the city of our God"; "the joy of the whole earth"; "the city of the Great King" (Ps.48:1-2). It is where the Son of God was crucified for the sins of mankind. Could there be a more appropriate place for the Last Temple of God to be built than where salvation for every person on earth was purchased? Still . . . that is not where the final Temple of God is being built!
Recently, a national television news broadcast showed a scene in Jerusalem of a group of Jews vowing to destroy a Moslem mosque that is on the sight where they believe the Temple of Solomon once stood. They said that what is on that land must go to make room for the temple of God they are going to build. They reported that they have the cornerstone of the new temple ready to be set in place to begin the construction.
Now, there may or may not be another temple built in Jerusalem in the short time remaining before our Lord returns, but Jerusalem is not the place to watch for the building of the Last Temple! The Temple of God seen in the New Covenant is not made of wood and stone; it is not a structure built by man. I have got some news for those would-be temple builders in Jerusalem: We, who belong to the Lord, are the ones who have the Cornerstone for the Temple of God. The Cornerstone is Jesus (Eph.2:20); (1 Pet.2:6) . . . and we have Him right in our hearts!
Reality is God's word. He speaks things into being. That is when something happens, when God declares it. The Bible says, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth," and "For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast" (Ps.33:6, 9). The Bible states that Christ, the Lamb of God, was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev.13:8). That is when the crucifixion happened; yet it actually took place in our time and space dimension about two thousand years ago. The plan for the salvation of mankind was ordained by God long before man was created and then carried out by Jesus when He came the first time; yet it is not complete to the individual until he or she personally receives Christ. It is the same with the building of the Last Temple. It is built on the crucifixion of Christ from the foundation of the world; yet the building of it in time and space began with the resurrection of Christ. But still, it begins with the individual when he or she receives Jesus as Savior. God loves you and has been planning for you to be part of His Temple for a long time: "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Eph.1:6).
What a glorious Builder is our God! And what a magnificent Building He is bringing together in Christ: individual people being born again by the Holy Spirit, then being placed in one Body of Believers. The Bible says, speaking to you who belong to Jesus, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor.3:16); and "Ye are God's building" (1 Cor.3:9). How can anyone get enthused over any physically structured temple after seeing the spiritual house that God is building with "living stones" (precious people)?! "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house" (1 Pet.2:4-5). Why would anyone want to try to make themselves be some other kind of a house by building a self image, when they can see the wonderful work God is doing on the new creation within their inner being?!
The Bible states that before the return of Christ, the Antichrist will be revealed. It says, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thes.2:3-4). This scripture verse appears to say that the Antichrist will sit in the temple and claim to be God. It does not say that Satan will actually sit in the Temple of God, but rather that he will exalt himself to that position. Satan is always exalting himself; he will exalt himself to that position, but only in his ambition. He never has and never will sit in the seat of Almighty God! He tried it before the angels and was cast out of Heaven like a bolt of lighting (Luke 10:18); (Rev.12:9). When he tries it again before people, he will be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of the Lord (2 Thes.2:8).
Looking further on in the book of Second Thessalonians, chapter two, we can see that the power of the Antichrist will be in lying signs and wonders to deceive those who do not love the Truth and will believe a lie, those who will not come to Jesus and be saved but have "pleasure in unrighteousness" (verses 9-12). We who belong to Jesus have the protection of God from the wiles of the devil. So rather than being fearful of the boastful lies of Satan, we should, by faith, put on the whole armor of God (Eph.6:11), and resist the devil by standing firm in the promises of Christ. Satan is not allowed in the Temple of God. He cannot enter the sacred area in your inner heart where Jesus dwells: "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The Antichrist may sit in some manmade temple of wood or stone, but he will never, ever sit in the real Temple of God.
The Temple of God will surely be built to completion, but it will be made, not by man, but, by the Hand of God. The Bible says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Ps.127:1). God is the Builder; He is the excellent, almighty, all skillful Masterbuilder who does His work perfectly. We do have the blessed privilege of working with Him by helping as He leads.
Watching the Heavenly Father building the Last Temple is the most glorious sight on earth. Who cares to look for some temporary, natural structure being built by men, when one can watch an eternal edifice being formed by the Hand of God that will shine throughout eternity?!
It is a wonderful sight to see, as the gospel goes forth, people coming to Jesus and receiving the new birth. That is the beginning of the building of the Temple of God. It could be called the gathering of the material for the construction of the Temple that is being built in Christ. The whole world can see this gathering, but to have the privilege of seeing the Heavenly Father building His Temple, one must first belong to Jesus and then learn to view, by faith, the new creation that God has placed within.
Not only can we who belong to Christ see the Lord working on the best of all His creations, but we have the awesome privilege to actually work with Him! He loves to have us do that work, but there is a problem: we have our own building plans. We want to take over the job, and then we ask God to help us. We have drawn up our own blueprints for building our spiritual lives, which includes trying to produce Godly behavior in our own strength. We have been taught how to perform to be better Christians; how to work and earn from God; how to build a good self image; and how to place our trust in unrighteous mammon (money). Enough of that. It is time for a change!
Changing our own way of working at the building of our lives is difficult, if not impossible; but if we stop to take a look at what we have built compared to the glorious Temple that the Lord is building, we will be willing to let go of the control and do things His way, as He leads. All it takes is our willingness; He will do the rest. Even if we try to change our ways, that still is us trying to do it. It is so much easier to let Him give what it takes to build His Building. He will give us all we need, including a renewing of the mind, so that His thoughts become our thoughts, and then we will be able to see things from His viewpoint.
When we see our Lord building us, His Temple, up in His righteousness, His Joy, His faith, His patience and His unlimited love, let us with thankful hearts say, "Lord, You keep doing the building, and as we embrace Your invitation to help, teach us to do thingsYour way, for You are The Magnificent Builder."