When the apostle Paul wrote
about destroying God's temple, he had a lot of history running through
his mind. He was aware of the Mannaseh generation of his own countrymen
who turned to idol worship and the shedding of innocent blood. They
had desecrated God's temple with idol altars and erected an asherah pole inside
of God's temple and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood (2Ki 21:16). Homosexual male prostitutes had even
built houses in the house of the Lord (please read 2nd Kings,
chapter 23:4-20) - not that different from the present time.
God summoned both the Assyrians and Babylonians to punish them, leaving but
a remnant alive in captivity. If any man destroys the temple of God, God
will destroy him...
In 586 B.C., the world ruling Babylonians
completely demolished God's temple, burning it to the ground. Yet, not
long thereafter we read of a festive occasion when king Belshazzer of Babylon
ordered the gold cups, that were taken from the demolished temple in Jerusalem,
to be brought out for the pleasure and enjoyment of his guests, his wives,
and concubines (Dan 5:2-6). That very night
the writing was on the wall. Babylon was conquered never to rise again,
and her king was slain (Dan 5:30). Here also,
Paul warns both believers and non-believers regarding the partaking of Our
Lord's cup in an un-worthy manner. If any man destroys the temple of God, God
will destroy him...
Next, around the year 167 B.C., after
a remnant had returned from the exile and restored God's temple, the
world ruling Greeks by order of Antiochus Epiphanes, purposed to dedicate
the temple in Jerusalem to Zeus Olympus, also known as Jupiter Olympus.
After erecting their abomination of desolation on the altar of God, they filled
the sanctuary with riot and reveling while defiling themselves with harlots
in the holy precinct of the temple (page 433, The Annals
of the World by James Ussher, also see Maccabees). They sacrificed
forbidden swine, and put to death all who refused to eat. Their savage
cruelty against God's people was beyond horrific, resulting in the Maccabean
uprising. Shortly thereafter, Antiochus was struck with an incurable
disease in his bowels and worms bred so fast in his body that whole streaks
of his flesh sometimes dropped from him. He died a slow horrible death
after professing to all his friends that the cause of his calamity was that
which he did in Jerusalem (page 444, The Annals of the World). If any man destroys the temple of God, God
will destroy him...
Then came King Herod. Although
he had been spending enormous amounts of money rebuilding and beautifying
God's temple for about thirteen years prior to being informed by the Magi
of the birth of King Jesus (John 2:20), we read that
"he was troubled, and
all Jerusalem with him (Mat 2:3)". What an incredible statement that is.
Hoping to kill King Jesus, God's temple, he put to death every male child
up to two years old, including one of his very own. Immediately thereafter,
Herod was inflamed with a slow fire that burned up his bowels. His
thighs and limbs rotted and were full of worms until he died (Josephus;The Annals of the World, page 780, ). I
will leave the present day application to those who have an ear to hear.
If any man destroys
the temple of God, God will destroy him...
The apostle Paul did not live long
enough to see the following, but he had absolutely no doubt about what was
in store for his own generation. Because of Christ's own words and
those of the prophets, the apostles told believers, "here we have no enduring city" (Heb 13:14). Daniel
wrote about the destruction of both the city and the sanctuary (Dan 9:26). Is it any wonder that early christians
sold their houses and shared all things in common? So now we come to the
Jewish nation, who crucified our Lord Jesus Christ - God's temple,
for " I and the Father are one
(John 10:30)". What a destruction they brought upon themselves in
70 A.D. All the innocent blood ever shed could not gravely compare
with His innocent blood, and so from "the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah..,
it shall be charged against this generation (Luke 11:51)". Within forty years of His crucifixion (this
generation), hundreds of thousands starved to death, many of whose
bodies were thrown over the walls of Jerusalem and into the very place where
previous generations had sacrificed their children, the valley of the son
of Hinnom (Atlas of the Bible, Readers Digest page 202).
There they laid as food for the wild animals and birds, with no one to bury
them. Possibly as many as three million perished during this siege
and war of which Our Lord had prophesied " For then shall be great tribulation, such
as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be (Mt. 24:21)",
while the blood flowed like a river up to the bridals of the horses through
the streets of Jerusalem (The Annals of the World, page 882). If any man destroys the temple of God, God
will destroy him...
Next we come to the Romans whom God
used to punish those tenants who leased His vineyard and by killing The Heir,
tried to seize the inheritance (Mt. 21:34). They
refused His mercy and grace and continued to trample upon the blood of Christ
whom they had crucified, "For
wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together (Mt. 24:28)". After
the siege and during the slaughter in 70 A.D., the Romans burned the
temple in Jerusalem on the very same month and day that the Babylonians had
similarly done so in 586 B.C. ( page 879, The Annals of the
World). They erected their ensigns on the east gate of the temple
and sacrificed to Jupitor there. Then they ploughed Jerusalem to the
ground, not a stone being left upon a stone (Mr 13:2).
Not long afterwards, they purposed to rid the earth of the followers of our
Lord Jesus Christ - His Heavenly temple and new Jerusalem (Heb. 12:24) - but glory of glories, after about ten million
were martyred, the Christians ended up possessing the very gates of their
enemy, Rome (Ge. 24:60). If any man destroys the temple of God, God
will destroy him...
Now the above mentioned are but a
small historical sample to call all Christians to holy soberness regarding
the shedding of innocent blood and the destruction of God's temple - their
very own bodies. If the statistics are correct, millions of Christians
are using sorcerous and abortifacient products for family planning
purposes. Christian doctors and pharmacists are daily demolishing God's
temple while multitudes of pastors refuse to blow the trumpet. Like
those before us, we are bringing certain destruction upon ourselves and our
nation.
Our dispensation is spiritual and
demands spiritual understanding. Their dispensation was natural.
They saw with their natural eyes but we see with the eyes of our heart.
They heard with their natural ears but we hear, if we have an ear to hear
what the Spirit says to the churches - what the Spirit says. They smelled
the aroma of incense, but we have been given discernment. They had
Abraham as their father but we have God as our Father- the Father of our
spirits (Heb 12:9). The natural man does not
accept the things of the Spirit of God, he cannot understand them (1 Co 2:14). God is Spirit, and though our spirits
died in Adam, they are made alive again in Christ (1 Co 15:22).
They had God with them but we have God in us, His Spirit lives in us and so
we are a new creation in Christ. They were told by Jesus to flee
Judea when they saw the abomination of desolation stand in the holy
place, and history records that the entire Church (remember Noah, also Lot
and his family) left Jerusalem in 66 A.D and escaped to Pella, before the
wrath of God destroyed Sodom (Jerusalem). However, we know that the
holy place of God is our own bodies. Therefore, it is time for us who
love and obey Christ to flee from our sins of contraception birth
control, most all of which is abortifacient.
Dear ones, "what you do unto the least of these, that you
do unto me (Mat 25:45)".
If we continue to murder Jesus and call ourselves Christians, is that not
blasphemy (Rom 2:24)? "The fruit of the womb is His reward (Psalm 127:3)". They are His.
They are as much His reward as we are. He redeemed them along with
us in His own blood and He purposed each precious one of them to be filled
with all the fullness of God, until Christ is all and in all, and the whole
earth is filled with His glory, which is Christ in you. If that is
not the goal of our salvation, then what salvation are we receiving?
Much of what we call Christian upon the earth today is herodian in nature,
and it will suffer the same rejection as that which went before: "your house is left to you desolate (Mt. 23:38)". Your house.
It was no longer God's house according to God's Measure (which is always
Jesus Christ), much as it is today. God will smash this mixture thing
to pieces as He has done again and again throughout history, including those
seven churches in Asia whom Paul said had abandoned him (2
Tim 1:15). They very quickly gave up on the fullness of Christ
in the believer, and were settling for a much wider path. They refused
His speaking from Heaven (Heb 12:25) seven times (Rev 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13, 22). Surely this is the
meaning of the destruction of the twin towers, the Protestants and the Catholics,
Israel and Judah, the ten tribes and the two. For "yet once more I will shake not only the earth,
but also the heaven". The heaven
side of things, the Church, the new Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-23),
is now being shaken.
It's not too late. Even King
Manasseh sought for God's mercy in captivity. King Manasseh, who made
his son pass through the fire to Molech and filled Jerusalem with innocent
blood. God granted him a true repentance, spared his life, and returned
him as King over Jerusalem (2 Chron 33:9-13).
God Is Love. His purpose in shaking us (Heb 12:27-28)
is to fully conform us to His image and likeness - man who is love.
For just as Jesus went into the temple in Jerusalem and overturned the money
changer's tables, He would now come into our hearts, His temple, and with
His gentle whip do likewise, making us into a house of prayer (John 2:14-17). "For the temple of God is holy, and that is
what you are (1Co
3:17 NAS)". That is His unique work,
a work of Christ's Holy Spirit in us, "Who will transform the body of our humble
state into conformity with the body of His glory (Php 3:21). Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that
ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Cor 1:8)".
Solomon, Steven, Paul, and
all of the apostles knew that only Jesus could build God's house, fashioning
it after Himself. For
unless the Lord (Jesus) build the house they labor in vain who try to build
it (Ps 127:1). Herod's house is again headed for destruction, destined
for the fire - come out from among them My people.
"And there was neither hammer
nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built (1 Kings 6:7). Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye
look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without
spot, and blameless (2 Pe 3:14). And the very God of peace sanctify
you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Th
5:23)". Amen!
Brother John+
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