The Jerusalem Temple

The House Left Desolate

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Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.  Verily I say unto you, ‘All these things shall come upon this generation.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.’  For I say unto you, ‘Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”  Matthew 23:34-39 (KJV)

The nations of Israel and Judah, though brought back together as one by Jesus’s time; they were also still neglectful in hearing the word of the LORD, and tried to kill the message with the messenger.  God’s message cannot be killed.  He will fulfill His Word to the letter.

The house of the temple in Jerusalem was left desolate, because the One who filled it and blessed with His presence walked out the door, and has not yet returned to it.  He does live in the hearts of His children; and will one day return to earth to reign in the world in His physical form.

-T.A.

 

Shaken By The Voice Of The LORD

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Prophet’s Possible Perspective

The king Uzziah had died, and I had gone to the temple to pray and seek the Holy One of Israel. My heart was broken, and I grieved over my kings death. I must have needed to know that this was not the end. I needed to know there is my God who is holy, sovereign, and has everything under control.

My, what a sight to behold. The temple lit up in the most glorious light. That is what God’s presence will do. Seraphims; servants of the most Highs presence; had appeared and announced the thrice holy GOD. “Holy, holy, holy”, they had declared “is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory”. The most wondrous and powerful decree any servant of GOD could ever declare. I was awed by this Presence.

“And the posts of the door was shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.’ So I said: ‘ Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have see the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:4-5 (NKJV).

I am learning that when God shows up things can and are often shaken up a bit. The shaking really begins in our own hearts. My heart and life has definitely been shaken a bit. I must say that I needed to see that the true King is the LORD of hosts. My how much more assurance does a man need than that.

This presence of the LORD was much needed. I learned by this that when you are in the presence of genuine holiness, that of GOD, that you see yourself as you truly are. There are woes that need to be announced against an ungodly people, but I see that I am ungodly; I am undone; I am a man of unclean lips; I am dwelling with people of unclean lips. We are an unclean people.

The best part of this is that though I am undone and unclean the most High revealed Himself to me. What a wonderful, holy, holy, holy LORD.

“And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” Hebrews 12:27 (KJV).

-Tim A. Blankenship

Smallness Approved

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It has been quite some time since dealing with the prophecy of Zechariah, but I am back to it today.  The portion we look at in this study is while the Angel of the LORD is speaking with Zechariah concerning the temple which was built in the remnant’s return from Persia, and the Babylonian captivity.

There are people who seem to think that smallness is a bad thing, and some in Zechariah’s day were seeing the foundation of the rebuilt temple as smaller than the previous one, which was Solomon’s Temple, and it was significantly smaller.  Let us consider the significance of “Smallness” in life.  We all start out as wee little babies, that is no secret; but then grow into monsters sometimes to build majestic empires in our own names.  Smallness is not bad, especially when God is in.  In the case of churches; there are many more small churches, than there are large Mega-churches (if there is really such a thing).  When I speak of churches here I mean the people, the congregation which makes up the Church.  Let us not despise the blessing of “Smallness” as God leads us.

“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” Zechariah 4:8-10 (KJV)

The Word of the LORD came to Zechariah; and this is the angel of the LORD who has been speaking with him since the beginning (v. 5, 1:11, 12); saying that Zerubbabel would lay the foundation of the “house” and would “finish it”.  This is during the time of Ezra (Ezra 5:1-2).  The people complained of the temple being so small in comparison to Solomon’s, and not so glorious (Haggai  2:1-9).  Reading Zechariah and Haggai we see that God endorses, designs, and approves this smaller temple.

Zerubbabel’s finishing the temple; though “Smaller” and “less glorious”; was evidence that the LORD of hosts had sent the angel to Zechariah.  There will be rejoicing in the presence of the LORD, and no one should despise the “small things” which the LORD has designed, and approved.

“The plummet” is the measuring line which Zerubbabel used in measuring and laying out the foundation.  The “seven eyes” is the fulness of the LORD’s Spirit in the rebuilding of this temple.  He is delighted in it.  He is glorified in it, and will be glorified in the future temple of the returned Messiah, the King of kings.  In the writings of the Chronicles of the kings it is written;

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 (KJV)

The “Eyes of the LORD” are eyes of peace and love to those who yield to His power and glory.  He knows every heart, and every thought, and sees every deed of mankind.  He does show Himself strong for those whose hearts are perfect toward Him.  The remnant returning to Jerusalem, and rebuilding the temple were blessed by God the LORD in their obedient faith to Him.  Those who return to the LORD in faith will be blessed for their obedient faith in that future day, and every day they will return to Him.

Let us not be down trodden with concerns about the size of our churches, businesses, or our “kingdoms”, but rather be blessed in knowing that God approves the work of “Small things” when they are done in obedience to Him.

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Mountain Will Move

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Speaking previously in verse six, still through the prophet, God says, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” We know that through much effort on our part at times, and through circumstances and events that that is so true. When we labor for God, trusting only in our own abilities and gifts, we fail. When we are reliant upon the LORD and trusting Him then there is no such thing as failure.

We look now at the seventh verse of this chapter:

“Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” Zechariah 4:7 (KJV)

Zerubbabel is the king who is able to restore the destroyed Temple. There are mountains of obstacles. If we are a bit familiar with Israel’s situation this day we see many obstacles for the rebuilding of the Temple. There are questions as to where the Temple was located exactly; it is known to be on the same area as the Jerusalem mosque of Islam [Dome of the Rock].

This has great hope for the future day prophecy (Ezekiel 40-44). Though they had many obstacles during the building of the Temple during the days of Ezra, there is a world wide problem in these days. This just magnifies the words of verse six, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit“. Obstacles seem to make great opportunities for God to move for His own glory and our good.

The mountain like obstacles faced by the future day Zerubbabel will fall like crumbling rock, and will flatten before him. This “Zerubbabel” will be a leader of Israel in a future day who has a passion for Israel, and restoring the Hebrew worship to his people. It could be in a day very near. Not one word of the LORD will fail to come to pass. He has spoken, thus it shall be.

We see mentioned in verse seven, “…he shall bring forth the headstone” [or capstone] meaning the end of the building project. Zerubbabel finished the temple and there was great rejoicing (Ezra 6:16-18). Truly it is the “grace” of God that causes great rejoicing and celebration after so many years of absence, and trials.

Thank our LORD and God that we too can rest in the thoughts and promises of God, and that it is not by might nor by any power we may have, but it is always by the power of God’s Spirit that we can overcome, any mountain, or obstacle. If God has promised, it will be done. He has promised; it will be done.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Abomination Of The Temple

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“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: ) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” Matthew 24:15-18 (KJV)

The Abomination which makes desolate was mentioned by Daniel the prophet, as Jesus says. Daniel the prophet wrote, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” Daniel 9:27 (KJV). ALSO SEE DANIEL 11:31. The apostle Paul writes of an abomination of desolation in 2 Thessalonians 2:

“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 worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (KJV)

The temple was destroyed as Jesus said it would be in 70 A.D. Titus a Roman general ordered many trees laid up against the walls of the temple, fueled to accelerate the fire, and the excess heat cracked the white marble stone, so that it crumbled, melting the gold which was imbedded in the seams, and the Eastern front, in order for Titus and his troops to collect the gold. Is this the “Abomination of desolation” of which Jesus is speaking? There are some who think so, and some of those same people will even tell you that Jesus came back at that point and time. Yes, that’s right, there some who believe that the second coming of Jesus has already come and gone. Isn’t the wonderful peace we have on earth really amazing? Isn’t it great how the serpents are harmless to children playing over their dens? It is really amazing to see the lion and the lamb eating straw together these wonderful days. Now I am being sarcastic for a reason, and that is to make the point that Jesus has not yet returned. The destruction of the temple is not the “Abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet”.

Would not Jesus had mentioned it being the Abomination when he told his disciples, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (v. 2)? That was fulfilled in the 70 A.D., but not the “Abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel”. Some might even want to remind us of an abomination of desolation which took place during those 400 years of silence when Antiochus Epiphanes set himself in the temple, sacrificing a pig, and declaring himself as God. If Jesus, however, is reminding them that it was spoken by Daniel the prophet; Jesus sees it as yet a future event, but going beyond that of the destruction of the temple of 70 A.D.. It is yet, for a day and time that is to come.

It is for a time of which Paul has written. One will come making peace with Israel, and that is according to Daniel; “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:”. With the world in such an upheaval right now; in wars, poor economical outlooks, crime on the increase, the love of many growing cold, right becoming wrong, and wrong becoming right, the technology and science of man being exalted, and attempts of dethroning the God of the Universe; is the world not ripe for a world ruler to come on the scene and seemingly put an end to these things? Human ingenuity, human kindness, humanity itself is being exalted over all things. “We can save ourselves” is the words we sometimes hear.

Jesus says, “When you see the abomination…stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: )” Jesus is not giving a command for the believer in tribulation to “stand in the holy place”. The “holy place” will be the position of the “abomination of desolation”, the Antichrist; when you see him standing in the holy place. These seeing this take place will be the Jewish people who have not yet believed, but will find it abominable for a man to be declaring himself as God. That is what makes it abomination. I may not have needed to explain that to anyone but myself, but there it is. I needed to ask myself, “Who would be standing in the holy place?” Looking at the following instruction which Jesus gives, it becomes clear that the Antichrist is the one who is standing in the holy place. Jesus’s instruction is, “Whoso readeth, let him understand”. He wants, desires greatly for His people to understand of what, and of whom He is speaking.

The command Jesus gives is for one to flee. The covenant maker, has now broken his covenant, taken away the sacrifices, and exalted himself in the place of God. For this to take place there is going to be a rebuilding of the temple. It is being spoken of by many Jewish people of Israel during these days. To my knowledge and understanding the Jerusalem temple has been destroyed at least three times; Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the raiders of the Babylonian army, then Ezra the scribe went and oversaw the rebuilding of the temple (Read the book of Ezra), then it was destroyed again, and rebuilt by Herod the great and never was completed, and this was the temple which Jesus foretold would be destroyed; which happened in 70 A.D..

“And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:19-31 (KJV)

The days of the Abomination will be sad and troubled days for the Jewish people. The one to whom they had turned for peace and safety, is now proclaiming himself as their god. Women with babies fleeing for their lives and the lives of the babes. This will be a time when all Jews will be told to bow and worship or perish. These babies will be used as means of coersion to persuade the mothers to worship the Beast. Using them, threatening death to the babe, if they do not worship. This would be a terrible plight for any mother. It will be another time of “Rachel weeping for her children”, only this time it will not be because of the birth of the Lamb of God; but the pretentious act of the Beast of hell.

Jesus says here, “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day”. A Winter flight (that means fleeing, not flying) would be hazardous, cold, and difficult. The Sabbath would catch them in their rituals, worship, sacrifices and dedications, thus shortening their response to flee time. Would it be safe to say that this day will not take place in the Winter or on the Sabbath day? I ask this because Jesus gives instruction to pray that their flight not be in either of these times. Usually the things for which Jesus instructs us to pray; we receive.

This time will be the last three and one half years of the tribulation, and Jesus calls this “great tribulation”. The first 3.5 years seems to go well for the Jewish people, and some of the people of the earth. The Gospel of the kingdom is being preached by 144,000 Jewish preachers traveling the world over, and the gospel reaches the whole world. It seems that every ear will hear of the coming, the nearness of the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. The thing is these 144,000 witnesses and their converts will be subject to death when they are captured, and be put to death. These will be hated by the “earth dwellers” – those whose hearts and ties are bound toward the things of this world, and who hate God and His truth.

It is clear from our text that though evil will be seemingly having its way, that God is still superintending, and will only let things go so far as fulfills His will (v. 22). “Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved…” The people of the earth will be so deceived they will believe they finally are free, having their way without God and there may be a time of seeming prosperity among the “earth dwellers”, but it will also be short lived. When I refer to the “People of earth” or “earth dwellers” be reminded that these are those who love the world, themselves, and are only out to get all they can, “And can all they can get”.

Thomas Ice has written on the “Earth dwellers” in Midnight Call magazine;

“When we survey the eleven uses of ‘earth dwellers’ in Revelation, we see an interesting composite that develops. Not only are they to be tested in order to show their true metal (3:10), they are clearly identified as those who are persecuting and killing believers during the Tribulation (6:10). Many of the judgments of the Tribulation are targeted for the earth dwellers (8:13).” Thomas Ice, MIDNIGHT CALL Magazine, August, 2008, p.15, titled “The Earth Dwellers of Revelation”.

It is great to know that God is never out of control. “but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened”; God knows how much chastening the people of Israel needs, how much will be necessary to complete the work He began in them.

As they have fled Jerusalem to the place God prepares for them, and they are protected by God, there will come false prophets, and false christs to them saying, that they know christ is in the desert, or that they themselves are christs.

-Tim A. Blankenship
 

 

Joshua, The High Priest

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In beginning this chapter there are five characters shown which we are to identify. The first is the LORD; then; the Angel of the LORD; then Satan; the angel who is speaking to the prophet; and Zechariah, the prophet. Zechariah is the one who is viewing the vision which is being written.

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. The LORD said ot Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Zechariah 3:1-2 (NKJV)

The one who shows Zechariah that the high priest is Joshua is the angel who has been communicating with him so far. Just where Joshua fits in is only to be figured out from the study of these verses.

Joshua, the High Priest has come out of captivity with the first returning group. He is named by the prophet Haggai, as being the “son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Haggai 1:1), and by Ezra the scribe (Ezra 3:2; 5:2). This is clearly an actual High Priest who is representing the nation of Israel, being restored to their land.

The Angel of the LORD must be a Theophany, or as I have stated previously, a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus Christ. This seems to be quite the picture. The High Priest Joshua standing before the Theophany of Christ, and Satan – the devil – standing at the right hand of Joshua. Satan is standing there in opposition to him. The devil hates the people of Israel, and he hates any of the Church of Jesus Christ. He stands opposed to any and all who will stand with the LORD and His Word, and His Son.

Joshua, also stands before the LORD in “filthy garments” (v. 3). This is significant in that Joshua the priest represents the nation; they too are filthy with their worship of idols, and their empty attempt to maintain their worship of God. When you turn from the LORD to worship anything else it is clear hypocrisy to “maintain” the empty worship attempts. The nation had committed spiritual adultery against the LORD, despised the sacrifices, despised the Sabbaths, despised their feast days, and worst of all despised the LORD God who had delivered them out of Egyptian bondage, and kept them secure.

God, the LORD, would do a mighty work in them again. He would deliver them from their filth, and filthy garments, restore them to their lands, and remove the reproach of the devil.

One thing I want to point out is that it seems some what odd that the LORD would say, “the LORD rebuke you Satan!” Maybe it is the power of His name, or the use of His name that causes the devil to flee. The Psalmist did write, “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” (Psalm 138:2). It only shows that His Person and His name are equal. His Word is as good as His name.

These are all reassuring words for a nation which has come out of captivity. For them to have the Word of the LORD revealed to them concerning their future surely would give them hope, increase their faith, and draw them nearer to the LORD. Things are happening with the nation just as the prophets before the captivity had said. Isaiah warned them of it happening. Jeremiah warned them it was coming, and both tell us they would return. Jeremiah revealed that they would be in captivity for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10), and Daniel the prophet put great hope in this promise (Daniel 9:2, 24).

Satan has gone to great extremes to extinguish the people of Israel. There are examples in the Old Testament. Their wicked practices caused them to turn their backs on the LORD, thus, the LORD sent their enemies to conquer them, and humble them, to call on His holy name. My, how stubborn we human beings can be. Over and over and over again the LORD seeks them out, calls them to return to Him, and many times, for a short time they have; and there has always been a remnant of those who were faithful to continue with the LORD.

Into captiviity they were taken. Many times beaten, flogged, ravaged, and always pillaged for the gold and silver of the temple and other possessions. The LORD’s rebuke of Satan is powerful, and he is unable to combat the Word of the LORD. When we have an example of the LORD Himself speaking His Word to rebuke the devil, we can certainly do no better.

“A brand plucked from the fire…” is speaking of the nation and their being in the fire of the trials of captivity. Yes! We can even look through Scripture and find that many of them that went into captivity made good for themselves. They began to fit right into the society of Babylon, and Shushan, and there were many who had become so successful there they did not want to leave. They had turned their backs on the true God, honoring other gods, and were quite comfortable living in captivity. They were the “brand plucked from the fire”.

The previous paragraph shows us strongly the peril Christians face as we conform to society rather than being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Paul the apostle wrote many years following the return of the captives to Jerusalem, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (NKJV). Woe be to the Christians today who become so comfortable, lethargic, and complacent to what goes on around us. We are pressured every day to conform to the idea of many gods, many roads, or ways to heaven, and don’t be so narrow minded. Just conform. Just get along. Don’t rock the boat.

We have this assurance that the LORD has rebuked Satan. He can do nothing to one of God’s children without the permission of our Heavenly Father. Satan desired to sift Peter as wheat, but the Lord Jesus prayed for Peter (Luke 22:31-32). We too have an Advocate with the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. We too have been plucked from the fire. Our High Priest is Jesus. Joshua, as many of you know is the Hebrew name for Jesus. The names mean, “The Lord is salvation”.

-Tim A. Blankenship

 

Taking a Measure

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This week’s being the celebration of Israel’s 60th Anniversary, as a recognized nation among the United Nations, this is a fitting reminder of God’s hand on the nation that will one day rise up as the one, to whom all nations will go.  God’s richest blessings on Israel, and may they hear and receive their Messiah Jesus.

Taking a Measure

In the book of Daniel the false king Belshazzar saw “handwriting on the wall”. It was interpreted by Daniel as meaning, “You have been weighed in the balances and found lacking”. Belshazzar had blasphemed the LORD God by desecrating the articles of the LORD’s Jerusalem temple.

Some could look at this measuring line and possibly see a means of judgment, but when you look at the context of the message it is not of judgment, but a word of future glory for the city.

Hear the Word of the Lord through Zechariah the prophet:

“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, ‘Where are you going?’ And he said to me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.’” Zechariah 2:1-2 (NKJV).

According to some this man, the surveyor, could be the Angel of the LORD, which in most scholar’s understanding means, that this “Angel of the LORD” is a manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ (pre-incarnate). The measuring is evidence of the Lord’s heart for the city of Jerusalem and the people of the city.

Just ask any builder; any responsible, accurate, careful builder will take measurements before they begin the actual building process. It would be quite foolish to measure as this gives us the picture, without an intent and purpose for building. It is sure evidence that God’s plan; and it is plan A, for He has no plan B; is to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, its temple, and recall His people – the Hebrews to this glorious place. It will see a glory even greater than that of Solomon; because a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 12:42).

The city and the temple which God has designed for the reign of His Son will be the most glorious of cities and temples. Nothing will compare to it.

Who is the man with the measuring line? It would appear to be the pre-incarnate Christ giving hope, guidance, and assurance to the prophet and his people. We are not given the dimensions, but we can know that it will be practically immeasurable.

Surely this must be a word telling us of the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple.

-Tim A. Blankenship