BLOG 6 - THE GLORY OF THIS LATTER TEMPLE!

I was actually stunned by what the LORD showed me about this verse last week, in Haggai 2:9: "'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former' says the LORD of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts.'"

We know that this temple was nothing in comparison to the temple that Solomon built. People came from far away places just to see the glory of Solomon's temple. The old men who had seen both wept with loud voices to see the inferiority of this temple. Yet, the LORD says very clearly, "The glory of this temple shall be greater than the former."

We can immediately conclude that the glory of this temple would be greater because Jesus, God in flesh came to this very place and revealed Himself as Messiah. But where is that temple today? It was completely destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Is God finished with His temple or is there still a building going on? Jesus said "destroy this temple and I will raise it up." He was speaking of His body. And He calls His people also His Body as well as the temple of the Lord. He said we would do greater works than Him. Is the temple that He is building through the work of His saints on earth not a "greater work" with "greater glory" than that earthly temple?

1 Cor. 3:9 says: "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which He has given to me, as the wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is."

What a privilege to be God's fellow worker in building HIS HOUSE made of HUMAN HEARTS, a temple of far greater glory than Solomon's temple. PEOPLE are the gold, silver and precious stones that we build with. Haggai 1:8, the verse right before the verse about the glory of the latter temple says: "The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine". Yes, there is a temple of silver, gold and precious living stones, built without hands, built with prayer and love, as we love people into the kingdom of God with God's own love flowing through us by emptying ourselves and allowing God to fill us and pour out of us as He chooses.

Am I busy sweeping the house looking for that lost silver coin that belongs to the Lord? Will I call all my brothers and sisters together to rejoice with me when I find the lost piece? As a living stone, am I joined fitly together with my bothers and sisters to bear testimony to the love of a true disciple to the watching world? Am I gathering with those "accepted in the Beloved" or am I scattering? Are we a city on a hill bearing His light or bearing shame as the world sees more ugliness among Christians than among its own?

I fear and I tremble at the awesome and terrifying privilege we have been given as God's fellow workers. What will the test of fire reveal? What am I building with? I am so very thankful for His all sufficient grace and that I can rest in Him doing the work as I am only to yield my weak vessel to Him to cleanse, strengthen and use for His glory. As He fills me with His Holy Spirit, I know He will bear the fruit of His love in my life, and with His everlasting love, He will draw those who are His together and make us more gloriously beautiful than any earthly temple.

Agape.