Davar Kingdom Of God - The Foundation Of Your Temple

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: "Do not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother's father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother (Gen 28:1-2). Since Esau came to hold a grudge against Jacob concerning the blessings of the birthright he lost, Jacob was no longer able to stay with his family, and his parents suggested that he should flee to Laban, Rebekah's brother, and stay with him for a while. Isaac also suggested that he should take a wife for himself there. Perhaps due to the grudge that Esau held, the parents could not give Jacob any bride-price and gifts that he would need to give Laban. Jacob was alone, and had nothing. As for the blessings Isaac had proclaimed he would receive, he saw nothing of them, and it seemed that everything was falling apart in the opposite direction of what he expected, and he was forced to have a journey of fear and loneliness into an unknown world.

But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead) (vv. 6-7). This passage is often misunderstood, yet the overall meaning of it is somewhat easy to understand and well-quoted in the church. If your mind is caught up too much with the phrase, "Do not say" in a legalistic sense, then, you will miss the point. Keep in mind that the opposite of faith is unbelief. To say, "Who will ascend into the deep?" or "Who will descend into the deep?" is an indication of unbelief. Therefore, "the righteousness that is by faith" does not say and ask those questions. Also, do not be misled by the expressions, "to bring Christ down," and "to bring Christ up from the dead," into thinking that these things are something that believers should not do, again, in a legalistic sense. No, as the phrase, "that is," indicates, Paul is explaining how each sentence he quot

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (Isa 28:16).” In order to know what God means by "So" at the beginning of this verse, we need to have some explanations concerning the important concepts that are rather foreign to us today. First, we need to understand that this stone is associated with the stone that was laid in the Most Holy Place of the Second Temple in lieu of the lost Ark (it could be that the same type of stone was also laid underneath the Ark in the First Temple). It was by God's inspiration that this stone came to be called "shetiyyah," which was a law dictating the manner of drinking in a royal feast. When this is applied to us Christians, it signifies the new way we worship and live by being led by the Spirit of God instead of being drunk with the mind of the flesh, which is death (Rom 8:6, Eph 5:18). Second, we need to know that a stone in the Old Testament

Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley-- to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine (Isa 28:1) This “Ephraim” refers to the Northern Kingdom, and the “wreath” signifies the palace in Samaria, its capital. Note that this wreath is also expressed as “fading flower” because it was being oppressed by the Assyrians that time. And all people in this land were “drunkards” in God’s sight. And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth (vv. 7-8). According to the Bible, there are two kinds of wine: one comes from Satan, and the other comes from God. With the first kind, the drunkards become senseless to the spiritual things of God, have difficulty understanding his word, lose

This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it (Zech 4:6-7)!’” Zerubbabel figuratively represents Jesus Christ, through whom the former kingdom of God has ended, and a new kingdom with a new system has been established. The period of the Second Temple in which Zerubbabel lived served as a transition from the old one to the new one. Here, the “mighty (big) mountain” was Mount Zion on which David’s palace once stood, symbolizing the nation of Israel, the former kingdom under the old covenant, and its “becoming level ground” meant the abolishing of that kingdom. The “capstone” was the foundation of this old kingdom, and Zerubbabel was to “bring out” to shouts of “God bless it! God bless it (grace, grace to it)!” The old system of distinction between Israel and the Gentiles has been remove

This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it (Zech 4:6-7)!’” As it has been already pointed out, this section of chapter 4 of Zechariah was originally recorded as an independent oracle and placed right after 1:7, but later, it was moved from there and inserted in the present location by an editor (or the author himself). If it were still in the originally place, we would interpret this oracle simply as an oracle given to Zerubbabel and to Zechariah to encourage them as they faced the situation of that time, especially concerning the task of rebuilding the temple. However, since the oracle seemed to contain something much more—far beyond their current situation and into the distant future, it was moved into the middle of the vision that also deals with something of the future—especial

He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights (4:2). The fifth vision that Zechariah saw in the night of the 24th day of the 11th month in the second year of Darius was the vision of the gold lampstand, the bowl and the two olive trees. The tips of the branches of the olive trees were like ears of grain, out of which pipes were connected to the bowl, and gold oil (some kind of golden liquid) was running through the pipes. The literal translation of v.12 would be: Again I asked him, "What are these two olive ears that are emptying out the golden (thing) by the hand of the two gold pipes (v. 12)?" Note that there is no word for “oil” in the original Hebrew text as you see in the NIV version. Zechariah only described what he saw, and it was some kind of liquid in the color of gold. Also note the verb, “to empty,” which is translated as “to pour out” in NIV. The verb implies that the liquid was not flow

On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe (Num 17:3). While each of the twelve tribes of Israel was to bring its own staff, and write its own name on it, Aaron’s name, for the tribe of Levi, was to be written on their staff. In other words, Levi’s staff was exceptional, and in a sense, it already indicated that the tribe of Levi was separated from the rest of the tribes for the priestly work. It was by Aaron’s name that the whole tribe was chosen. Obviously, Aaron’s name can be seen as the type of Jesus’ name. The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites (v. 5). What matters most is this act of God’s choosing. Through one man that God chooses, the rest of the people that belong to him will come to receive the same benefits and privileges as that man has. The same truth regarding priesthood is revealed in the vision that Zechariah saw in ch. 3 of his book. Th

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Tim 2:19)." The important assumption behind this verse is that all believers are chosen as priests. Peter also speaks of the same truth in his second letter. He first calls Christians as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house, and he encourages them saying: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pet 2:9). As we have already discussed, the Second Temple built at the time of the prophet Haggai had a stone placed in the Most Holy Place instead of the Ark of the Covenant. This stone was what Paul refers to as “God’s solid foundation.” The story behind it was that of Num 16: Korah and his followers approached God trying to get priesthood in a wrong way. K

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Tim 2:19)." When Paul was alive, there still stood, in Jerusalem, the second temple which was rebuilt at the time of Haggai the prophet. “God’s solid foundation” that he spoke of was the foundation stone of this temple. The Ark of the Covenant with the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written was carried into the first temple that Solomon built, and we assume that it was there until the destruction of the temple. And when the Jews returned from the captivity and built the second temple, they did not have the ark. According to Mishhah (Yoma 5:2), in place of the ark, a stone called, Shetiyyah (it was three fingerbreadths high), was placed in the Most Holy Place. And upon it, on the Day of Atonement, the priest put a censer with which he burnt incense by taking fire from the altar. And according to

They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it (Mat 27:33-34). In the northern part of Jerusalem, there is a gate called Damascus Gate, and just north of it is a rocky hill with a cliff that contains two large sunken holes resembling the eyes of a skull. It was the location at which the redemption of humanity took place (cf. Lev 16:27, Heb 13:12). From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (vv. 45-46)?" This was, in fact, what the Father God meant by “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again (John 12:28).” Who could see it? And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks

As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:4-5). Christ, as a stone rejected by men, became a cornerstone for God’s kingdom—the church. Then, we also, by following his example, are to be rejected by men and this world, and give ourselves to God as living stones. The above words are found in Peter’s letter, and in fact, Peter himself, whose name Jesus gave (petros means “rock”), learned this truth through some bitter experiences. One time Jesus went to the region of Caesarea Philippi, which was outside of the Jewish territory. John the Baptist was already dead, and being aware that the time for him to go up to Jerusalem to die was approaching near (less than a year), he wanted to spend some time quietly with his disciples discussing some important matters. It was at this time that he acknowle

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:19-20). Christ was rejected by men, and it led him to death. And through his death, the foundation was laid for the church to be built. He was the chief cornerstone to which the foundation of the apostles and prophets was later added, and now we Christians, as living stones, are also being built into the same spiritual house, which is the church. As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:4-5). The Bible contains some stories in which someone becomes a sacrifice in order to build a nation or a city that was once built but destroyed. In a sense, these storie

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other (Zech 7:09-11).” Due to their failure to keep this command, the destruction came to the people of Israel. The foundation of their nation was the Law: to love their god with all their heart and might, and to love their neighbors as themselves. The laying of the foundation of the destroyed temple by those who had returned from the captivity symbolized the willingness to keep the Law as the renewal of the covenant they had with God. And having received their willingness together with the symbolic event of the laying of the foundation of the temple, God told them that he was going to bless them and they would be a blessing from then on. He also revealed his strong determination to do good to Jerusalem and Judah. Then, he said: These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone (lit. chief cornerstone); the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Ps 118:22-24). The cornerstone of the temple is the foundation of the earth, upon which the world is built. When the foundation is shaken, the world tumbles down. In fact, when man sinned, the foundation of this world was shaken, and as a result, the world was brought under curses, and disasters began to happen. Yet, as the above scripture says, the stone rejected by men became the cornerstone—the new foundation, and a new world is being created and built upon it. So, let us rejoice and be glad in it! We have already seen how God spoke through the prophet Haggai to those who had returned from the exile but had a hard time building the temple. There was another prophet, Zechariah, who was contemporary with Haggai. It was two years after the foundation of the temple was laid for the second time that the

David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath (vv. 26-27). Then, the plague that was killing thousands of people stopped. Sickness came as a result of sin, and is a curse. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field (Gen 3:18). When “thorns and thistles” are eaten as “the plants of the field,” they hurt our body internally, and destroy it. If it is interpreted spiritually, it means idolatry that corrupts Israel from within, rather than the external attack from their enemies. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you (Josh 23:13). Sickness comes because of the drawn sward in the stretched hand of the angel who

David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown (1 Chr 21:16). A disaster was brought upon the people of Israel when David took a census in Israel. Then, he saw “the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem.” Obviously, this angel was against Jerusalem that time, and was destroying it. Thousands of people died, and more were dying. David wanted to do something to stop it, but was there anything he could do to change the consequence of his sin? Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (v. 18). David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:1). This was about twenty years before the time of Haggai the prophet who encouraged Zerubbabel to build the temple. These “Israelites” mentioned above were the first returnees from the Babylonian captivity. Perhaps, they first went to their own towns to see their own houses and fields, but as the seventh month approached, they all came to gather in Jerusalem. According to the Law of Moses, they were to celebrate the feast of trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the feast of tabernacles in the seventh month. While they were still in Babylon, to celebrate such festivals in Jerusalem was only a dream. You can imagine the kind of excitement and joy they had that time. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices (v.3). The phrase, “on its foundation,” mean

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’” The priests answered, "No (Hag 2:11-12)." God spoke on the 24th day of the 9th month by first asking the priests the above question. According to the Law, everything that touches the consecrated thing like an altar and the consecrated meat of a sacrificed animal that is offered to God becomes holy. Thus, the fold of the garment of a person who carries the consecrated meat becomes holy. Then, the question is: does the fold consecrate the other things that it touches? The answer is “No.” In other words, the second transmission of holiness by touching is not possible. Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled (v. 13)." But a person to whom defileme

“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house (v. 9).” “Each of you is busy with his own house” means literally, “each of you was running to his own house.” If this was the case, then, it must have been a burden also for them to keep the Sabbath day holy by not working. Nehemiah who lived in the same post-exilic period records that they had this problem. In fact, it seemd that the same problem had existed throughout the whole history of Israel. God spoke, for instance, through Jeremiah as follows: But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. … and this city will be inhabited forever (Jer 17:24-25). The whole es