Post by Mark on Dec 25, 2009 10:35:30 GMT -8
Matthew 24 through 26 is decidedly prophetic. A lot of times, though, I think we might completely overlook what Messiah is saying in the hopes of finding something secret and specific that we are hoping to find. That’s not to say that there aren’t some really cool and specific and maybe even secret things there; but it’s important to first and foremost understand the intended general message.
Messiah Yeshua and His disciples were walking in the Temple courts and looking around, amazed at the grandeur and magnificence of it. By far, the Temple mount was the most fabulous architecture that these country Jews had ever seen.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that when these guys were touring the grounds, it was a pretty new development. Herod had commissioned the remodel of the Temple some thirty years before, not long before Messiah’s birth. When Yeshua had come to the Temple as a twelve year old boy, He had come to a construction project. These men grew up watching, each year, as the Temple was refurbished and redecorated with Roman pomp and elegance.
Herod’s Temple project wasn’t universally appreciated among everyone, particularly what may later be understood as the ultra-Orthodox. These old sticks-in-the-mud declared that the Temple was defiled and rendered unclean as it had been scarred by man’s tools on the mount of God- and changed by the orders of a gentile invader.
Yet, being there, the politics must have been completely overshadowed by the splendor.
The disciples couldn’t contain their appreciation, this possibly their first time seeing the Temple completed. Messiah’s response was a cup of cold water of reality. “Take a good look,” He said, “not one stone will be left standing upon another. It will be absolutely thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2).
When things are going well, when there are positive things that we really appreciate, it’s easy to become distracted from the person of Adonai, the substance of our worship, by articles and artifacts that are designed to draw us toward Him. Messiah’s words are strange, even logically contradictory.
He said that many are going to come along with the sole purpose as to deceive you. He said that the world is going to be filled with confusion, chaos, wars, disease, and turmoil. He said those who are committed to trusting in Him, to declaring the promise of Messiah fulfilled in the person of Yeshua will be hated and hunted, killed and persecuted. Those who you trusted will betray you. Those you thought loved you will hate you, and a hatred of
will abound causing the love of many to wax cold.
Yet, in the midst of all this, the gospel (the good message of Adonai’s invitation of love to fallen man) will be proclaimed to all the world as a witness to every nation.
We tend to see things absolutely backwards from the way God sees them. We view the gentile invader putting his stamp of authority on the Temple of God as a beautiful and triumphant for our cause, while our Messiah teaches us that when things are darkest (from our perspective), His divine will is being accomplished in us. As the writer of Hebrews declared, “out of our weakness we are made strong” (Hebrews 11:34).
It kinda tweaks the nature in which I am inclined to pray for things. Do I pray that a new synagogue be built in our community for us or do I pray that the battle of anti-semitism come fully to bear? I tend to prefer money and praise above rocks and sticks; but what is His will?
Messiah Yeshua and His disciples were walking in the Temple courts and looking around, amazed at the grandeur and magnificence of it. By far, the Temple mount was the most fabulous architecture that these country Jews had ever seen.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that when these guys were touring the grounds, it was a pretty new development. Herod had commissioned the remodel of the Temple some thirty years before, not long before Messiah’s birth. When Yeshua had come to the Temple as a twelve year old boy, He had come to a construction project. These men grew up watching, each year, as the Temple was refurbished and redecorated with Roman pomp and elegance.
Herod’s Temple project wasn’t universally appreciated among everyone, particularly what may later be understood as the ultra-Orthodox. These old sticks-in-the-mud declared that the Temple was defiled and rendered unclean as it had been scarred by man’s tools on the mount of God- and changed by the orders of a gentile invader.
Yet, being there, the politics must have been completely overshadowed by the splendor.
The disciples couldn’t contain their appreciation, this possibly their first time seeing the Temple completed. Messiah’s response was a cup of cold water of reality. “Take a good look,” He said, “not one stone will be left standing upon another. It will be absolutely thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2).
When things are going well, when there are positive things that we really appreciate, it’s easy to become distracted from the person of Adonai, the substance of our worship, by articles and artifacts that are designed to draw us toward Him. Messiah’s words are strange, even logically contradictory.
He said that many are going to come along with the sole purpose as to deceive you. He said that the world is going to be filled with confusion, chaos, wars, disease, and turmoil. He said those who are committed to trusting in Him, to declaring the promise of Messiah fulfilled in the person of Yeshua will be hated and hunted, killed and persecuted. Those who you trusted will betray you. Those you thought loved you will hate you, and a hatred of
will abound causing the love of many to wax cold. Yet, in the midst of all this, the gospel (the good message of Adonai’s invitation of love to fallen man) will be proclaimed to all the world as a witness to every nation.
We tend to see things absolutely backwards from the way God sees them. We view the gentile invader putting his stamp of authority on the Temple of God as a beautiful and triumphant for our cause, while our Messiah teaches us that when things are darkest (from our perspective), His divine will is being accomplished in us. As the writer of Hebrews declared, “out of our weakness we are made strong” (Hebrews 11:34).
It kinda tweaks the nature in which I am inclined to pray for things. Do I pray that a new synagogue be built in our community for us or do I pray that the battle of anti-semitism come fully to bear? I tend to prefer money and praise above rocks and sticks; but what is His will?
