A New Temple Is Built
Solomon built the original temple in Jerusalem. It was magnificent! The sins of a divided nation would eventually cause their downfall, the northern Kingdom taken away never to return, and the southern Kingdom (a little better) survived, but not until the temple was destroyed and they were taken into captivity in Babylon. Upon their return, under Nehemiah and Ezra, a rebuilding campaign sees a new temple constructed. Not as grand as the first, it stood until the time of Jesus. Herod would enhance it, but it had become a marketplace. Selling in the temple area for appropriate sacrifices was OK, but cheating the common Jew and foreigner was not OK. That is what was going on by the time of Jesus.
And so, after his triumphal entry from the Mount of Olives into the city of Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the temple. We read, “He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple” (Mark 11:15-16).
One of my questions has always been: how did Jesus get away with this? I mean the Pharisees, in particular, are out to get him. They’ve signed a death warrant on Jesus. Why would they not take advantage of this opportunity and have him arrested? Mark Moore in his book Quest 52 explains that the Pharisees would have agreed with him on this issue. They weren’t the ones profiting from the marketplace shenanigans, and they saw what was going on as wrong, also. Moore says another factor would be that the temple courtyard was the size of 30 football fields. What Jesus did was probably restricted to a small area of it, so not as obvious as it might seem, and normal business may have continued in other areas of the temple. Third, Moore says the Roman garrison would have been close by, in the Tower of Antonia, and not wanting a scene with them, the chief priests may have refused to complain, not wanting a commotion as Passover began.
Jesus, after showing his anger, says this: “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). He quotes from Isaiah 56 and Jeremiah 7. Isaiah 56 includes words about Yahweh providing salvation for the foreigner. This market - place would have been in the Court of the Gentiles, hampering their ability to properly worship. Jeremiah 7 has the prophet railing against the oppression of the foreigner, the fatherless, the widow, etc. He warns that if they do not repent, God would tear down the temple. They don’t, and he does, with the invasion of Babylon. Jesus here seems to be saying, repent or the same thing will happen. He will later predict the destruction of the temple, and it will occur in 70AD.
There have been two temples, both destroyed. Will another be built? Some think a third physical one will be built before the end of time. I’m not so sure about that. But my answer is yes, a third temple has been built! You see, Jesus said, “A time is coming when you will not worship the Father in Jerusalem… the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 23). And Paul would later say, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you” (I Cor. 6:19). The dwelling place of God’s Spirit is no longer a physical temple, but inside each Christian. And then Paul talks about the church being built on the foundation of the apostles, Jesus as the chief cornerstone, “the whole building joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:21). All Christians who form the church, are now God’s temple. No brick or mortar, but a holy place. Let’s act like it.
Cross Point: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices (service) acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2:5).
And so, after his triumphal entry from the Mount of Olives into the city of Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the temple. We read, “He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple” (Mark 11:15-16).
One of my questions has always been: how did Jesus get away with this? I mean the Pharisees, in particular, are out to get him. They’ve signed a death warrant on Jesus. Why would they not take advantage of this opportunity and have him arrested? Mark Moore in his book Quest 52 explains that the Pharisees would have agreed with him on this issue. They weren’t the ones profiting from the marketplace shenanigans, and they saw what was going on as wrong, also. Moore says another factor would be that the temple courtyard was the size of 30 football fields. What Jesus did was probably restricted to a small area of it, so not as obvious as it might seem, and normal business may have continued in other areas of the temple. Third, Moore says the Roman garrison would have been close by, in the Tower of Antonia, and not wanting a scene with them, the chief priests may have refused to complain, not wanting a commotion as Passover began.
Jesus, after showing his anger, says this: “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). He quotes from Isaiah 56 and Jeremiah 7. Isaiah 56 includes words about Yahweh providing salvation for the foreigner. This market - place would have been in the Court of the Gentiles, hampering their ability to properly worship. Jeremiah 7 has the prophet railing against the oppression of the foreigner, the fatherless, the widow, etc. He warns that if they do not repent, God would tear down the temple. They don’t, and he does, with the invasion of Babylon. Jesus here seems to be saying, repent or the same thing will happen. He will later predict the destruction of the temple, and it will occur in 70AD.
There have been two temples, both destroyed. Will another be built? Some think a third physical one will be built before the end of time. I’m not so sure about that. But my answer is yes, a third temple has been built! You see, Jesus said, “A time is coming when you will not worship the Father in Jerusalem… the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 23). And Paul would later say, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you” (I Cor. 6:19). The dwelling place of God’s Spirit is no longer a physical temple, but inside each Christian. And then Paul talks about the church being built on the foundation of the apostles, Jesus as the chief cornerstone, “the whole building joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:21). All Christians who form the church, are now God’s temple. No brick or mortar, but a holy place. Let’s act like it.
Cross Point: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices (service) acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2:5).