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Looking At Appearance - Matthew 24:1
Looking At Appearance - Matthew 24:1
The more you observe and see God's creation, the less you are awed by man's creations. This is true even of the temple that Herod had rebuilt for the Jewish people. One thing you have to give credit to Herod for, in spite of all his major moral failings, he built some fabulous things. Here in Matthew 24, it simply says that "his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple" (vs. 1). Mark writes that "one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” (Mark 13:1). The temple and all of its 'trappings' did have an impressive look: the priests and their colorful robes, the great courtyard, the burning of the sacrifices, etc. What a shock to hear Jesus say that in a short time the temple would be torn apart, stone by stone, until there was none left standing upon another. When this would happen to this building the whole of the old covenant system would come to an end.
The physical temple would be replaced by the temple made up of godly people. The High Priest would be replaced with the despised and rejected Jesus. The sacrifices would no longer burn on the altar for it was replaced by the 'once for all' sacrifice of God's son. All the pomp and ceremony would give way to the simple New Testament worship.
Picture a handful of people in some small room worshiping God according to Jesus' teaching. Such is beautiful in God's sight. Wherever two or three are gathered, God is in their midst. We are a spiritual temple built of spiritual stones. Paul would ask the Corinthians: "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1Cor. 3:16). He wrote to the Ephesians that we are "growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:21-22).
No wonder we are instructed to love the brethren! WE are God's temple. We are built together to the glory of God. Through this 'building' the manifold wisdom of God is proclaimed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places (Eph. 3:10). A people that worship God in the beauty of holiness!
Yet the lure of the temporal and mundane is ever present. Men are compelled to turn the temple of the Lord into pomp and ceremony. The simple worship of the heart gives way to elaborate ceremony. It is sad to see people drawn away from God's creation to the temporal and mundane.
Hugh DeLong
