It was a dramatic moment when Yahweh called Moses up into the cloud on fiery Mt Sinai. Upon ascending the mount, the first recorded words said to Moses are a command for him to ask those of a willing heart to bring an offering of gold, silver, brass, and a range of precious materials, that they might make God a sanctuary (Hebrew miqdash), that he might “dwell among them.”
What a request of our God, that he would desire to dwell among his people! It was in his wisdom that the tabernacle, and later the temple, would facilitate his will.
Of a willing heart
It is important to note that, from the beginning, God only wanted willing hearts involved in the tabernacle construction. This is demonstrated when Moses informs the children of Israel of “the words that the Lord hath commanded”—the request is to “whosoever is of a willing heart.” In chapter 35 this phrase is repeated again and again, driving the message home that God has no desire to have those serving him doing so against their will.
It is important to note that, from the beginning, God only wanted willing hearts involved in the tabernacle construction.
Wonderfully, the people responded to this request liberally:
“And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments” (Verse 21).
The level of enthusiasm was evident in the response, for “the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work…” (Exodus 36:5, NKJV). The treasures of Egypt were not held back or buried under the tents of the nation. “All that the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it”—and so chapter 39 ends with Moses blessing the nation.
Upon completion of the work we are told, “then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” This was his Shekina glory. From that day forward, the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night were there at the center of the nation as a visible sign of God’s presence among his firstborn national son (Exodus 4:22). There was not another nation such as this.
As for the tent of meeting that travelled with the children of Israel through the wilderness and across the Jordan with Joshua, God had told Moses in Deuteronomy 12 that there would finally be a place that God would choose to cause his name to dwell. At first that place was Shiloh, but in time the tabernacle would finally rest on Mount Moriah, the location where Melchizedek King of Salem and priest of the Most High God had brought bread and wine to Abram, and where Abraham would later come to offer his only begotten son, Isaac. Here, in what would become known as Jerusalem, was found the center of true worship.
In his heart
It is a beautiful spirit that we find in King David when he desires to build God a house. God responds to David’s plan saying to Nathan the prophet, “Spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” God had not asked for a permanent house and yet David, of his own heart, desired to build one. Although it was not for David to build God’s Temple, God nevertheless loved his spirit and would later state—“thou didst well that it was in thine heart” (1 Kings 8:18). The greatest sign of God’s feeling to David surely comes in his further response in 2 Samuel 7, instead telling David that he will build David a house. Of course, what follows are some of the greatest promises ever given to man, later called in Isaiah 55:3—“the sure mercies of David.” How much our God loved David’s willing spirit to serve him and build his temple, cannot be overstated. He was of course, in God’s words, “a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”
“Spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” God had not asked for a permanent house and yet David, of his own heart, desired to build one. Although it was not for David to build God’s Temple, God nevertheless loved his spirit and would later state—“thou didst well that it was in thine heart” (1 Kings 8:18).
The seed of David that would build God’s house would not only be his son, but incredibly he would also be the son of God. The kingdom that this special son would rule over would also be everlasting, and one that David himself would witness, requiring his resurrection (2 Samuel 7:14,16).
The Hope of the Apostles
This is of course what the apostles are hoping for in Acts 1:6 when they ask the Messiah, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” For they had “trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel” (Luke 24:21). It certainly was he. This was just not the time. Tragically, the nation had become corrupted to the point that they rejected their own Messiah, the son of God himself.
Christ himself had previously declared that his Father’s house had been made into a den of thieves, and told the apostles of the great destruction of the temple that would come. It was during a conversation about the grandeur of the building when Christ tells them, “as for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Luke 21:6). These were the judgments of God, and not only was the nation to lose the great temple, but also the Jews that shut their ears from the word would themselves be cut down:
“They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
The Terrible Destruction
When Titus began what would be the final battle for Jerusalem, he found Jewish rebels with a will to fight that was truly valiant. However, God had determined the fate of the city and warned any that would hear to leave before the return of the Romans (Luke 21:20-21). Those that stayed in the city were subjected to bombardment and horrific famine with reports of mothers being brought to even eating their own offspring.
The book, A Temple in Flames describes what the Temple and its downfall meant to the Jews at the time:
“In describing the magnitude of the crisis caused by the destruction of the Temple, historian Gedaliah Alon explains that to the Jews of the Second Temple period, the Temple was their supreme spiritual center of both the individual and the nation. The sacred precinct served, through sacrifices, as a place of atonement for sins and purification of the soul. It was the ultimate focus of all prayers. It embodied the religious, social, and national experience of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel and the Diaspora, which came to a peak with the Temple service during the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot). The Temple, which also served as a place for teaching Jewish law, philosophy, and beliefs, greatly contributed to the unity of the people in the Land of Israel and the Diaspora. Faith ran deep that the Temple, like the people itself, would last forever. Philo, the Alexandrian Jewish philosopher who had the privilege of making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, said, ‘The Temple can never be destroyed, as long as heaven and earth abide.’
When the Temple—a national, religious, and social institution of inestimable value—was burned, the shock was so great that the Jews saw no point in going on living. Thus did Cassius describe the Jewish reaction to the sight of the Temple going up in flames: ‘then they met death willingly, some throwing themselves on the swords of the Romans, some slaying one another, others taking their own lives, and still others leaping into the flames’” (Roman History 65.6.3).
According to the rabbinic tradition both the first and second Temples were destroyed by the Babylonians and the Romans on the same day, the 9th of Av, in Hebrew Tisha B’ Av. To this day it is a day of mourning for the Jewish people. Although Jewish history is full of tragedy, the 9th of Av focuses specifically on the loss of the temples and it is customary to read aloud the book of the Lamentations of Jeremiah.
The following passages are taken from those Lamentations:
1:1—How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!
1:4—The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn (appointed—R.V. Margin) feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
1:12—Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
2:15—All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?
2:18—Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.
3:48—Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
5:19-21—Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
Of note here, it is the Lord’s action of turning to his people that would precipitate the response, “and we shall be turned…” Therefore, it was on the Lord’s timetable when the turning would come. However, there was no doubt it would come. Psalm 102 speaks prophetically of this time: “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come” (v. 13). A time that would bring the restoration of his people, “when the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory” (v. 16).
The Desire to Rebuild
How much joy it brings us then, when we can see with our own eyes the work of the Almighty in restoring so many of the scattered Israelites, brought back once again to their land. It is with great interest that we also watch the growing desire in Israel today to rebuild the temple. Surely, this cannot be insignificant.
We may have come across this before and assumed it is a few zealous individuals pushing this agenda. Although the numbers vary significantly, we point to two polls completed in Israel to show this is not the case. The first in 2009 was reported in Ynet News, Survey: 64% want Temple rebuilt (July 30th, 2009):
“The survey was held by the Panels Institute among 516 respondents that are a representative sample of the adult Jewish population. The margin of error was 4.3%.
Initially, the respondents were asked what happened on Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av), and showed impressive knowledge. Ninety-seven percent responded that the Temple was destroyed, while only 2% said they did not know.
The second question was whether respondents wanted to see the Temple rebuilt. Sixty-four percent responded favorably, while 36% said no. An analysis of the answers showed that not only the ultra-Orthodox and the religious look forward to the rebuilding of the Temple (100% and 97% respectively), but also the traditional public (91%) and many seculars – 47%.”
A second poll was taken four years later in 2013 and was reported on by Haaretz, One-third of Israeli Jews Want Temple Rebuilt in Jerusalem, Poll Finds (July 12, 2013):
“Right-wing organizations devoted to the Temple Mount are buoyed by a new poll they commissioned finding that 30 percent of Israeli Jews support rebuilding the Jewish Temple on the site.
When the poll, commissioned by the Joint Forum of Temple Mount Organizations, asked Israeli Jews, ‘Are you for or against erecting a Temple on the Temple Mount?’ 30 percent answered in the affirmative, while 45 percent were against and 25 percent said they were not sure.
Among the numerous Temple Mount organizations that initiated the survey, activists are pleased. The results, they believe, show a strengthening of public perception that the Temple Mount is Judaism’s holiest and most important site.”
It is clear that even though the Jews today still reject their King and Messiah, are still steeped in the traditions of men, and are found believing in many of the lies of Christendom itself, such as the immortal soul, a change is yet taking place in the nation.
One place that the changes in Israel can be seen is by how many Jews ascend the Temple Mount. For years, the number has been on the increase, continually breaking records that would go back 2000 years. On the 9th of Av this year, the record was broken with over 2000 ascending. Further to that, the total number for this last Jewish year broke a record with over 50,000 ascending, and with a large number never making the cut on most holy days.
These numbers may not seem very large but there are many restrictions placed on Jewish visitors, both in visiting hours, group size, security, and what activities they are allowed to do. Although Arab visitors can enter freely, Jewish visitors can enter through only one gate and must go through a security checkpoint. Once cleared, they are escorted by Israeli Police the entire time to ensure safety and to ensure they do not upset the fragile peace that exists. This means extraordinary rules. No praying. No kneeling. No bowing. No prostrating. No dancing. No singing. No ripping clothes. But it clearly does not deter Jews from visiting!
As the remains of the Davidic dynasty are slowly uncovered in Jerusalem, and the Scriptures become more widely known, as they are in society, the nation is being taken back to its Biblical roots. In fact on May 26, 2016 Haaretz published an article entitled, “Is Messianism Replacing the Old Order in Israel?”
As has been seen in Israeli politics for some time, there is a great divide in the nation. This is not wildly different from the divide we see in the western world, only in Israel we find a people turning back to their roots, while in the west they are cutting off their roots.
Looking for this change in the nation, Graham Pearce wrote the following in 1948:
“Now if God intends to bring the age-long ‘controversy of Zion’ to a head in order to vindicate His name, then at that time ‘Zion’ and ‘Israel’ must be something known and distinct. The passages quoted show that this is so, for their intention is to ‘defile Zion’ etc. Such a situation as these passages describe will require a much more Israelitish character in the land than we now see. Hence it is essential that the nations’ faith in the Promises to the fathers, in Messiah, and the things of the Law should be built up to some degree beforehand, and something of a true Israelitish flavour imparted to the nation. This development of a tangible Israelitish policy in the land will stir up anti-semitism among the nations and will provoke a christian crusade thus gathering the nations against Zion.”
Hence it is essential that the nations’ faith in the Promises to the fathers, in Messiah, and the things of the Law should be built up to some degree beforehand, and something of a true Israelitish flavour imparted to the nation.
Surely, what we are witnessing today in the movement to rebuild the Temple is displaying all of what Graham Pearce looked and waited for.
The Order of Events from a Jewish Understanding
Baruch Gordon, The Director of Development for Beit-El (Bethel) had the following to say about the timing of rebuilding the Temple in one of his Torah lessons published Feb 16, 2021:
“In the Teruma (Exodus 25:1 to 27:19) one of the most central elements of Hebrew national life is commanded to us: “And they shall make for Me a sanctuary (Temple).” That’s the commandment to build the Temple. Hey, we’ve been sovereign over the temple Mount in Jerusalem since 1967, the Six Day War! What are we waiting for?… Not so quick.
There’s an order as to how and when we build the Temple.
Firstly, this commandment is incumbent upon, not individual Jews, but the Jewish Nation as a whole. Building the lofty Temple relates to our robust spiritual well-being. And before it can appear we must first firmly establish the robust physical wellbeing of our nation. These concepts are laid down clearly by the Rambam (Maimonides). He was the most encompassing of all the codifiers of Jewish Law. He writes:
The Jewish People are commanded to fulfill three commandments upon entering the Land:
Appoint a King.
Wipe out the descendants of Amalek (destroying our enemies).
Build the Temple.
Immediately after the Rambam lists them, he writes that they must be performed in that specific order…
In our time, we’re still working on the first commandment. True, we have a Prime Minister, but what has to happen for us to anoint a King from the Davidic Dynasty?
Well, there are many answers to that question. But for sure, strengthening ourselves as individual Jews and strengthening our standing as a nation. For example, entrenching ourselves in the study of Torah. Coming to live in the Land of Israel. Investing in Israel. Standing strong for Israel. All of these are good.
Once we anoint a King from the Davidic dynasty we will have actualized our full force as a nation. Only then can we proceed to the second stage of eliminating our enemies in the final wars, and the third stage of reaching that lofty spiritual height of building the Holy Temple.”
“I was never more optimistic about what’s going on on Temple Mount, on the revival of the Jewish sovereignty on Temple Mount. Because what happened today—I tried to get in and I couldn’t! There were too many people! I’m serious… For over 30 years we were begging the Jews to come. I always ask myself how come we see all these Arabs going to Temple Mount, and Jews coming in small numbers. It’s the first time in my career that I see the opposite.” ~ Moshe Feiglin, May, 2022, Former Member of Likud, Author of 'The War of Dreams'
Even so, come, Lord Jesus
Our prayer and our hearts' desire is for the coming of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the King of the Jews, to return and to send teachers to
his people. It was when Philip heard the eunuch reading from the prophecy of Isaiah that he asks him, “understandest thou what thou readest?”
The eunuch responded, “How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.”
What a zeal will come to this people when they are fully enlightened with the Truth by the greatest teachers this world has ever known. May the ancient graves soon be stirred, that these teachers may be raised up. “For truly Elijah must first come, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
What effect will this teaching have on the nation? Will it inspire the people to clear the land of idolatry? One thing we know. The enemy, when he responds, will be very satisfied to control the holy mountains—“Thus saith the Lord God; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places (heights NKJV) are ours in possession” (Ezekiel 36:2). However, as Daniel’s prophecy tells us, “yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” And Isaiah’s prophecy continues, “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth” (Isaiah 62:1).
In these last days, until our Lord returns, may our prayer be that of Daniel’s:
“O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us” (Daniel 9:16).
May our eyes behold God’s beautiful house built once more in the earth. It is a vision that Ezekiel the prophet was told to set his heart on (Ezekiel 40:4). It belongs to the glory that is set before the us.