Tag: new jerusalem

Jesus had just finished teaching in the temple about His lordship over all creation, when the disciples exited the grand structure with Him. The temple in the first century was of a quality that is said to have exceeded that of the Seven Wonders of the World. Its stones measured 37′ X 12′ X 18′ and the perimeter of the whole area was nearly one mile. The historian, Josephus, described its magnificence, “The front was all of polished stone, in so much that its fitness, to such as had not seen it, was incredible, and to such as had seen it, was greatly amazing.” The temple was built of white marble – with plates of gold in the front – and its courts were a succession of terraces. Herod the Great had expanded this temple to twice the size of the Solomon’s temple. What an overwhelming edifice it surely was!

With the magnificent nature of the physical structure in mind, we read of the disciples’ reaction as they leave the temple with Jesus, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” (Mark 13:1, ESV) The disciples were focused on what their eyes beheld – to the neglect of what their spirits should have homed in on. The disciples’ recognition of the beauty of the structure is not wrong, but surely Jesus at this particular time desired their hearts be preoccupied with the greater reality.

How quick we are to notice what is outwardly pleasing. How apt we are to acknowledge stylish clothes, beautiful houses, expensive decor, and pretty faces. All the while, the Lord wants us to be quick to focus on inward beauty – the reality of His ultimate reign in every facet of life. What constitutes true excellence is an unbroken connection to Jesus, and acknowledgement of Him – the Maker of all things beautiful. God wants us to see that the preeminence of Jesus in anything is what makes that thing fitting and grand. A homely face or a crippled body is beautiful when Jesus is Lord to the people who view it – when the physical structures and bodies are seen as temporary, yet Jesus is exalted as the eternal Hope of Glory!

The disciples called attention to the stones and building by calling them wonderful, a term with a Greek root meaning, “of what sort or quality.” In other words, they were exclaiming, “What manner of building is this!” The same Greek term is used in Matthew 8:27 (ESV) of Jesus after His disciples had experienced His miraculous calming of the Sea of Galilee when their ship was about to sink. They marveled at Him and said, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him?” How appropriate to marvel at Jesus, who made the wind and sea and, therefore, controls it completely. How fitting to be amazed at Jesus, who is the center of our worship. But does it take a storm to marvel at His power? When surrounded by all that allures, why do we lose our way?

Our Lord was quick to set the disciples straight in drawing their attention away from the temple structure and to a bigger plan. He responded, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Matthew 13:2, ESV). The destruction of earthly Jerusalem and the temple would surely come in A.D. 70 under Titus, son of Roman emperor Vespasian. Jesus longed for His disciples to base their lives on the eternal reality of God’s unshakeable kingdom. Temple rituals could not save. All the sacrifices offered through the years only pointed to the ultimate, saving sacrifice of Jesus Himself. He is the temple! He is the center of our worship and adoration! In Him, we enter God’s presence!

Remember Jesus cleansing the temple of the money-changers and all their items? After exhibiting such zeal, the Jews asked Jesus, “What sign do you show us for doing these things” (John 2:18, ESV) His response was, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19, ESV). The Jews became confused and could not understand how Jesus could restore a temple in three days that took half a century to build. But, the Bible is clear: Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. (John 2:21) A group of religious people were fixated on tradition, ornate things, and what the eyes could see. Jesus’ focus is salvation – the offering of Himself for sin and His doubtless victory over death. We ought to concentrate on Him and not all that glitters or appears religious or outwardly pleasing.

The culmination of the temple’s purpose is seen unequivocally in the amazing book of Revelation. We gain from this unbelievable future event a clearer understanding of why Jesus is intent on pushing our focus to true, spiritual majesty. The apostle John was given a vision by God of the New Jerusalem, and we rejoice in this truth of Revelation 21:1-4 (NASB):

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer by any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.

John then goes on to describe specifics of the city, the New Jerusalem, in Revelation 21:10-11,22 (NASB, emphasis mine):

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper . . . I saw no temple in [the city], for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

Did you see it? Eternally, the physical temple is replaced by the One it was pointing to all along, our Jesus! How He must have longed for His dear disciples to be obsessed with His beauty and love instead of the outward appeal of costly structures and rituals. Let us walk with Jesus – and as we do – let us say to Him, “What a wonderful Savior and what a wonderful hope!” Let us fix our eyes on spiritual loveliness – that of a heart fully yielded to the Savior. He is the magnificent temple!