End Game for the Temple

The mission statement for Habitat for Humanity describes their “love for God being modeled by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope.” Their vision: “A world where everyone has a decent place to live.” The concept is great! People help others who are helping build their own homes. The people who will be living there are required to help on a large percentage of the construction of the home, with only limited customizations they can make to the design. Once the foundation is poured, the layout is set. From there, they won’t get to move in until the final touches are complete. But in the end – it’s theirs!

When you think about the house that Jesus is building for us, we too have to be patient for the final touches to be completed. He says in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”

“But when will it be completed?!” is a question that many homeowners ask during the construction process which is similar to the question about the end of time. As Jesus’ earthly ministry was drawing to a close, He emphasized the difference between an earthly kingdom and the one He was building.

Imagine how you would have interpreted what He said in Luke 21:6, “The time will come when not one stone [of the temple] will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” To a Jew, the temple represented God’s dwelling with them (Exodus 25:8-9 or 1 Kings 8:27-30). Therefore, to have it destroyed (again!) would seem so utterly hopeless. The Jews had suffered the loss of their temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (587 B.C.), and now Jesus was talking about something similar.

Even today people are still asking those questions, still wondering what it's all about. After all, the walls of the temple did fall in 70 A.D. by General Titus, Vespasian’s son. How are we supposed to grapple with the events leading up to “the end” when some of the specific language Jesus used has already taken place, but we’re still here!? Basically – Trust!

We must trust that what He has planned for us will come at the appropriate time. Those aren’t always the words we want to hear, but that’s what we’re reminded to do… “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelations 2:10b). Perhaps our biggest lesson, as well as the Jews listening to Jesus, is that bad events will happen, but you must be part of God’s kingdom (the church) to remain hopeful. The temple they put their trust in was just man-made, but Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”