24.182 | A WONDERFUL BUILDING | Mark 13:1-2 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Text: Mark 13:1-2 (ESV)

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

A WONDERFUL BUILDING

The temple and surrounding courtyard are indeed "wonderful." One of the disciples was mesmerized of its beauty. It is massive, made of great white stones. The eastern side is covered in gold. Herod not only expanded the temple. But, he expanded the top of the temple mount. He built great walls to roughly square off the plateau, and back-filled them to flatten the top. There are porticoes or open-air porche that line the top edges. The largest, Solomon's portico, borders the southern edge. On the northwest corner is the Antonia Fortress. It is home to the garrison that guards the temple Mount against riots. It is this garrison that will save Paul when he is wrongly accused of bringing Gentiles into the temple (see Acts 21:27–36).

The temple, indeed, is architecturally a magnificent emblem that represents both the worship of God and the nationalism of the Jews, respectively. Sadly, it has become more of the latter and less of the former. The building that should be the centerpiece of worship to Jehovah is now a symbol of corruption (Mark 11:15–19). The worship has gravitated to mere rituals and dead ceremonies. Nothing more.

But, Jesus told him, “'Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!'[NLT} Jesus prophesied that the temple will come into ruins literally in the near future.

How did it happen?

Since the return of the exiles from Babylon, Herod the Great started a massive renovation. This happened 15 years before Jesus was born. It included the plateau it sits on. The major work was finished, but the details won't be completed until AD 67. A year before the temple was finished, tension between Jews and Romans has heightened. This conflict has escalated from minor skirmishes into a revolt. The Jews drove the Romans out of Jerusalem. Nero responded. He sent General Vespasian, who swept through Judea and herded the rebels into Jerusalem. Vespasian will return to Rome to become emperor, leaving General Titus to finish his work of destroying and burning the city in AD 70.

The Romans took the implements used in the temple. They burned the temple, melting the gold that covers the east wall into the cracks of the stones in the pavement. In order to get at the precious metal, the Romans will tear the temple and the paving apart, stone by stone. When Jesus says that not a single stone will be left stacked, this is not an exaggeration. The destruction of the temple will be so complete that modern researchers, to this day, aren't exactly sure where it sat. the general location is known, but unlike other ruins, there is nothing left to precisely define the building.

What is the lesson we learned today? That Jesus and His judgments are true. [Matt 24:35]. He is the truth and His words are real. Moreover, let’s not forget that God is jealous GOD. He will see to it that His honor will not be desecrated in the end. The church’s purpose is to glorify God through gospel proclamation and living. Otherwise, God is not honored like the church of Laodicea, which is big but hollow. Jesus is outside the church.

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