Yeshua and the Apostles
Five hundred years later another Yeshua is selecting His Temple builders. As in all the other Temple building projects He is choosing and confirming the task in the Second month.
Peter and the other disciples are restored after running away from Messiah. Messiah died in the first month Nissan on Passover. He restored and commissioned Peter during the 2nd month with “I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it” was the mission statement.
In the Second month the commission to the 120 was “go into all the world and make disciples, Build a House, Lively Stones are built into a Spiritual House. He arose to heaven at the end of the 2nd month and left the 12 to wait for the Power to Temple build.
His disciples were readied to build God’s house with God now inhabiting His people. This Temple was to be made up of people. The power of the Holy Spirit came upon them in the beginning of the 3rd month to equip them to Temple build.
Pentecost was in Sivan the beginning of the 3rd month and that was the empowering of the 12. Power was given because the mission was Temple building. God Spirit was always involved in His temple building
The book of Acts documents the building of that House of Prayer all around the word.
1 Corinthians 3:10, Paul says, According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it.
As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house… (1 Peter 2:4-5).
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. (Ephesians 2: 19-22)
But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. (Heb 3:6)
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Cor 3:16)
Note the word you is plural and temple is singular. This verse does not say that “you (individually) are God’s temple.” Nor does it say that “you (plural) are God’s temples (plural).” It states that “you (collectively, meaning the church) are God’s temple (singular).**”
For we are the temple of the living God. (2 Corinthians 6:16) For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Cor 3:9)
** Isn’t the body (singular) of a believer also the temple as well? I Cor. 6:15-20
Now we are again hearing from the God of Armies call us like a called out group out of the Babylon of the world. We are the captives set free by the Holy Spirit and the God of Armies says – Hag 1:5 Now therefore this is what the God of Armies says: Consider your ways. It is time to build His house – for the Lord of Armies is soon to shake the heavens and return to His House and fill it with His Glory.
I believe that to be a message to a distracted people and the time is now. We built our houses out of wood, and we neglected to build God’s House of Gold and Silver.
The walls protecting the church are torn down and the House of God is in ruins. Haggai 1 vs. 5 and 7 The God of Armies commanded a called out remnant to build His house. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerrubabel, and the spirit of Yeshua, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of armies, their God.
Again Gods Spirit is active when it comes to Temple Building…..for it was Gods Spirit that took charge of that project during Haggai’s time.
Paul like Ezra and Nehemiah worked with one hand on a trowel and in another he held the Sword of the word.
Parallels for us now
It is in the Post exile prophetic books – Zachariah Haggai and Malachi – we the remnant called out of modern Babylon can find our instructions as we prepare for the Messiah to re-appear. As closes out the Old Testament so closes out the New Testament. A remnant called out of Babylon to temple build, restore Sabbaths and separation from the nations, and then to await Messiah. He will shake the heavens this time and fill His House with His glory.
As a rebuilt Temple awaited his 1st coming – so a restored Spiritual Temple will await His 2nd coming.
An Elijah that heralded His first coming is to likewise herald his Second. He will again return to a House built by the remnant called out of Babylon under the leadership of High Priest called Yeshua.
Haggai and Zachariah are calling to us – as the remnant of God in the last days to build His house on the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles.
The Apostolic Temple that was built in the First Century is still in ruin after a thousand years in Rome. The Restored Temple is not complete yet.
This House of Prayer is also called a Tent of Meeting — where man can gather to meet with their God. It is here we can bring the sacrifices of repentance and turn away Gods anger at a world in rebellion. Where do sinners go – and who teaches them – if we will not build the House of God at this time?
So the God of Armies says – Eze 22:30 And I looked for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gapbefore me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.
Will God see that His church (you and I) are serving the world as a priests and are we building His House by prayer?
And God connects the building that we should be doing to Spiritual warfare? Isaiah 59:16 And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His own arm brought salvation unto him; and His righteousness, it upheld him. 17 And He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
And Paul in writing these same thoughts to the Ephesian church realized the largest church in the first century was built in Ephesus. It was built on the tearing down of all of Satan’s commerce and religion – by builders dressed in the armor of God.(Eph 6)
Challenge to you today
Are you serving your McNeil congregation in prayer as an intercessor as a priest? Do you stand in the gap for men? Are you using your access to God to be their priest and praying for them – the godless and the wicked and the lost. I encourage you to pray with the men every Friday night, as a corporate group. This House will only be built by the Power of God, and prayer will build it.
The High Priest is putting aside the garments of a Priest and He readies to make war on the earth. He is changing garments of a priest to become the avenger of blood – as the blood of the martyrs and the blood of the unborn cry out for justice….
It is now – the end is in sight — We can cast off all other interests and with the Zeal of Phineas take up Gods Glory and His mission. He called you to serve as a Priest and we are to make ourselves and a House ready for Him.
So let us take this seriously and join those that pray every Friday to this end. I have all your names written down and will pray for each of you – and a loving God have mercy on us all.
Jesus promised us that He came to open prisons wide – and He never once went to a prison in the Gospel accounts. He is faithful to His word – and therefore He must do so now ….before He returns. Let us pray for that visitation.
The Holy Spirit was always active and gifting men to Temple build from the the builder of the Tabernacle in the desert to the 120 in Acts at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was given to gift men to Temple build.
“See, I have called by name Bezaleel of the tribe of Judah; And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship … and in the hearts of all who are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you” (Exodus 31:1-6).
Zach 4 v 6 This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
So He finished the temple that awaited Yeshua’s first coming…..so He will finish the Temple that will await his 2nd coming. Can He count on you to join in, and be a part of the Bride that made herself ready?
