THE TEMPLE OF GOD - FIFTH READING
THE TEMPLE OF GOD - FIFTH READING
WJH This chapter and the following one are about building. In the previous chapters, we have seen the kinds of material which Solomon used, who brought them to him and from where he took them. We now come to the building itself. The first great question is to know where the foundation will be, what will support this wonderful edifice. If there is no suitable foundation, sooner or later the house will collapse. Soon God is going to shake all that can be shaken but the temple of God will not be shaken because the foundation on which it is established is according to God. The name ‘Moriah’ means ‘Shown by God’. God has shown the place where the house is to be built.
M Is it the same Mount Moriah that we have in Genesis 22?
WJH Where Isaac was offered is “the land of Moriah” and the mountain is “one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” It is the same place which David bought from Ornan the Jebusite, where he offered sacrifices when the sword of the destroying angel was returned to its sheath. It is undoubtedly an allusion to Calvary. The work accomplished at Calvary constitutes the foundation of the house of God. God said to Abraham, “because thou hast done this... I will richly bless thee... and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves” (Genesis 22:16-18). The blessing of the whole earth was founded on the sacrifice of Isaac. The cessation of the plague in David’s day was based on the sacrifice which David offered. He also says, ‘The foundation of the house of God is here’ and he paid the full price to acquire this ground.
M Two expressions are used. It says, “the place which David had prepared” and “Solomon’s foundation”.
WJH David did not only buy Ornan’s territory but also “the place” so as to ensure a vast way of access to the house, just as Abraham had bought the field as well as the cave of Machpelah in order to ensure access.
M It is the place where the destroying angel stood.
WJH Calvary is where the destroying angel returned his sword to its sheath. It says David “was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Jehovah” (1 Chronicles 21: 30). If we wish to be sheltered from the sword of the angel, we have to understand what Calvary means. This sword will find anyone who places himself on other ground. It is what this world is going to discover soon, to its loss. In the house of God, the building must be in harmony with the foundation.
M What is the foundation?
WJH The apostle tells us, “For other foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3: 11). The whole building must be conformed to Him and nowhere do we learn to recognise this better than at the cross.
Rem We never forget the foundation.
WJH Men’s cities don’t have any. Certainly neither Paris nor London have any foundation. Abraham knew that all cities would disappear. But the house of God has a wonderful foundation, an eternal foundation, Jesus Christ.
Rem It says of Abraham that he “waited for the city which has foundations” (Hebrews 11: 10).
WJH He had heard of a whole world which had disappeared for lack of foundations.
He lived around the time when Babel came to an end because it had no foundations. He saw Sodom and Gomorrah disappear — he climbed up the hill and saw the smoke which went up from the land. He waited for a city which has foundations. That is what we have here, the foundations of the temple of God and all its surrounding land.
Rem In Ephesians, we read that the apostles and prophets are the foundation and that Jesus Christ is the corner-stone.
WJH That is another aspect of the matter. In Corinthians, Christ is the foundation; in Ephesians, He is the corner-stone — “Jesus Christ himself being the corner-stone” (Ephesians 2: 20), which shows that from the foundation to the completion everything must be conformed to Christ. It was so for the apostles and prophets; they could constitute the foundation.
PN When Peter replies, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”, do we have the only foundation on which the temple can be built?
WJH Exactly. “On this rock I will build my assembly”. Every stone incorporated into the building is of this rock. “Thou art Peter” means ‘You are a piece of the rock.’ Peter refers to this in his epistle — “yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2: 5). One is impressed by the fact that it is at Calvary that we learn to know, in its fulness, the character of Jesus Christ. If you wish to see the finest gold, look at Calvary. If you wish to find the source of pure silver, you will find it at Calvary. If you desire to understand what bronze and iron are, you can do so at Calvary. If you want to see a real cedar or a cypress, it is at Calvary that they can be seen. If you wish to see purple or crimson or blue, look at Calvary. If you wish to see all the colours of precious stones, they shine at Calvary. We must go there if we desire to have a part in this house. It is there that the foundation is seen.
When we come to the construction of the temple, the Spirit of God shows clearly that it is made up of four distinct parts. There is the outer court with its wall, the porch inside the enclosure, the great house which is the holy place and, finally, the holy of holies. It is for each of us to find how far we can penetrate. If we are believers, we can all enter the court. If not,
we are still poor beggars of this world and beggars cannot enter the temple. We cannot appear empty before God but must bring a sacrifice. The object of the work of God in us is to make us capable of penetration into the holy of holies. We would do well to examine the extent to which we really have liberty to penetrate.
M What does the court represent?
WJH Anyone who was of the people of God could enter it. Only a priest could enter the holy place and only the high priest could enter the holy of holies. However, all the children of Israel could enter the court to contemplate the altar and look at the sea and the lavers. Every Christian can do that. In chapter 3 of the Acts, there was a poor beggar at the gate; he had not even got as far as the court but he saw the two pillars, Peter and John. These two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, are linked by chains and adorned with pomegranates. Peter represents the truth of the kingdom which establishes us (Jachin means ‘He will establish’). John represents divine love, which is strength (Boaz means ‘In Him is strength’). This man ceases to be a beggar — he becomes a worshipper of God and he enters Solomon’s portico, holding Peter and John by the hand, “walking, and leaping, and praising God.”
Ques You said that any of the people of God could enter the court and only the priest could enter the house. Who could enter the porch?
WJH I suppose that everyone who was in accord with the gold could enter, because the porch was covered with gold. Everyone with affection for Christ can enter the porch. The Spirit of God mentions only its dimensions and the fact that it was covered with gold.
Rem After the healing of the lame man, all the people ran to the portico called Solomon’s and the apostle explained to them what had happened.
WJH This man, holding Peter and John by the hand, had access to the porch. There is reference to this porch in John’s gospel, when Christ was rejected and it says, “and it was winter” (John 10: 22). If there is no affection for Christ, it is always winter, wherever you might be. Spiritually, there is the return of the cold season in Christendom. As men abandon Christ, the cold becomes terrible.
But in the true temple, among the people of God, the warmth becomes more intense.
Ques Is this a suitable place for the preaching of the gospel?
WJH It is a suitable place for warming up the saints. The gospel meeting takes place at the gate of the temple called Beautiful. This is where Peter and John brought the gospel to this man, at the Beautiful gate. This gate of the temple is made of bronze. Bronze is not thought of as beautiful, but it is. It is beautiful to see a repenting sinner. He comes to the bronze gate; he can enter the court, look at the altar and make use of the great sea. He approaches God.
Ques Were strangers not permitted to enter the court?
WJH They have to become Israelites to enter it. When a man is converted, he becomes an Israelite. The epistle to the Galatians speaks of “the Israel of God”. Isn’t Saul of Tarsus an example? He never approached the house of God before he was converted. He would have acted only to destroy it, which could never happen in spite of his relentless efforts. But from his conversion onwards, he has the liberty to associate with the saints. Ananias thought it impossible that the Lord could convert such a man. His reply assumed that the Lord was mistaken — “I have heard from many concerning this man” (Acts 9: 13). But the Lord says, ‘I have chosen him; he will be invaluable for the building’. So Ananias comes to him saying, “Saul, brother”. This is how we salute one another in the court.
We then come to the great house. It is a wonderful place. Can we enter there, dear brethren? “And the greater house he boarded with cypress-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set on it palm-trees and chains. And he overlaid the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim. And he covered the house, the beams, the threshold, and its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.” What a magnificent house! The human mind has never imagined a house like it. Can we enter there, dear brethren? In the book of Kings, it says that the two folding-doors of this house were of cypress-wood. Only those in the enjoyment of the freshness of spiritual life can enter this house. Those who find direction from creeds, catechisms, or by a ministry which is a hundred years old, do not enter. This door is for those who live in freshness. It is a cypress-wood door. The cypress is an evergreen; it has its roots in the river of God, which, according to the Scriptures, is always flowing. We have no hope of entering unless we live in freshness with God, unless we live by the Holy Spirit in our souls. So this door puts us to the test. It is the same with the court — no one can enter without self-judgment; otherwise the bronze gate will not open. No one can pass through the door of this great house without his soul being in life.
PN Are these the features which we find in the overcomer in Revelation? “He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more at all out” (Revelation 3: 12).
WJH Before that it says, “I have set before thee an opened door”. The assembly at Philadelphia is living, at Sardis it is dead and Laodicea is worse than dead. The Lord says to it, “I would thou wert cold or hot.” Philadelphia is living. The Lord opens the door to it and no one can close it. Dear brethren, let us ask ourselves this question, ‘Can we enter this second door’, or are we content with what is in Christendom, with what is only historic? I think that we have to face up to this question. Many of us are feeding only on facts but it is a matter here of a living house, a living door and living worshippers, without which the door is closed. But when we enter the house, if we are able to enter, what a view! The walls are covered with precious stones, “onyx stones... glistering stones, and of divers colours” (1 Chronicles 29: 2). David had prepared them. There are diamonds; you find jasper, emerald, ruby, amethyst, sapphire — the walls are covered with them.
LPN What do these stones represent?
WJH Rays of glory, coming from Christ and which have penetrated into a human heart. Each precious stone has its brilliance from the sun. The rays of the sun have entered so powerfully that the stone has absorbed them so as to keep them for ever. The sapphire may be only a small stone but it has absorbed the blue of the sky and it will never ever lose it. A little of this blue may be seen in a flower or on a butterfly, but it is there for only a few hours. The blue of the sapphire will never disappear. It is the same with the red of the ruby, the violet of the amethyst and the transparency of the diamond. The walls are completely covered with these stones, each speaking of some feature of Christ.
LPN They are not in themselves light sources, but they retain the light which they receive.
WJH What Christian could say that he himself is the source of the light that is in him? Peter and John said, “why do ye gaze on us...?” You see this beautiful light shining. It does not come from us but from Jesus of Nazareth, whom the world has scorned. It is not our holiness or our power. We have received these from Christ; He is the source of them. How fine it is to move round this house and to look at these precious stones. It says that they are “for beauty”. God loves what is beautiful. “He hath made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3: 11). Do you think that His dwelling place will not be beautiful? David says it “must be exceeding great in fame and in beauty in all lands” (1 Chronicles 22: 5). All the nations are to hear of its fame and its beauty.
“And he covered the house, the beams, the threshold, and its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.” The cherubim are engraved on the gold; that is why we must have meetings for discipline. If anyone introduces what is unholy, the cherubim become active. They do not admit anything which might be out of accord with God. They are in the saints themselves. It is beautiful to see in the saints the cherubim watching diligently, so that nothing should be admitted into this house which might dishonour God or Jesus. Peter says, “For the time of having the judgment begin from the house of God is come” (1 Peter 4: 17).
Then we have the most holy place. One feels that he knows little of the most holy place. It corresponds to the immediate presence of God and Christ. There, once again, there is a door. It is not possible to enter without passing through a third door and it is for this reason that we rarely enter. This door is made of olive wood, as we see in the book of Kings. The door which separates the holy place from the most holy place is made of olive wood, which means that only spiritual persons can pass through it. But if we enter, we never forget it. In contemplating the ark, that is — Christ in the presence of God — not in the way we know Him at Calvary, “without the gate”, but as He can be known in the very presence of God — in contemplating this ark, above which are the two cherubim with their four wings stretching from one wall to the other, each of five cubits, and touching one another (no one can touch the ark; it is under the wings of the cherubim and there is nothing between their wings), we can only stand and worship.
I think that we should pay more attention to these three doors, with a desire to enter by them into the temple. Certain brethren think that there is a door of gold at the entry to the court. They say, ‘Let us love one another and let everyone in’. But God has placed a bronze door at the entrance. We must judge sin as God judges it, before being able to enter even the court, where we can enjoy fellowship with one another. But it is another completely different exercise to be in accord with the cypress-wood door. What tends to weaken the meetings of the saints is formality; everything is externally correct. But we have to ask ourselves, ‘Are we living?’ Is the presence of the Holy Spirit such a reality that we can enter by this door into the great house? If we take this way, we shall soon arrive at the olive-wood door, where true spirituality allows us to enter the presence of God.
M It has been remarked that only the high priest could enter the most holy place but it is now a question of our entrance. I wonder if it is only as associated and identified with Christ that we can enter there.
WJH The way of the holy places had not then been made manifest. But now the apostle says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness for entering into the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way...” (Hebrews 10: 19). It is a matter of being in accord with the doors.
M We can enter.
WJH If we are in harmony with the doors but not otherwise.
PN Would you say a few words about the nails mentioned in connection with the most holy place?
WJH There are no iron nails there; these are for the exterior. What holds everything together in the most holy place is divine love, the nails of gold. It speaks elsewhere of a large quantity of iron nails but here the nails are of gold — “being united together in love” (Colossians 2: 2). These are the gold nails.
The veil was hung between the great house and the most holy place. Passing from one place to the other, the veil which Solomon made is seen. We always remember that we have access by virtue of the fact that Jesus is a man. He is always a man; all the glory of His humanity always subsists there — the blue, the purple and the scarlet in the veil. Certain Christians think that Jesus has left His humanity but this is not so. He still has His body, a body of glory.