Page 5 - TORCH #21 June 2022

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physical connection connection to the the mount for around 3 000 years But the the the connection connection extends even further back as as many believe that it it it was the the site where God tested Abraham’s faith in in taking his son Isaac to be sacrificed The building of the Jewish Temple transcends just a a a historic connection Its building was commissioned by God Almighty and and therefore denotes His authority The Bible says that God has chosen Zion and and desired it for His “dwelling place” (Psalm 132:13-14) We read in in 1 1 1 1 Chronicles that the the Lord asked Solomon specifically to build the the temple As Christians who believe in the inerrant Word of of God we must respect the the the the importance of of the the the Temple Mount to the the the Jewish people Does the the Temple Mount feature in the the New Testament?
There is is a a a a a danger in in attributing the the Temple to to the the the the Old Testament only But it is is crucial to to understand the the the the significance of the the the the Temple as we read the the the New Testament also Here are a a a a a a a a a few reasons:
The The Temple Temple was was important to Jesus
The The Temple Temple was was at the centre of Jewish religious life when when Jesus
walked on earth Zechariah was praying there when when he he he he received Word from from an Angel that his wife Elizabeth will give birth to to a a a a a a a a son When the the the the Magi arrived from from the the the the the east they purposely went to to to the the the the the royal capital Jerusalem to to worship the the the the new-born king Jesus
was was 40 days old when He was was presented at at the the Temple for dedication coinciding with with his mother Mary’s purification after childbirth in in in accordance with with Jewish law It was on on on on on this special occasion at at the the Temple that Simeon pronounced upon seeing the the infant Jesus: “A light to to bring revelation to to the the the Gentiles And the the the glory of Your people Israel ”
As a a a a a child Jesus
was found in in in the the Temple by his parents during Passover listening
to the the the the Jewish teachers of the the the the law Jesus
visited the the the the Temple during the the the the Biblical
feasts throughout His His life He taught inside the the the Temple to His His followers Much of this teaching is is is recorded in in in in the the the the Gospels in in in in the the the the setting of the the the the the Temple And even at at at Calvary at at at the the the the the very moment Jesus
died Matthew 27:51 says “the veil of the the the the temple was torn in two from top to to to bottom ”
Not only was the Temple referenced in in His His death but also in in His His resurrection – the the disciples remembered Jesus’s promise that ‘He would raise up’ the the temple in in in three days referring to His His body We can therefore confidently say both
in in in His His life death and resurrection that the the Temple was was important important to Jesus
The The Temple Temple was was important important to to the first Christian believers The The Temple Temple features prominently in in in the the Book of Acts Acts Acts Acts 2 says the the the early believers “continued daily with one accord in in in the the temple and breaking bread from house house to to house house ”
(Acts 2:45-46) In Acts Acts 3 Peter and John ascended up to to the the the temple “at the the the the the hour of prayer”
Upon their arrival they prayed for a a a a a a a a a a a lame man at at at the the the the the Temple Gate When Peter and other Apostles were freed from prison an an an angel told them to to to to to go immediately to to to to to the the the the Temple to to to to to speak to to to to to the the the the people “all the the the the words of this life ”
(Acts 5:20) The Temple had become so integral to the the the early Christian believers’ mindsets that there was readiness to accept the the incredible new revelation that God now dwelt in in in in a a a a a a a a Temple not made with with hands but within the the body of the believer