Davar Kingdom of God - The Foundation of Your Temple

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: "Do not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother's father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother (Gen 28:1-2). Since Esau came to hold a grudge against Jacob concerning the blessings of the birthright he lost, Jacob was no longer able to stay with his family, and his parents suggested that he should flee to Laban, Rebekah's brother, and stay with him for a while. Isaac also suggested that he should take a wife for himself there. Perhaps due to the grudge that Esau held, the parents could not give Jacob any bride-price and gifts that he would need to give Laban. Jacob was alone, and had nothing. As for the blessings Isaac had proclaimed he would receive, he saw nothing of them, and it seemed that everything was falling apart in the opposite direction of what he expected, and he was forced to have a journey of fear and loneliness into an unknown world. Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep (vv. 10-11). The expression, "the sun had set," signifies the end of a former age, and the beginning of a new age with new creation. There was a stone at the side of his head, and he lay down as if to hide in there, and fell asleep. Just as Adam fell into a deep sleep and Eve was created for him, God did his work of creation when he was asleep. This sleep meant the death of old Jacob, and the resurrection of new Jacob, and it was the same as an experience of spiritual rebirth that people come to experience in Christ today. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it (v. 12). This "stairway" was set upon the stone at the side of Jacob's head with its top reaching to heaven where a window was open and angels were coming out and going in through it. There must have been some kind of a well-known myth or belief about a stairway reaching to heaven in those days, and God used it for Jacob. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven (vv. 16-17)." The reason why the "stairway" Jacob saw and the stone at his head were linked in his mind was because he saw that the stairway was upon the stone. This stone is the foundation upon which the axis between heaven and earth is placed, and is the same as the foundation of God's temple. Note the expression, "There above it (the stairway) stood the Lord," in v. 13. It is described as if the stairway was the Lord himself (cf. John 1:51). Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth (vv. 20-22)." This type of a vow is of a good kind (cf. Mat 5:33-37). It signifies the covenant that those who accept God's word enter into, and indicates that their relationship with the Creator has been established. Note, especially, the last part, "and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." Has the foundation of your temple been laid that way?

But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead) (vv. 6-7). This passage is often misunderstood, yet the overall meaning of it is somewhat easy to understand and well-quoted in the church. If your mind is caught up too much with the phrase, "Do not say" in a legalistic sense, then, you will miss the point. Keep in mind that the opposite of faith is unbelief. To say, "Who will ascend into the deep?" or "Who will descend into the deep?" is an indication of unbelief. Therefore, "the righteousness that is by faith" does not say and ask those questions. Also, do not be misled by the expressions, "to bring Christ down," and "to bring Christ up from the dead," into thinking that these things are something that believers should not do, again, in a legalistic sense. No, as the phrase, "that is," indicates, Paul is explaining how each sentence he quotes should be understood. It should be realized that he interprets this section of Deuteronomy 30 in terms of a prophecy and its fulfillment concerning Christ who descended from heaven to the earth, and then, ascended from hell to bring the word near to humans so that they can do what it says. For him, "that is" means "it is to be understood as …," or even "it came to be fulfilled as …" In other words, God did exactly the impossible things that people say were the reason for not being able to obey God's commandments, so that they could obey them. But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming (v. 8). He quotes from Deut 30:14 as a conclusion, and says that it came to be fulfilled in Christ whose gospel he is preaching. Since the emphasis is on "believing" in this particular portion of the letter, he leaves out the last part of that verse in Deuteronomy so that it does not cause misunderstanding. No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it (Deut 30:14). God's ultimate purpose of sending Christ was to make those who were saved by faith would do the will of God obeying his law. It seems that behind this way of interpreting the above passage in Deuteronomy, there was an interesting belief among the Christians in the early church concerning how Christ descended to hell and what he did there. … (spirit), through whom (in which) also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built (1 Pet 3:19-20). Needless to say, the purpose of Christ's preaching to these spirits was not to save them, but to proclaim victory over them. These spirits represent the force that causes people to sin in this world, and Christ demonstrated, before them, the authority and the power that had been taken away from humans because of their sins, but was regained through his death, and they all saw him ascending from hell as the disciples saw him ascending from the earth. This was done so that they could no longer bother those who would come to believe in him. We believers are finally able to do the will of God freely by being led by the Spirit of God. And on the way back from hell, Christ placed a stone at the exit—the spot on the floor of the Most Holy Place in the temple, where the Ark was once placed. This is the stone in Isaiah 28:16—"a stone in Zion, a tested (approved) stone," traditionally called "shetiyyah." Note how the passage in Isaiah 28 depicts those who think that they will not descend into the deep because they made an agreement with the grave (she'ol), but in fact, will all fall into it through this entrance. At the same entrance, this stone was placed so that "the one who trusts (believes) will never dismayed."

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (Isa 28:16).” In order to know what God means by "So" at the beginning of this verse, we need to have some explanations concerning the important concepts that are rather foreign to us today. First, we need to understand that this stone is associated with the stone that was laid in the Most Holy Place of the Second Temple in lieu of the lost Ark (it could be that the same type of stone was also laid underneath the Ark in the First Temple). It was by God's inspiration that this stone came to be called "shetiyyah," which was a law dictating the manner of drinking in a royal feast. When this is applied to us Christians, it signifies the new way we worship and live by being led by the Spirit of God instead of being drunk with the mind of the flesh, which is death (Rom 8:6, Eph 5:18). Second, we need to know that a stone in the Old Testament sometimes signifies an entrance (also an exist) or a boundary between two lands. In Genesis 29, we have a story of Jacob meeting Rachel at a well, and the narrative mentions several times that the stone was to be rolled away from "the mouth of the well." Also, later, after Jacob came out of Laban's house with his family, he and Laban met together and made a covenant with each other building heaps of witness with stones. Laban said: This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me (Gen 31:52). These heaps were the marks of the boundary of two worlds where they could not pass from one to the other. Jesus, as Jacob did, went to one world, and on the way back from there, he placed a stone at the exit. This stone is the entrance to Hell for those who are perishing, but for those who are saved, it is the entrance to Heaven. And the difference comes merely from whether to believe or not. With all these things in mind, read Isaiah 28 again, and you will come to understand what God means by "So" at the beginning of v. 16. Paul explains, by quoting from Isaiah 28:6 (also 8:14), how the old system of seeking righteousness by keeping the Law has changed to the new system of justification by faith in Christ who has become the foundation. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes (Rom 10:4). In this new system, we no longer try to become righteous by the works of our flesh, but live as a righteous one by having been made such through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. When you try to seek righteousness, you lose it. Rather you start living by accepting the reality of the righteousness that God's word says you are in Christ. However, one problem we the Gentiles often come to have is that since we were saved by faith without having really sought righteousness as the Jews did, we tend to put on the attitude of legalism later as we continue learning the Bible as if it were good and necessary to seek righteousness so that we can be proud of it. Be careful! Paul goes on to explain this change from the former system to the new one by quoting from the passage in Deuteronomy 30. But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead) (vv. 6-7). This part is rather difficult, but the key to understanding it lies in the way Paul interprets the passage in Deut 30.

Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley-- to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine (Isa 28:1) This “Ephraim” refers to the Northern Kingdom, and the “wreath” signifies the palace in Samaria, its capital. Note that this wreath is also expressed as “fading flower” because it was being oppressed by the Assyrians that time. And all people in this land were “drunkards” in God’s sight. And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth (vv. 7-8). According to the Bible, there are two kinds of wine: one comes from Satan, and the other comes from God. With the first kind, the drunkards become senseless to the spiritual things of God, have difficulty understanding his word, lose ability to render correct decisions according to God’s will, and live in the world of false visions and dreams. This is, in fact, how all people came to live today. Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? For it is: Do and do (tsav la-tsav), do and do (tsav la-tsav), rule on rule (qav la-qav), rule on rule (qav la-qav); a little here, a little there (vv. 9-10). So then, to teach something just and righteous to such unteachable people is like to teach Hebrew alphabets to little children. This was the step God had to take in bringing righteousness to this corrupt human world. These tsav’s and qav’s were the Law given to Israel, which they failed to keep, and resulted in judgments. So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (v. 16).” This scripture is quoted in Rom 9:33 and 1 Pet 2:6 as a prophesy concerning Christ becoming the foundation. Note that in the context of this chapter in Isaiah, the oracle began with a picture of drunkards. It so happened that the foundation stone laid in the Second Temple in the place of the lost Ark was called shetiyyah, which comes from the verb shatah meaning to drink. It meant an order concerning how to drink wine in a royal feast (cf. Esth 1:8). Keep in mind that worship is a meal with God, and this stone symbolizes a new system of worship in a new kingdom with new citizens. It even gives a new kind of wine, with which those who believe get drunk and become senseless to all activities of destruction happening around them, and are saved from them. The important change from the way people sought righteousness by keeping the Law is expressed in the statement, “the one who trusts (believes) will never be dismayed.” To believe means to accept the spirituality that has become available to us through Christ—the righteousness of God, upon which our life is now being built under God’s grace. The former stone was carried out as prophesied in Zech 4, and now a new stone, called also “a distinction stone,” was carried in. This stone serves as a distinction between those who believe and those do not, and the distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles are no longer valid. And most importantly, those who believe will come to understand the heart of God and freely do his will. How can we live that way? Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). When you get drunk with this new wine, you become senseless to the worldly things, and bold to do the will of God.

This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it (Zech 4:6-7)!’” Zerubbabel figuratively represents Jesus Christ, through whom the former kingdom of God has ended, and a new kingdom with a new system has been established. The period of the Second Temple in which Zerubbabel lived served as a transition from the old one to the new one. Here, the “mighty (big) mountain” was Mount Zion on which David’s palace once stood, symbolizing the nation of Israel, the former kingdom under the old covenant, and its “becoming level ground” meant the abolishing of that kingdom. The “capstone” was the foundation of this old kingdom, and Zerubbabel was to “bring out” to shouts of “God bless it! God bless it (grace, grace to it)!” The old system of distinction between Israel and the Gentiles has been removed, and all those who believe in Christ are now “members of God’s household.” 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 (Eph 2:19-20). The blood of Jesus was already sprinkled upon the Atonement Cover of the Ark of the Covenant, and he brought out the former stone to the shout of “It is finished (fulfilled)!” Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes (Rom 10:4). The ending of the old system meant the beginning of a new system, in which we believers are now living.” So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts (believes) will never be dismayed (Isa 28:4). What is new under the new system is that we no longer need to try to be righteous by keeping the law with the drive of our soul, but by believing (accepting) the spiritual reality of God’s word and being led by God’s spirit through our spirit, the requirements of the law (the will of God) are fulfilled in them (Rom 8:4, 14). The foundation on which this new system has been established is called “the distinction stone (ha’eben habbedil)” in Zech 4:10. Who despises the day of small things? Men (They) will rejoice when they see the plumb line (distinction stone) in the hand of Zerubbabel. " These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range throughout the earth (Zech 4:10). For the time of Zerubbabel, this “distinction stone” would be the stone called “shetiyyah” that was actually placed in the Most Holy Place in lieu of the Ark of the Covenant. Concerning the Ark, Jeremiah had already prophesied as follows: “In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “men will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made (Jer 3:16).” It was by God’s plan that the Ark was lost, and the new stone was placed in the Second Temple. This stone is really Jesus Christ himself who has seven eyes—seven springs welling up with living water, and seven lamps lighting up with golden oil.

This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it (Zech 4:6-7)!’” As it has been already pointed out, this section of chapter 4 of Zechariah was originally recorded as an independent oracle and placed right after 1:7, but later, it was moved from there and inserted in the present location by an editor (or the author himself). If it were still in the originally place, we would interpret this oracle simply as an oracle given to Zerubbabel and to Zechariah to encourage them as they faced the situation of that time, especially concerning the task of rebuilding the temple. However, since the oracle seemed to contain something much more—far beyond their current situation and into the distant future, it was moved into the middle of the vision that also deals with something of the future—especially, that of a drastic topographical change of Jerusalem. The “mighty (great) mountain” was Mount Zion on which David’s palace once stood. It was still a high mountain, then, higher than any other parts of the city, but the oracle says, “Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.” As “Joshua the high priest” in chapter 3 represented the nation of Israel as well as the city of Jerusalem that had been destroyed and burnt, “Zerubbabel” symbolically represented the kingdom that had come to exist under the Davidic covenant. As the horn of a nation is chopped off, the leveling of Mount Zion signifies the cutting off of the visible existence of David’s kingdom. The visible or physical boundary between Israel and the gentile nations would disappear, and the two would be united and amalgamated into one kingdom. In fact, the same thing has been revealed in the vision of a man with a measuring line in chapter two: “Jerusalem will be a city without walls (2:4).” Paul speaks of this amalgamation of Israel and Gentiles through Christ as follows: For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility (Eph 2:14-16). In other words, the former kingdom of Israel was overthrown and destroyed, and a new kingdom through Christ was established under the same Davidic covenant. And if the way a kingdom stands has changed, and a new kingdom has been built, then, the former foundation must have been removed, and a new foundation must have been laid. Therefore, two different kinds of stones are mentioned in this oracle of Zech 4: “the capstone” that Zerubbabel will bring out, and “the plumb line” that he will come to have in his hand and people will rejoice at. Each of them is expressed as a “stone (eben)” modified by an unusual adjective that occurs only once and here in the Bible. The first one sounds like “the former stone,” and the second one “the stone of distinction”: the first one is to be carried out, and the second one is to be brought in. Then the word of the Lord came to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line (the stone of distinction) in the hand of Zerubbabel (Zech 3:8-10). “The former stone” was what was contained in the Ark of the Covenant, and “the stone of distinction” is “the living stone”—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him, and “God’s solid foundation” with an inscription saying, “The Lord knows who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights (4:2). The fifth vision that Zechariah saw in the night of the 24th day of the 11th month in the second year of Darius was the vision of the gold lampstand, the bowl and the two olive trees. The tips of the branches of the olive trees were like ears of grain, out of which pipes were connected to the bowl, and gold oil (some kind of golden liquid) was running through the pipes. The literal translation of v.12 would be: Again I asked him, "What are these two olive ears that are emptying out the golden (thing) by the hand of the two gold pipes (v. 12)?" Note that there is no word for “oil” in the original Hebrew text as you see in the NIV version. Zechariah only described what he saw, and it was some kind of liquid in the color of gold. Also note the verb, “to empty,” which is translated as “to pour out” in NIV. The verb implies that the liquid was not flowing constantly, but flowed for a while until it emptied out, and began to flow again: the cycle continued. It is interesting to see that when he first asked the angel about “these two olive trees”, the angel whom he was talking to did not answer, and it appears that the angel hesitated to do so. Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand (v. 11)?" The hesitation to answer by the angel was because these were not completely “olive trees.” Zechariah’s description was only the approximation of what he actually saw: he did his best to describe it. There is a spring called “Gihon (means bursting) spring,” even today, in the city of David in Jerusalem, where once the temple stood. This spring is very unique in that water runs into it from a natural underground cistern (not man-made) somewhere on a near mountain that is higher than the water level of the Gihon spring. When the cistern is filled with water, it pushes the water out through the underground natural tube (this is the “pipe” in the vision) as in the system of a siphon, and when the water level of the cistern becomes low and air goes into the tube, the water stops flowing. And when the cistern is filled back with water giving enough pressure, it pushes water out through the tube again. This natural cistern was the “bowl” that Zechariah saw at the top of the lampstand. What Zechariah saw was this underground water system of Jerusalem. The lampstand of seven lamps is a symbol of the temple, and the lamps are the eyes (also means springs) of the Lord, “which range through the earth (v. 10).” Zechariah also tells us in chapter 14 that on the day the feet of the Lord stand on the Mount of Olives, the mountain will split with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south, and a great valley will be formed between the two mountains from east to west (see also Ezek 47:1-12). Then: On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter (14:8). There is another unusual thing in chapter 4: the section of vv. 6b-10b was most likely moved from another place in the book, and inserted here. It was originally right after 1:7, and these words were given during the day of the 24th day of the 11th month, and in the night of that day, which would be 25th day in their calendar, he saw the visions recorded in the subsequent sections. The “mighty mountain” was Mount Zion, upon which David’s palace was built. The flattening of Mount Zion means that David’s house as the nation of Israel would disappear, and a new kingdom would be established through his descendant spreading to the right and to the left and dispossessing nations. In fact, the former foundation was taken out, and the foundation of this new kingdom was already laid, and we believers of Christ are being built upon it.

On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe (Num 17:3). While each of the twelve tribes of Israel was to bring its own staff, and write its own name on it, Aaron’s name, for the tribe of Levi, was to be written on their staff. In other words, Levi’s staff was exceptional, and in a sense, it already indicated that the tribe of Levi was separated from the rest of the tribes for the priestly work. It was by Aaron’s name that the whole tribe was chosen. Obviously, Aaron’s name can be seen as the type of Jesus’ name. The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites (v. 5). What matters most is this act of God’s choosing. Through one man that God chooses, the rest of the people that belong to him will come to receive the same benefits and privileges as that man has. The same truth regarding priesthood is revealed in the vision that Zechariah saw in ch. 3 of his book. There, Joshua the high priest represents not only the entire nation of Israel, but also the whole community of Christians today. The filthy clothes he was wearing was removed from him, and a holy turban was given to him. Having declared as righteous, he was appointed as the high priest. Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch (v. 8). It is important to note that not only Joshua was chosen, but also his associates were chosen with him as priests. And they were to be “men symbolic of things to come”— symbolic of the truth in which all believers will become priests in Christ who is “my servant, the Branch.” “See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day (v. 9). The word for “eye” also means “spring,” and to “engrave an inscription” can mean to “open an opening” in Hebrew. Thus, besides the above translation, the whole sentence can be translated as “There are seven springs on that one stone, and I will open (them) up.” The result of this opening will be the gushing of the water from the stone. It will make a river, and on each side of the river, the tree of life will yield its fruit (different kinds of fruit) so that people will come to eat from them (cf. Rev 22:1-2). And this two-fold theme continues in the vision of ch. 4. He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights (4:2). From v. 10, we know what these “seven lights” are: they are “the eyes of the Lord, which range throughout the earth.” If they are “eyes,” they are also “springs,” and it can be accordingly assumed that the “seven eyes” on the stone placed before Joshua in 3:9 are connected with the “seven lights” on the gold lampstand in 4:2. It can, then, be surmised that the vision in ch. 4 further reveals what was already revealed in the previous chapter by adding another dimension to it.

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Tim 2:19)." The important assumption behind this verse is that all believers are chosen as priests. Peter also speaks of the same truth in his second letter. He first calls Christians as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house, and he encourages them saying: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pet 2:9). As we have already discussed, the Second Temple built at the time of the prophet Haggai had a stone placed in the Most Holy Place instead of the Ark of the Covenant. This stone was what Paul refers to as “God’s solid foundation.” The story behind it was that of Num 16: Korah and his followers approached God trying to get priesthood in a wrong way. Keep in mind that you need to be a priest in order to be able to see this tone as you enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement with a censer in your hand. And to be able to serve God in the temple that way, you need to “turn away from wickedness.” In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work (2 Tim 2:20-21). The holiness of the vessels used in the temple, God’s house, was an essential requirement, which was obviously well known among the priests. So, Paul uses it metaphorically to speak about the holiness that is also required for a believer as a priest—God’s living vessel. This holiness is not only necessary for the short time the priest actually spends serving in the temple, but also for the time he spends living outside the temple. If he goes into the temple with filthiness still lingering on him, he will be killed. The prophet Zechariah, who was contemporary with Haggai, saw a vision in which Joshua the high priest was standing and being accused by Satan. Then, the Lord said to Satan: The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire (Zech 3:2)? In this vision, Joshua metaphorically represented the nation of Israel, and he was redeemed from the loss of the priesthood that he once had. At the time of Exodus, God declared Israel as “a kingdom of priests,” but Jerusalem, together the temple, was burnt, and the nation was destroyed as a result of their sin. In the same way, Adam was created and put in the Garden of Eden to serve God as a priest. But as a result of his sin, he was driven out of the garden and dismissed from his priesthood. However, in the vision, Zechariah saw that the filthy clothes that Joshua wore was removed, and rich priestly garments and a clean turban were given to him, and he was put back in charge of God’s house and courts! How was God really able to do such a thing? The Lord said: “… I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day (vv. 8-9).”

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Tim 2:19)." When Paul was alive, there still stood, in Jerusalem, the second temple which was rebuilt at the time of Haggai the prophet. “God’s solid foundation” that he spoke of was the foundation stone of this temple. The Ark of the Covenant with the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written was carried into the first temple that Solomon built, and we assume that it was there until the destruction of the temple. And when the Jews returned from the captivity and built the second temple, they did not have the ark. According to Mishhah (Yoma 5:2), in place of the ark, a stone called, Shetiyyah (it was three fingerbreadths high), was placed in the Most Holy Place. And upon it, on the Day of Atonement, the priest put a censer with which he burnt incense by taking fire from the altar. And according to Paul, an inscription was engraved upon the stone, saying, "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” Behind all these lies the story of Korah and his followers who turned, with pride, against Moses and Aaron seeking to get the priesthood. Moses said to them: In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him (Num 16:5). And when they stood at the entrance to their tents, the ground directly underneath them split and swallowed them alive. Fire was also sent from the Lord, and killed the 250 men who followed Korah. The ones who belonged to God were separated from the ones who did not. Just before this happened, God warned the whole assembly saying: Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins (v. 26). Then, Gold told Moses to gather all the censors with which the 250 men offered incense, and hammered them out to make a covering (or screen) for the altar. And he did so. On the following day, the whole assembly came to Moses and Aaron, and said, “You have killed the Lord’s assembly.” This time, before they began to intercede, the Lord’s judgment fell upon the whole assembly, and they began to die. So, Moses told Aaron to take his censor and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. And when he did it, the Lord’s judgment stopped. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped (v. 48). All these point to the atonement accomplished through Jesus Christ. He stood between the heaven, which is full of God’s life and glory, and the earth, which was full of death and destruction, and offered himself upon the altar. The incense burnt by the fire taken from this altar has come up as a memorial offering before God. The redemption of humanity is now complete! It is all by God’s grace, and the salvation now depends on us who accept it or do not accept it. Surely, “the Lord knows those who are his,” and let us “turn away from wickedness.”

They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it (Mat 27:33-34). In the northern part of Jerusalem, there is a gate called Damascus Gate, and just north of it is a rocky hill with a cliff that contains two large sunken holes resembling the eyes of a skull. It was the location at which the redemption of humanity took place (cf. Lev 16:27, Heb 13:12). From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (vv. 45-46)?" This was, in fact, what the Father God meant by “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again (John 12:28).” Who could see it? And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split (vv. 50-51). This corresponds to the earthquake that Elijah experienced, or the earthquake that made the clef in the rock in which Moses was put. Into the opening of the split rocks, Jesus’ blood and water that gushed out of his side flowed, and the earth absorbed it. This was the moment when the cornerstone was laid for God’s kingdom, and for that, the life of Christ was sacrificed. His blood revived the destroyed foundation of the earth, and became hot living magma that makes the earth still living and unique among the planets in our solar system. This magma is producing foundations for all the continents, cities, and buildings. And on the same foundation we exist and live. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God (v. 54)!" It was ironic that this was seen by the Roman centurion and his soldiers, but not by the Jews. This corresponds to the fact that Moses was hidden in the clef and covered by the hand of God who passed in front of him. The body of Jesus was placed into “a new tomb” that was cut “out of the rock,” which was owned by Joseph the Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, and a disciple of Jesus. While all this was happening, God Yahweh was proclaiming his name as follows: The Lord, the Lord (or, The Lord is the Lord), the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin (Exod 34:6). And on the third day when some of the women who followed Jesus went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with oil: The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay (Mat 28:5-6). This corresponds to the “back” of the Lord that Moses saw after he passed in front of him. He could not see the face of the Lord. Or, it corresponds to the fact that Elijah did not see the Lord as he expected in the powerful wind, the earthquake and the fire. The women went to the disciples and told them what they saw, but they did not believe. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).

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 to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:4-5). Christ, as a stone rejected by men, became a cornerstone for God’s kingdom—the church. Then, we also, by following his example, are to be rejected by men and this world, and give ourselves to God as living stones. The above words are found in Peter’s letter, and in fact, Peter himself, whose name Jesus gave (petros means “rock”), learned this truth through some bitter experiences. One time Jesus went to the region of Caesarea Philippi, which was outside of the Jewish territory. John the Baptist was already dead, and being aware that the time for him to go up to Jerusalem to die was approaching near (less than a year), he wanted to spend some time quietly with his disciples discussing some important matters. It was at this time that he acknowledged himself as the Messiah before them. Peter said, “Your are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus said: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Mat 16:18). Feeling good at these words, he had boldness to say to Jesus who had just prophesied how he was going to die in Jerusalem, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” Then, to his surprise, Jesus turned and said: Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men (v. 23). The rock upon which Jesus said he would build his church became a stumbling block to him! If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it (vv. 24-25). “To deny himself” means to “to be rejected by men,” and “to take up his cross” means to give yourself to God by following his example. This is the rock upon which the church is built. Peter completely misunderstood Jesus’ words, and was ignorant about this truth. It is interesting to know that about a week later, Jesus and three of his disciples including Peter went up to a high mountain. As Jesus was praying, his face began to shine and his clothes became so white, and Moses and Elijah appeared before them, and talked to him concerning “his departure” that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). “His departure” refers to his death, resurrection, and ascension. Interestingly, it was not an angel, but Moses and Elijah who appeared to speak about it. This was because these two had a similar experience at the same mountain, Horeb (also called Mount Sinai), and departed from this world in a strange way in the same Transjordan region (east of River Jordan). Compare the following passage in the story of Elijah with the one in Exod 34: The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, … After the earthquake came a fire, … And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah (1 Kgs 19:11-13)?"

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 (Eph 2:19-20). Christ was rejected by men, and it led him to death. And through his death, the foundation was laid for the church to be built. He was the chief cornerstone to which the foundation of the apostles and prophets was later added, and now we Christians, as living stones, are also being built into the same spiritual house, which is the church. 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 to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:4-5). The Bible contains some stories in which someone becomes a sacrifice in order to build a nation or a city that was once built but destroyed. In a sense, these stories all point to Jesus Christ through whom God’s redemptive work for humanity was done and continues to be done. One of such stories is that of Moses. In Exodus 19, God came done on Mount Sinai with the strong sound of trumpet and fire, and the people witnessed the awesome presence of God in a very special way. It was the beginning of God’s people, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests, Israel. This mountain corresponds to Mount Eden in Genesis, and Mount Zion on which the temple was built. It signifies the axis connecting heaven and earth, the center or the foundation of the world. The following chapters of the book go on to tell how the Law was given as a part of the establishment of the covenant, which would serve as the foundation of the life of God’s people. But in the midst of this process, in chapter 32, they made a golden calf, an image for their God, and began to celebrate a festival for themselves. God became so angry, and decided to destroy them all and start over with the family of Moses. Then, Moses said: Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written (Exod 32:31-32). It did not happen right away, but as Moses continued to beseech God to forgive them and that his presence would go with them, he finally said, “I will do the very thing you have asked.” And Moses’ last request was: “Now show me your glory.” This glory was the greatest glory that could be given to men. It was the complete forgiveness of the sins of the world and the resurrection of the dead. Jesus, one time, requested the Father in the same way: “… Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again (John 12:28)." By “… will glorify it again,” the Father meant the resurrection of Jesus. God finally said to Moses: There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen (Exod 33:21-23). “This “rock” was the foundation of Israel, and the cleft was the tomb in which he was to be buried. It is interesting to note that Moses had the two tablets of stone in his hands. It is worth meditating upon this because a great truth is hidden in it. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes (Rom 10:4).

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other (Zech 7:09-11).” Due to their failure to keep this command, the destruction came to the people of Israel. The foundation of their nation was the Law: to love their god with all their heart and might, and to love their neighbors as themselves. The laying of the foundation of the destroyed temple by those who had returned from the captivity symbolized the willingness to keep the Law as the renewal of the covenant they had with God. And having received their willingness together with the symbolic event of the laying of the foundation of the temple, God told them that he was going to bless them and they would be a blessing from then on. He also revealed his strong determination to do good to Jerusalem and Judah. Then, he said: These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the Lord (8:16-17). It is important to note that these words are similar to what Jesus said after he washed his disciples’ feet. John’s gospel says that having realized that the time to leave this world had come, he showed them the full extent of his love (John 13:1). He said: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34). This is the way every Christian is required to live. The New Testament says that the command to love our God with all our heart and strength has been fulfilled in us through Christ, and the only command that is left for us to keep is to love one another as God loves us. Note how these commands have come to be expressed differently under the new covenant. You see the trace of the first command to love God in the following words of Jesus: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love (15:9). The mentality of the old covenant is to try to love God as much as you can so that he can love you more. But the history proved that it did not work. So Christ came, and God first loved us. And it was by accepting his love that we became Christians. Therefore, all Christians know that God loves them, and already have his love in their hearts as Jesus lives in them. In other words, the love relationship with God has been already established in the heart of every Christian, and there is no question about it. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph 3:17-19). “To be rooted and established in love” means to have the foundation of love—the love of Christ, the love God has for you, which is being demonstrated through Christ. And Paul is praying that you will come to “know” it. He is not asking God to love you more, nor telling you to love God more, but praying that you only come to know more how much he loves you through Christ. This love is the foundation of your life and my life. Let us not lie to ourselves by not loving one another. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen (1 John 4:19-20).

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone (lit. chief cornerstone); the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Ps 118:22-24). The cornerstone of the temple is the foundation of the earth, upon which the world is built. When the foundation is shaken, the world tumbles down. In fact, when man sinned, the foundation of this world was shaken, and as a result, the world was brought under curses, and disasters began to happen. Yet, as the above scripture says, the stone rejected by men became the cornerstone—the new foundation, and a new world is being created and built upon it. So, let us rejoice and be glad in it! We have already seen how God spoke through the prophet Haggai to those who had returned from the exile but had a hard time building the temple. There was another prophet, Zechariah, who was contemporary with Haggai. It was two years after the foundation of the temple was laid for the second time that the community of Bethel came to the priests and the prophets in Jerusalem and asked: Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years (Zech 7:3)? This fast in the fifth month had been observed by the community of the exiles to remember the destruction of the temple. Beside this one, there were actually three more annual fasts that they observed—in the fourth month to remember the destruction of Jerusalem, in the seventh month to remember the death of the governor Gedaliah, and in the tenth month to remember the siege of Jerusalem. But since the temple was now being built, it seemed reasonable to ask the above question. In response to that, God first pointed out the reason why such destructions had come upon them as follows: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other (vv. 9-11).” Because of this, the foundation of Israel was shaken, and the nation was destroyed, and the temple was burnt. But God now says: Let your hands be strong. You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty so that the temple might be built. … As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong (8:9-13). And to the question they asked at the beginning, he answered: The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace (v. 19). In order to live in a new age, it is essential that you do not let the former things linger in your life. God spoke the following words to the same Jewish community of the time: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isa 43:18-19).

David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath (vv. 26-27). Then, the plague that was killing thousands of people stopped. Sickness came as a result of sin, and is a curse. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field (Gen 3:18). When “thorns and thistles” are eaten as “the plants of the field,” they hurt our body internally, and destroy it. If it is interpreted spiritually, it means idolatry that corrupts Israel from within, rather than the external attack from their enemies. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you (Josh 23:13). Sickness comes because of the drawn sward in the stretched hand of the angel who stands between heaven and earth. But we know that when the altar was built, and a sacrifice was given, the sickness ceased. It was, in fact, as this sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave himself. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe (John 19:1-2) … Both the flogging of whips and the crown of thorns he received symbolize the sickness and the pain that he took up on him. Surely he took up our infirmities (lit. sickness) and carried our sorrows (lit. pain), yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted (Isa 53:4). Jesus did not get sick, but eliminated the very source of the sickness and diseases that had come to humanity as curses. Another thing that needs to be paid attention to in the aforementioned story of David is the fact that the atonement for the plague took place on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. A threshing floor is a flat place where a farmer threshes the grain harvest and then winnows it separating the grain from the straw and the chaff. It is easy to see how such a place came to be used symbolically to mean a place where God’s judgment is decided and announced. For instance, when David tried to bring the ark of God to his town in Jerusalem, it was on a threshing floor that Uzza who guided the cart that carried the ark was instantly killed. It was God’s judgment against David who did not do it in a proper manner. Gideon placed a fleece on the threshing floor and asked God to bring dew on it and let all the ground stay dry. For him the small fleece represented his army, and the wide ground the vast army of the Midianites. He wanted to know if God was able to bring victory (dew) to his small army and destruction (dryness) to the enemy while both armies were close to each other in the same place. It was also on the threshing floor that Boaz made a decision to redeem Ruth the Moabitess together with Naomi’s land. Boaz is the type of Christ, and Ruth is the type of the church, his bride. A threshing floor is figuratively the sacred place between heaven and earth, and it was on the threshing floor of Jerusalem where David built an altar and later, the temple came to be built on the same spot. You as a living stone are built upon Christ who is the foundation. The angel who stands between heaven and earth is now for you, and you are completely free from all curses, and have only blessings from God.

David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown (1 Chr 21:16). A disaster was brought upon the people of Israel when David took a census in Israel. Then, he saw “the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem.” Obviously, this angel was against Jerusalem that time, and was destroying it. Thousands of people died, and more were dying. David wanted to do something to stop it, but was there anything he could do to change the consequence of his sin? Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (v. 18). David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath (vv. 26-27). The same thing happened spiritually on a universal level through Christ, in whom we have now redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and the whole humanity have been set free from curses. Three choices of disasters were given to David, and he was to choose one (v. 12). It is important to know that all of them match with the words of the verdict given after the Fall of Man in Genesis. : Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life (Gen 3:17). … By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground (v. 19) … : And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel (v. 15). : It will produce thorns and thistles for you (v. 18), … While David was to choose only one of these disasters, Christ took all of them on himself for us. He carried the wood, and gave himself on the altar, while the Father carried the knife and set fire. Then, the angel with a flaming sword, who had been standing at the eastern gate of the Garden of Eden, put his sword back into his sheath. Abraham was the first individual whom God came to bless after the Fall of Man, and he was without a curse. Out of him came the people of Israel, whom God also blessed. Those whom God blesses cannot be cursed. Balak king of Moab hired Balaam to curse the people of Israel who were traveling close to his land. But God spoke through the mouth of Balaam: How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced (Num 23:8)? I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it (v. 20). These words, which God spoke about the Israelites, exactly apply to those who are in Christ today. The altar was built, and the sacrifice was already given. The angel who stands between heaven and earth is now for us, not against us, and the drawn sword in his hand is now extended over the ones who curse us.

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:1). This was about twenty years before the time of Haggai the prophet who encouraged Zerubbabel to build the temple. These “Israelites” mentioned above were the first returnees from the Babylonian captivity. Perhaps, they first went to their own towns to see their own houses and fields, but as the seventh month approached, they all came to gather in Jerusalem. According to the Law of Moses, they were to celebrate the feast of trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the feast of tabernacles in the seventh month. While they were still in Babylon, to celebrate such festivals in Jerusalem was only a dream. You can imagine the kind of excitement and joy they had that time. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices (v.3). The phrase, “on its foundation,” means “on its appointed place”—the certain designated place. Where was it? There is an interesting story in the Bible as to how this place came to be designated for such a purpose. It was the place where the angel of the Lord stood with a drawn sword in his hand to destroy Jerusalem when David sinned by taking a census in Israel. David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown (1 Chr 21:16). Note the expression “between heaven and earth.” This disaster was brought from this particular place. And this must be the place from which all kinds of other disasters are brought to humanity as well. What happened to Israel at the time of David’s sin can be applied to what had happened to our human world at the time of Adam’s sin. If so, we want to know if there is any solution to it: how can we stop the disasters? God told David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (v. 18). He did so, and God accepted his sacrifice with fire from heaven. Then, the disaster stopped! Needless to say, this was the designated place where the Israelites built the altar after the Babylonian captivity. There is another interesting story that is connected with this place—the story of Abraham sacrificing his own son Isaac. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about (Gen 22:2)." Here, too, Abraham built an altar and gave a sacrifice to God so that the whole world would come to be blessed. Isaac in this tory is the type of Christ, the only Son, who died for the sins of the world. Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David (2 Chr 3:1). Now we know that the mountain of Moriah was exactly the same place as the place where David built his altar. Then, what had happened as a result of the altar David built was the type of what happened to the whole world through Christ. Christ came and built an altar for us right between heaven and earth, and gave himself as a sacrifice. It was to stop all disasters that came as a result of sin. He became the foundation upon which the temple was built so that God’s teaching would flow from it to the whole world establishing his kingdom, a new world with full of blessings and no disasters.

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’” The priests answered, "No (Hag 2:11-12)." God spoke on the 24th day of the 9th month by first asking the priests the above question. According to the Law, everything that touches the consecrated thing like an altar and the consecrated meat of a sacrificed animal that is offered to God becomes holy. Thus, the fold of the garment of a person who carries the consecrated meat becomes holy. Then, the question is: does the fold consecrate the other things that it touches? The answer is “No.” In other words, the second transmission of holiness by touching is not possible. Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled (v. 13)." But a person to whom defilement has been transmitted from a carcass defiles everything that he touches—even the consecrated fold of his garment or the consecrated food. In other words, holiness requires 100% purity, and anything less than that is unholy, and thus, things can be defiled through the second transmission. Defilement, therefore, advances far more easily in this world than consecration. This world with everything in it was once holy and perfect at the time of creation, but when death came in as a result of sin, defilement soon spread to the whole world and to every human being in it. What has been already defiled cannot be made holy unless it is consecrated through the offering of a sacrifice to God. Holiness only comes from God, and nothing can be consecrated without the direct contact with God. The people of Israel were chosen and were made holy in this way when they came out from Egypt. But they were defiled by contagious idols, and both the nation and the land they lived in were defiled. So, death and destruction came, and Jerusalem, the holy city, was filled with carcasses, and the temple, the only link between the heaven and the earth, the source of holiness, was defiled and destroyed. Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled (v. 14).’” Holy God cannot accept unholy offerings. With defilement, it is no use worshiping him—no blessings. First, we need to be consecrated in order to be able to come and stand before him. However, since the temple is the place where we can be consecrated by offering sacrifices to God, how can we be consecrated without the temple? That was why God told the Jews of Haggai’s time to build the temple. He said, “Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house.” From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "`From this day on I will bless you (vv. 18-19). God accepts only consecrated people and consecrated offerings. You cannot stand before God with sin and defilement. And the temple is the place where you are consecrated. Do you have your temple built in you? If not, you will need to start with its foundation. Do you have the foundation of God’s word, the foundation of prayers, the foundation of giving, etc.? The bigger the foundation is, the bigger the house that can be built upon it will be. Spend more time on making the foundation because once you start building a house on it, it will be difficult to make the foundation bigger. Study God’s word with more eagerness to know him, and worship him in spirit and truth with more energy and love for him. Then, your foundation will become bigger and firmer, and God will use you for his work as the place of his feet.

“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house (v. 9).” “Each of you is busy with his own house” means literally, “each of you was running to his own house.” If this was the case, then, it must have been a burden also for them to keep the Sabbath day holy by not working. Nehemiah who lived in the same post-exilic period records that they had this problem. In fact, it seemd that the same problem had existed throughout the whole history of Israel. God spoke, for instance, through Jeremiah as follows: But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. … and this city will be inhabited forever (Jer 17:24-25). The whole establishment of the nation of Israel depended upon this command—to keep the Sabbath day holy. But they did not, and the nation was destroyed. Here, there is a very important truth to learn. This command is about holiness, and without holiness, the kingdom that God intends to establish cannot stand. Holiness is a type of nature that can be only produced by separating something for God from its ordinary use. The assumption is that the whole human world with everything in it was defiled spiritually after the Fall of Man, and we cannot have holiness without consecration by the blood of a sacrifice. And in order to consecrate ourselves together with what we have, we need to have the temple for the presence of God with an altar upon which sacrifices are offered to him. During the time of Haggai, however, while the temple remained a ruin, they were running and working for their own houses. They were defiled without keeping the Sabbath day, and continued to be defiled with no place to consecrate themselves. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy (Ezek 20:12). The people of Israel were chosen by God, and they are God’s people. Because God is holy, they need to be holy as well. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod 19:5-6). The commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy is a sign for this covenant. Holiness is the most important nature of God’s people, and the essential qualification for priests. By not keeping the Sabbath day holy, they defile themselves, and thus become disqualified for serving as priests or God’s people. Their offerings will not be accepted because what they offer is unclean, and without the acceptance of their offerings, it would be impossible for them to be blessed. God did his best to bless them in the time of Haggai, but they did not receive as much as they wanted or expected. Thus, God said to them, “Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house.” They listened to him, repented, and feared God. They made a decision to build the temple. Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: "I am with you," declares the Lord (Hag 1:13). All of this has spiritual implications that can be applied to us Christians today. Do you have this temple in your life? Have you made a decision to build it? If you have, the first thing you need to do is to lay the foundation of it.