What do you do when God decides to take down his *own* work? What do you do when things you have believed in, trusted, committed yourself to, worked like the devil for, sacrificed everything for, are completely shattered—not by the Devil, but by God himself? No, I am not talking about this or that church splitting or falling apart. Nor am I dealing in speculation. I am dealing in known events that are well documented and well understood.
Walk back with me to another place and time. It is late in the seventh century BC. The place is the equivalent of our courthouse steps today. It is the gate of the Temple—where cases in law were heard, where contracts were finalized and witnessed, where news was announced, and even sermons delivered.
There is a very young man standing there to speak, and over his shoulder we can look up and see the most famous building in the world—the Temple of the Lord, built by Solomon, with no effort spared to glorify God. Solomon's Temple was legendary, not only in its beauty but in the events that marked its history. You could ask *any* of the old men seated near the gate and hear the *whole* story—how David had the concept, how Solomon inherited the job, all the material that went into the building, all the years it was under construction. They could tell you about the *incredible* events of its dedication. They all knew the story by heart. God himself *actually entered* this building and filled it with smoke. That had never happened before anywhere in the world, and it would never happen again.
This great Temple had hosted over 330 years of the Passover. For all those years, it had been the hub for millions of camping pilgrims at the Feast of Tabernacles. It had been the center of the worship of Jehovah for generation after generation. It stood there looking as permanent as the mountains around it. It was the very heart of their faith, the symbol of their God, the rock around which all Israel gathered. It was the very work of God, God's own house…and it was doomed.
[Image credits, if any, may be found by visiting the "View Online" link on this page.]
