Communion With the Christ:: The Glory of the Latter House

"And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are to this day. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD." 1Kings:8-11

The Temple of God at Jerusalem was an extremely magnificent building, there has never been anything else like it built by human hands. God gave the overall design and King Salomon commissioned the work.

There were the highest quality building materials. Gold, Silver, Brass, quarried stones, tapestries that went into the Temple. It is nearly impossible to estimate the value of the Temple.

There was a priesthood adorned in beautiful priestly robes, preforming meaningful liturgical and sacerdotal ceremonies. Offerings and were placed upon the alter each day as well on the Sabbath and the Holy Days that had been enjoined under the Old Covenant between God and Israel.
Prayer and the reading of the Law was conducted in the courts. It was all very powerful and moving. It is nearly impossible to estimate the value of the Temple.

It's True Value

For all its grandeur as a structure. all the quality of the building materials and the sacrament and ceremony, what is it that gave the Temple at Jerusalem its value? It was none of the externals, but rather all or any value that was found there came from the God Whose presences was manifested by the very Glory of God, that is the Shekinah, there in the Holy of Holies and represented by the Ark of the Covenant.
If the Great God had not "dwelt" there then the Temple would have no value other than its material value.

All that was done in the Temple would have been empty ritual. God's presences was the true value of the Temple. If the Lord was not there it would have simply been valueless.

The Latter House

The Church is called by the New Testament writers the Temple of God, Christians are to have, through Jesus, the relationship that the Jerusalem Temple only symbolized. St. Paul speaking to Christians tells us that we are God's Temple, because the Spirit of God, that is the Holy Spirit, dwells in us, the very same Spirit that showed God was in the Temple.

" Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1Cor:3:16

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" 1Cor:6:19

The Prophets of God saw in part when they wrote of God's work through His Holy Son Jesus and all that Jesus would accomplish for us all; they knew that what they saw was for a generation to come.

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things."1Pet:1:10-12

The Prophets of God looked to our day and saw the perfect work of Jesus and the presence of God through the Holy Spirit within the lives of Christians filling our lives ,as did the Glory filled the Temple, that we , as the latter house, would have more glory within us than all that was found in the Temple.

"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, said the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, said the LORD of hosts."Hag:2:9

Even the Simplest Thing

That means, even if we, by the lead of the Holy Spirit, preform the simplest act of kindness, it brings more glory to God than all the sacraments and ceremonies of the Temple because it is birth out of our relationship and with and the presence of the living Jesus in us.

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" Col:1:27

This hope of glory is not just "someday" in eternity to come, but each day lived out through the guidance of the holy Spirit all to His glory.

Some may feel grand works on a grand scale brings glory to our Lord but this not always true.

Look at the world around us, there are many "good" people, all loved and wanted by our Father in Heaven, yet, they live in either ignorance of , or indifference to, or even in rebellion of Jesus Christ, yet these people do "good" works, their good works can be seen as great and help many for the here and now, but , if a Believer in Jesus does but one small act of kindness Christ can work in that small act to transform the recipients life forever and bring glory to God, even giving something as cup of water to one who is thirsty.

Fruit of the Spirit

All humanity is made in the" image and likeness of God " Genesis:1:26 , so to some degree even nonbelievers show some measure of Who God is, yet , they are not experiencing the salvation that is there for them in Christ , so they too can do good works, yet those works will be oriented toward the self.

But, for the believers, that is those who have come to receive the Salvation which our Lord has accomplished for us, do good works and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is born out of our relationship with our Lord.

These are not of the flesh but of the Spirit, they are, in truth our Lord's works not our works. St. Paul wrote that the life that he lived was not his own but Jesus' life in him. St. Paul’s life was over the Apostle lived in Jesus' life and lived it out of his relationship with Jesus.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal: 2:20

This life of Jesus in the believer is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians:5:22-26, this is more than just "self-sacrifice" it is rather "sacrifice of the self" . Living to God in a life of worship and service that is lived out of a renewed mind.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" .Rom:12:1-2

Priesthood

This life of worship and living for Jesus supersedes all the grand sacraments found under the Old Covenant, under the Priesthood of Aaron for it is the ministry of Jesus in and through the believers life within the Priesthood of all believers all to the glory of God.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."1Peter:2:9

The Latter House

The Church, that is Christians, are all a part of that Latter House, the Temple of the Great God which will be filled with His glory not our own. That means whatever value or worth which is found in the Church, that Latter House which is filled with glory, it can only be found through the abiding presence of God through the Holy Spirit.

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"1Cor: 3:16

When we Christians place their own lives upon the alter of our Lord, that is, set aside their own wants and agendas, then we can truly live for Jesus and all that he might be glorified and exulted, even the good works of the Christian life are for Him and not we ourselves.

"let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" Matt:5:16

Even the very desire to bring glory to Jesus does not find its origins within us but comes through, and by God Himself, but is given to us by Him, for we would humanly want to bring glory or attention to ourselves and receive what only belongs to Jesus.

"for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philip: 2:13

We can, only through our Lord's presence within each of us through the Spirit of God, seek to glorify our Lord and fill this latter House full of the Glory of God, all for Jesus and for Jesus alone.

Benediction: may we each and all place our whole lives upon the alter of our Lord Jesus that he might be glorified, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.