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We have spoken often of the great
Temple of God which King
Solomon built after the death of his
father, King David. II Chronicles
describes the grandeur and purpose
for this greatest house of worship in
all history. An outer court — the first
great room — the Holy Place and,
finally, the Holy of Holies which
housed the room in which rested the
Ark of the Covenant containing the
Ten Commandments carved in stone
by the finger of God.
Most of us know the story of
the awesome structure that was the
testimony to the one true and living
God. It was where the Israelites came
to bring their offerings and to worship
and pray to the God of Israel. But we
have overlooked another great and
important purpose for this grand Temple. God told
Solomon that He had chosen to dwell in this great
Temple and that His eyes and heart would always be
there. What we overlook is the fact that this great
structure was to be a witness to the world of this
one and only true and living God!
In his prayer of dedication, Solomon makes this
clear as he prays —
“AND WHEN FOREIGNERS HEAR OF
YOUR POWER AND COME FROM
DISTANT LANDS…HEAR THEM FROM
HEAVEN WHERE YOU LIVE, AND DO
WHAT THEY REQUEST OF YOU.”
II Chron. 6:32 TLB
Now we hear Solomon’s heart as he gives us the
second great purpose for God’s new home:
“THEN ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE
EARTH WILL HEAR OF YOUR FAME
AND WILL REVERENCE YOU, JUST
AS YOUR PEOPLE OF ISRAEL DO;
AND THEY TOO WILL KNOW THAT
THIS TEMPLE I HAVE BUILT IS TRULY
YOURS.” II Chron. 6:33 TLB
So, we see that this grand structure was to be
God’s witness of His power and greatness to the then
known world, and that He alone was the God of all
creation. It was also to make clear that the bowing
down to statues and other idols made with man’s
hands was nothing but man’s foolishness. Partly in
jest I have likened this great Temple as “God’s TV
station” to make known the way of salvation to the
nations of the world! Isaiah confirms this by saying:
“ALSO THE SONS OF THE STRANGER…
EVEN THEM WILL I BRING TO MY
HOLY MOUNTAIN, AND MAKE THEM
JOYFUL IN MY HOUSE OF PRAYER…
FOR MINE HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED
AN HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL
PEOPLE.” Isa. 56:6,7
For the 40 years of Solomon’s reign,
multitudes came to Jerusalem to see this
mighty structure and many embraced the God of Israel because of its witness. But,
sadly many of the future kings forgot this great witness
and by and large Israel failed to make the true and living
God known to the heathen nations of the world.
So what has all this to do with us in the 21st
century? Plenty! While we do not build grand,
gold covered temples as Solomon did, OUR MISSION
IS STILL THE SAME! The apostle Paul makes it clear
what the Temple or Temples are today —
“KNOW YE NOT THAT YE ARE THE TEMPLE
OF GOD, AND THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD
DWELLETH IN YOU?…FOR THE TEMPLE
OF GOD IS HOLY, WHICH TEMPLE YE
ARE.” I Cor. 3:16, 17
So do you see it? We are God’s witnesses to a lost
and dying world! We are literally God’s TV stations,
actually over 15,000 of them! God knew in a world of over
six billion souls, one Temple would never cover the world.
He allowed man to discover radio, TV, satellite, and the
Internet in order to give us — His Temples — the tools to
literally cover the world with the knowledge of a God
who gave His only Son to save all who will simply
believe in His name! We should feel honored that God is
creating countless Temples and you are probably one of
them! Praise the Lord!
Our great live Praise-a-Thon is near —
APRIL 8-13
with all our favorite ministers, singers, testifiers — yes,
REVIVAL Praise-a-Thon is coming! Will you be a part
by making your pledge to keep our great TV witness
ON THE AIR? Israel failed — what will we do to fulfill
God’s command to “Go into all the world”?
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