Volume 1 Issue 9

DAMAGED SANCTUARY

“T

he enemy has damaged everything within the SANCTUARY. Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy meeting place; they have set up their own standards for signs.” (Psalm 74:3-4) The word used here for “sanctuary” is the Hebrew, “qodesh” and is used also for the “Holy of Holies” in the Temple. It is the place where the High Priest met with the Lord once a year bringing sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of the nation of Israel. Within the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant and within the Ark was a jar of manna and the tablets upon which were written the Ten Commandments. The word “damaged” is “ra`a`”, a Hebrew word meaning properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good for nothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally). From a physical point of view Israel’s enemies had plundered the Holy of Holies, removing or destroying whatever they could find, and had set up their own idols or symbols of victory. What I would like to do is look at this from a spiritual point of view and see how it applies to us today.

The Temple in Jerusalem no longer exists. It was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans to squelch a rebellion by the Jews. However, that does not mean there is no Temple. “Do you not know that YOU ARE A TEMPLE of God, and {that} the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, AND THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) Paul spoke these words to emphasize to the Corinthians that THEY were the Temple of the Lord; that Jesus lived within their spirits, that part of man that causes us to be God-conscious. Our spirits correspond to the Holy of Holies, our souls to the Holy Place, and our bodies to the Outer Court as regards the Old Testament Temple. But Psalm 74:3, quoted above, refers to the Holy of Holies and by extension the spirit. That which we must guard against at all costs is defilement or corruption within our spirit.

Just as the Israelites were commanded by God to gather fresh manna each day for food while they wandered through the Wilderness, we are to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us each day our DAILY bread.” (Luke 11:3) Of course this refers to physical food, but it is also referring to SPIRITUAL food. In fact, the spiritual is to have precedence over the physical. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But SEEK FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33) We worry so much about our “outward temple” our bodies, that we neglect our souls and spirits. We want nice clothes, but we are told to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to {its} lusts.” (Romans 13:14); we want to be well fed, but we are told that, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6); we want beautiful bodies, but the Bible says, ”Discipline yourself FOR THE PURPOSE OF GODLINESS; FOR BODILY DISCIPLINE IS ONLY OF LITTLE PROFIT, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and {also} for the {life} to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7,8). The world seeks to skew our priorities; it wishes to “damage” our Temple, to replace that which is holy with that which is unholy. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20) We are being fed a diet of lies, lies that come from a secular society that resents any moral restraints being placed upon it. We are told abortion is not the killing of a child, only the removal of a lump of tissue; we are told homosexuality is a legitimate, alternate lifestyle sanctioned by God as long as it is practiced between two consenting adults in a loving relationship; we are told that pornography is allowable since it is a victimless crime and a safe way for people to relieve their sexual energy. This is the “manna” of the world; this we are told will bring us happiness and fulfillment, but instead of nourishing our spirits it is bringing starvation.

Of course it is all lies and coming from a fallen, corrupt world we should be able to recognize it as lies, but the greatest danger we face is from those individuals or organizations that call themselves Christian and not only believe the lies, but promote them as legitimate. “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. Her priests have DONE VIOLENCE to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made NO DISTINCTION between the holy and the profane, and they have NOT TAUGHT THE DIFFERENCE between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood {and} destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, SEEING FALSE VISIONS AND DIVINING LIES for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken.” (Ezekiel 22:25-28) The spiritual food, the “manna” that we should be receiving from our spiritual elders and our denominations is becoming more and more frequently rotten food that is causing our Holy of Holies, our spirits, to believe a lie and thus deceive us. We are becoming like the world; the distinctions between the believer and non-believer is becoming blurred. The evil, the damage, that is a NATURAL part of the non-believer is finding a ready home in the spirit of the believer.

This is setting the stage for the appearance of the Antichrist. He will rule and reign successfully because people will want him. He will be able to provide for their “outward temples”, their bodies, so they will FREELY give up their beliefs concerning right and wrong. The Mark of the Beast is ALREADY being stamped upon the forehead or right hand of people. “They did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence SO THAT THEY MIGHT BELIEVE what is false.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11) The rejection of truth because we do not like it, or because we think it unfairly restricts our fun comes with a very high price. Sugar, like the lies of the world, may taste sweet, but in the end it will bring about death. It is quick energy, but if leaves us more drained and hungry than before. Sin works exactly the same way. There is a momentary pleasure connected with sin, but “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Spoilage is setting in as the world’s influence overcomes the truth that has been given to us through the Bible. Our ability to discern the truth, right from wrong, good from bad, is being diminished because to accept the truth is to reject the world, something fewer and fewer are willing to sacrifice. “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their {own} authority; AND MY PEOPLE LOVE IT SO! But what will you do at the end of it?” (Jeremiah 5:31) This spirit of compromise is gaining, and will continue to gain momentum as we approach the end of the age. “Preach the word; be ready in season {and} out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but {wanting} to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; AND WILL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, and will turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4) The word “endure” used above is in the middle voice in the Greek, the voice that speaks of fulfilling the action from within. Just as the Pharisees and other religious leaders would not endure the presence of Jesus and had Him removed the world shall of its own free will turn aside from the truth.

It is interesting to note that the man the Jews asked to be released for them in the place of Jesus was Barabbas because the name “Barabbas” means “son of the father”. What makes this interesting is that Jesus too was the Son of the Father. In fact, it was that truth that directly led the Jews to have Him crucified. The crucial difference between Barabbas and Jesus was their fathers. Jesus told the Jews, “You are of {YOUR} FATHER THE DEVIL, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own {nature;} for he is a liar, and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) Barabbas was also a murderer and by extension his father was the devil. This stands in stark contrast to the Lord God being Jesus’ Father. The Pharisees and religious leaders made their choice and that choice revealed their parentage. Barabbas, a murderer and a robber, they took as a brother; Jesus they rejected because He spoke the truth - a truth they did not want to hear.

Barabbas was chosen INSTEAD OF Jesus. The Antichrist will be chosen INSTEAD OF Christ. The Greek preposition “anti” means not only “against”, but “INSTEAD OF, IN THE PLACE OF”. The Jews WILLFULLY chose Barabbas over Jesus. Those who supposedly should have recognized Him and welcomed Him as their Messiah chose a “son of the father”, but it was not the heavenly Father. They identified themselves with a murderer and a robber rather than accept the truth that Jesus spoke. The Antichrist will be chosen because people will identify with him. He will be religious, charismatic, intelligent, resourceful, and able to meet the PHYSICAL needs of the people while deceiving them into thinking he is also a moral leader. Christ will be REPLACED within the spirits of those who THINK they are Christian, who are not truly born again. The first throne that the Antichrist occupies is not the throne of a country, but the throne of our spirit. Will the Lord be Lord or will we reject His headship to satisfy our bodily desires? Will we be more concerned about our physical well being, having a job, having money, a home, new clothes, a nice car? Will we accept immorality, unholiness, impurity, unrighteousness, sinfulness in our leaders if the economy is good INSTEAD OF Jesus Christ and His teaching that “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”? (Mark 8:34)

Look around you. Do you find holiness, not in the world, but in the churches, in those who claim to be Christian? Do you find holiness in our leaders? You see them coming out of church with a Bible in their hand, but do you see holiness? To the degree that we accept leaders who are hypocrites, who have the answers to our physical desires, yet lead a PERSONALLY immoral lifestyle, to that degree the Mark of the Beast has been imprinted upon us. Look closely and perhaps you will see a 6 appearing on right hands or foreheads. Jesus told those who followed Him, “And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' AND DO NOT DO WHAT I SAY?” (Luke 6:46) Because the spirit has been corrupted. The world has placed its values there.

Why can the Christian go to movies that glamorize premarital sex or fornication and think it is acceptable entertainment because the rest of the movie tells a heartwarming story? The movie “Titanic” made hundreds of millions of dollars, much of it coming from young teenage girls, girls who are highly impressionable, and yet the movie featured nudity and an illicit love affair that was romanticized. How many young girls lost their virginity in the back seat of a car after watching that movie because sex is portrayed as romantic, having no adverse side effects? Which is more dangerous? Hard-core pornography that we would instantly say no to if our children asked to see it or illicit sex presented in a way that makes us come away with a heartwarming feeling? “The Bridges of Madison County” romanticized adultery, yet how many Christians would attempt to justify seeing it because it made them feel good? The movies of Hollywood are ONE of the signs that the enemy has set up in our spirits to take the place of Jesus.

Television is other sign. From daytime soap operas to sensual, violent dramas, to obscene and sometimes blasphemous comedies, to talk shows that dredge the lowest forms of human depravity, viewers can not seem to get enough. Again, the shame is not so much that the unbelievers watch such things without blushing, but the CHRISTIAN also watches believing it is harmless entertainment. Ezekiel was given a vision of a heavenly temple and the Lord told him, “As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, THAT THEY MAY BE ASHAMED OF THEIR INIQUITIES; and let them measure the plan.” (Ezekiel 43:10) Describe the temple. What is the spirit to be like? What is it to desire? The Lord desires truth, holiness, purity, and humility. He desires a quietness and gentleness. All lies, deceit, immorality, and arrogance He hates. But when television, with our consent at most times, dumps garbage into our spirits so that we find ourselves justifying a character’s evil conduct we are dirtying the very throne room of our Lord. A few years ago then Vice President Dan Qualye criticized the “Murphy Brown” show for legitimizing single parent motherhood by purposefully having a child out of wedlock. Mr. Qualye was ridiculed and mocked. The late night talk shows berated him unmercifully. It has been said that character is what a person is whenever no one is around. Our society has become so immersed in filth that we as a nation no longer wait to be alone. “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, {that they are} enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is {their} appetite, and {WHOSE} GLORY IS IN THEIR SHAME, who set their minds on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:18-19) Television is saturated with sex and violence to the point that the spiritual purity that we should crave above all else has become an annoying voice that is gradually being silenced - even by those who preach and teach the Word of God. Be aware of what you laugh, of what you applaud, of what you approve. Look closely. The Lord wants to cleanse His temple that He might rule and reign in your life.

After King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered that he might take her for his wife, Nathan the prophet of God came and told him that he knew what he had done. He told David that God would forgive him, but that there were consequences to his sin. David did repent. He prayed to the Lord, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” (Psalm 51:2-3) When confronted with the truth David chose repentance rather than continued rebellion. He had hidden his sin for a year and no doubt suffered inwardly as his conscience convicted him. But the Lord was merciful in that he did not allow the secret to remain hidden and thus completely silence his spirit.

May the Lord also be merciful to us. When He or someone He is speaking through confronts us with a truth we may not want to face may we turn from our wrongdoing as David did and pray “Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:6-7) This can be a painful experience, but the end result brings joy to us as our relationship with the Lord is restored.

The prophet Jeremiah, known as the “Weeping Prophet”, lived among a people who continually rejected the Word of the Lord. He was grieved by their sinfulness and their hardness of heart. Though he faithfully spoke the words the Lord gave him, they laughed, mocked, and HATED him and wished him dead. It would have been easy for Jeremiah to allow his spirit to have been corrupted by those around him. But the Lord reassured Jeremiah and said, “‘Before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. THEY FOR THEIR PART MAY TURN TO YOU, BUT AS FOR YOU, YOU MUST NOT TURN TO THEM. Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; and though they fight against you, they will not prevail over you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you,’ declares the LORD. ‘So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.’” (Jeremiah 15:19-21) Rather than allowing the spirit of wickedness that we find ourselves immersed in to corrupt us and set up its standards of right and wrong within our spirits, we must remain founded upon the Word of God and be bold to express our beliefs so that when the time is right those who are caught in the web of destruction will hold out their hand seeking salvation from the lies and deceit of the world and it will be to us that they look. Then shall come true the promise of the Lord. “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) When the damage to our sanctuary, our spirit, is repaired and we, along with the Lord’s creation are restored to the purity that we once possessed we will cry out with the Seraphim, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, THE WHOLE EARTH is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

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