Theology Thursday: Buffet 4

Welcome to Theology Thursday! Theology is the study of God, his relation to the world, and our relation to him. I hope these newsletters help enhance your faith and deepen your love for God and his people, the church.

Welcome to the fourth Theology Thursday Buffet! Occasionally, I’ll switch from addressing one topic in long form and instead answer several reader-submitted questions in shorter form.

If you have a topic you’d like to see included in a future Theology Thursday, please respond to this email (or any future Theology Thursday email) with your question! And don’t hesitate to ask, because if you’re curious about something, it likely means somebody else is too.

Let’s grab our plate and dive in.

An End-Times Third Temple?
The Bible says that some end-times events will occur in a temple in Jerusalem. Some Jews in Israel are trying to build one where the Old Testament temple stood. Is this a sign of the end times?

Ok, this is a bit of a complex question, with lots of different relevant strands attached. The temple was the central place of worship for Israel, housing the Ark of the Covenant and serving as the dwelling place of God’s presence  As we learn in the Old Testament accounts, there have been two versions of the holy temple.

The first was built around 966 BC under the leadership of King Solomon in Jerusalem, as described in 1 Kings 6–8. In 586 BC, the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple during their conquest of Judah and the exile of the Israelites (2nd Kings 25).

The second temple was constructed on the same site around 516 BC, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 3–6). It was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans during the Jewish-Roman War, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:1–2.

Ever since, many Jews and some Christians have desired and even attempted to build a new “third temple” on the same site, in the belief that God’s presence requires a holy house of worship to dwell in and that doing so will trigger the “end times” and help prompt the second coming of Christ. The Bible seems to indicate that some end-times events will occur in a temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15). 2nd Thessalonians, speaking of the antichrist, says "He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God." Before the end times can occur, Jews and certain Christian groups believe there must be a physical temple for these events to occur in.

But there are (at least) two problems with this understanding of the scriptural presentation of temples and end times. The first is, in my opinion, an over-literal interpretation of these passages (especially Jesus’ words in Matthew) that necessitate a physical dwelling place for the presence of God, as if God is reliant on waiting until one specific building on one specific hill in one specific city is built in one specific way before he can kick off the rest of his plan. The second problem is related to the first: the incarnation!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

Since the night of that first Christmas, God has not lived in any structure built by humans, and he never will again. Jesus is the glory and presence of God in human form. As one commentator put it, “To meet God, to talk with God, to worship God, you no longer come to a building or a tent or a structure made with human hands. You come to Jesus! Jesus is the Temple of God! Divine space is now no longer located in a place but in a person.”

But that’s not quite all there is to it, either. Paul tells the Christians in Ephesus they are ...members of [God’s] household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (vs. 20-22).

God lives not in a physical temple or even only in heaven, but in the church! In the very hearts of believers. Thus, there is no need to build a new temple in Jerusalem. Jesus came; and he’s coming back either way.

There’s a lot more to this interesting subject. For a fuller treatment, I encourage you to read this blog post from Bible professor Sam Storms titled “Will there be a third temple in Jerusalem?” I agree with Dr. Storms’ teaching here.  

What does it mean that Jesus is God’s only “begotten” Son?
Great question! Here’s probably the most famous verse in all of scripture: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16 - NKJV).

Some translations of the Bible, including the NIV, say “one and only” instead of “begotten,” which is sufficient for understanding what John’s getting at here, but is not quite the same thing.

Without getting into the Hebrew and Greek language stuff (you’re welcome), “begotten” is important for two primary reasons:

First, it highlights Jesus’s dual nature as fully divine and fully human. He receives his humanity (and, thus, mortality) from Mary and, even as a human, inherits his divinity from his status as a member of the trinity. Jesus has a unique relationship with God because he is God, and he has a unique relationship with humans - with us - because he is human.

Second, “begotten” helps remind us that Jesus was not created, he is eternal. He is not part of creation, he is Creator. This is related to the first point, of course. The incarnation was not the beginning of God the Son, it was only the beginning of God the Son as a human on earth.

If you want to dive deeper on this, check out this 20 minute video. There’s lots to learn.  

How can you pray for me?
Occasionally, a caring brother or sister in Christ will ask how he or she can pray for me. I’m always honored and humbled to be asked, and deeply appreciate the prayers of God’s people at MCC.

In his second letter to the Corinthians church, Paul told them how he depended on their prayers:

On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many (2nd Corinthians 1:10b–11).

Paul actually asked for prayer eight times in his letters. The job of pastors is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12) and we need help! We need God’s help, and thus we need your prayers.

In general, here is how you you can pray for me:

My family. That God would preserve and strengthen my marriage to Melissa, and give us wisdom and strength as we do our best to raise our boys to love God and treat others with the same kindness and grace with which God treats us. Most importantly, pray that we would teach and model Christ to them so they would come to saving faith in their savior.

Please pray for Cash, specifically, that he would progress in his journey with extreme ADHD/ODD; that he would overcome the impulsive desires and emotional dysregulation that so damage his ability to live and learn calmly and build healthy relationships.

God’s encouragement for ministry. The work of pastoring a church is difficult because it’s important (as is true with all good and worthwhile things). Ministers are not immune from hurt and disappointment - in fact, it’s often magnified because we are aware and walking with so many of our church members in their hurt and disappointment as well. Pray that the rest of the MCC staff and I would feel God’s encouragement as we work to serve and lead MCCers in the way of Jesus.

Safety and deliverance from the attacks of our enemy and the enemies of the gospel. I ask - as Paul did when he wrote to the Thessalonians - that you pray that I may be “kept safe” from “wicked and evil people” and from the powers of this dark world. This is no secret mission. Christians have an enemy. He wants to stop us from doing the work of the Lord. Pray that he won’t be successful at MCC.

Preaching and teaching effectiveness. Paul asked the Ephesians to pray “that whenever I speak words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (6:19-20). He asked of the Colossians, “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should” (4:4).

In addition to “fearlessly” and “clearly,” pray that I/we would preach and teach lovingly, persuasively, and winsomely, pointing always to Christ.

Pray the same thing for me as you should pray for yourself: that God would first work in us, and then through us.

TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!
- Pastor Brady

Have a question for Theology Thursday? Send an email to office@minierchristian.org and we'll respond, or we'll include in a future Theology Thursday Buffet.