Tues.’s Devo - Building the Temple

Read: Haggai 1:1-2:23; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 30:15-16 Cyrus had sent a remnant of Jews back to Jerusalem to build a house to the Lord. They had become so consumed with building their own houses that they hadn’t yet began work on the Temple. God gave a word through Haggai to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah. It was the first day of the sixth month. He rebuked him for building luxurious houses to live in when God’s house was lying in ruins. Because they neglected God’s house, they had not had enough to live on. God told them to consider their ways and change. God had called a drought on the land until they got their lives in order. Zerrubabel ,and the high priest, Joshua and the people got busy building God’s house. A month and twenty days later, Haggai came back with another word to Zerubbabel and Joshua and to the people. He told them to be strong for He was with them. Another word came almost two months later. God said that they had been an unclean people but the day they laid the first stone in the temple God started to bless their crops and where they had not brought forth a harvest, they would begin to. In Revelation, John was given a measuring stick to measure the Temple of God and the altar and to count the number of worshipers. He was not to measure the outer courtyard because it was to be turned over to the nations to be trampled for 42 months. God’s two witnesses clothed in burlap would prophecy during those 1,260 days. The two prophets were the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord. If anyone tries to harm them, fire will flash from their mouths and consume their enemies. They would have power to shut the sky so no rain would fall as long as they prophesied They would also have power to turn the rives to blood and strike the earth with every kind of plague at will. When their assignment is complete, the beast that comes from the bottomless pit will declare war against them. Their bodies will lie on the main street of Jerusalem for three and a half days. People will rejoice over their death and give presents to one another. At the end of the three and a half days, God will breathe life into their bodies and they will stand up. The people will be filled with terror. God will shout from heaven saying, “come up here!” and they will rise to heaven in a cloud. An earthquake will strike the city and destroy a tenth of it. Seven thousand people will die in the earthquake . Everyone else will be terrified and give glory to the Lord. This was the second terror. The third is on its way. The seventh angel blew his trumpet and a loud voice shouted in heaven. “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” The twenty-four elders will fall on their faces in worship. It was now time to destroy all who had caused destruction on the earth. In heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark could be seen. There was lightning and thunder and an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. Lord, we don’t know when all this will happen but we know that our days are in your hands. You are all wisdom and power and glory.