Messianic Perspectives

Guest (Female): Today the eyes of the world are on the Middle East as world leaders try to jump-start the stalled peace process. What does the future hold for this troubled part of the world? We’ll find out today as Pastor Albert Runge talks about Jerusalem, the Focus of Prophecy, right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Liz Aiello: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the Scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. I’m Liz Aiello. Today we’ll be hearing from associate Bible teacher Albert Runge as he talks about Jerusalem, the Focus of Prophecy.

I’ll be back a little later with information about a special offer, so have your pencil and paper ready. But first, with today’s study, here is Al Runge.

Albert Runge: Thank you for allowing me to come into your home and to share with you a wonderful message of Jesus, our Jewish Messiah. I’m continuing my messages on Jerusalem, the Focus of Prophecy. In our last message, we looked back at God’s original purpose for establishing the temple in Jerusalem. Isaiah wrote God’s words in his prophecy, chapter 56, verse 7: "For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." So the temple was not meant just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles. God intended the temple to attract people from all over the world to worship Him.

Now today we want to consider Jesus' prophecy about the destruction of the temple and why God allowed it. In Mark 13, verse 1 to 2, we read that as Jesus went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" The ancient temple was a marvel in the world. The temple was constructed of large blocks of white and green-spotted marble. Josephus, the eyewitness of the destruction of the temple, wrote that these stones were 50 feet long, 24 feet broad, and 16 feet in thickness. The temple was built to last for millenniums, and it appeared at the time that nothing could destroy it.

But here’s what Jesus predicted in Matthew 24: "But Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Verily I say unto you, not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.'" Now why did God allow the temple to be destroyed? God had a number of reasons for rejecting the old temple. First, because the priesthood had become corrupt. Malachi, the Jewish prophet, spoke of the corruption of the priesthood in Malachi 2, verse 7 and 8: "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is a messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts."

That was God’s indictment against the priesthood by the Jewish prophet Malachi. God intended the priest not only to lead in the worship of God, but also to be teachers of the truth. Let me tell you how the priests became corrupt. They were the aristocracy of Israel. They became rich through the control of the temple and the selling of sacrificial animals and the exchanging of Roman coins for temple coins. Roman coins had the image of Caesar on it, and so it could not be given. Israel also was divided in two major religious-political factions.

The high priests had become Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in the supernatural. They didn't believe in the resurrection from the dead, they didn't believe in angels or spirits or life to come. Now there was a very bloody history of conflict between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. 100 years before the birth of Jesus, these two parties were at war. Alexander was a Jewish king and the high priest, and he ordered the crucifixion of 800 Pharisees. The nation was torn into two camps. Alexander asked Rome to come and mediate the conflict. Instead of mediating the conflict, they came into Israel with their legions and took over the government.

The Sadducees had become corrupt politically and theologically. Well, we still have living Sadducees among religious leaders. They make their living through religion while they don't believe in it. I took a course in religious education at a state university. A young woman in the class was working on her PhD in religion. She wrote Sunday school curriculum for a major Christian denomination. One day she told me honestly that she was an atheist and a communist. I asked her why she would want to give her life to a religious occupation when she wasn't a believer. She told me that she wanted to influence society, to change society, and the best way was to do it through the influence of the church. Well, this was like the Sadducees.

In 66 AD, the Sadducees, who were a religious-political party that was theologically corrupt, also led in the war party against Rome, while the Pharisees were the leaders of the peace party. They wanted peace with Rome. The Romans directed their assault on Jerusalem and the temple because that’s where the Sadducees had their power. Titus, the Roman general, finally broke through the walls of Jerusalem and executed all the Sadducees and took the temple apart stone by stone, thus fulfilling the prophecies of Jesus that the temple would be destroyed.

The Jewish prophet Malachi in Malachi 3:1 had predicted the coming of the Messiah to the temple. Listen to this: "And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple." It wasn't the temple of Israel, it was the temple of the Lord. "Even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts." But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire. The Lord Messiah, whom Israel sought, the messenger of the covenant whom they delighted in, came, but they didn't like who he was. He was Jesus. In Matthew 21, verse 12 and 14, he comes into his temple to inspect it.

Jesus went into the temple and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have made it a den of thieves." After that, the Sadducees began to plot the death of Jesus. They didn't want to have someone like him with all the influence he was having with the ordinary Jewish people to have any freedom. They wanted to put him to death.

The second reason God allowed the temple to be destroyed was because it no longer served its purpose. Hebrews 9, verse 24 and 27 tells us, "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary," that is after his ascension. The man-made sanctuary, the temple, was only a copy of the true one. Jesus entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. He’s there to appear for us. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. So the writer of Hebrews was saying to the many Messianic Jews, "Don’t be concerned about the temple’s destruction, because there’s something greater here."

The sacrifices of animals were only as a learning aid so that the Jewish people would understand the necessity of a substitutionary sacrifice for the atonement of their souls. The prophecy of Jesus about the destruction of the temple proved his authenticity. Listen to what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 18:21 to 22: "And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is a thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it of himself presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him."

God guaranteed that if a prophet came and he predicted something in His name, it would only come true if it was a true prophet sent by God. Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, and because of that, there is strong evidence for all to see that Jesus is the true Messiah and the true prophet of God. After Jesus was rejected by the temple establishment—and in fact, he also rejected it because it had lost its purpose and because of the corruption of the priests—he sat on a hill overlooking Jerusalem. Listen to his words. I want you to feel the passion of Jesus, the sorrow of Jesus when he looked over Jerusalem.

He said in Matthew 23:37 to 29: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I say to you, you shall not see me anymore until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Listen to the words of Jesus: "Until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" If my Jewish people knew Jesus as I know him, then they would accept him, they would love him, they would be appreciative of him, but they do not know him because he’s been misrepresented by many false Christians.

The day will come when they will acknowledge him as their Savior and their King, and it will be done in Jerusalem, as we’ll see in the future messages. You don’t have to wait until then. You can acknowledge Jesus now and have eternal life. May God speak to you, and may you listen and may you respond in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Pastor Runge. And thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. You’ve been listening to Albert Runge, our associate Bible teacher here on Messianic Perspectives, and his discussion of Jerusalem, the Focus of Prophecy. In this fascinating series of studies, Pastor Al Runge explains the pivotal role the city of Jerusalem plays in Bible prophecy. He says it’s no accident that this ancient city is the focal point of world attention in our generation.

If you enjoyed today’s study, you’ll be glad to know that our special offer this week is the CD album of this current series of studies on Jerusalem, the Focus of Prophecy. You can have this set shipped right to your door for a gift of only $12. Just visit our secure online store at MessianicSpecialties.com to place your order. If you would prefer to order by mail, just address your request to Messianic Perspectives, P.O. Box 345, San Antonio, Texas, 78292. To order by phone, use our toll-free order line. The number is 1-800-926-5397.

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As always, when you’re in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you’re listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. I’m Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won’t you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of studies on Jerusalem, the Focus of Prophecy, right here on Messianic Perspectives. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries of San Antonio, Texas, and is made possible on this station by the free-will contributions of our listeners in this area.