You have now seen God's temple in prophecy. This was made possible in part by just putting down on paper the architectural design that God inspired millenniums ago, and which He has preserved for us today.
Conclusions Startling
The conclusions have been surprising. The answers to many of the problems have been very unexpected. But, more of the mind and design of God has unfolded point-by-point as the subject progressed. At first, some of the answers may have seemed impossible, since they are not entirely conformable to man's ideas of architecture. The conclusions are entirely different from the conclusions of men. Truly we have seen that God's temple in all of its aspects is unusual, singular in design, and different from anything that man has conceived. Isn't that just like God is? His ways are not like our ways. His thoughts are not like our thoughts. Our human nature is antagonistic to His laws. God's culture, His politics, His religion, His plans are all entirely different from those of man. It should be no strange thing then that God's temple is not what we might suppose it to be. We should expect it to be unusual in design from man's point of view. Even though the design of God's temple is unusual, it, just as all of the other attributes of God, grows in beauty to us. The things of God become more appreciated and enjoyed the more familiar we become with them. This plan of God's temple is based on purpose and right reason. It is based on soundness, on strength, on utility and on beauty. It is based on grandeur and largeness of scale that we have not previously conceived.
This is a City
When you see this temple in its right perspective you can come to understand why it is called the city of our God. It is not just a building — it is many buildings, and yet the many parts make up one complete and harmonious whole. These many buildings and rooms take up a great deal of space. In fact there is enough floor space in the various buildings of this temple for about 280 small houses (1,000 square feet basis). Certainly it is going to be the beauty of the whole world. It will be the place that the people in the world tomorrow will come to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts. It is the place from whence rivers of living water (both physical and spiritual) will issue forth (Ezekiel 47:1-12). All of the many scriptures referring to the beauty of Zion, refer in both a physical and literal sense to this place. It is literally Zion where Christ will live and rule. The song "Mt. Zion Stands Most Beautiful," based on Psalm 48 should now take on new and added meaning since we understand more fully what Zion, the city of God really will be like.
Dazzling to the Eyes
Josephus described Solomon's temple as a temple which shined and dazzled the eyes of those who saw it or entered. The temple to come will be even more startling and beautiful to the eyes. The kings of the earth are used to opulence, splendor and magnificence, and yet the Psalmist tell us that in the time to come that even these kings are going to be amazed when they see this temple, "the city of the great King." They are going to be struck with awe at its majesty. Trembling will take hold of them as they hasten away.
"For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, They came onward together. They saw, straightway they were amazed; They were affrighted, they hasted away. Trembling took hold of them there, Pangs, as of a woman in travail. With the east wind Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish. As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God — God establish it for ever" (Psalms 48:5-9).
Even the house of Israel has a lesson to learn from this temple.
"Thou, Son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure accurately. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof and all the laws thereof, and write it in their sight that they may keep the whole form thereof and all the ordinance thereof and do them" (Ezekiel 43:10-11).
This Temple area in Jerusalem is the place where the nations will come to worship the king and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16). The temple is the perfection of beauty. God is the Designer.
"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth" (Psalms 50:2).
This is the place where Jesus Christ will rule the earth with peace and happiness. His presence will make this place the most glorious and wonderful spot on earth. From this temple God's law will go forth. From this temple the restoring of all things will be directed and executed. God is calling His saints to have a vital part in the government which will rule from this very same temple.
"Happy is the man whom thou choosest, and bringest near, that he may dwell in thy courts; may we be satisfied with thy goodness of thy house, the Holy Place of thy Temple!" (Psalms 65:5)
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