When Jesus was leaving the Temple a few days before his crucifixion, his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. (Matthew 24:1). One of them said, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” (Mark 13:1).

Jesus accurately foretold the destruction of the Temple by the Romans forty years later in the Great Revolt by the Jews against the Roman Empire in 70 CE.

“‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’” (Mark 13:2).

Decades later, after the Romans destroyed the physical Temple, Peter taught us that a temple should not be built from massive stones. A temple should be built from living stones.

The cornerstone of this temple is “the living Stone”—Jesus. (1 Peter 2:4).

All those who come to Jesus become “like living stones [who] are being built into a spiritual house”—“a temple of the Spirit”. (1 Peter 2:4-5 & note 4).

All those who come to the living Stone—Jesus—are being built into this temple of the Spirit “to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

This spiritual temple of living stones will succeed where the physical temple of massive stones failed.

Unlike the physical temple built by Herod the Great with massive stones, this spiritual temple built by Jesus with living stones will never be overcome—not even by the combined Powers of Money, Religion, and the Kingdoms of this World, as embodied in the Roman Empire.

Unlike the physical temple built by Herod the Great with massive stones, this spiritual temple built by Jesus with living stones will never be overcome—not even by hell itself.

Peter learned this Truth from the lips of Jesus himself.

When Peter declared that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God”, Jesus praised him, saying:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter [which in Greek means “rock”] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of [hell] will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:17-18).

In the 21st Century, Jesus is still “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God”—“the living Stone” that is “the chosen and precious cornerstone” of the spiritual temple being built with living stones. (1 Peter 2:4-6).

In the 21st Century, this temple is still being built on the living Stone—Jesus.

The combined powers of Money, Religion, and the Kingdoms of the World will never overcome it!

The gates of hell itself will never overcome it!

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To learn more about building the Temple, please read my blogs “Building the Temple—Moses”, “Building the Temple—David”, “Building the Temple—Isaiah”, “Building the Temple—Herod the Great”, “Building the Temple—Jesus”, and “Building the Temple—Paul”.