- There's a small
piece of real estate,
00:00:00.90\00:00:01.63
just 37 acres
that has become one
00:00:01.63\00:00:04.33
of the most
disputed plots on the planet,
00:00:04.33\00:00:07.50
so disputed that some
people live in perpetual fear
00:00:07.50\00:00:10.67
that this place might
even spark a global war.
00:00:10.67\00:00:13.81
That's our subject
today on "Authentic".
00:00:13.81\00:00:16.48
[bright music]
00:00:16.48\00:00:19.08
The Temple Mount in
Jerusalem is probably
00:00:37.33\00:00:39.47
the most
contentious piece of real estate
00:00:39.47\00:00:41.47
anywhere on the planet.
00:00:41.47\00:00:44.04
All three of the world's
Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
00:00:44.04\00:00:46.78
Christianity and Islam revere
this place, and currently,
00:00:46.78\00:00:50.31
it's under Muslim
control and it's home
00:00:50.31\00:00:52.15
to the Dome of the Rock, a
shrine erected over the stone
00:00:52.15\00:00:55.42
where Muslims believe Abraham
prepared to sacrifice his son
00:00:55.42\00:00:59.42
and where Mohammed
is said to have left
00:00:59.42\00:01:01.42
for a journey to heaven.
00:01:01.42\00:01:02.99
The Dome of the Rock
is a beautiful building
00:01:02.99\00:01:04.79
and possibly one of the
oldest Muslim structures
00:01:04.79\00:01:07.73
in the world, but the problem,
of course, lies in the fact
00:01:07.73\00:01:11.33
that also happens to
sit on the Temple Mount,
00:01:11.33\00:01:14.04
the place where both the first
00:01:14.04\00:01:15.44
and second Jewish
temples once stood.
00:01:15.44\00:01:17.67
This is what
makes it contentious.
00:01:17.67\00:01:20.11
A lot of the world's Jews
would very much like to build
00:01:20.11\00:01:22.98
a third temple
on that same spot,
00:01:22.98\00:01:25.68
and there's a fairly broad
swath of Western Christianity
00:01:25.68\00:01:29.25
that believes that
Jesus will not return to Earth
00:01:29.25\00:01:32.39
until a third temple is built.
00:01:32.39\00:01:35.16
Today when you visit the
location, which is open to Jews
00:01:35.16\00:01:38.09
and Christians at
certain times of the day
00:01:38.09\00:01:40.20
and on certain days of the
week, there are signs warning
00:01:40.20\00:01:43.20
non-Muslims that they
are not allowed to pray
00:01:43.20\00:01:46.07
while they're
exploring the grounds.
00:01:46.07\00:01:48.44
It's a prohibition that
dates back to the Six-Day War
00:01:48.44\00:01:51.34
when Israeli Defense
Minister, Moshe Dayan decided
00:01:51.34\00:01:54.88
that the Temple Mount
should remain in Muslim control
00:01:54.88\00:01:58.41
for the sake of
preventing further conflict,
00:01:58.41\00:02:00.95
and a little later, he forbid
Jewish prayers on the mount,
00:02:00.95\00:02:04.52
apparently, for the same reason.
00:02:04.52\00:02:06.92
Of course, there isn't much
you can do to prevent people
00:02:08.39\00:02:10.79
from praying because unless
it includes the act of kneeling
00:02:10.79\00:02:14.76
or other obvious religious
gestures, how in the world
00:02:14.76\00:02:18.17
could you possibly
know what's going on
00:02:18.17\00:02:20.04
inside somebody's head?
00:02:20.04\00:02:22.34
So it comes as no
surprise that in recent weeks,
00:02:22.34\00:02:25.84
the Jerusalem Post ran a
story about Jews who continue
00:02:25.84\00:02:29.54
to pray discreetly
where they're not supposed to
00:02:29.54\00:02:32.75
up on the Temple Mount.
00:02:32.75\00:02:34.42
And it's hard to believe
that the millions of Christians
00:02:34.42\00:02:37.25
who continue to visit such
an important historical site
00:02:37.25\00:02:40.46
haven't also been having
the occasional chat with God
00:02:40.46\00:02:43.93
while they're up there.
00:02:43.93\00:02:45.66
The worry that Muslims have,
of course, is that non-Muslims
00:02:45.66\00:02:49.46
who pray on the Temple
Mount might become emboldened
00:02:49.46\00:02:52.50
to do something
about the fact that they
00:02:52.50\00:02:54.54
no longer control it,
that their religious fervor
00:02:54.54\00:02:57.77
might escalate, and that could
easily spark yet another war
00:02:57.77\00:03:02.74
in the Middle East.
00:03:03.48\00:03:03.95
So do I like
visiting the Temple mount?
00:03:05.08\00:03:08.08
Well, the answer, of
course, is yes, I do.
00:03:08.08\00:03:10.49
I mean, what Christian
doesn't love visiting the site
00:03:10.49\00:03:13.39
where so much of the important
stuff from the Old Testament
00:03:13.39\00:03:16.42
and from the life
of Jesus took place?
00:03:16.42\00:03:19.49
Overall, I have to
admit that I'm not a huge fan
00:03:19.49\00:03:22.90
of visiting Jerusalem
itself because, well, it's far
00:03:22.90\00:03:26.63
too crowded and far
too touristy for me,
00:03:26.63\00:03:29.77
but the Temple
Mount is pretty special.
00:03:29.77\00:03:32.71
Of course, I don't
happen to believe that God
00:03:32.71\00:03:35.01
can hear me pray any
better while I'm up there,
00:03:35.01\00:03:37.51
but just being
there where Solomon prayed
00:03:37.51\00:03:41.75
and the presence of
God filled the temple,
00:03:41.75\00:03:44.25
where Jesus actually
taught in the courtyard,
00:03:44.25\00:03:47.09
where the Romans finally
had enough of Jewish rebellion
00:03:47.09\00:03:49.89
and leveled the building
in AD70, Well, let's just say,
00:03:49.89\00:03:53.70
as a huge fan of
religious history,
00:03:53.70\00:03:55.83
definitely enjoy
visiting the Temple Mount.
00:03:55.83\00:03:59.37
And just the other day as I
was reading The Jerusalem Post,
00:03:59.37\00:04:02.87
I was suddenly
reminded of a story found
00:04:02.87\00:04:05.04
in the writings of the
Roman historian, Tacitus,
00:04:05.04\00:04:08.24
about the day in 63 BC,
when the Roman General Pompey
00:04:08.24\00:04:12.65
marched into the city.
00:04:12.65\00:04:14.45
He chose to attack on
the Sabbath because he knew
00:04:14.45\00:04:17.55
that the Jews would not
fight back on the seventh day
00:04:17.55\00:04:20.32
of the week and the
conquest would be much easier.
00:04:20.32\00:04:23.76
Then Tacitus tells us
that Pompey just had to know
00:04:23.76\00:04:28.00
what was inside the
temple because everybody seemed
00:04:28.00\00:04:31.40
to be willing to die for it
00:04:31.40\00:04:32.83
and it was
obviously very important.
00:04:32.83\00:04:35.50
Here's how Tacitus
describes what happened.
00:04:35.50\00:04:38.97
He writes, "Roman control
of Judea was first established
00:04:38.97\00:04:43.88
by Gnaeus Pompey.
00:04:43.88\00:04:45.88
As victor, he claimed the
right to enter the temple,
00:04:45.88\00:04:49.02
and this incident gave
rise to the common impression
00:04:49.02\00:04:52.25
that it contained no
representation of the deity.
00:04:52.25\00:04:55.82
The sanctuary was empty and
the Holy of Holies untenanted."
00:04:55.82\00:05:00.83
Almost 140 years later in
AD70, the Romans actually ripped
00:05:02.16\00:05:05.97
this structure down, but
Pompey had a deep respect
00:05:05.97\00:05:09.70
for other people's religion
so he left the temple standing.
00:05:09.70\00:05:13.68
What baffled him
though was the fact
00:05:13.68\00:05:16.34
that the Most Holy Place in
that temple had nothing inside,
00:05:16.34\00:05:20.18
and I mean absolutely nothing.
00:05:20.18\00:05:23.18
He was likely expecting a
statue of the Jewish deity
00:05:23.18\00:05:26.42
like he would
find in a pagan temple,
00:05:26.42\00:05:28.82
but there was nothing there
because the Ark of the Covenant
00:05:28.82\00:05:31.86
had been lost after the
first destruction of Jerusalem
00:05:31.86\00:05:35.20
when the
Babylonian sacked the temple.
00:05:35.20\00:05:37.90
Of course, the empty sanctuary
contributed to the idea
00:05:37.90\00:05:41.17
that some Romans had
that the Jews must be atheists
00:05:41.17\00:05:44.81
because they didn't
have artistic representations
00:05:44.81\00:05:48.41
of their God.
00:05:48.41\00:05:49.34
So a powerful Roman general,
one of the most impressive men
00:05:50.78\00:05:54.45
in the world enters
the temple in Jerusalem
00:05:54.45\00:05:57.85
and finds nothing.
00:05:57.85\00:05:59.52
Now, the irony of this story
is the fact that the temple
00:05:59.52\00:06:02.29
had originally been built
along with the entire nation
00:06:02.29\00:06:05.69
of Israel as a
light to the Gentiles.
00:06:05.69\00:06:08.26
You find that in Isaiah 42.
00:06:08.26\00:06:10.93
The purpose of the temple
was to display the mercy of God
00:06:10.93\00:06:14.57
through the rites and rituals
that took place in public
00:06:14.57\00:06:17.97
and in particular,
through the sacrifices
00:06:17.97\00:06:20.51
that foreshadowed
the work of Messiah.
00:06:20.51\00:06:23.08
It was an invitation to
the nations, the Gentiles,
00:06:23.08\00:06:26.55
and the Temple Mount
in its original conception
00:06:26.55\00:06:29.45
was supposed to be a
multinational affair.
00:06:29.45\00:06:33.52
As the Second
Temple was being completed
00:06:33.52\00:06:35.39
after the Babylonian
captivity, the prophet Zechariah
00:06:35.39\00:06:38.79
delivered this message from God.
00:06:38.79\00:06:40.63
He said, "Thus says the
Lord of hosts, in those days,
00:06:40.63\00:06:44.80
10 men from every language
of the nations shall grasp
00:06:44.80\00:06:48.20
the sleeve of a Jewish man
saying, 'Let us go with you,
00:06:48.20\00:06:51.84
for we have heard
that God is with you.'"
00:06:51.84\00:06:54.94
Here's how the prophet
Isaiah said the same thing
00:06:54.94\00:06:57.08
during the days of the First
Temple, this is in Isaiah 56.
00:06:57.08\00:07:01.25
"Also the sons of the
foreigner who join themselves
00:07:01.25\00:07:04.05
to the Lord to serve Him, and
to love the name of the Lord,
00:07:04.05\00:07:07.29
to be His servants,
everyone who keeps from defiling
00:07:07.29\00:07:10.53
the Sabbath and
holds fast my covenant,
00:07:10.53\00:07:13.06
even them I will
bring to my holy mountain
00:07:13.06\00:07:15.73
and make them joyful
in My house of prayer.
00:07:15.73\00:07:18.63
Their burnt
offerings and their sacrifices
00:07:18.63\00:07:20.80
will be accepted on my altar,
for My house shall be called
00:07:20.80\00:07:24.91
a house of
prayer for all nations."
00:07:24.91\00:07:28.01
So was it
appropriate for a Roman general
00:07:28.01\00:07:31.05
to be on the Temple Mount?
00:07:31.05\00:07:33.01
While the answer
biblically speaking, is yes,
00:07:33.01\00:07:36.02
I mean, depending
on why he was there.
00:07:36.02\00:07:38.75
Of course, the most holy
place wasn't going to be open
00:07:38.75\00:07:42.16
to him, because the only
person allowed to go in there
00:07:42.16\00:07:44.76
was the High Priest and
only on the Day of Atonement,
00:07:44.76\00:07:48.56
but the simple presence of
a Gentile on the Temple Mount?
00:07:48.56\00:07:51.70
Yeah, that was the plan
from the very beginning.
00:07:51.70\00:07:55.34
But when Pompey
arrived in 63BC, the experience
00:07:55.34\00:07:58.74
was anything but enlightening.
00:07:58.74\00:08:01.28
In fact, he left
confused, not exactly sure
00:08:01.28\00:08:04.25
what to make of
the Jewish religion.
00:08:04.25\00:08:06.55
One of the most powerful
man in the world had approached
00:08:06.55\00:08:09.25
the temple, and
tragically left with nothing,
00:08:09.25\00:08:13.59
which is kind of the
impression I get sometimes
00:08:13.59\00:08:16.66
with people who read the Bible.
00:08:16.66\00:08:18.49
A lot of really smart
and influential people
00:08:18.49\00:08:20.96
have opened this book
and come away empty handed.
00:08:20.96\00:08:23.63
In fact, I often
get letters from them.
00:08:23.63\00:08:26.33
There are college
courses you can take called,
00:08:26.33\00:08:28.34
well, things like
the Bible as Literature,
00:08:28.34\00:08:30.87
and every year,
thousands of undergrads
00:08:30.87\00:08:32.84
take courses like that,
00:08:32.84\00:08:34.44
and it's a little
like Pompey in the temple.
00:08:34.44\00:08:37.05
They see the beautiful
structures, they appreciate
00:08:37.05\00:08:39.88
the historical context,
but they just don't have
00:08:39.88\00:08:42.62
the same experience
that believers have.
00:08:42.62\00:08:46.12
Now, there's one more
story from the ancient temple
00:08:46.12\00:08:48.79
that might help explain
why this kind of thing happens,
00:08:48.79\00:08:52.33
but I've got to take a
break, so don't go away.
00:08:52.33\00:08:54.50
I'll be right back with one
of the most fascinating stories
00:08:54.50\00:08:57.63
you're ever gonna hear.
00:08:57.63\00:08:58.80
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:09:00.70\00:09:03.10
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:09:03.10\00:09:06.47
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:09:06.47\00:09:08.94
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:09:08.94\00:09:12.01
Here at the "Voice of
Prophecy", we've created
00:09:12.01\00:09:14.32
the Discover Bible guides
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:09:14.32\00:09:17.35
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use
00:09:17.35\00:09:19.82
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:09:19.82\00:09:22.82
and they're absolutely free.
00:09:22.82\00:09:24.86
So jump online
now, or give us a call
00:09:24.86\00:09:27.13
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:09:27.13\00:09:29.40
- When the nation of Israel
was first getting started,
00:09:30.83\00:09:32.73
the firstborn
son of every family
00:09:32.73\00:09:34.57
was supposed to be
dedicated to the priesthood.
00:09:34.57\00:09:38.24
But when the golden
calf fiasco took place
00:09:38.24\00:09:40.81
shortly after
Israel's departure from Egypt,
00:09:40.81\00:09:43.38
the tribe of Levi remained
faithful to God and so they
00:09:43.38\00:09:47.35
began to fill the role
of the priest for everybody,
00:09:47.35\00:09:50.35
but at the same time,
God continued to lay claim
00:09:50.35\00:09:53.25
to every firstborn son,
especially dedicated to him
00:09:53.25\00:09:57.36
as a way of reminding
the world that he His own Son
00:09:57.36\00:10:00.80
was going to be specially
dedicated to the human race.
00:10:00.80\00:10:04.37
In recognition of that, the
firstborn had to be redeemed
00:10:04.37\00:10:08.14
by giving five
silver shekels to the temple
00:10:08.14\00:10:10.94
in order to release the
boy from his obligation.
00:10:10.94\00:10:14.24
Now, from what I understand,
a shackle was a little less
00:10:14.24\00:10:17.61
than 1/2 an ounce,
and if we round that out
00:10:17.61\00:10:19.58
to 1/2 an ounce, that
would be about, I don't know,
00:10:19.58\00:10:21.68
$67 worth of silver today.
00:10:21.68\00:10:24.75
Of course, silver was probably
worth a lot more back then
00:10:24.75\00:10:27.89
because it was a
main form of currency,
00:10:27.89\00:10:30.26
but I guess the point
is this, you had to redeem
00:10:30.26\00:10:33.76
your firstborn son, at least
in part, because God was going
00:10:33.76\00:10:37.97
to give His
firstborn Son to save us.
00:10:37.97\00:10:41.77
So now we're gonna
turn to the Book of Luke,
00:10:41.77\00:10:44.24
because there's a story there
00:10:44.24\00:10:45.51
that you might
find very interesting.
00:10:45.51\00:10:48.61
It's the story of Jesus'
dedication in the temple,
00:10:48.61\00:10:51.35
which typically happened
about 40 days after birth,
00:10:51.35\00:10:54.48
and after he underwent the
Jewish rite of circumcision,
00:10:54.48\00:10:57.89
a rite designed to
signify that he was a child
00:10:57.89\00:11:01.62
of the covenant.
00:11:01.62\00:11:02.49
And here's the
interesting thing about that.
00:11:03.83\00:11:05.83
We learned by
reading 1 Corinthians 10:4
00:11:05.83\00:11:09.16
that it was actually
the pre-Incarnate Christ
00:11:09.16\00:11:12.23
who accompanied the nation
of Israel through the desert
00:11:12.23\00:11:15.00
on their way to
the Promised Land.
00:11:15.00\00:11:17.14
Jesus was the God who dwelt
in the pillar of cloud by day
00:11:17.14\00:11:20.68
and the pillar
of cloud by night.
00:11:20.68\00:11:22.91
And when the Israelites
pitched camp, he was the one
00:11:22.91\00:11:26.51
whose presence would
descend into the most holy place
00:11:26.51\00:11:29.18
in the sanctuary, where he
would, in the words of Exodus
00:11:29.18\00:11:33.42
25, commune with Moses
from above the mercy seat
00:11:33.42\00:11:36.89
on the Ark of the Covenant.
00:11:36.89\00:11:38.99
So, according to the
Bible, Jesus is the God
00:11:38.99\00:11:43.43
of the Covenant, and
now he became a human being
00:11:43.43\00:11:46.47
and underwent the
rite of circumcision,
00:11:46.47\00:11:48.97
making him a full member
of God's covenant people.
00:11:48.97\00:11:53.27
Where the chosen
nation had failed,
00:11:53.27\00:11:55.28
Jesus was going to succeed.
00:11:55.28\00:11:57.78
So now to Luke 2,
where Joseph and Mary
00:11:57.78\00:12:00.98
are bringing Jesus to the
temple for his dedication,
00:12:00.98\00:12:04.02
a ceremony that
required an offering.
00:12:04.02\00:12:06.55
In fact, it required a
sacrificial lamb, which in this
00:12:06.55\00:12:10.56
case is somewhat ironic, because
Jesus is the long awaited
00:12:10.56\00:12:14.66
Lamb of God, the one
who would sacrifice himself
00:12:14.66\00:12:17.40
for the sins of the world.
00:12:17.40\00:12:19.03
And in order for
Joseph and Mary to present
00:12:19.03\00:12:21.24
this newborn Lamb
of God in the temple,
00:12:21.24\00:12:23.94
they also had to
present a literal lamb
00:12:23.94\00:12:26.78
like every other parent,
except they couldn't afford one
00:12:26.78\00:12:31.25
because they were poor and
if you couldn't afford a lamb,
00:12:31.25\00:12:34.45
you were allowed to
substitute a pair of doves
00:12:34.45\00:12:37.02
or a pair of
pigeons for that Lamb.
00:12:37.02\00:12:39.19
Here's the way the Bible
tells the story now in Luke 2.
00:12:39.19\00:12:42.69
It says, "And when
eight days were completed
00:12:42.69\00:12:45.79
for the
circumcision of the child,
00:12:45.79\00:12:47.40
his name was called Jesus,
the name given by the angel
00:12:47.40\00:12:50.47
before he was
conceived in the womb."
00:12:50.47\00:12:53.00
Part of the rite of
circumcision involved
00:12:53.00\00:12:54.87
the official naming
of a child and of course,
00:12:54.87\00:12:57.54
Mary and Joseph used the name
that Gabriel had given them.
00:12:57.54\00:13:00.84
It continues, "Now,
when the days of purification
00:13:00.84\00:13:04.31
according to the law
of Moses were completed,
00:13:04.31\00:13:06.85
they brought him to Jerusalem
to present them to the Lord,
00:13:06.85\00:13:09.85
as it is written in
the law of the Lord,
00:13:09.85\00:13:12.05
'Every male who opens
the womb'", in other words,
00:13:12.05\00:13:14.49
the firstborn son, "'shall
be called holy to the Lord,
00:13:14.49\00:13:18.49
and to offer a sacrifice
according to what is said
00:13:18.49\00:13:21.26
in the law of the
Lord, a pair of turtledoves,
00:13:21.26\00:13:24.47
or two young pigeons.'"
00:13:24.47\00:13:26.94
Everything about the
birth of Christ was done
00:13:26.94\00:13:29.20
according to the
letter of the law.
00:13:29.20\00:13:31.47
He was circumcised right
on time, and he was dedicated
00:13:31.47\00:13:35.24
right on time.
00:13:35.24\00:13:36.75
This child was going to do
everything that God's people
00:13:36.75\00:13:39.58
had failed to do time
and time and time again.
00:13:39.58\00:13:43.32
And here's the spectacular
thing about this story.
00:13:43.32\00:13:46.96
The baby presented
to the priest that day
00:13:46.96\00:13:50.06
was the whole reason
the temple had been built
00:13:50.06\00:13:52.36
in the first place.
00:13:52.36\00:13:54.03
He was the God who had
been hidden behind the veil,
00:13:54.03\00:13:57.67
and now he'd come out
into the courtyard to join us
00:13:57.67\00:14:01.14
as a real human being.
00:14:01.14\00:14:03.54
Even the priests job that
day was a prophetic symbol
00:14:03.54\00:14:06.88
that pointed forward
to the work that Christ
00:14:06.88\00:14:08.78
was going to do in
behalf of all of us,
00:14:08.78\00:14:12.08
and yet the priest who
officiated over that dedication
00:14:12.08\00:14:15.35
that day had no
idea who this baby was.
00:14:15.35\00:14:19.65
Now, there's an old
book from the 19th century
00:14:20.92\00:14:23.36
where the author describes
this moment in the temple
00:14:23.36\00:14:26.03
a lot better than I can.
00:14:26.03\00:14:27.46
So I'm just
gonna read it to you.
00:14:27.46\00:14:29.30
I mean, listen to
this, I'm gonna read you
00:14:29.30\00:14:31.57
the whole paragraph.
00:14:31.57\00:14:33.10
It says this, "The
priest went through the ceremony
00:14:33.10\00:14:36.91
of his official work, he
took the child and his arms
00:14:36.91\00:14:39.77
and held it up before the altar.
00:14:39.77\00:14:41.71
After handing it
back to its mother,
00:14:41.71\00:14:43.71
he inscribed the name Jesus
on the roll of the firstborn.
00:14:43.71\00:14:47.75
Little did he think as
the babe lay in his arms
00:14:47.75\00:14:50.02
that it was the majesty
of heaven, the King of glory.
00:14:50.02\00:14:53.89
The priest did not
think that this babe
00:14:53.89\00:14:56.02
was the one of
whom Moses had written,
00:14:56.02\00:14:58.43
'A prophet shall the
Lord God raise up unto you
00:14:58.43\00:15:01.00
of your brethren like
unto me, Him shall ye here
00:15:01.00\00:15:04.63
in all things whatsoever
he shall say unto you.'
00:15:04.63\00:15:07.80
He did not think that this
babe was he whose glory Moses
00:15:07.80\00:15:11.27
had asked to see.
00:15:11.27\00:15:12.81
But one greater than
Moses lay in the priest's arms,
00:15:12.81\00:15:15.88
and when he
enrolled the child's name,
00:15:15.88\00:15:18.31
he was enrolling the name of
the one who was the foundation
00:15:18.31\00:15:21.42
of the whole Jewish economy.
00:15:21.42\00:15:23.89
That name was to
be its death warrant,
00:15:23.89\00:15:26.82
for the system of sacrifices
and offerings was waxing old,
00:15:26.82\00:15:30.19
the type had almost
reached its antitype,
00:15:30.19\00:15:32.89
the shadow, its substance.
00:15:32.89\00:15:35.40
The Shekinah",
now, that's an old word
00:15:35.40\00:15:37.83
for the presence of God.
00:15:37.83\00:15:39.67
"The Shekinah had
departed from the sanctuary
00:15:39.67\00:15:43.07
but in the child of
Bethlehem was veiled the glory
00:15:43.07\00:15:46.47
before which angels bow."
00:15:46.47\00:15:49.21
Man, imagine the irony
of a priest not realizing
00:15:49.21\00:15:52.21
who this baby was.
00:15:52.21\00:15:53.92
Now, I don't know exactly
what was going on in his head,
00:15:53.92\00:15:56.22
but over the
centuries, the idea of Messiah
00:15:56.22\00:15:58.99
had been built up in
people's minds to the point
00:15:58.99\00:16:01.26
that they were expecting
something, well, spectacular.
00:16:01.26\00:16:05.09
Messiah would be a conqueror,
the one who would drive
00:16:05.09\00:16:08.06
the Romans out of
the land and reestablish
00:16:08.06\00:16:10.47
the throne of David.
00:16:10.47\00:16:12.40
So there would be no
reason for this priest to think
00:16:12.40\00:16:15.10
that these two people,
poor people who had nothing
00:16:15.10\00:16:18.57
but a pair of pigeons, would
be bringing the hope of Israel
00:16:18.57\00:16:21.94
right into the temple.
00:16:21.94\00:16:23.51
I mean, just think about this,
a handful of decades earlier,
00:16:24.98\00:16:28.38
before the dedication,
the Roman General Pompey
00:16:28.38\00:16:31.32
marched into the most
holy place and found it empty,
00:16:31.32\00:16:34.69
and now a few decades
later, the Son of God,
00:16:34.69\00:16:37.93
the one who used to be
in that most holy place,
00:16:37.93\00:16:41.03
he comes into the
temple as an infant,
00:16:41.03\00:16:44.10
and again, we
kinda find it empty.
00:16:44.10\00:16:46.40
The very people who should
have recognized his arrival
00:16:46.40\00:16:49.04
had no idea who he was
and the day he was dedicated,
00:16:49.04\00:16:53.54
was just another day,
which brings us to the moment
00:16:53.54\00:16:57.25
when somebody prays
on the Temple Mount.
00:16:57.25\00:17:00.05
Now, that activity
might be forbidden today,
00:17:00.05\00:17:02.52
but 2,000 years ago,
somebody suddenly recognized
00:17:02.52\00:17:06.15
this infant in their midst.
00:17:06.15\00:17:08.36
The story continues in verse 25.
00:17:08.36\00:17:10.63
"And behold, there
was a man in Jerusalem
00:17:10.63\00:17:13.43
whose name was Simeon, and
this man was just and devout,
00:17:13.43\00:17:17.30
waiting for the
consolation of Israel
00:17:17.30\00:17:19.27
and the Holy
Spirit was upon him.
00:17:19.27\00:17:21.90
And it had been revealed
to him by the Holy Spirit
00:17:21.90\00:17:24.17
that he would not see death
00:17:24.17\00:17:26.04
before he had
seen the Lord's Christ.
00:17:26.04\00:17:28.91
So he came by the
Spirit into the temple,
00:17:28.91\00:17:31.51
and when the parents
brought in the child Jesus
00:17:31.51\00:17:33.92
to do for him according
to the custom of the law,
00:17:33.92\00:17:36.89
he took him up in his
arms and blessed God and said,"
00:17:36.89\00:17:40.76
well, he said something
really, really important,
00:17:40.76\00:17:43.26
but to find out what
that was, you're gonna have
00:17:43.26\00:17:45.53
to wait until after this break.
00:17:45.53\00:17:47.50
I'll be right back.
00:17:47.50\00:17:48.63
- [Narrator] Here at
the "Voice of Prophecy",
00:17:50.13\00:17:51.60
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:17:51.60\00:17:54.10
for the whole family,
00:17:54.10\00:17:55.57
like our audio adventure
series "Discovery Mountain".
00:17:55.57\00:17:58.67
"Discovery Mountain" is a
Bible-based program for kids
00:17:58.67\00:18:01.61
of all ages and backgrounds.
00:18:01.61\00:18:03.55
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:18:03.55\00:18:06.31
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
00:18:06.31\00:18:09.18
With 24 seasonal episodes
every year and fresh content
00:18:09.18\00:18:12.79
every week, there's
always a new adventure
00:18:12.79\00:18:15.52
just on the horizon.
00:18:15.52\00:18:17.03
- Okay, we appear to
be back from the break,
00:18:20.76\00:18:22.63
so let's pick up
again now in Luke 2:29,
00:18:22.63\00:18:26.23
where Simeon thanks
God for allowing him
00:18:26.23\00:18:29.07
to see this Christ child.
00:18:29.07\00:18:31.21
He says, "Lord, now You
are letting your servant
00:18:31.21\00:18:34.51
depart in peace according
to your Word, for my eyes
00:18:34.51\00:18:37.05
have seen your salvation
which you have prepared
00:18:37.05\00:18:39.85
before the face of all peoples,
a light to bring revelation
00:18:39.85\00:18:43.89
to the Gentiles and the
glory of your people, Israel."
00:18:43.89\00:18:48.56
This was the prayer of an old
man who had been quietly told
00:18:48.56\00:18:52.36
by God that he wasn't going
to die until Messiah arrived.
00:18:52.36\00:18:56.73
What Pompey had hoped
to see behind the veil
00:18:56.73\00:19:00.14
was right there in
front of everybody now
00:19:00.14\00:19:02.74
and everybody was missing it.
00:19:02.74\00:19:05.37
So God nudged an old prophet
and whispered, "Go right now."
00:19:05.37\00:19:09.44
And Simeon was standing there
00:19:09.44\00:19:11.55
when Mary and Joseph came in.
00:19:11.55\00:19:13.78
The moment when God
the Son had stepped out
00:19:13.78\00:19:16.05
from behind the veil
of the Most Holy Place
00:19:16.05\00:19:18.25
to join humanity on our side
00:19:18.25\00:19:21.22
was not going to go
completely unrecognized.
00:19:21.22\00:19:25.13
And just look at the
words of Simeon's prayer.
00:19:25.13\00:19:27.66
This helpless baby, he
said, was "a light to bring
00:19:27.66\00:19:30.33
revelation to the
Gentiles and the glory
00:19:30.33\00:19:33.07
of Your people Israel."
00:19:33.07\00:19:34.80
You remember that
being a light to the Gentiles
00:19:34.80\00:19:37.64
was the purpose of the
whole temple in the first place,
00:19:37.64\00:19:40.28
but instead of
inviting the world to meet God,
00:19:40.28\00:19:43.28
instead of making it a
house of prayer for all nations,
00:19:43.28\00:19:46.15
God's people
cloistered themselves
00:19:46.15\00:19:48.12
and essentially
caught off the Gentile world.
00:19:48.12\00:19:51.82
Now, in some ways
that was understandable,
00:19:51.82\00:19:53.99
at least from a
human perspective.
00:19:53.99\00:19:56.42
Before the
Babylonian sacked the temple,
00:19:56.42\00:19:58.46
the people of Judah had
made the opposite mistake,
00:19:58.46\00:20:01.33
they began to
compromise with Gentiles
00:20:01.33\00:20:03.53
and identify with
them so completely
00:20:03.53\00:20:06.13
that they
abandoned their own faith.
00:20:06.13\00:20:08.67
So now centuries
later, it was almost
00:20:08.67\00:20:11.01
as if a lot of
the religious leaders
00:20:11.01\00:20:12.77
were being hyper
paranoid, obsessively worried
00:20:12.77\00:20:16.21
about sullying themselves
by mere contact with non-Jews.
00:20:16.21\00:20:20.95
As a result, they
treated the Gentile world
00:20:20.95\00:20:22.88
as if it had leprosy, and
once again, the real purpose
00:20:22.88\00:20:26.69
of the temple had been lost.
00:20:26.69\00:20:28.96
So now God Himself had
stepped out from behind the veil
00:20:28.96\00:20:32.63
and become one of them, a
genuine child of the Covenant,
00:20:32.63\00:20:36.56
a physical descendant of Abraham
00:20:36.56\00:20:39.10
and he was going to be
that light to the Gentiles.
00:20:39.10\00:20:43.20
It's fascinating to trace
the life of Jesus and compare it
00:20:43.20\00:20:46.01
to the national
history of Israel.
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.04
When Jesus was
born, he had to flee Egypt
00:20:48.04\00:20:50.45
the same way the sons
of Jacob had gone to Egypt
00:20:50.45\00:20:53.35
to escape a famine.
00:20:53.35\00:20:55.05
Then when it was time
to begin his ministry,
00:20:55.05\00:20:57.05
Jesus was baptized in the Jordan
00:20:57.05\00:20:59.42
and Israel had to
pass through the Red Sea
00:20:59.42\00:21:01.59
in order to move
to the promised land,
00:21:01.59\00:21:03.36
an event that Paul calls their
baptism in 1 Corinthians 10.
00:21:03.36\00:21:08.23
Then immediately after
the launch of His ministry
00:21:08.23\00:21:10.23
at the Jordan, Jesus
went out into the wilderness
00:21:10.23\00:21:12.73
for 40 days,
where he was tempted.
00:21:12.73\00:21:14.87
And of course, he succeeded,
he resisted that temptation.
00:21:14.87\00:21:18.94
But immediately
after crossing the Red Sea,
00:21:18.94\00:21:20.88
the children of Israel
succumbed to temptation,
00:21:20.88\00:21:23.45
and they ended up
wandering in the desert,
00:21:23.45\00:21:25.05
not for 40 days,
but for 40 years.
00:21:25.05\00:21:28.55
The parallels between Israel
and Christ are unmistakable,
00:21:28.55\00:21:31.75
to the point where
in the Book of Hosea,
00:21:31.75\00:21:33.76
God actually says, "When
Israel was a child, I loved him
00:21:33.76\00:21:37.39
and out of
Egypt, I called My Son."
00:21:37.39\00:21:39.93
The temple had been
empty, spiritually speaking
00:21:41.30\00:21:43.00
for a really long time,
and now the glory of Israel
00:21:43.00\00:21:46.57
was suddenly there as a
baby and almost everybody
00:21:46.57\00:21:51.41
in the room missed
it, except for two people,
00:21:51.41\00:21:53.98
Simeon and an aging
prophetess named Anna.
00:21:53.98\00:21:57.35
Sometimes this story
makes me wonder personally,
00:21:58.95\00:22:01.75
just how often I've missed
the presence of God in my life,
00:22:01.75\00:22:04.72
because my attention was
focused on all the wrong things.
00:22:04.72\00:22:08.02
I mean, I'm a religious
guy and I take my faith
00:22:08.02\00:22:10.46
pretty seriously,
but I've got to admit,
00:22:10.46\00:22:12.36
it's entirely
possible to become so blinded
00:22:12.36\00:22:15.20
by your own opinion, so
blinded by the noise of life
00:22:15.20\00:22:18.90
that you're suddenly building
your own system of religion,
00:22:18.90\00:22:21.77
instead of
actually hearing from God.
00:22:21.77\00:22:24.24
And if there's one thing
that becomes really clear
00:22:24.24\00:22:26.54
when you read the
Bible, it's the fact that God
00:22:26.54\00:22:29.31
doesn't behave
according to our expectations.
00:22:29.31\00:22:32.18
In fact, He often
does things that seem to be
00:22:32.18\00:22:34.78
a deliberate
reversal of what we expect
00:22:34.78\00:22:37.85
so that we always
remember we're not in charge.
00:22:37.85\00:22:41.26
The presence of
God in human history
00:22:41.26\00:22:42.96
is almost always an
unexpected surprise.
00:22:42.96\00:22:46.26
I mean, in this story,
the creator is a baby lying
00:22:46.26\00:22:50.00
in the temple he instructed
his own people to build.
00:22:50.00\00:22:53.44
Let me show you one of
the more surprising passages
00:22:53.44\00:22:55.60
from the Old
Testament, a passage that speaks
00:22:55.60\00:22:57.97
to this very moment
when Jesus was dedicated.
00:22:57.97\00:23:00.94
When the people of
Judah came back from Babylon
00:23:00.94\00:23:03.18
and rebuilt the temple,
you can imagine the excitement.
00:23:03.18\00:23:06.01
I mean, when Solomon
dedicated the building,
00:23:06.01\00:23:08.28
I mean, the first temple
that the Babylonians destroyed,
00:23:08.28\00:23:11.29
the presence of God showed
up and filled the building,
00:23:11.29\00:23:14.06
and it was such an
overwhelming experience
00:23:14.06\00:23:16.42
that the
congregation fell on their faces
00:23:16.42\00:23:18.39
and the priests
had to step back.
00:23:18.39\00:23:20.66
So of course, they
wanted that to happen
00:23:20.66\00:23:22.70
with the Second
Temple, but it didn't.
00:23:22.70\00:23:26.30
There was
nothing, no fiery presence,
00:23:26.30\00:23:28.40
no cloud of glory,
absolutely nothing.
00:23:28.40\00:23:30.57
And it was confusing
because the prophet Haggai
00:23:30.57\00:23:33.07
had actually promised
that the Second Temple
00:23:33.07\00:23:35.24
would be better than the first.
00:23:35.24\00:23:37.05
He says this,
Haggai to 2:9, "'The glory
00:23:37.05\00:23:39.88
of this latter temple shall
be greater than the former',
00:23:39.88\00:23:42.32
says, the Lord of hosts.
00:23:42.32\00:23:43.59
'And in this
place, I will give peace,'
00:23:43.59\00:23:45.75
says the Lord of hosts."
00:23:45.75\00:23:47.66
So how in the
world could the glory
00:23:47.66\00:23:49.69
of the Second Temple be greater?
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.76
It took a long
time to get the answer,
00:23:51.76\00:23:53.80
and it seems like Simeon
was the first to understand
00:23:53.80\00:23:57.23
this little baby
was God in human flesh,
00:23:57.23\00:24:00.17
the glory of Israel.
00:24:00.17\00:24:01.64
He had just made the
Second Temple far more glorious
00:24:01.64\00:24:05.11
than the first and now
Simeon could finally die happy.
00:24:05.11\00:24:10.11
All right, one last
break, and I'll be right back.
00:24:11.55\00:24:12.75
- [Narrator 2] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:24:15.05\00:24:18.15
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:24:19.45\00:24:23.93
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:24:23.93\00:24:26.09
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:24:26.09\00:24:29.13
Our free "Focus on
Prophecy" guides are designed
00:24:29.13\00:24:32.03
to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:24:32.03\00:24:34.30
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:24:34.30\00:24:36.74
for you and our world.
00:24:36.74\00:24:38.37
Study online or
request them by mail
00:24:38.37\00:24:40.81
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:24:40.81\00:24:43.71
- Now, I'll be perfectly
honest, there might have been
00:24:45.08\00:24:46.61
signs up on the Temple Mount
saying that I wasn't allowed
00:24:46.61\00:24:49.68
to pray while I was
visiting, but I'd be lying
00:24:49.68\00:24:52.19
if I said I said
absolutely nothing to God
00:24:52.19\00:24:54.52
while I was up
there contemplating
00:24:54.52\00:24:56.32
2,000 years of history.
00:24:56.32\00:24:58.86
Today that Temple itself
is gone except for the remains
00:24:58.86\00:25:01.90
of a wall and I know
that a lot of Christians
00:25:01.90\00:25:04.43
really wanna see a
third temple on that spot,
00:25:04.43\00:25:08.20
but I have to ask, why?
00:25:08.20\00:25:10.21
Why would we
need a third temple?
00:25:10.21\00:25:12.07
I mean, I don't doubt that
somebody might build something
00:25:12.07\00:25:14.44
if time should last, but
what purpose would that serve?
00:25:14.44\00:25:18.78
Naturally, a new temple
would become a focal point
00:25:18.78\00:25:20.95
of faith for an
awful lot of people,
00:25:20.95\00:25:22.45
and I guess I can see
some practical purpose,
00:25:22.45\00:25:25.05
some potential in that, but
is God really gonna bring back
00:25:25.05\00:25:29.19
the whole thing,
including animal sacrifices?
00:25:29.19\00:25:32.96
The Book of Hebrews
tells us quite pointedly,
00:25:32.96\00:25:34.96
"It is not possible that
the blood of bulls and goats
00:25:34.96\00:25:38.13
could take away sins."
00:25:38.13\00:25:40.47
Those sacrificial
animals never saved anybody.
00:25:40.47\00:25:44.71
They were placeholders.
00:25:44.71\00:25:46.27
They were symbols pointing
forward to the Lamb of God,
00:25:46.27\00:25:49.11
the presence who would
come out from behind the veil
00:25:49.11\00:25:52.48
and join us on this side, in
an authentic human experience.
00:25:52.48\00:25:57.49
And the Bible teaches
that that man now serves
00:25:58.65\00:26:02.69
as our Great High Priest,
not in an earthly temple,
00:26:02.69\00:26:06.13
but in the heavenly sanctuary,
a much greater temple,
00:26:06.13\00:26:10.13
because it was
built by God Himself.
00:26:10.13\00:26:12.90
Here's what it says
in the Book of Hebrews,
00:26:12.90\00:26:15.84
"Now, this is the main point
of the things we are saying,
00:26:15.84\00:26:19.61
we have such a High
Priest who was seated
00:26:19.61\00:26:22.14
at the right hand of
the throne of the Majesty
00:26:22.14\00:26:24.48
in the heavens, a
minister of the sanctuary
00:26:24.48\00:26:27.52
and of the true tabernacle
which the Lord erected
00:26:27.52\00:26:31.02
and not man."
00:26:31.02\00:26:32.35
So is there really a need
for another earthly temple?
00:26:33.79\00:26:37.13
The answer, according to
the Bible is no, absolutely not,
00:26:37.13\00:26:40.80
because the focal
point of our faith
00:26:40.80\00:26:43.06
is now in Heaven's sanctuary.
00:26:43.06\00:26:46.13
Would there ever be a
need for more animal sacrifices
00:26:46.13\00:26:48.60
now that Messiah has come?
00:26:48.60\00:26:50.07
No, absolutely not.
00:26:50.07\00:26:51.61
To start that again
would be a denial of the cross.
00:26:51.61\00:26:55.74
The real Lamb of God has come,
00:26:55.74\00:26:58.25
and now he's our
real High Priest,
00:26:58.25\00:27:01.05
so there's no need
for all those symbols
00:27:01.05\00:27:03.05
that pointed forward to him.
00:27:03.05\00:27:05.12
And I guess my plea is this,
the Temple Mount is now empty,
00:27:05.12\00:27:09.59
and in some ways, it's been
empty for a really long time,
00:27:09.59\00:27:12.66
even before the Romans
destroyed the building,
00:27:12.66\00:27:15.83
but there is a
heavenly temple and the baby
00:27:15.83\00:27:18.40
who was dedicated 2,000
years ago, the glory of Israel
00:27:18.40\00:27:22.10
is now our High Priest,
and he lives for the moment
00:27:22.10\00:27:26.27
that you might reach out
to him, and there's no sign
00:27:26.27\00:27:29.24
in the heavenly sanctuary
telling you you can't pray.
00:27:29.24\00:27:32.75
There's nobody, absolutely
nobody who can stop you
00:27:32.75\00:27:36.05
from talking to your
High Priest right now.
00:27:36.05\00:27:39.75
I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:27:39.75\00:27:40.82
Thanks for joining me.
00:27:40.82\00:27:42.02
This has been "Authentic".
00:27:42.02\00:27:43.89
[bright music]
00:27:43.89\00:27:46.46
[bright music]
00:28:17.36\00:28:19.93