“He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory.” — Zechariah 6:13

Christ Himself is the builder of His spiritual temple, and He has built it on the mountains of His unchangeable affection, His omnipotent grace, and His infallible truthfulness. But as it was in Solomon’s temple, so in this; the materials need making ready. There are the “Cedars of Lebanon,” but they are not framed for the building; they are not cut down, and shaped, and made into those planks of cedar, whose odoriferous beauty shall make glad the courts of the Lord’s house in Paradise. There are also the rough stones still in the quarry, they must be hewn thence, and squared. All this is Christ’s own work. Each individual believer is…

being prepared, andpolished, and made ready for his place in the temple; but Christ’s ownhand performs the preparation-work. Afflictions cannot sanctify,excepting as they are used by Him to this end. Our prayers and effortscannot make us ready for heaven, apart from the hand of Jesus, whofashioneth our hearts aright.

As in the building of Solomon’s temple, “there was neither hammer, noraxe, nor any tool of iron, heard in the house,” because all was broughtperfectly ready for the exact spot it was to occupy — so is it with thetemple which Jesus builds; the making ready is all done on earth. When wereach heaven, there will be no sanctifying us there, no squaring us withaffliction, no planing us with suffering. No, we must be made meet here —all that Christ will do beforehand; and when He has done it, we shall beferried by a loving hand across the stream of death, and brought to theheavenly Jerusalem, to abide as eternal pillars in the temple of our Lord.

“Beneath His eye and care,The edifice shall rise,Majestic, strong, and fair,And shine above the skies.”

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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen