“Is it not written, ‘My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17 ESV¹

Read Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-19 & Luke 19:45-48

Ah! Spring! The birds are chirping. The sun is shining. The days are getting longer. After a long, cold winter, it is time for Spring Cleaning. Now is my chance to open up the windows and air out the house allowing the warm breeze with its earthy smell to penetrate every room. Now, I have the opportunity to move every piece of furniture and clean from behind and under all that has been hiding during the previously dark and dreary season. Now, I can finally wash the windows inside and out removing all the grime that has collected upon them over the last few months. I love that fresh, inviting feeling my home emanates after a thorough cleaning. I’m not the only one who realizes the need for this type of deep cleaning. Jesus was known to do a little Spring Cleaning Himself. One Spring day, just before Passover, …

“[Jesus and His disciples] came to Jerusalem. And He entered the Temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the Temple and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And He would not allow anyone to carry anything through the Temple. And He was teaching them and saying to them, ‘Is it not written, “My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers’” (Mark 11:15-17). “And the blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did and the children crying out in the Temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’; they were indignant and they said to Him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, ‘“Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies, You have prepared praise”?’” (Matthew 21:14-16). “And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy Him, for they feared Him because all the crowd was astonished at His teaching” (Mark 11:18). “But they did not find anything they could do for all the people were hanging on His words” (Luke 19:48).

 What would cause mild-mannered Jesus, the One of whom it was written, “‘A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not quench’” (Matthew 12:20a), to overturn tables and chairs, sending money flying? What would incite Him to make a whip and chase people and animals out of the Temple (see John 2:15)? And what would motivate Him to holler at and prevent people from carrying merchandise through the Temple?

Jesus had come to Jerusalem to complete the work He had been sent to Earth to perform. Had Jesus been kind and loving for so long that He finally snapped? Was He frustrated that He had given so much yet so many missed what He was trying to communicate? Was He angry because He would soon have to sacrifice Himself for faithless and ungrateful people? Or was there more to this uncharacteristic outburst?

The Cleaning Agent

Malachi had foretold that the Messiah would clean up the Temple.

“‘And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His Temple; and 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 and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years’” (Malachi 3:1b-4).

As if He were burning away dross or scrubbing out stains, Malachi foretold that the Messiah would clean up the Temple and revive the service therein. The promised Christ would perform this cleansing so that people could come to God and worship Him in a way that was acceptable to Him. When Jesus came to the Temple, what did Jesus find that was like a stain in their reverence? What was impure with God’s people concerning their devotion to the LORD? And why did the Temple and those who served in it need to be purified?

Sanitizing the House

First, there were people selling animals in the Temple courtyard! Can you even imagine such a thing? We might ask, “Why?” The LORD had instructed the people of Israel:

“‘You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the LORD your God, in the place that He will choose, to make His name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set His name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household’” (Deuteronomy 14:22-26).

God had made a provision for His people to buy what they needed for sacrifices instead of traveling with the necessary animals. Though the money changers and the animals were available to provide a service to the people, they didn’t have to set up their dirty businesses in the Temple! There was something seriously wrong not only with where but how they were providing these goods. What God had intended to help His people serve Him had become tainted.

In His indignation, Jesus pointed to the problem:

“‘Is it not written, “My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers’” (Mark 11:17).

When Jesus spoke about a House of Prayer, He was quoting from:

“‘And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast My covenant—these I will bring to My Holy Mountain, and make them joyful in My House of Prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all peoples’” (Isaiah 56:6-7).

The temple was supposed to be a place for Jews and Gentiles alike to find sanctuary—a place where all who desired to worship the LORD would be welcomed. But the Temple had become something quite different. When Jesus used the term “den of robbers”, He was referencing:

“‘Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before Me in this House, which is called by My name, and say, “We are delivered!”—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this House, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I Myself have seen it, declares the LORD’” (Jeremiah 7:8-11).

Jesus equated what the merchants and money changers were doing to false religion. And He called them out for their hypocrisy with this strong admonition. How had they made the Temple a filthy den of robbers?

“Judea was under the rule of the Romans, and the money in current use was a Roman coin. However, the Jewish law required that every man should pay a tribute to the service of the sanctuary of ‘half a shekel’ (Exodus 30:11–16), a Jewish coin. It became, therefore, a matter of convenience to have a place where the Roman coin could be exchanged for the Jewish half shekel. The money-changers provided this convenience but would demand a small sum for the exchange. Because so many thousands of people came up to the great feasts, changing money was a very profitable business and one that resulted in fraud and oppression of the poor.

Also, according to the Law, two doves or pigeons were required to be offered in sacrifice (Leviticus 14:22; Luke 2:24). Yet it was difficult to bring them from the distant parts of Judea, so a lucrative business selling the birds sprang up, with the sellers gouging the faithful by charging exorbitant prices. There were other merchants selling cattle and sheep for the temple sacrifices as well. Because of these sellers who preyed on the poor and because of His passion for the purity of His Father’s house, Jesus was filled with righteous indignation.”²

Instead of helping people acquire what they needed to worship the LORD, evil men saw the need and used it to take advantage of others. And they didn’t just swindle secretly in some place off the beaten path. They set up their extorting enterprises in a holy place. By their unrighteous actions, it was as if they were spitting in the face of God.

Clearing Out All the Clutter

It wasn’t just the unholy money changers and the animal vendors who were reprimanded by Jesus. Those who were merely walking through the Temple with what they bought or sold were chastised as well. What was the big deal about carrying things through the Temple?

“The Amplified Bible says, ‘He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise or household wares through temple [grounds, using the temple area irreverently as a shortcut].’ The Temple Mount is on the eastern edge of Jerusalem, north of center. The top of the Mount is a plateau, roughly 1,575 by 980 feet, or 480 by 300 meters. There are two major roads east out of the city, leading to Bethany, Jericho, and Perea, where the Jews travel to bypass Samaria on their way to Galilee. The northernmost road is easily accessed via the Sheep Gate on the north edge of the Temple Mount. Or it can be reached by going all the way around the Roman military fortress on the northwest corner of the Temple Mount.

The more direct path east is through the East Gate of the Temple Mount. For anyone who wants to go between the upper city of Jerusalem, where the aristocracy and priests live, and the eastern side of Judea, crossing the Temple Mount is the shortest route. The road from the lower city, where the merchants live, is on the very south end; the more direct road to the east is still accessed via the East Gate of the Temple Mount.” ³

The main streets in Jerusalem led to the Temple so that everyone would have easy access to come before the LORD. The Temple was in the center of the city to signify that God should be the center of His people’s lives. The location of the Temple was never supposed to be about saving time but about connecting people with God.

What the Jewish merchants and their customers saw as a shortcut was really blatant disrespect for the LORD. All who carried articles through the Temple were irreverently trampling on all that was holy. In righteous anger, Jesus chased the money-changers, sellers of animals, and transporters of merchandise out of the Temple to purify it and God’s people from the abuse of ungodly men.

Some Like it Clean, Some Don’t

Earlier, on the same day Jesus caused this upheaval in the Temple, He had triumphantly entered Jerusalem on a donkey. The common people had recognized Him as the Messiah and had celebrated Jesus as King:

“Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest’” (Matthew 21:8–9)!⁴

In the Temple, while Jesus was ridding it of its defilements, the crowd’s acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah continued.

“And the blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple and He healed them” (Matthew 21:14).

Isaiah had prophesied concerning the Christ:

“In that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see … Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 29:18 & 35:4-6a).

Isaiah explained, while He was on His way to bring salvation to all, the Messiah would avenge the name of God in His House and He would make restitution for the harm done to the people by bringing healing to those who suffered from physical disablements. Because of the filth that had been tolerated in the Temple, it was the glory of God and vulnerable among the people who had suffered the most.

And in the Temple, amidst the chaos of the cleansing and healing, the children continued to honor Jesus as King.

“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did and the children crying out in the Temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’; they were indignant and they said to Him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies, You have prepared praise”?’” (Matthew 21:15-16).

“The Jewish leaders could not miss the implications as they observed everything taking place. They witnessed Christ’s victorious entry into Jerusalem, the ecstatic crowd of worshippers, His commanding cleansing of the temple, His miracles of healing, and even children proclaiming His praises. The people hailed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, and it was more than these religious hypocrites could handle. They became outraged.

By pointing out what they saw as a dreadful error—children worshipping Him as Messiah—they thought Jesus would be horrified that He had misled these innocent ones, even causing them to commit blasphemy. Surely Jesus would put a quick stop to it. But instead, Jesus saw nothing wrong with receiving their praise. He accepted it enthusiastically, supporting their actions by referring to an Old Testament Scripture that the religious leaders would recognize. The children had understood what the leaders had not—that Jesus was their promised Savior. The Jewish leaders were the same as God’s Old Testament enemies who would be silenced and put to shame by children’s praise …

It is perfect [praise] because children can comprehend the realities of God’s kingdom that even the most learned fail to grasp (Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:13–15; Luke 18:16–17). Children are not blinded by pride and hypocrisy and are better able to perceive spiritual truth (Matthew 18:3–4.) Jesus accepts their worship because it is untainted and reserved for God alone.”⁵

In regards to the children’s praise, Jesus answered His critics by referencing this Psalm.

“O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, You have established strength because of Your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger” (Psalm 8:1-2).

Through the praises of children, Jesus’ foes, those controlled by the enemy, and the avenger himself, Satan, were both silenced.

Deeper Cleaning

Common people, children included, recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Whereas, the learned religious leaders refused to acknowledge Him as the One for whom they had been waiting. These educated, elite men were aware of all the Messianic prophesies. They knew Malachi had prophesied that the Messiah would cleanse the Temple. But, because of their preconceived opinions about what the Messiah would be like, they were unable to see Jesus as the Christ.

Interestingly, Malachi was written as a chastisement of the religious leaders of his day. In his book, Malachi, sharing the words of the LORD, reprimanded the priests for their improper care for and worship in the Temple. The rebukes from God in Heaven in the fifth century B.C. didn’t differ all that much from the admonitions of God on Earth in the first century A.D.

Elbow Grease Alone

Through Malachi, God chided the priest for serving out of their own power and for their own gratification.

“‘I have loved you,’ says the LORD. ‘But you say, “How have you loved us?” Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the LORD. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert. If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of Hosts says, They may build, but I will tear down and they will be called “the wicked country,” and “the people with whom the LORD is angry forever”’” (Malachi 1:2-4).

Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, was the Father of the Jews. Esau, also known as Edom, was Jacob’s twin brother—just as much a son of Isaac and a grandson of Abraham as Jacob was but there was a distinct difference between the two. Jacob made many mistakes but he was a man of faith. Conversely, Esau was also adept in error but he was a man ruled by his flesh. Without faith it is impossible to please God (see Hebrews 11:6). God will build up all that is done in faith but He will tear down everything that is of the flesh. God defies human self-exaltation out of love for people because the flesh is enflamed by Satan; feeding the flesh leads to death. Faith in Christ leads to Life.

Similarly, Jesus frequently called out the religious leaders for their hypocritical, self-focused attitudes. Speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus declared:

“‘They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others’” (Matthew 23:5-7).

Sweeping the Dirt Under the Rug

The LORD, through Malachi, also rebuked God’s people for offering less than their best to Him.

“‘A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My fear?’ says the LORD of Hosts to you, ‘O priests, who despise My name. But you say, “How have we despised Your name?” By offering polluted food upon My altar … When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor?’ says the LORD of Hosts … ‘Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the LORD what is blemished … Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, “How have we robbed You?” In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you’” (Malachi 1:6-7a, 8, 14; 3:8-9).

Jesus charged the religious leaders of His time on Earth with cheating God of the kind of sacrifice He desired.

“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others’” (Matthew 23:23).

Tripping Over Garbage

The religious leaders in Malachi’s time were not practicing righteousness or preaching the truth. Because of this sin, the common people were suffering.

“‘For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and people should seek instruction from his mouth for he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,’ says the LORD of Hosts” (Malachi 2:7-8).

During His earthly ministry, Jesus warned His followers of the exact same practice perpetrated upon the people by the religious leaders.

“‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat so do and observe whatever they tell you but not the works they do. For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger’” (Matthew 23:2-4).

The Appearance of Cleanliness

Though they pretended to be devout, the religious leaders in Malachi’s time had become like the world around them instead of being set apart from it. On the outside, they appeared righteous but, in actuality, were far from it.

“‘Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of Hosts’” (Malachi 2:11-12)!

The same was true of the Pharisees and scribes in Jesus’ time on Earth. And Jesus didn’t hold back when He stated emphatically:

“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside, [you] are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within, are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others but within, you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness’” (Matthew 23:25-28).

Trashing Treasures

The LORD, through Malachi, reprimanded the religious leaders of the fifth century B.C. for breaking their promises and despising the covenants they had made.

“‘You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does He not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did He not make them one with a portion of the Spirit in their union? … ‘For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,’ says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘covers his garment with violence,’ says the LORD of Hosts. ‘So, guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless’” (Malachi 2:13-16).

Yet, the religious leaders during Jesus’ time on Earth were just as eager to break the covenants they had made with their wives.

“And Pharisees came up to [Jesus] and tested Him by asking, ‘Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh”? So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’ They said to Him, ‘Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives but from the beginning, it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery’” (Matthew 19:3-9).⁶

Reveling in Refuse

Malachi recorded God’s charge to the priests of preaching that those who were not right with God were fine. They gave a culturally palatable message to serve their own purposes.

“‘You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD and He delights in them” …  Your words have been hard against Me,’ says the LORD. ‘But you say, “How have we spoken against You?” You have said, “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of Hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape”’” (Malachi 2:17; 3:13-15).

Likewise, the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day twisted the truth for their own gain.

“He said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.” But you say, “If a man tells his father or his mother, ‘Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban’” (that is, given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do’” (Mark 7:10-13).

Missing the Mess in Our Midst

We could easily gloss over these verses with the attitude that the problems affecting the Temple are in the past and have no bearing on us today. But the Bible tells us that we are now the Temple of God!

“Do you not know that your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-12).

Together, as the Church, we make up what is referred to as the Body of Christ!

“We, though many, are one body, in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5).

Just as zeal for God’s House consumed Jesus while He was on Earth (see John 2:17 & Psalm 69:9) causing Him to vigorously remove that which was polluting the Temple, the Holy Spirit is jealous for His House to be an untarnished, pure, House of Prayer. This passion drives the Holy Spirit to endeavor to diligently cleanse the Church and all her members of unholiness.

Just as the rebukes from God in Heaven in the fifth century B.C. didn’t differ all that much from the admonitions of God on Earth in the first century A.D., the corrections of God in Us today are eerily similar.

Pretending The House is Clean

Look around and look within. On both the corporate and individual levels, have we not made God’s House of Prayer a den of robbers?

Is not the “Gospel” currently preached self-focused instead of God-focused? Have we not been serving ourselves by claiming His peace, His place, and His promises without relinquishing ourselves as His property? Have we not been attempting to work for God largely in our own strength? Haven’t we been rejecting the death of self, therefore, preventing God from fulfilling His purposes through us?

Often, we proclaim Christ as our Savior but we do not allow Him His right as our Lord. Haven’t we continually hoarded or spent our best on ourselves? We have not given Him all He deserves. If we have given Him anything, has it not frequently been the leftovers?

Don’t our churches function more like places of business than places of worship? Don’t we trample on all that is holy and treat God’s House as a common thing when we “buy and sell” worldly ideas and consider our own opinions to be above, or at least equal to, God’s Word? Don’t we make decisions by looking through the lens of logic rather than by the spectacles of the Spirit? Aren’t we more concerned about revenues than reverence? Aren’t we more interested in pleasing people than pleasing God?

Have we not hindered the proclamation of the Gospel by our unfaithfulness to both God and people? We cherish the idea that God will never leave or forsake us (see Deuteronomy 31:6b) but we have not kept our promises to Him or to others. Like God’s people of old, we have not made good on our commitments and we have not honored our marriage covenants. Divorce is just as widespread among those who claim to be filled with the Spirit of Christ as it is among those who do not know Him at all.

Are we not just as hypocritical as the religious leaders of old? We pretend to love the Light while we secretly treasure the darkness. We practice sin instead of purging it from our midst. For our own gain, we have conformed to the culture. We have re-interpreted the Scriptures to allow for the preaching of lies and the proclaiming that those who are unrighteous are pleasing to God. In the process, many have been led astray, yet it causes us no real shame and we are not motivated to conform to God’s way of thinking.

Submitting to the Complete Purge

God will not put up with our unfaithfulness forever! We can either humble ourselves, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways or we can accept the consequences. We can submit to and allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse every corner of His House or we can face judgment.

“‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze,’ says the LORD of Hosts, ‘so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act,’ says the LORD of Hosts” (Malachi 4:1-3).

I long for “the sun of righteousness [to] rise with healing in its wings, [to see God’s people] go out leaping like calves from the stall, [treading] down the wicked [like] ashes under the soles of [our] feet” (Malachi 4:2b-3a). When the House of God is clean, the true Gospel will be proclaimed and people will be brought to Christ. When Temple is right, God will be glorified and the Messiah will be praised. When the Church becomes a House of Prayer, Satan will be vanquished and Jesus will be honored as Lord.

“‘For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of Hosts” (Malachi 3:6-7).

Consult God for His opinion on the current state of His Temple before you accuse me of overreacting. Remember, the religious leaders of Jesus’ time on Earth were blinded to the filth they were allowing in their midst. Even though Jesus had done a similar cleansing of the Temple just three years earlier (see John 2:13-17), the impurity had crept in again. The scribes and Pharisees totally missed their resemblance to the priests of Malachi’s time just four-hundred years prior. Could it be that in the two-thousand years since its conception a considerable bit of garbage could have cluttered up the Church? And could it be that the Temple of the Holy Spirit, known as you, could use a deep cleaning? Why not allow Jesus to do the Spring Cleaning He desires to do in you?

“‘And thereby put Me to the test,’ says the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of Hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,’ says the LORD of Hosts” (Malachi 3:10b-12).

 

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.

² https://www.gotquestions.org/temple-cleanse.html

³ https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/11/Mark-11-16.html

⁴ For my commentary on this event, check out https://www.blueturtletrails.com/the-key-to-unlocking-the-mystery/

⁵ https://www.gotquestions.org/out-of-the-mouth-of-babes.html

⁶ For more on the subject of divorce, check out my article at: https://www.blueturtletrails.com/what-does-it-really-say/