After salvation, then we go fishing

Peter and the disciples, a few days after their Master’s dead and arise, decided to go fishing. The question whether this is good or not is different answered by many theologians. Why? What’s not good about going fishing? I’m sure that when it happens in our days if someone had experienced the same things as Peter, he would shouting out all over the world 24/7: Hear me, listen to me! I’ll tell you the truth! But Peter he went fishing. What’s wrong with that? Certainly he observed Torah. More then that, in his Master he fulfilled the Torah, it was written in his heart. And it’s also written that we were created as human beings with hands and feet to use them, to work with.

That’s why the Master didn’t say: hey, what are you doing now? Didn’t I make you catchers of men? (Lu.5:10) Instead he said, go on, but cast the net on the other side. And then things are not going as usual. He shows himself as the Master of heaven and earth. For they were catching a multitude of fishes then. Then they saw it was Yeshua. They took a meal together and Yeshua tested the love of Peter. And that’s it: Love G-d and your neighbour. And the call was renewed: Follow me. That call always come to us, when we are fishing or even when we are busy with theology. Peter aware of his salvation, had to be called again. And he knew about that. He was looking for his Master all the time, even when he was fishing. Undoubtedly he was also counting the omer and looking for the gift of heaven. Until the 50^th day. We go fishing, but once, when time comes, we receive the Comforter, the menachem. He will learn us what to do further. 

The re-establishment of the temple – part 2

Many times when speaking about the third temple, questions arise. Also for me. I prefer to speak about the second temple instead of the third. Because that’s more according to the prophets. (Hag.2 en Zech.2-6) “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of JHWH.” Haggai en Zechariah are speaking of the second temple, which was in building at that time. Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah didn’t finish this temple. Also Herod didn’t finish it. Yeshua did it, or, if you want, will finish it.

I think its hard to understand because we have to deal with two dimensions. One which we can see, and one which we can not see. The temple (and tabernacle) are always a place where G-d resides on earth. The Holy One down on earth. Can you imagine? No. And that’s the point. Otherwise, the holy things resides in the divine world. We can’t imagine to. With our natural eyes we can’t see things in heaven. We are here on earth and that’s an other dimension then the divine world. So what can we expect? A (third) temple made with hands, physically, according to the measurements of the prophet Ezekiel? Maybe, but I certainly can’t see it without all of it’s divinity, especially the Messiah Yeshua with all of his properties as there are his kingdom, high priesthood and his prophetical word.

For me an important key is the word of Yeshua unto the Jews: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” (Joh.2:19) He said this while he was standing in the temple before pesach. This was the second temple erected by Zerubbabel, governor of Judah (around 500 BCE), and expanded by Herod (around 20 BCE). Although Yeshua said it of the temple of his body, it’s obviously that the context let us see that it concerns the matter of the temple itself. Also the people understood by replying: “46 years was this temple in building and you will raise it up in three days? (Joh.2:20) I think here is more in case then just his body. A divine dimension appears, we can’t see this clear. Because it goes beyond intellect.

As I said in the post before, Haggai states that G-d will fill this house (2e temple) with glory and the glory of the latter house will be greater than the glory of the former, and in this place I will give peace. That the latter will be greater than the former is not new. The first world was destroyed, the second gives a new change. The first Adam was fallen, the “second” stands forever. Most significant is the berith (covenant) which is given to Israel. When Moses gave the first, they broke it down. With the second table of the covenant they said unanimous “we shall do this.” Also circumcision, the first, in flesh, was not enough. A second “of the heart” was required. The first Torah causes (in certain sense) penalty of dead. The second, Yeshua, gave life by grace and made Torah perfect. And so fort. I can add another one, but it extends in future. The first return ended in crucifixion and lost of the temple, the second return will lead to the acceptance of Yeshua and rebuild of the temple.

And so the temple. By the first HaSjem said unto David: Would you make a house for me? But he wants to do it and his son built it and it was good. Then after hundreds of years it has been destroyed and later a new second temple arises. This new second temple will be forever according to the prophets. But how do we understand this. JHVH said: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house will ye build unto me? and what place shall be my rest?” (Isa.66:1)