THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE

The scriptures clearly foretold before the Lord’s first coming that he would come to His temple and cleanse it:

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. — Malachi 3:1-3

A careful study of the scriptures shows that this was fulfilled by Jesus twice: At the beginning and the end of his three year ministry:

1. “And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise” (John 2:13-16).
2. “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves” (Matthew 21:12). Note that it was the same sin both times.

Just as cleansed the Jewish temple twice he will cleanse the church, which is the temple of his body, twice. The first cleansing took place when Jesus “suddenly” appeared to the seven churches which were in Asia: “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” (Revelation 2:1— Italics mine). Look at the “cleansing” judgments of the “refiners’ fire:

• Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. —2:5
• Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. —2:16
• Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. —2:22-23
• I know thou works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. —3:1-3
• I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm…I will spue thee out of my mouth. — 3:15-16

How shocking these judgments must have been for all of those who had bought into the teaching that “sin is no longer an issue with God.” There is no way you can reconcile that statement with the Lord who promised to “kill her children with death.” There is not a positive spin you can put on most of the church at Sardis who was declared dead by the Lord who raises the dead: Even the Lord of Life could not find a pulse!

They were spiritually deceased.

Much less can there be anything optimistic about an entire church being vomited out of the Lord’s mouth. How can anyone possibly say that sin does not effect your born again spirit in the light of these scriptures? Was it just their souls and their bodies that the Lord spit out of his mouth? Is Jesus on the outside looking into this church and yet nothing has changed concerning their once saved always saved status? Even if they did not repent? Would repentance be considered a gift of grace to be received or would it be the “legalism of obedience”?

A church under judgment had better repent!