Herod’s temple was glorious. Built from quarried stones and spanning some 1600 feet the Western wall of Herod’s temple is still standing to this day. It was his crowning achievement.
In the time of Jesus, Jewish people from all over would have traveled to this holy site to worship, offer sacrifices, and celebrate Yahweh. With Herod’s massive renovations they had a splendid temple with which to worship God.
Herod built the Jews a beautiful temple.
Let that sink in for just a moment.
Herod was a tyrant. This is the same guy who slaughtered babies when he heard the Christ was born. This temple wasn’t out of dedication to YHWH, it was a political strategy. Some historians even believe that Herod pretended to convert to Judaism to gain even further advantage from the Jewish people. His actions were motivated by politics…but the Jews had a beautiful temple because of it.
—
9But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. –Luke 3:19-20
This is a different Herod than the one who had built the temple. This is one of the sons of Herod the Great, this is Herod Antipas. But the guy is cut from the same cloth. Powerful. Politically expedient. Great at building stuff. But even though a little more tolerant he was just as murderous. John the Baptist would end up beheaded by this Herod.
This is why I say that Herod’s will build you temples but they cannot endure the authority of the word of God. John was prophetically speaking into Herod’s life and rather than change he labored to shut John up. This same Herod would do the same thing to Jesus. And the Herod’s of our day will do the same.
There are several lessons for us in this. One is to note that the murderous Herod’s didn’t see a temple as a threat. Religious systems are never a threat. You’ll never have to fight demons to become more religious. All the forces of hell won’t come against your Christian values, they might even pave the way for them. They’ll certainly co-opt our religious talk to serve their political ends.
What they’ll never tolerate is the prophetic. They will not endure a gospel declaration which claims authority over lives. You want to see the forces of hell stirring then proclaim a gospel which cannot be hijacked but a gospel which bids us to come and die. The biblical gospel will always make Herod’s uncomfortable. If it doesn’t then it’s either not the biblical gospel or your Herod’s dragon scales are starting to peel.
We can labor for temples. We can posture to get friendly Herod’s to buy into our religious system. Or we can be prophetic. I doubt we can do both. There is an unshakeable kingdom which might put our necks within the range of Herod’s sword but it’s the only kingdom without end. It’s the kingdom that causes devils to tremble.
Herod can endure a religious system full of solemn assembly, new moon celebrations, and Sabbath keeping, offerings, and incense to a God he doesn’t worship. But he cannot endure a gospel which lays claim to his marriage bed, his ethics, or called him to a different standard of justice.
Meanwhile, the Lord calls us to follow him with our marriages, our ethics, and our standards of justice. All the while he turns over tables in Herod’s temple because like His Father he cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
It’d be a shame if we tremble at the wrong kingdom…
