Thematic Bible: Herod the great's temple


Thematic Bible



Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues or in the Temple where all the Jews meet together, and I have said nothing in secret.

Then they went into Jerusalem again. And as Jesus was walking about in the Temple, the high priests, scribes, and elders came up and said to him, "What authority have you for doing as you do? And who gave you a right to do as you are doing?" Jesus said to them, "Let me ask you one question, and if you answer me, I will tell you what authority I have for doing as I do. read more.
Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer me." And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'It was from heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' Yet can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because all the people thought John was really a prophet. So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell you what authority I have for doing as I do."

As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he answered them and said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is a son of David? David himself, under the influence of the holy Spirit, said, " 'The Lord has said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand Until I put your enemies under your feet." ' David himself calls him lord, and how can he be his son?" The mass of the people liked to hear him. read more.
And in the course of his teaching he said to them, "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes and to be saluted with respect in public places, and to have the front seats in the synagogues and the best places at dinners??40 men that eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers! They will get a far heavier sentence!" And he sat down facing the treasury and watched the people dropping money into it; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came up and dropped in two little copper coins which make a cent. And he called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all these others who have been putting money into the treasury. For they all gave of what they had to spare, but she in her want has put in everything she possessed??ll she had to live on."

I have been among you day after day in the Temple teaching, and you never seized me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled!"

Afterward Jesus found him in the Temple, and said to him, "See! You are well again. Give up sin, or something worse may happen to you." The man went and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him. This was why the Jews used to persecute Jesus, because he did things like this on the Sabbath. read more.
But he answered them, "My Father is still at work, and I work too."

But when the festival was half over, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. This astonished the Jews. "How is it that this man can read?" they said, "when he has never gone to school?" So Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own; it comes from him who has sent me. read more.
Anyone who resolves to do his will will know whether my teaching comes from God, or originates with me. Whoever speaks simply for himself is looking for honor for himself, but whoever looks for honor for the person who has sent him shows his sincerity; there is no dishonesty about him. Was it not Moses who gave you the Law? Yet not one of you obeys the Law. Why are you trying to kill me?" The crowd answered, "You must be possessed! Who is trying to kill you?" Jesus answered, "I have done just one deed, and you are all astonished at it. Yet Moses gave you the rite of circumcision??ot that it began with Moses but with your forefathers??nd you practice it even on the Sabbath. But if a person undergoes circumcision on a Sabbath, to avoid breaking the Law of Moses, are you angry at me for making a man perfectly well on a Sabbath? You must not judge so externally; you must judge justly!" Some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Is not this the man they want to kill? And here he is speaking publicly, and they say nothing to him! Can the authorities really have found that he is the Christ? But then, we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." So Jesus, as he was teaching in the Temple, cried out, "You do know me and you do know where I come from, and I have not come of my own accord but someone who is very real, whom you do not know, has sent me.

and Jesus was walking up and down inside the Temple, in Solomon's Colonnade. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are really the Christ, tell us so frankly!" Jesus answered, "I have told you so, and you will not believe it. The things I have been doing by my Father's authority are my credentials, read more.
but you do not believe it because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never be lost, and no one shall tear them out of my hands. What my Father has intrusted to me is of more importance than everything else, and no one can tear anything out of the Father's hands. The Father and I are one." The Jews again picked up stones to stone him with. Jesus answered, "I have let you see many good things from the Father; which of them do you mean to stone me for?" The Jews answered, "We are not stoning you for doing anything good, but for your impious talk, and because you, a mere man, make yourself out to be God." Jesus answered, "Is it not declared in your Law, 'I said, "You are gods" '? If those to whom God's message was addressed were called gods??nd the Scripture cannot be set aside??36 do you mean to say to me whom the Father has consecrated and made his messenger to the world, 'You are blasphemous,' because I said, 'I am God's Son'? If I am not doing the things my Father does, do not believe me. But if I am doing them, then even if you will not believe me, believe the things I do, in order that you may realize and learn that the Father is in union with me, and I am in union with the Father."


And Jesus went into the Temple and drove out all who were buying or selling things in it, and he upset the money-changers' tables and the pigeon-dealers' seats, and he said to them, "The Scripture says, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a robbers' cave."

Then he went into the Temple and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things there, and he said to them, "The Scripture says, 'And my house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers!"

When they reached Jerusalem, he went into the Temple, and began to drive out of it those who were buying or selling things in it, and he upset the money-changers' tables and the pigeon-dealers' seats, and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the Temple. And he taught them, and said, "Does not the Scripture say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a robbers' cave."

And he made a lash out of rope, and drove them all, sheep and cattle, out of the Temple, and scattered the money-changers' coins on the ground, and overturned their tables. And he said to the pigeon-dealers, "Take these things away! Do not turn my Father's house into a market!"


In the days when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the division of Abijah. His wife was also a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both upright in the sight of God, blamelessly observing all the Lord's commands and requirements. They had no children, for Elizabeth was barren; and they were both advanced in life. read more.
Once when he was acting as priest before God, when his division was on duty, it fell to his lot, according to the priests' practice, to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn the incense, while all the throng of people was outside, praying at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him he was startled and overcome with fear. And the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. This will bring gladness and delight to you, and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink no wine or strong drink, but he will be filled with the holy Spirit from his very birth, and he will turn many of Israel's descendants to the Lord their God. He will go before him with the spirit and the power of Elijah, to reconcile fathers to their children, and to bring the disobedient back to the wisdom of upright men, to make a people perfectly ready for the Lord." Zechariah said to the angel, "How am I to know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in life." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. Now you will keep silent and be unable to speak until the day when this happens, because you have not believed what I have said, for it will all be fulfilled in due time." The people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondering that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they knew that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. For his part, he kept making signs to them, and remained dumb. And when his period of service was over, he went back to his home.

Now the time came for Elizabeth's child to be born, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard of the great mercy the Lord had shown her, and they came and congratulated her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. read more.
But his mother said, "No! He is to be named John." They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who bears that name." But they made signs to the child's father and asked him what he wished to have the child named. He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed. Then his voice and the use of his tongue were immediately restored, and he blessed God aloud.


As they were talking in this way to the people, the high priests, the commander of the Temple, and the Sadducees came up to them,

Then the commander and his men went and brought them back, but without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

And Jesus said to the high priests, captains of the Temple, and elders who had come to take him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as though I were a robber?

When the commander of the Temple and the high priests heard this report, they were very much at a loss as to what would come of it.



and Jesus was walking up and down inside the Temple, in Solomon's Colonnade.

And as he still clung to Peter and John, all the people crowded about them in the utmost astonishment in what was known as Solomon's Colonnade.


Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be torn down."

"As for all this that you are looking at, the time is coming when not one stone will be left here upon another that will not be torn down!"




and were constantly in the Temple, blessing God.





Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the summit of the Temple, and said to him, "If you are God's son, throw yourself down, for the Scripture says, " 'He will give his angels orders about you, And they will lift you up with their hands So that you may never strike your foot against a stone!' " Jesus said to him, "The Scripture also says, 'You shall not try the Lord your God.' "

And he took him to Jerusalem, and made him stand on the summit of the Temple, and said to him, "If you are God's son, throw yourself down from here, for the Scripture says, 'He will give his angels orders about you, to protect you,' and, 'They will lift you up with their hands, so that you may never strike your foot against a stone.' " read more.
Jesus answered, "We have been told, 'You shall not try the Lord your God.' "


As he was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Master! What wonderful stones and buildings!"

When some spoke about the Temple and its decoration with costly stone and votive offerings, he said,



"Go, take your stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new life." And they obeyed, and about daybreak went into the Temple and began to teach. The high priest and his party came over and called together the council and indeed the whole senate of the Israelites, and sent to the prison to have the apostles brought in.


Then Paul joined the men and went through the rites of purification with them and the next day went to the Temple to give notice of the time when, upon the offering of the sacrifice for each one of them, their days of purification would be over. The seven days were almost over when the Jews from Asia caught sight of him in the Temple, and stirred up all the crowd and seized him, shouting, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and the Law and this place, and besides he has actually brought Greeks into the Temple and desecrated this sacred place." read more.
For they had previously seen Trophimus of Ephesus with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the Temple. The whole city was thrown into confusion, and the people hurried together, and seized Paul and dragged him outside of the Temple, the gates of which were immediately shut.


And blind and lame people came up to him in the Temple, and he cured them. But when the high priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and saw the boys shouting in the Temple, "God bless the Son of David!" they were indignant,


After I had returned to Jerusalem, one day when I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance, and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, for they will not accept your evidence about me.' And I said, 'Lord, they know that I used to go through one synagogue after another, and to imprison and flog those who believed in you, read more.
and when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood by and approved it, and took charge of the clothes of the men who killed him.' But he said to me, 'Go! I will send you far away to the heathen.' "


And he sat down facing the treasury and watched the people dropping money into it; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came up and dropped in two little copper coins which make a cent. And he called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all these others who have been putting money into the treasury. read more.
For they all gave of what they had to spare, but she in her want has put in everything she possessed??ll she had to live on."


When he was eight days old and it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, as the angel had named him, before his birth was first expected. When their purification period under the Law of Moses was over, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, in fulfilment of the requirement of the Law of the Lord, "Every first-born male shall be considered consecrated to the Lord," read more.
and to offer the sacrifice prescribed in the Law of the Lord, "A pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Symeon, an upright, devout man, who was living in expectation of the comforting of Israel, and under the influence of the holy Spirit. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not die without seeing the Lord's Messiah. And under the Spirit's influence he went into the Temple, and when Jesus' parents brought him there to do for him what the Law required, Symeon also took him in his arms and blessed God, and said, "Now, Master, you will let your slave go free In peace, as you promised, For my eyes have seen your salvation Which you have set before all the nations, A light of revelation for the heathen, And a glory to your people Israel!" The child's father and mother were astonished at what Symeon said. And he gave them his blessing, and said to Mary, the child's mother, "This child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a portent that will be much debated??35 you yourself will be pierced to the heart??nd so the thoughts of many minds will be revealed." There was also a prophetess there named Hannah, the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old, for after her girlhood she had been married for seven years, and she had been a widow until she was now eighty-four. She never left the Temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer. She came up just at that time and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were living in expectation of the liberation of Jerusalem. When they had done everything that the Law of the Lord required, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.


Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Symeon, an upright, devout man, who was living in expectation of the comforting of Israel, and under the influence of the holy Spirit. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not die without seeing the Lord's Messiah. And under the Spirit's influence he went into the Temple, and when Jesus' parents brought him there to do for him what the Law required, read more.
Symeon also took him in his arms and blessed God, and said, "Now, Master, you will let your slave go free In peace, as you promised, For my eyes have seen your salvation Which you have set before all the nations, A light of revelation for the heathen, And a glory to your people Israel!" The child's father and mother were astonished at what Symeon said. And he gave them his blessing, and said to Mary, the child's mother, "This child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a portent that will be much debated??35 you yourself will be pierced to the heart??nd so the thoughts of many minds will be revealed."


There was also a prophetess there named Hannah, the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old, for after her girlhood she had been married for seven years, and she had been a widow until she was now eighty-four. She never left the Temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer.


Peter and John were on their way up to the Temple for the three o'clock hour of prayer, when a man who had been lame from his birth was carried by. He used to be placed every day at what was known as the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, to beg from the people on their way into the Temple, and when he saw Peter and John on the point of going into the Temple he asked them to give him something. read more.
Peter fixed his eyes on him, as John did also, and said to him, "Look at us!" He looked at them, supposing that they were going to give him something. But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but I will give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and his feet and ankles immediately became strong, and he sprang to his feet and began to walk, and he went into the Temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking about, praising God, and recognized him as the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, they were perfectly astonished and amazed at what had happened to him. And as he still clung to Peter and John, all the people crowded about them in the utmost astonishment in what was known as Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to the people. "Men of Israel, why are you so surprised at this? Why do you stare so at us, as though it were some power or some piety of ours that had made him able to walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has done this honor to his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and disowned before Pilate, when he had decided to let him go. But you disowned the Holy, Righteous One. You asked to have a murderer released for you, and killed the very source of life. But God raised him from the dead, as we can testify. It is by his power and through faith in him that this man whom you see and recognize has been made strong again, and it is faith inspired by him that has given him the perfect health you all see.


And at once the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split,


Then the colonel came up and seized him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and then inquired who he was and what he had been doing.


The Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and are you going to raise it in three days?"




And on the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,


and recognized him as the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, they were perfectly astonished and amazed at what had happened to him.


And Jesus left the Temple and was going away, when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to the Temple buildings.