Dear Pilgrim, are you feeling burdened?

He who overcomes,
I will make him
a pillar
in the temple 
of My God
Rev 3:12

Dear Pilgrim, are you feeling weighed down and burdened? Come with me, I have something to show you that will lift your spirits, lighten your heart, fill you with hope.

Come with me to Solomon’s Temple. Majestic! Awesome! Bow down and worship!

Everything about this Temple points us to our Messiah, from the bronze altar and bronze sea in the outer courtyard pointing to the sacrifices of Messiah’s blood and our need for washing clean in Him before we can enter into the Temple to meet with the Presence of the Living God, to all the golden furnishings of the temple inside.

But, dear Pilgrim, I want us to stand in the outer courtyard and look at the pillars standing at each side of the portico of the temple. One of these pillars is called “Jakin”. This means “He establishes”. The other pillar is called “Boaz” – by His strength. Dear pilgrim, can you see – He will establish these pillars in the temple by His strength. He is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!

Come with me, dear Pilgrim, let us go and walk up to these pillars. Can you lift your head with me and look to the top? Can you see what is on top of the pillars? These are called capitals. Do you see they are in the shape of lilies? This reminds me of the Song of Solomon where the chosen is called a “lily of the valleys”, a lily among thorns. The bridegroom has come and taken this precious lily from the depth of the valley and where has He placed her? Right at the very peak of the pillars adorning His temple! She has made her Aliyah! Pliny has written of the lily ““No flower grows taller; sometimes it reaches three cubits, its neck always drooping under the weight of a head too heavy for it”. It is true – the lily does bow down her head for she knows she has been chosen among thorns, she knows she is what she is all through the grace of God, she knows that she has been established by His strength alone, she sees that she has been lifted up, and she can do nothing but bow down in awed wonder and worship in the presence of the Living God!

Can you also see the decoration of pomegranates around the capital? Such a delicate design, in rows upon rows. An orchard of pomegranates! Can you hear the bridegroom’s voice? Listen! “Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits”. The fruit that He has caused to bear in you is an orchard of pomegranates, and this adorns the lily-shaped capital at the very peak of the pillar in His temple!

One final thought, dear Pilgrim. The capital on the pillar is usually there to mediate between the column of the pillar and the load thrusting down upon it, for normally the pillars would be supporting a heavy roof. These capitals have no load bearing down upon them. For He says to us “My yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Oh, dear Pilgrim, as you bow down your head before your God, lift it up in the freedom He has given you! Just as the gates should lift up their heads that the King of Glory should come in, so you too, precious lily, lift up your head, lift up your head – and the King of glory shall come in! Who is this King of Glory? Yahweh Sabaoth, the LORD of hosts, He is the King of Glory!