Looking at the letters of Christ at the start of the Book of Revelation, even these recognised churches, these churches recognised in heaven as lamp-stands, they were close to being objects of wrath with the world, if certain steps were not taken. Some of the churches had to take urgent, significant actions or their lamp-stands would be removed and they would be back in the world, just like the world, not churches recognised by heaven as lamp-stands any more. Wrath is coming. On a major scale, unprecedented, later on, but even before then, there can be judgments, wrath against groups, churches, nations, continents. Being in the safety of a true lamp-stand church, confers protection from the evil by the intercessions of Christ. Being outside of this protection, means wrath impacting individuals, families, former lamp-stand churches, like anyone else in the world. The actions required as commanded by Christ to avoid removal of recognised lamp-stand status did mean stopping the toleration of false teachers, in the particular cases of these churches written to in Revelation, and in more general cases, could mean shunning of those who both spread false teachings but also establish evil behaviour. Today we have cases of prominent teachers of warmongering and vouching for wide-scale violence, in some cases, toleration of extreme drug and people trafficking, in other cases, and toleration of other extreme forms of evil human activity and policies. We in our churches have a duty to shun such people. If we do not, we could find ourselves out in the cold. The eagle overhead is the sign.
People who want to build God’s Temple, to build the glorious body of Christ, need to keep blood off their hands. King David wanted to build the Temple for God’s name, but was not permitted because his hands had shed too much blood. Solomon did the building instead, and ruled in relative peace. Peace is a backdrop for building up the church. A true Temple unto God. The true Temple of Christ’s Body is a testament to peace given by God in which it can be built. King David had not transgressed commands of God in his warring but it disqualified him from this privileged work. He was nevertheless overwhelmed with joy that his son would do it. God had blessed his family above all other families in giving this work to Solomon. God was treating Solomon as a true son.
