Before you commenced the construction of the temple and laid each stone, you approached the orchard, expecting to harvest twenty measures of grain, yet gathered barely half. Similarly, when you poured into the container designated for grain twenty measures of barley—believing this barley was sustenance for your cattle—did you not find only ten measures remaining upon your return? Likewise, when you looked upon the vineyard, anticipating to yield fifty vessels of wine, you were only able to extract a mere twenty. I have brought these calamities upon you—the scorching wind, blighted air, underdeveloped fruit, empty husks in the fields, and barren vines—to stir you to a deeper understanding of My nature; yet, even in that affliction, no one sought repentance in Me.
As it is stated, you must turn your hearts from this day backward, recalling that the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not borne fruit. From this day, I will bless you, for the foundations of the temple are now laid. Looking back on the time when you suffered from famine, drought, and barrenness—during which no one turned to Me—shift your thoughts to the hope of the future. In your commitment to build My temple, you have shown that you honor the construction of My House and do not rely solely on the altar.
This serves as a reminder that some offer sacrifices to God in futility, believing that almsgiving can bring them favor without truly dedicating themselves as a temple for the Holy Spirit. Gifts and offerings are only beneficial when presented by one who has established a dwelling place for God within. For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, we need to reflect on our past as pagans, who were immersed in daily sinful practices without erecting a sanctuary for God within our hearts.
Just as a skilled builder methodically places stones together and binds them with mortar, the spiritual architect—whom the Apostle refers to when he says, "As a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation" (1 Cor. 3:10)—knows how to meticulously construct God’s temple. This foundation has been laid by Jesus Christ, with each person able to decide how to edify upon it. Some may lay gold, silver, and precious stones, while others might choose wood, hay, and stubble, forming an enduring contrast between what is noble and what is not.
The valuable stones are those that the Lord utilizes to establish His Jerusalem, as it is written: "Behold, I will prepare thy stones of carbuncle, and thy foundations of sapphire, and thy fortifications of jasper, and thy gates of crystal, and thy wall of precious stones" (Isaiah 54:11-12). One should not presume according to Jewish myths that God constructed Jerusalem only from gold and jewels, neglecting the living stones scattered across the earth—stones that may reflect fervent faith like a carbuncle or shine with the purity of good deeds like crystal.
Thus, you are called to contemplate the tribulations we faced before we built the temple of God within ourselves. “When you arrive at a pile of twenty measures and find it reduced to ten,” or, as the LXX states, “When you pour into the granary twenty measures of barley, only to discover ten.” What we once considered virtuous works before Christ entered our lives were not true fruits but merely symbolic, resembling barley. Although this barley once showed potential for abundant harvest, as it did for Isaac (Gen. 26:12), our labor yielded little in return, leading to the question of whether we have suffered in vain (Gal. 3:4).
Furthermore, when we ventured into the vineyard expecting fifty vessels—symbolizing the sevenfold perfection concluded in the unity of God—only to end up with twenty, the significance of this number should be noted. Esau favored twenty, so Jacob, recognizing its appeal to him, gifted him twenty animals. It is important to mention that Jacob worked unfairly for twenty years under Laban's avaricious hand in a land far from his father Isaac and mother Rebekah.
However, let none be misled by the notion that before they believe in Christ and construct His temple, they receive the full measure of their efforts. The work of the unfaithful yields no lasting fruit. They may appear to have twenty, but they will discover they have only ten, effectively half of what they believed to possess. Believers and non-believers, as well as the wise of this world, may temporarily find fruits from their labors, yet they risk losing all hope for future rewards.
This should compel them, in their desolation, to seek repentance and to begin the task of laying stone upon stone as they establish a temple for God. Therefore, should they remain in disbelief, they will forfeit the semblance of what they thought was valid provision, highlighted in My declaration: "I have smitten you with scorching winds, blight, and hail, all the works of your hands." Indeed, that which is beset by blight and scorching winds will turn to dust; there will be nothing of nourishment or utility. God orchestrated these consequences because no one among them sought His face. If they had, and if they built a temple for the Lord, from the moment they began the construction, they would have realized the fullness of the prophetic word that follows.
THEOSIS