Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

Vision of the Glory of God Filling the Temple

43 Then he (the angel) led me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. ² And behold, the glory and brilliance of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east; and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory.^{(A) 3} And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision I saw beside the River Chebar [near Babylon]; and I fell face downward.^{(B) 4} And the glory and brilliance of the Lord entered the ^[a]temple by way of the gate facing toward the east. ⁵ Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner courtyard; and behold, the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the temple.

⁶ And I heard One speaking to me from the temple, while a man was standing beside me. ⁷ And He [the Lord] said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the sons (descendants) of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their [idolatrous] prostitution and by the corpses and monuments of their kings in their graves, ⁸ by setting their threshold by My threshold and their doorpost beside My doorpost, with [only] the wall between Me and them. They have defiled and desecrated My holy name by the vile atrocities which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger. ⁹ Now let them put far away from Me their [idolatrous] prostitution and the corpses and monuments of their kings, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

¹⁰ “As for you, son of man, ^[b]describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they will be ashamed of their sins; and let them measure its plan [in detail]. ¹¹ If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple (house), its layout, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes and do them. ¹² This is the law of the temple: Its entire ^[c]area all around on the top of the mountain ^[d](Mount Moriah) shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.

Lament over Jerusalem

³⁷ “^[a]O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.^{(A) 38} Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!^{(B) 39} For I say to you, you will not see Me again [ministering to you publicly] until you say, ‘Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”^(C)

Signs of Christ’s Return

24 Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the [magnificent and massive] ^[b]buildings of the temple.^{(D) 2} And He said to them, “Do you see all these things? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, not one stone here will be left on another, which will not be torn down.”

³ While Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and said, “Tell us, when will this [destruction of the temple] take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. ⁵ For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many. ⁶ You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰ At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. ¹² Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.