General Articles by Ellen G. White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Mar 28, 1878

General Articles.

By Ellen G. White

CLEANSING THE TEMPLE.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

As Jesus entered the outer court of the temple it was like entering a vast cattle-yard. Mingled with the lowing of the oxen, the bleating of the sheep and the cooing of the doves, were the sharp clinking of coin and the sound of angry altercation between traffickers, some of whom were ministers of sacred rites. The holy precincts of the temple presented a most unsanctified and painful spectacle to those conscientious Jews who, while deploring the desecration of God's holy place, were unable to prevent it; for the dignitaries of the temple themselves engaged in buying and selling, and the exchange of money. They were artful and avaricious, and the greed of gain overbore all religious scruples, and they carried their traffic to such extremes that they were no better than thieves in the sight of God.

Three years before, at the commencement of his ministry, Jesus had driven from the temple those who defiled it by their unholy traffic; and by his stern and God-like demeanor had struck awe to the hearts of the scheming traders. Now, at the close of his earthly mission, he came again to the temple of God and found it still desecrated by the same abominable practices and the same defilers. Little did the priests and rulers realize the solemn, sacred work which it was their office to perform. At every passover and Feast of Tabernacles thousands of cattle were slain, and their blood caught by the priests and poured upon the altar. The Jews had become familiar with blood as a purifier from guilt, and they had almost lost sight of the fact that sin made necessary all this shedding of the blood of beasts, and that it prefigured the blood of God's dear Son which was to be shed for the life of the world, and that by the offering of sacrifices men were to be directed toward a crucified Redeemer.

Jesus looked upon the innocent victims of sacrifice, symbolizing himself, and saw how the Jews had made these great convocations scenes of bloodshed and cruelty, thus in a great measure destroying the solemnity of the institution of sacrifices. The bringing together of such a vast number of cattle and sheep made a noisy market of the temple court, and gave scope to that spirit of avarice and sharp trading which characterized the leaders of the people, who endeavored to keep the business in their own hands. These persons realized immense profits by their exorbitant prices and false dealing. The indignation of Jesus was stirred; he knew that his blood, soon to be shed for the sins of the world, would be as little appreciated by the priests and elders as the blood of beasts which they kept incessantly flowing.

In place of humble repentance of sin the sacrifice of beast was multiplied, as if God could be conciliated by such heartless service. Samuel said: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." And Isaiah, seeing through prophetic vision the apostasy of the Jews, addressed them as rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord. I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?" "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."

The Saviour witnessed the fulfillment of this prophecy. Three years before he had cleansed the temple, but all that defiled its courts at that time existed now in a much greater degree. In fulfillment of ancient prophecy the people had proclaimed Jesus to be the King of Israel; he had accepted their homage and the office of king and priest. He knew that his efforts to reform a corrupt priesthood would be in vain; but nevertheless, his work must be done, the evidence of his divine mission must be given to an unbelieving people.

As the piercing look of Jesus swept the desecrated court of the temple, all eyes were instinctively turned toward him. The voices of the people and the noise of the cattle were hushed. Priest, ruler, Pharisee, and Gentile all looked with mute astonishment and indefinable awe upon the Son of God, who stood before them with the majesty of Heaven's King, divinity flashing through humanity and investing him with a dignity and glory he had never before displayed. A strange fear fell upon the people. Those nearest Jesus instinctively drew as far from him as the crowd would permit. With the exception of a few of his disciples the Saviour stood alone. All sound was hushed; the deep silence seemed unbearable, and when the firm, compressed lips of Jesus parted, and his voice rang out in clarion tones, there was an involuntary groan or sigh of relief from all present.

He spoke in clear accents and with a power that caused the people to sway as if moved by a mighty tempest: "It is written, My house is the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." He descended the steps, and, with greater authority than he had there manifested three years before, with indignation that quenched all opposition, in tones that rang like a trumpet through the whole temple, commanded, "Take these things hence." The displeasure of his countenance seemed like a consuming fire; there was no questioning his authority; all fled in the greatest haste from his presence, taking with them, and driving before them, the cattle and merchandise that had desecrated the temple of the Most High. Here Christ evidenced to the world that, with all his infinite love and mercy, he could execute stern justice.

Three years before the dignitaries of the temple been ashamed of their precipitous flight before the command of the youthful Jesus, and had since wondered at their own fears and unquestioning obedience of a single humble man. They had felt that it was impossible for such an undignified surrender on their part to be repeated. Yet a second time they were more terrified and in greater haste than before to obey his command. After the buyers and sellers had been expelled, Jesus looked upon the flying crowd with the most profound pity. Many remained anxiously hoping that this man, who assumed such power and authority, was the longed for Messiah.

The crowd, rushing from the temple courts, driving their cattle before them, met a throng that came, bearing with them the sick and dying, and inquiring for the great Healer. The flying people gave the most exaggerated report of the act of Christ in cleansing the temple. Upon hearing this some of those who were hastening to find Jesus turned back, fearing to meet one so powerful, whose very glance had driven the priests and rulers from his presence. But a large number pressed their passage through the hurrying throng eager to reach Him who was their only hope, and feeling that should he fail to relieve them of their sorrows and maladies they might as well die at once, as his power was greater than that of all others.

A wonderful spectacle is now presented before the disciples; the court of the temple, cleansed from its defilers, is filled with the sick and suffering, some of whom are brought in a dying condition before Jesus. These afflicted ones feel their distressing need; they realize that they must perish unless the great Physician takes pity upon them. They fix their eyes imploringly upon the face of Christ, expecting to see there that severity of which they had heard from those whom they met leaving the temple; but they read in that dear face only love and tender pity.

Jesus kindly received the sick, and disease and approaching death fled at a touch of his hand. He gave hope to the sorrowing and despondent, and lifted the burdens from the hearts of those who sought him. The dumb, blind and paralytic went from his presence rejoicing in perfect soundness. He gathered little children in his arms as tenderly as would a loving mother, soothed their fretful cries, banished the fever and pain from their little forms, and handed them back, smiling and healthful, to their grateful parents.

That morning the court had been a scene of trade and traffic, full of the noisy clamor of men and of beasts; now, all was calm within that sacred enclosure; and the eager multitude heard the words of eternal life from the lips of the Saviour. Nothing interrupted his discourse save new applications for mercy and freedom from disease, and the glad shouts of praise to the Healer as he relieved them from their suffering.

The priests and rulers were involuntarily drawn back to the temple. After the first panic of terror had abated they were seized with an anxiety to know what would be the next movement of Jesus. They expected him to take the throne of David. Quietly returning to the temple, they heard the voices of men, women and children praising God. Upon entering, they stood transfixed before the strange scene being enacted before them. They saw the sick healed, the blind restored to sight, the deaf receive their hearing and the cripple leap for joy. The children were foremost in rejoicing. They repeated the hosannas that were shouted the day before, and waved palm-branches triumphantly before the Saviour. The temple echoed and reechoed with acclamations of "Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord!" "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is just and having salvation!" "Hosanna to the son of David!"

As the dignitaries of the temple beheld all this commotion, and heard the happy, unstrained voices of the children, their old intolerance returned and they set about putting a stop to such demonstrations. They represented to the people that the holy temple was polluted by the feet of the children and by their noisy shouts and rejoicing. They who had permitted and even engaged in angry altercations, and buying and selling within those sacred walls, who had heard unmoved the distracting noise of the various animals allowed within the precincts, were apparently overwhelmed with indignation that the innocent rejoicing of glad children should be tolerated within the temple court.

The priests and rulers, finding that they made no impression upon the people who had felt and witnessed the power of the divine Teacher, ventured to appeal to Christ himself, "And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" Had the voices of those happy children been silenced, the very pillars of the temple would have sounded the Saviour's praise. Jesus was ever a lover of children; he accepted their childish sympathy and their open, unaffected love. The grateful praise from their pure lips was music in his ears, and refreshed his spirits which were depressed by the hypocrisy of the Jews. On this occasion he had healed the maladies of the children, clasped them in his arms, received their kisses of grateful affection, and they had fallen asleep upon his breast while he was teaching the people. Wherever the Saviour went the benignity of his countenance, and his gentle, kindly manner won the love and confidence of children.

The Pharisees were utterly perplexed and disconcerted at the turn things had taken and the failure of their attempt to quell the enthusiasm of the people. One was in command whom they could not intimidate with their assumption of authority. Jesus had taken his position as guardian of the temple. Never before had he assumed such kingly authority; never before had his words and acts possessed so great power. He had done great and marvelous works throughout Jerusalem, but never in such a solemn and impressive manner.