Temple Worship Restored In this writing/study we will look at a time gone past, and apparently lost in most of todays worship services. A style and way of worship that the Lord himself designed; and today deserves Restoration. I believe that I have been inspired by God's Holy Spirit to bring forth this teaching on the restoration of Temple Worship. It is important to understand that worship is crucial in our preparation for the End Time Harvest that the Lord is preparing us for. We know that the temple of God (1Cor.3: 16 & 6: 19,20) is each and everyone of us that has accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we come together corporately to worship Him, we are united in one accord, or one body, and usher in His very presence. There is a power anointing and presence of the Lord during these moments of praising and worshiping Him. If you have never had an encounter with a truly spirit filled and anointed praise and worship team, I highly recommend it. You will come away changed! I did, and for the better. Praise the Lord! The Beginning Now let us step back in time. At a time when the house of the Lord, a place of corporate worship, had been closed by king Ahaz (2Chr.28: 24). "Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done" (2Chr.28: 1). When Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah became king (2Chr.29: 1-3) and he did do right in the sight of the Lord. He also reopened the doors of the house of the Lord. This house of the Lord, or temple, is the same one king Solomon built (1Chr.22: 6-9). So king Hezekiah ordered the priest and the Levites to sanctify (consecrate) themselves (2Chr29: 4-17) and to cleanse the house of the Lord. After this was finished they prepared offerings to offer on The Alter of the Lord (2Chr.29: 18-24). Now king Hezekiah stationed the Levites (Temple Musicians if you would) and the priest with trumpets in the house of the Lord. When the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began (2Chr.29: 25-30). The Temple Musicians played, the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded. The whole assembly sang praises to the Lord with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped. That is totally one powerful scene! What really has caught my attention however, is these Temple Musicians. I know how worship used to be in the church we used to attend while I was worship leader; and to read this about the restoring of praise and worship warms my heart. The days we are now in, I can once again see God restoring worship and the giving of praise back into His temple; the body of Christ. As we have read these scripture references, I hope you took note of the ones like in (2Chr.29: 25), 'according to the commandment of David'. David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13: 22). While David was king, he instructed the Levite leaders to appoint those to be singers accompanied by instruments of music, (1Chr15: 16-22). By the unctioning of the Holy Spirit, king David created the first praise and worship team. Praise the Lord! Let us look at another, what we might call today, a worship service. In the days of Solomon, after the completion of the temple (2Chr.5: 2-10), Solomon basically called for a dedication service for the house of the Lord (2Chr.5: 2-10). When the priest came out and the Levites were ready with all that they did, with singers and musical instruments along with the priests with one hundred and twenty trumpets, can you imagine 120 trumpets blowing at one time, the scripture says they all played and sang praising and thanking the Lord (2Chr.5: 11-14) saying "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever", and God showed up! Baam! The scripture says that the house of the Lord was filled with His glory in the form of a cloud, and that the priest could not continue to minister. For you die-hard King James's, the word continue means stand. The priest could not stand to minister. After this, Solomon turns and blesses the whole assembly (2Chr.6: 1-42) gives God the glory, says a prayer and once again Boom; fire comes down from heaven (2Chr.7: 1-3) consumes the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord fills the temple some more and the people hit the floor. Sorry! Lay prostrate on the floor. This event last for 8 days, (verses 8 and 9, Chapter 7). Well, that sure was some worship service. Haven't quite seen the magnitude of glory like Solomon's temple, but have experienced God's presence in our own church and in my own quite time. It is powerful and will cause you sometimes not to stand. Guess I just busted someone's theology but only the truth will set you free! You just read it. Ok, let us really get into the thick of things; about these Temple Musicians we have already read about. In (Chapter 6 of 2Samuel verse 5), the word of God states "Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals". Now for you ladies, the cross-reference on "played music" (NKJ) in verse 5 is (1Sam.18: 6,7). So you see that apparently you also have a part in all this. I'll give another reference later. Oh, don't forget the dance part! David also danced in (verse 14, chapter 6 of 2Sam). Come on! Isn't it all about worshiping Him? It seems that the Levites were set apart by the Lord, as we have already read (2Chr.29: 25) to be the so-called Temple Musicians and also the singers. You can also read (Numbers chapter 3) to find out more about what was required of the Levites. So you see, just as Hezekiah restored Temple Worship in the days gone by, the Lord is in the process once again of restoring what the Devil has stolen, in these last days, back to His body the Church; True Temple Worship. 24hr. days of worship! Prophesy with musical instruments? Total Restoration! Page Two Wailing Wall Sea of Galillee Prayer