There’s a deep ache in the human heart for something lasting, sacred, and glorious. It’s no surprise, then, that some would turn their eyes toward earthly Jerusalem and long to see a new temple built there—a place of splendor, where worship could rise again as it once did. But is that really what God is calling His people to hope for? Or has He, in Christ, pointed us to something far better, far more enduring?

A Better City, a Heavenly Hope

The book of Hebrews speaks directly to this matter—not just once, but as a sustained argument. It urges believers to look beyond the earthly, to press forward in faith toward the heavenly. In Hebrews 11:10, we are told of Abraham that “he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (BSB). Abraham, though promised a physical land, understood something deeper: the real promise was not bound to soil or stone but to the eternal purposes of God.

This heavenly city is no afterthought. It is the very fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. Hebrews 12:22 makes it plain: “Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Not a mountain of trembling and fear like Sinai, but a city already made accessible through Christ, even now. Not one we must rebuild, but one we must receive.

“Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. [26] But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Galatians 4:25-26 BSB)

The Shadows Have Passed

To insist on the reconstruction of a physical temple in Jerusalem as a centerpiece of God’s future work is to miss the whole thrust of the New Covenant. The old was a shadow—glorious, yes, but only a foretaste. The tabernacle, the sacrifices, the priesthood—all pointed forward to Jesus, the true High Priest, the final Lamb, and the abiding Temple.

“But when Christ appeared as high priest of the good things that have come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation” (Hebrews 9:11, BSB).

Israel’s Broken Covenant

It must be said—and said with both clarity and love—that Israel broke covenant with God. Though the Lord had chosen them, led them, and given them His law and promises, they turned aside time and again. The prophets bore witness to it. Jeremiah wept over it. And Jesus, standing before the city that should have known Him best, lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together… but you were unwilling!” (Matthew 23:37, BSB).

In rejecting the Messiah, Israel rejected the very One to whom all their worship and ordinances had pointed. The old covenant was broken, not because God was unfaithful, but because His people were. And now, in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son (Hebrews 1:2). There is no going back. The command is clear: they—and we—must obey Christ. Hebrews 5:9 declares, “And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

No Other Foundation but Christ

No temple built with hands can restore what was lost through disobedience. Only through Christ—crucified, risen, and reigning—can anyone be reconciled to God. There is no distinction now. Jew and Gentile alike must come by the same way: repentance and faith in Jesus.

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking…” warns Hebrews 12:25, “For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we reject Him who warns us from heaven?” (BSB).

So then, let us not be drawn into an earthly nostalgia that overlooks the glory of the new and better covenant. Let us lift our eyes to the city that is above, the true home of all who trust in Christ. And let us plead, not for stones to be stacked in Jerusalem, but for hearts to be turned to the only Savior who can make anyone clean.

Where Is Your Hope Set?

Friend, how does this truth stir your spirit? Are you yearning for the visible, or trusting in the eternal? Have you come to Christ—not just as teacher or prophet—but as Lord?

Cross references for further reflection:
John 2:19–21 — Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Revelation 21:2–3 — “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man…”
Ephesians 2:19–22 — “You also are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.”
Acts 4:11–12 — “There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Romans 10:1–4 — “Christ is the end of the Law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.”ilt together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.”

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Moe Bergeron