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4) Prayer and the New Testament
Does Solomon’s prayer have any significance for the Christian?
When discussing the attitude to prayer displayed by such faithful men as Daniel and Solomon, the modern day Christian will invariably refer to the words of Stephen in Acts 7: 48-49.
Howbeit the most high dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?”
The reasoning that is then given is that ‘God is everywhere’ and the temple is irrelevant, therefore prayer, in whatever place or in whatever way it is presented, will be heard. People seem to have no doubt that prayer will be heard in whatever circumstance.
However Stephen is quoting from Isaiah 66:1. Isaiah 66 presents a vision of the events that culminate in the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth and the Temple of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Stephen recognises that the works of men’s hands are futile and his emphasis would have been on the question in this quotation from Isaiah 66:1, “where is the place of my rest?”
This word ‘rest’ ( Strong’s 4496) is not used frequently. The same word is used in Deuteronomy 12:9. “For ye are not yet come to the rest and the inheritance which Yahweh your God giveth you.” Again in Psalm 95:11, the Psalmist states, “I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.” Many of the Israelites were destined to have no part in the ultimate promise made to their fathers. In the same way, if the Jews of Stephen’s day knew the scriptures, Stephen’s reference to this quotation would have told them that they stood in danger of rejection by the God of Israel, as they had rejected their Messiah and consequently would not enter into that promised ‘rest’
In Isaiah 28:12, the Israelites found the Law and commandments a dreariness and Yahweh’s Word was not in their hearts. “This is the rest (Strong’s 4496) wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” In the same manner , the leaders and Jews to whom Stephen spoke, would not hear the Word, and would therefore not enter into that final rest which would come through the promises and the Messiah whom they had rejected. They had heard and seen Him but refused to “hear”. They had a form of religion and worship, but failed to heed the prophets of Yahweh and their warnings.
In 1 Chron. 28:2, it states, “And David the King stood up upon his feet and said. Hear me… I had in mine heart to build an house of rest (Strong’s 4496) for the ark of the covenant… for the footstool of our God.” This takes us back to Solomon’s prayer. It was Solomon who built this Temple, which as we have seen was built in Jerusalem, to be a “house of rest.”(Strong’s 4496) In the future age there will be a far more magnificent temple as a “house of rest.”
This takes us back to that quotation of Stephen and to Isaiah 66.
This chapter presents a vision of the establishment of the Kingdom. Stephen would have been fully aware of this, but did the Jewish leaders realise this? The chapter describes war and upheaval. Following this, Yahweh’s glory will be established in Jerusalem, when Jews and Gentiles will worship there. “I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see my glory… they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren… to my holy mountain Jerusalem… into the house of Yahweh. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahweh.” ( Isaiah 66: 18-23) .
The quotation that Stephen used from Isaiah is at the beginning of the last chapter in Isaiah, which culminates in the vision of the Kingdom and Yahweh’s glory throughout the earth. Was this Stephen’s final warning to them that they stood in danger of not being part of that time and that they were blind to the promises to Israel? His focus was the future Temple, not the present day temple of Herod. The use of that question, “Where is the place of my rest?” should have immediately alerted them and directed their thoughts to Isaiah’s prophecy, but they would not heed the message. Similarly our minds should also turn to Isaiah’s prophecy, to the future Temple.
Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem had provided a “rest” for the ark, but the future temple in Jerusalem will be the place of worship in the age when the earth is at “rest”. Jerusalem is the future “place of rest”. Yahweh’s glory will be throughout the world, but Jerusalem will be the centre and focus of worship. It is the corner stone of the hope and promises and site of the Temple of Ezekiel’s prophecy and worldwide worship. Just as our Lord is the cornerstone of the spiritual temple, Jerusalem and the literal temple of Ezekiel’s prophecy is the corner stone of the political and temporal, where ultimately the spiritual and literal temple will be united in the worship of Yahweh in that age..
Having warned the people of his day, Stephen knelt and prayed before the people. The ultimate glory of Jerusalem over a world in subjection to Yahweh’s will was Stephen’s hope. The quotation used by Stephen should be seen in the context of Isaiah’s prophecy and not just ignored, because Stephen was quoting from Isaiah 66.
Prayer is personal and can be offered in many situations and circumstances of life, but the examples of the faithful men that we have looked at, in certain circumstances and difficulties in their lives, also prayed as Solomon did and as he taught the people of Israel.
What examples are there of prayer in the New Testament records?
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