...See All The People

Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD according to the directions of King David of Israel. They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. _{Ezra 3:10-11}

The Temple of Yahweh.
The Chosen People of God.
The Church.

In Ezra 3:10 The people of God return to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile in Babylon; A younger generation, born in captivity, tasting for the first time the sweetness of freedom and promise; An older generation, returning home, carrying the weight and the glory of the history of their people.

The People of God.

The foundation of this Temple is the foundation of the Church we stand on today.

In this Temple: A twelve year old Jesus of Nazareth will astound scholars.
In this Temple: The Messiah will violently dispel money changers.
In this Temple: Leaders will conspire to crucify a man they mock as "King of the Jews".This temple, like the one that precedes it, will fall at the hand of a pagan Emperor.

But, in Ezra 3 the people of God come together to build a church.
A younger generation with shouts of triumph, carrying hope for the future.
An older generation with wails of sorrow, carrying the story of the past.

God's People.
Pouring all that they have, all that they are, and all that they hope to be
into the foundation of a building.

Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. _{Ezra 3:12-13}

Their voices and their hearts crying out the eternal truth: A building made by the hands of men will never be The Church, and The People of God will forever be...

Glorious failures.