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quality and character we must have to glorify GOD as HIS HOUSE
at His present earthly Headquarters of His Work, His Church,
and His College.
The TEMPLE, planned by King David and built by King
Solomon, was a different kind of building. But the kind and size
are only relative. It is because the Temple was to be GOD'S
Temple, we read in the Bible, that it had to be "EXCEEDING
MAGNIFICAL" (I Chronicles 22:5). Or, as translated in the Revised
Standard Version, "For David said, Solomon my son is young and
inexperienced, and the house that is to be built must be
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT, of fame and glory throughout all
lands;..." And the Moffatt translation has: "...the house which
is to be built for the Eternal must be incomparably magnificent,
far-famed, and glorious."
WHY? Because it is for THE GREAT GOD, who is SO GREAT
that nothing less than the finest and best could properly honor
HIM!
Even though this House for God we are building is smaller
and a different kind of building (and therefore of only a very
tiny fraction of the cost), still, in CHARACTER and QUALITY and
BEAUTY, it must be the finest we can make it. And the contractors
who are erecting it tell me it IS actually the very finest on earth
for this type, kind, and size of building.
Solomon later said, "And the house which I build is GREAT:
for great is our God above all Gods." (II Chronicles 2:5.)
Because GOD is the GREATEST, the Temple to honor Him had to be the
finest. Because our GOD is GREATEST, even our comparatively small
auditorium must be THE FINEST -- and that is precisely what it is
turning out to be! The Bible expresses GOD'S WILL -- and this
superb quality and character building is being constructed
according to HIS WILL!
During the January Ministers' Conference, I arranged to
take the visiting ministers through the building. There was no
roof on it yet. No finish work anywhere. But they were amazed at
what they saw. In every way it is a most superb and outstanding
building. The contractors who are building it, and the inspector
who checks every step of the construction for us, both tell me this
is a structure ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE in all the earth -- the soundest
in construction, and will be the finest in appearance, of any
auditorium on earth. Not only the finest in Southern California
-- they say, THE FINEST ON EARTH! The city welding inspector,
checking all welding continually on the job, told me that all
welding is exceeding the strict requirements of the plans and city
codes. He said that in case of an earthquake, it would be the
safest place to be in Southern California.
It is of steel and concrete construction throughout.
Concrete to date is 5,049 1/2 cubic yards -- 202 million pounds.
Concrete can be poured in various strengths. State requirements
are 1,500 pounds per square foot on foundations, and 2,000 on walls
and other parts above ground. The strength of the concrete in
GOD'S HOUSE is averaging more than 4,000 pounds per square foot.