The Cathedral That Took Six Centuries

In 1248, Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden laid the foundation stone for a new cathedral in Cologne, Germany. The design was breathtaking — twin spires reaching higher than anything Europe had ever seen. Konrad knew he would never see it finished. Neither would his children, nor their children after them.

Construction continued for three hundred years, then stopped entirely in 1560. For nearly three centuries, a massive crane sat motionless atop the unfinished south tower, a silent monument to an abandoned promise. Locals passed it every day, assuming the great project was dead.

But in 1842, work resumed. New generations picked up the tools their ancestors had set down. On August 14, 1880 — six hundred and thirty-two years after that first stone was placed — the Cologne Cathedral was finally completed, its spires piercing the sky at 515 feet.

When God told David through the prophet Nathan, "I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever," He was making a promise that defied every human timeline. David wanted to build God a house, but the Almighty reversed the plan entirely. God would build David's house — a dynasty stretching across centuries, fulfilled ultimately in a carpenter's son from Nazareth.

God's promises do not operate on our schedules. Like that crane standing silent over Cologne, divine purposes may appear dormant. But the Most High finishes what He starts, and His building project always outlasts ours.