The Temple / Tabernacle
Throughout the scriptures the tabernacle in the wilderness and later Solomon's temple served as the appointed place where the glory of the Lord descended and dwelt among his people, making visible the covenant promise of divine presence. This sacred structure reached its fulfillment when Jesus identified his own body as the temple, declaring that its destruction would be followed by resurrection in three days, thereby accomplishing redemption through his sacrificial death. In the new covenant the same indwelling Spirit now makes every believer a living temple, extending God's presence from the holy of holies to the hearts of the redeemed.
Details
- Symbolizes
- God dwelling with humanity, Christ's body, believers as God's house
Old Testament Type
The tabernacle where God's glory dwelt among Israel (Exodus 40:34)
New Testament Fulfillment
Jesus' body is the true temple (John 2:21); believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19)
Key Passages
Glory Fills Tabernacle
Exodus 40:34-35
34hen a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Destroy This Temple
John 2:19-21
19esus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Your Body Is the Temple
1 Corinthians 6:19
19hat? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Did You Know?
The temple was the place where heaven and earth met. God dwelt in the midst of His people. Every detail of its construction and every sacrifice offered there pointed to something greater.
Jesus referred to His body as the temple. After the resurrection, the church became the temple of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God is no longer confined to a building made with hands.
We are being built together into a holy temple in the Lord. Every believer is a living stone. The church is not a place we go. It is who we are as the dwelling place of God.