Introduction

† One of the greatest themes in Scripture is God's desire to dwell with His people.

† From Genesis to Revelation, we see God progressively revealing where His dwelling place would be found.

† Many still believe God primarily dwells in physical buildings made by human hands.

† Yet the New Testament reveals a dramatic transition from physical structures to a living spiritual temple.

† The destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70 marked the last time God would ever dwell in a covenant building made with hands.

Genesis 3:8

Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

† God's presence was with mankind from the beginning.

† Eden was not a temple made with hands.

† God dwelt directly with His creation.

† Sin brought separation and disrupted that fellowship.

† The story of Scripture is the story of restored fellowship with God.

Exodus 25:8

Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.

† God instructed Israel to build a sanctuary.

† The tabernacle became the visible center of covenant worship.

† God's presence was associated with the tabernacle during Israel's wilderness journey.

† Yet the tabernacle was never the final goal.

† It pointed forward to something greater. (Hebrews 9:8-10)

1 Kings 8:27

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!

† Even Solomon understood the temple could not contain God.

† The temple served a covenant purpose.

† God's presence was associated with it, but He was never limited by it.

† The temple pointed beyond itself to a greater dwelling place yet to come.

John 2:19-21

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and yet You will raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking about the temple of His body.

† Jesus identified Himself as the true temple.

† God's presence was fully revealed in Christ.

† The physical temple was no longer the center of God's redemptive plan.

† Christ became the meeting place between God and man.

† The focus shifted from stone buildings to a living person.

Acts 7:48

However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:

† Stephen directly challenged the belief that God was centered in the Jerusalem temple.

† This statement enraged many of his hearers.

† God had never been confined to a building.

† The old covenant temple was approaching its end.

† The new covenant dwelling place was already being revealed.

Ephesians 2:19-22

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

† Paul identified believers as God's holy temple.

† The church is described as God's habitation.

† The dwelling place of God is now His people.

† This temple cannot be destroyed by armies.

† The reality replaced the shadow.

Revelation 21:22-23

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

† The New Jerusalem contains no physical temple.

† God and the Lamb are the temple.

† The goal of Scripture is finally reached.

† God's people dwell with Him without the need for a physical sanctuary.

† The temple story ends where it began, direct fellowship with God.

Historical References

† Josephus recorded the complete destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70.

† Eusebius viewed the temple's destruction as a fulfillment of Christ's prophecy.

† Early Christians increasingly understood themselves to be God's spiritual temple rather than participants in the temple system.

† The destruction of the temple permanently ended the sacrificial system established under the old covenant.

How It Applies To Us Today

† God's presence is not limited to a geographical location.

† We don't need a rebuilt temple to experience fellowship with God.

† Christ is our access to the Father.

† We are part of the dwelling place God has been building throughout redemptive history.

† The reality of God's presence is greater than any building ever constructed by human hands.

Q&A Appendix

Q: Does God dwell in church buildings today?

A: No. God dwells in His people, who together form His spiritual temple. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Q: Why was the Jerusalem temple destroyed?

A: Its covenant purpose had been fulfilled in Christ, and the old covenant system was brought to its end. (Matthew 24:1-2)

Q: Will God dwell in a future physical temple?

A: The New Testament consistently points to Christ and His people as God's dwelling place. (Acts 7:48; Ephesians 2:19-22)

Q: Why is there no temple in New Jerusalem?

A: Because God and the Lamb are the temple, and direct fellowship has been fully established. (Revelation 21:22)

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †

© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index

† Genesis 3:8; Exodus 25:8; 1 Kings 8:27; John 2:19-21; Acts 7:48; Ephesians 2:19-22; Revelation 21:22-23

† Josephus, Wars of the Jews; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History