THE CHURCH IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The church can be defined by three metaphors in Scripture: the people of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Spirit.

In the Old Testament  the presence of God,was often depicted as the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle and ultimately the temple .These were considered the places where the holiness of God, his Spirit and presence dwelled most strongly.

We see what Jesus fully meant at Pentecost. Jesus promised his disciples his own spirit, his peace, his presence. He said it was better for him to go away, because he would send them the “helper.” We now know he meant the Holy Spirit. And we see it at Pentecost, the delivery of a much awaited promise. Jesus ascends and leaves us, but he does not leave us alone. His presence, the very presence of God, comes upon his people, his body of believers in the form of God’s spirit. 

The best metaphor we have for this incredible reality is that we as a community are the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 3:16). We as a community are a place where God’s presence is powerfully among us, within us, surrounding us, pouring forth himself into the places we gather.

In ancient days, only one priest once a year encountered the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. Remember the curtain separating us from the Holy of Holies? Remember it was torn in two, from the heavens to the earth? (Mk 15:37-38). No more barriers.

First, as bearers of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be holy (1 Cor 6:19-20). We are asked to treat our individual bodies and our corporate body with the highest degree of moral ethics: holiness. This is a challenge beyond our weak mortal flesh’s abilities. But thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit is at work within us, calling out our sin, calling us forward in our walk with Christ, refining and purifying us to be more like Christ, empowering us to be holy. Rest in his work, pray against sin and temptation, and participate with the Spirit of God in working out your holiness. 

A second responsibility beyond holiness is the unity of the church. We are one people, one body, and one temple. It is not many mini-temples who coincide on a Sunday. There are many members but only One Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13). The presence of God is the same presence in each of us and this presence is One. We are not a million different pieces of God spread across time and space, we are infilled with his one singular Spirit. Therefore, unity is the inclination of God, the direction of the Spirit, and at the heart of the church. We are told: do not be divisive, serve one another in love as Christ has served us, do not seek your will above God’s, be humble and united as one in God. 



VIDEO:1 OVERVIEW OF THE TABERNACLE
https://youtu.be/CjGJ2MSpauk

VIDEO 2: TABERNACLE INSIGHTS3
https://youtu.be/XAJT6wWG-x0

VIDEO 3 : TABERNACLE INSIGHTS 2

https://youtu.be/7TookPRHmIU


VIDEO 4: SC EXHIBIT TABERNACLE OF ISRAEL-GLENCARE MUSEUM
https://youtu.be/_SWH_LVYEXI   5min 48 sec

VIDEO 5: 3D

https://youtu.be/8Oe-JPE-Eu4



HOLY TEMPLES OF JERUSALAM

https://youtu.be/7QDGw99W3XY








the Ark, a visible sign of his invisible presence in the midst of his beloved nation.

We turn our attention now to the setting up of the abomination that makes desolate. To understand this desolation better, let us read the words of Christ.

Matt 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

In these words of condemnation, Jesus tells the people of Jerusalem that because of their refusal to follow the prophets and rely on the protection of the Almighty, their house was left unto them desolate. What house is he referring to? It is the Temple, the house of the LORD, where Jesus was standing when he told them these things.

Matt. 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

The desolation would be upon the sanctuary, and as Matthew 24 describes, the desolating power to
begin this process would be the Roman armies as eagles gathered to the carcass. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD were but the start of its desolation. Years later in 130AD, Hadrian attempted to build a Temple of Jupiter on Temple Mount, but this and other provocations instigated the Third Jewish Revolt against the Romans. Over the years, there were a few more attempts to build structures on Temple Mount, but ultimately the building which would be established where the sanctuary once stood was the Dome of the Rock.

The Dome of the Rock was constructed between 689 and 691 by the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik. (Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dome_of_the_Rock) As such, there were 1290 years from end of the daily sacrifice around 604-600BC to 689-691BC.