GOD'S TEMPLE

“Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (Ezekiel 43:5 HCSB)

Does God have a house?

Yes—and no.

How could God have a house, when He is without flesh and blood—an eternal Spirit who fills every corner of the universe and transcends it? When David wanted to build a temple, God told him that He appreciated the thought, but He didn’t need it.

Yet, God does have a house—He condescended to man’s association with time and space—we are not infinite beings—in permitting humans to build a house that would become the focal point of their worship of an omnipresent God. His glory would reside there and His worship would transpire there. The house of God would not be in response to a need God has, for He has none, but for a need we have, to meet with One who can meet every need we have—and the greatest of all needs is for a relationship with our Creator.

So, God instructed Moses to construct a tabernacle—a portable house of God. They would be on the march through the wilderness, so the house of God would journey with them and the tent would be pitched in the middle of the camp, for everything revolved around the worship of God. His glory cloud rose above the tabernacle and spread over them, giving them shade from the sun by day and light for the camp by night. This tabernacle would symbolize the incarnation of Christ who came to dwell among men in His first advent—and during just over three decades revealed the glory of God to man.

“The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory,
the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

But, Jesus also likened His body to being the Temple—destroyed and rebuilt in three days. This analogy foretold His resurrection glory and reminds us that although He has ascended to heaven, He is returning personally, visibly, bodily soon to dwell among us.
The Temple then points to His second advent, where He will permanently abide with us.

In the meantime, there is a spiritual temple being built. The Bible teaches that the believer in Christ has the Holy Spirit indwelling them. Corporately, we are the church and that church is the place where God dwells and “brick by brick” those who come to follow Him, are part of this temple God is fashioning. When that final block is set in place—and God knows who and when and where—then Christ will come in His glory to be among His people forever. This is the typology of the house of God—what it symbolized.

From that typology, we ought to next summarize the chronology:

• The Tabernacle of Moses. This was the tent that was used from the Exodus until it was replaced by Solomon’s Temple. This was roughly 1445 B.C. until the 900’s B.C.
• The Temple of Solomon. It took over seven years to build, and so would have been finished in the mid 900’s B.C. and stood until destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.
• The Second Temple. It was rebuilt on a smaller scale when the exiles returned seventy years later and would continue to be expanded until it was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans as Jesus predicted.
• The Tribulation Temple. At some point, likely in the near future, a third Temple will be built. This will likely be part of the “deal” the Antichrist will make to secure a peace treaty with Israel—one he will violate when he enters the Temple and demands to be worshipped as a god. I believe that this Temple, thus desecrated, will be destroyed at the return of Christ, with a great earthquake that occurs as Christ sets foot on the Mount of Olives.
• The Millennial Temple. This is what Ezekiel describes in chapters 40-48 and will be the focus of today’s lesson.

We see ITS DESIGN in chapters 40-41.

“The side rooms surrounding [the temple] widened at each successive story, for the structure surrounding the temple [went up] by stages. This was the reason for the temple's broadness as it rose. And so, one would go up from the lowest story to the highest by means of the middle one.” (Ezek.41:7)

The precise measurements and specific details of the blueprint indicate that this is a literal structure. Although there are certainly spiritual lessons here—as in all of Scripture—these verses ought not be “spiritualized” and made to be merely symbolic. There will be a material Temple in Jerusalem in an actual 1,000 year reign of Christ on Earth.

We see ITS DIMENSIONS in chapters 41-42.

“Then the man measured the temple; it was 175 feet long. In addition, the temple yard and the building, including its walls, were 175 feet long. The width of the front of the temple along with the temple yard to the east was 175 feet.

Next he measured the length of the building facing the temple yard to the west, with its galleries on each side; it was 175 feet.” (Ezek.41:13-15a)

Its size is befitting the splendor of Christ’s reign. After Solomon’s temple was destroyed, when the exiles rebuilt the Temple, the old Jews who recalled the former one, wept because the new one wasn’t of the proportions as formerly. But, when Christ returns a greater than Solomon will be here and so will that millennial temple surpass all the others in its building, brilliance and beauty.

We see ITS DELIGHT in chapter 43.

“Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (Ezekiel 43:5 HCSB)

Ezekiel had seen the glory of God depart from the Temple before it was destroyed. But, God permitted him to see that glory return, as he looked prophetically into the future. God will dwell among His people—His glory will shine from Mount Zion and all nations shall bask in it! This is our great delight!

We see ITS DUTY in chapter 44.

"But the Levitical priests descended from Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, will approach Me to serve Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God. 16 "They are the ones who may enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to serve Me. They will keep My mandate.” (Ezek.44:15-16)

The Levitical system will be restored. God knows the DNA of this line and will set them apart for temple duty in that day. The sacrifices will not be to atone for sin—they never were and never could. The Old Testament sacrifices pointed to Christ in anticipation of His work on Calvary and Millennial sacrifices will point back to Christ in celebration of what He has done. They will also be for ceremonial cleansing. In the same way that the Lord’s Supper reminds Christians of what Christ has done for us, these sacrifices will remind the Jews of their atonement by Messiah’s cleansing blood.

There is great stress placed on the need for holiness—that God’s house is sacred because the Holy One abides there. This emphasis is underscored in the New Testament for believers and the church.

“Don't you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor.6:19-20)

May the light of God’s holiness shine from us today—from His church—and lead those who see us to glorify God!