Back to: Heaven: Alcorn
The Tabernacle, Temple, Believer, Eternity.
- Review Word Study: Section 2, Lesson 3: ‘Dwelling ‘
Recall that Heaven can be defined as the place where God dwells. However, being that God exists outside of time and space – He created those dimensions – and that Heaven, being created, also occupies time and space… Where exactly does God live?
The Bible Project: Heaven & Earth
I thought this was a great visual to help understand how this often confusing and complex concept works…
Now, let’s take a closer look at these dwelling places of God.
The Tabernacle.
This is where God first specs out in detail, an actual structure that He will occupy for the purpose of affirming His chosen people: the Israelites. It was designed to be portable.
Exodus 40:33-38 NIV
Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. [34] Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [35] Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [36] In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; [37] but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out-until the day it lifted. [38] So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
The Temple.
Although King David had wanted to build God a permanent home, he wasn’t allowed to because of all the bloodshed surrounding his legacy. But his son, King Solomon would have the privilege.
1 Kings 8:10-11 ESV
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, [11] so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
At the dedication, Solomon recalls the tabernacle and the wanderings of their ancestors in the desert.
1 Kings 8:54-61 ESV
Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. [55] And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, [56] "Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. [57] The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, [58] that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. [59] Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, [60] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. [61] Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day."
Sidenote
Herod’s Temple
During the time of Jesus’ ministry, there was in fact a smaller replica temple that Herod had built. However, the building was largely symbolic since the ark of the covenant and nearly all the temple articles were long lost. Furthermore, there was no visible manifestation or Shekinah glory of God present – because Jesus was the ‘Shekinah glory’ during this time.
Still, Jesus referred to the temple as His Father’s house when turning over the money changers’ tables. Also the veil to the ‘holy of holies’ here was torn in half at Jesus’ death.
The Romans fulfilled prophecy by finally destroying Herod’s temple in 70 AD.
The Last Temple
There are some passages that allude to Solomon’s Temple being rebuilt during the last days. This is where the anti-christ commits what is called the ‘abonitaion of desolation’ by sacrificing blasphemously on the altar.
Daniel 11:36-38 ESV
"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. [37] He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. [38] He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.
Matthew 24:15 ESV
"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand),
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 ESV
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, [4] who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
The Believer.
In the age of the Church – our era! God has chosen to dwell within us!
John 1:14 NIV
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling (tabernacled) among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 14:23 ESV
Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? [17] If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Sidenote
The Prerequisite for salvation has been the same since the Old Testament
Be Humble and Repent.
The word contrite is the same as repentant. It means being humble enough to recognize your broken situation, and ask for salvation/help. In Psalm 51 it means to be crushed in spirit
Psalm 51:17 NIV
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
Isaiah 57:13-16 NASBS
"When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry all of them up, And a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land And will possess My holy mountain." [14] And it will be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people." [15] For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. [16] "For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath of those whom I have made.
Isaiah 66:1-2 NASBS
Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? [2] "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
John preached repentance.
Jesus’ cousin John The Baptist heralded the coming Messiah with the same message of humility and repentance …
Matthew 3:1-2 ESV
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, [2] "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Jesus preached repentance.
Not long after John was arrested and imprisoned, Jesus picked up the torch to continue the message.
Matthew 4:17 NIV
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
And Jesus says the same thing in his Kingdom Manifesto.
The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 are progressive, so the first step in establishing that relationship with God is to be poor in spirit (‘pneuma’ not ‘psuche’) = humble and contrite.
- “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
- “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
- “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
- “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
- “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
- “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Eternity
Finally, in eternity, there will be no temple since God will be the temple and make His dwelling together with humans….
Revelation 21:22 ESV
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
Revelation 21:1-4 ESV
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."