Biblical Theology of the Temple

Let me open us up in a word of prayer.

Lord, we pray as we look to your word together,

that by your spirit, you would build us each like living stones into a spiritual house,

that you would receive all the honor, praise, and glory in this time together.

We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.

Well, good morning. We are going to take a break from the mental health class,

and today we're going to be talking about the temple.

But perhaps if we understand this idea of temple, it might help our mental health a little bit.

So have you ever noticed that temples are everywhere?

We in our fallen nature are prone to setting up temples.

Almost every man-made religion has a temple,

from temple shrines worshiping pagan gods in meadows to the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City.

During the French Revolution, atheists built places called Temples of Reason.

Temples are everywhere.

You know, the God of the Bible commanded his people to build him a temple too.

And you know, this temple resembled some of the pagan temples found in the ancient Near East.

Was this resemblance a coincidence?

Is Israel taking their cue from the cult of the surrounding nations?

No, I don't think so. I think it's the other way around.

I think the surrounding nations were copying the true temple that God had established,

which continued in Israel.

And we'll see actually that pagan temples are copying the true temple that God established in the very beginning.

And these pagan temples are marred, sin-distorted versions of something that was lost,

that humans longed to return to.

A true temple that existed at the beginning of time.

A place where God dwelled with his people.

And a place that every human longs to return to.

Human beings are creatures of longing, aren't we?

Augustine once said,

Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you, O Lord.

And human beings were created to worship in the true temple that God had created.

So today we'll touch on this temple, beginning in Eden,

to the temple at the end of history in Revelation.

So this picture is from the ESV Study Bible.

It might look familiar to you.

So to begin, let's consider Jesus' words on the subject of temples.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus made some pretty audacious claims.

His statement about the temple was one of them.

You recall after he cleansed the temple in John 2, picking up in verse 19,

Jesus answered the Pharisees,

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

The Jews then said,

It has taken 46 years to build this temple,

and will you raise it up in three days?

But he was speaking by the temple of his body, as John said.

Jesus declared that he is the temple.

But no one understood what he meant.

The Jews didn't understand.

His disciples didn't understand what he meant.

What did he mean?

That Jesus is the temple.

So to understand this,

we'll need to consider a biblical theology of the temple in the Bible.

So before jumping in, let's do a brief refresher.

What is biblical theology?

Is it all theology that's biblical?

No, not quite.

To put it simply,

biblical theology studies the scripture's overall storyline

and traces the development of themes from the beginning to the end.

So as you read the Bible,

you'll notice that various themes often begin dimly in Genesis,

almost mysterious in the beginning.

But as the story unfolds, the light gets brighter

until it gives way to the true form of the reality.

So it's like sketching something on paper.

As time goes on, more and more lines are added

through each book of the Bible,

and the picture starts to come into view.

And biblical theology sees the scripture

as progressively, gradually painting one portrait.

And this portrait is of Christ

and what he would come to accomplish.

So this begins dimly, right, in the beginning,

and then gets brighter.

The Jews didn't understand this.

So remember, Jesus chided them in John 5, 39.

Jesus says, you search the scriptures

because you think that in them you have life,

have eternal life,

but it is they that bear witness about me.

So the scriptures bear witness about Jesus

from the beginning to the end.

And the definition we gave last year

when we did a series on biblical theology

is it's a discipline of understanding

how the diverse parts of the Bible,

66 books in total,

fit together into one grand story centered on Christ.

So today we'll consider the thread line of the temple,

which will ultimately point us to Christ.

So we'll have six points today,

six points.

The symbol,

the garden,

the temple completed,

the temple expansion,

the temple fulfiller,

and then finally,

the world encompassing temple

in Revelation.

The symbol,

the garden,

the temple completed,

the temple expansion,

the temple fulfiller,

and then the world encompassing temple.

So to understand the temple,

we must begin

with the tabernacle,

the predecessor to the temple.

The tabernacle was that mobile tent in Exodus.

You recall,

a portable house for the king.

God rescued the people out of slavery

in the drama of the 10 plagues

and then the dramatic crossing of the Red Sea.

And God powerfully delivered the people out of slavery

with this mighty outstretched arm.

And God crashed the waves of judgment

onto Pharaoh and his army's heads.

And with God's help,

the people reached the other side,

dry ground.

God saved his people.

And after this great work of salvation,

it's then in Exodus

that God begins to give specific directions

on the tabernacle's design.

The place where God would begin to dwell

with the people in the promised land.

So salvation leads to God dwelling

with his people in Exodus.

One amazing thing that God desires

to dwell with his people, right?

And the proportions of the king's house

had to be exact.

Strangely, in Exodus,

God would give Moses precise instructions

on how to design this tabernacle.

In Exodus 39, verse 25,

Exodus 39:25

God even tells Moses

how to build the utensils

which the priests were responsible for.

Verse 40 says,

See that you make them

according to the pattern

shown you on the mountain.

The smallest detail had to be followed.

And God is emphatic about this.

He says it over and over again.

Look how much he repeats it.

Exodus 26, 30,

Then you shall erect the tabernacle

according to the plan

for that you were shown on the mountain.

Exodus 27, verse 8,

Exodus 27:8

You shall make it hollow,

the altar, with boards.

As it has been shown you on the mountain,

so shall it be made.

Exodus 36, verse 1,

Exodus 36:1

Every craftsman whom the Lord

has put skill and intelligence

shall work in accordance

with all the Lord has commanded.

See a pattern.

And finally, Exodus 39, verse 1,

Exodus 39:1

From the blue and purple

and scarlet yarns

they made finely woven garments

for ministering in the holy place.

They made the holy garments for Aaron

as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Lord commands Moses

to build the tabernacle

and the priest's garments

with exact specifications.

And he repeats this over and over again.

And the writer of Hebrews

says this fact

means the tabernacle

symbolized something greater

beyond itself.

Listen to Hebrews 8, verse 5.

Hebrews 8:5

The place, that is the tabernacle,

where they serve,

is a copy and shadow

of what is in heaven.

This is why Moses was warned

when he was about to build

the tabernacle.

See to it that you make everything

according to the pattern

shown you on the mountain.

So the tabernacle was a symbol,

a shadow,

imaging a reality

that existed in heaven.

There was a copy

and a shadow on earth

and the true form of these realities

existed in heaven,

as the author of Hebrews says.

So what was it a symbol of?

Let's continue to look

to find out

what this tabernacle symbolized.

The tabernacle

will have two areas.

The first section

was called the holy place,

which contained various items,

the lampstand,

the table,

and the bread of presence.

And in the innermost section

was the holy of holies.

The holy of holies

was the throne room of the king.

It was shaped like a perfect cube.

20 by 20 by 20 cubits,

which is an important detail

we'll come back to.

It was shaped as a perfect cube.

And everything inside

was inlaid with gold.

It was unspeakably glorious.

And even the cherubim,

these heavenly creatures

without sin,

could not look directly

upon the king

in his all-consuming,

incomprehensible holiness.

At the center of holies

was the ark

containing the Ten Commandments.

God's law.

God's law uniquely reflected

God's holy character.

And above the ark

is the mercy seat,

flanked by the cherubim.

And as the author of Hebrews says,

the cherubim of glory

overshadowed the mercy seats.

So God declares in Exodus 25,

Exodus 25:22

verse 22,

there at the holy of holies

I will meet with you.

And from above the mercy seat,

from between the two cherubim

that are on the ark

of the testimony,

I will speak with you

about all that I will give you

in commandment

for the people of Israel.

God speaks to his people

above the mercy seat

in the holy of holies.

He put his name there,

Yahweh,

the God of the Bible.

This God who demands

that there be no other gods

in front of him,

no rivals.

This God who raises up

and condemns,

the God who is personal,

who hears his people's prayers,

who can see,

who knows,

who speaks to his people,

the one and only true God

will be approached

at the holy of holies.

Deuteronomy 12,

Moses speaking to the people,

says,

God has put his name there,

but you shall seek the place

the Lord your God will choose

out of all your tribes

as his habitation

to put his name there.

You shall go there.

So it's above the mercy seat

where God will be approached.

He tells his people

how he is going to be approached

and the king of the universe

has set his throne

inside this small tabernacle.

What a humble king this God is.

The king worshipped in heaven

shows his humility

by dwelling in a small tent

in the wilderness

to be with his people.

God is a humble king.

Not only is he humble,

but he is holy as well.

Because you cannot just casually

stroll right in there,

right into the holy of holies.

There was a big

do not enter sign.

If you want to continue to live,

stay out.

No trespassing.

Do not pass go.

Because before the holy of holies

stood this veil

with pictures of cherubim.

And here we begin to see

what the tabernacle

meant to symbolize.

The veil retold a cosmic story.

So here's a picture

of the veil right here

from the ESV Study Bible.

It retold a cosmic story.

It retold the story

of the world

and what its purpose was

and what had gone terribly wrong.

This veil of cherubim

sewn on it

echoed that tragic chapter

of history

when God exiled Adam and Eve

from the Garden of Eden.

He placed cherubim

and a flaming sword

to keep sinful humanity

away from the tree of life.

So after Adam and Eve

plunged the world

into darkness

through their disobedience,

people from then on

were exiled

from God's presence.

The temple is telling

the people a story

of how God initially

dwelled with his people

and the effect of sin

separating the creature

from its creator.

So we were cut off

from the God

we were designed to worship.

And the people of Israel

were to understand

their lives

in light of this overall

cosmic story

symbolized by the tabernacle.

The people could not

enter the Holy of Holies

because of sin.

And God is holy.

But once a year

as you probably know

one man could enter

into God's presence.

The Day of Atonement

that is Yom Kippur

in Leviticus.

The people needed

a mediator

someone to stand

in the gap

between a perfectly

holy God

and sinful humanity.

And this high priest

could enter once a year

sacrificing an animal

as a substitute

in the people's stead

and sprinkling blood

on the mercy seat.

And the priests

were butchers

constantly killing

goats and bulls

to deal with the sin

of the entire nation.

The priest would slaughter

one goat

and the blood

sprinkled on the mercy seat

on the Day of Atonement.

So this resulted

in what the Bible

calls propitiation.

Propitiation

is one of those

long theological words.

Propitiation.

To propitiate something

means to assuage

or satisfy

God's divine anger

or wrath

against sinful man.

God put the animals

to death

in the people's place

so the high priest

as mediator

could approach God

on the people's behalf.

So on that

solemn Day of Atonement

another goat

would be sent

to the wilderness

the scapegoat

symbolizing the people's

sins were forgotten.

The sins of the people

were dealt

by the blood sacrifices.

But in the tabernacle

there was one

really conspicuous

piece of furniture

that was missing.

So any idea

what furniture

was missing

in the tabernacle?

One piece of furniture.

Take a guess.

Yes.

There's a table

but there's no chair

for Aaron

and any of the priests

to sit on

because their work

was never finished

needing constant repetition

indicating that

the one sufficient sacrifice

which provides

true rest

had not yet come.

So Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:11

verse 11 and 12

captures the idea.

And every priest

stands daily

at his service

offering repeatedly

the same sacrifices

which can never

take away sins.

But when Christ

had offered

for all time

a single sacrifice

for sins

he sat down

at the right hand

of God.

So there was no chair

because the priest's work

was never done.

But there was one seat

in here

the mercy seat.

But that was reserved

for God himself

who sat there

between the chair of him.

The king

sat on the mercy seat

only to be approached

by the high priest

on the day of atonement.

So do you see the picture

that the tabernacle

is starting

to develop here?

The wonder of wonders.

The king

stepped down

from the mercy seat

and became

our great high priest

fully God

and fully man

and offered

his own blood

as the perfect sacrifice

at the mercy seat

sprinkling his own blood.

And when he rose

from the dead

he sat down

on the throne

reserved for God alone.

So the throne of grace

is a throne of grace

because it's a blood

sprinkled one.

Christ is our scapegoat

who was put to death

outside the camp

so that we

could approach God

in the Holy of Holies.

So I love that hymn

Arise My Soul Arise

the first verse

goes like this

Arise my soul

arise

shake off

the guilty fears

the bleeding sacrifice

in my behalf

appears

before the throne

my surety stands

before the throne

my surety stands

my name is written

on his hands.

So a surety

is one who stands

as a guarantee

for the performance

of another.

So our surety

the Lord Jesus

stands before the throne

as the bleeding sacrifice

on our behalf

right now

and we can shake off

the guilty fears

approach the throne

of grace

because Jesus

guarantees

that we will be accepted.

And so this entire system

is just foreshadowing

this greater reality

that's going to come

and this system

is designed

to answer the question

of how it's possible

for the thrice holy God

to dwell in the midst

of a sinful people

and the answer is this

at the temple

on the ground

of the accepted sacrifice

his throne

the mercy seat

again is a blood sprinkled one.

So realize

if you're an Israelite

there's really no room

for religious pretension

when we draw on you

to the throne of grace

on the basis

of the blood

of the sacrifice

as one saying puts it

at the foot of the cross

is level ground.

The strong in the faith

and the weak

must both approach

the throne

on the same basis.

All must approach

the throne

on the basis

of the sacrifice.

It's true now

it's also true then

there's no room

for religious pretension.

And if you're not

a Christian

perhaps if you're listening

to this and you're not

a Christian

when God summons you

to stand before his throne

on that great

and terrible day

you will find trusting

in your own righteousness

will be like building

a house on sand

and when the storm

of God judgment

comes

great will be the collapse

because you built

a house on the sand.

Instead

build your life

upon the sure

and steady rock

of Christ.

All of the ground

is sinking sand

and you know

we all have our secret sins.

Are we going to plead

our own righteousness

on that day of judgment

before a holy God

who knows and sees all

who knows us better

than we know ourselves

or will our confidence

be in this substitute

who has died in our stead?

So let's flee to Christ

all of us

and take him

hold of him

by faith.

Here's this interesting

side note

that the Bible translators

of the Christian Standard Bible

a translation published

in 2017

led by Tom Schreiner

made

in Romans 3

they chose the word

mercy seat

instead of propitiation.

Do you see why

they would do that?

The mercy seat

is the place

where propitiation happens.

So whom God

put forward

as a propitiation

by his blood

again

assuaging God's

divine anger

God presented him

as the mercy seat

by his blood.

So as I understand

their translational decision

the Greek

a little out of my depth here

but the Greek word

for propitiation

is identical

to the word

for mercy seat.

So when the Old Testament

was translated

into Latin

this word

mercy seat

was translated

as

propitiatorium

which means

the place

of propitiation.

So Romans 3

in context

is arguing

sin provokes

God's wrath

and anger

and argues

God put forward

Christ

at the mercy seat.

So this isn't new

William Tyndale

and Martin Luther

both translated

this similarly.

It's an interesting

translational decision

they made

but it's really

just for the continuity

of imagery.

They want you

to see how

Romans 3

is echoing

the day of atonement

in Yom Kippur.

So let's connect

the dots so far.

God desires

to meet

with his people

and the blood

of the sacrifices

in the tabernacle

are the only means

by which that meaning

is possible.

So the story

continues to unfold

after the tabernacle

is constructed.

After the tabernacle

is completed

that pillar of cloud

that Shekinah glory

descends on it

and the cloud

is where God

appeared in glory

to Moses.

A glory so intense

that Moses

that it made

Moses' face shine

and the descent

of the cloud

on the tabernacle

signifies that God

is now dwelling

with his people.

It was during

this period

where the people

rebelled by making

a golden calf

and Moses intercedes

when the people

are forgiven

and Moses

in his anguish

asks God

to show me

your glory

and the Lord

replies to that

request.

I will cause

all my goodness

to pass in front

of you

and I will

proclaim my name

the Lord

in your presence.

I will have mercy

on whom I will

have mercy

and I will have

compassion

on whom I will

have compassion.

But he said

but you cannot

see my face

for no one

may see me

and live.

So God

is present

on earth

in that cloud

of glory

and the glory

is so intense

that Moses

cannot see the face

of the glory

of God

and live.

But during

this period

of history

something remarkable

happens actually

in Exodus.

The Lord

invites the elders

of Israel

and Moses

to an extraordinary

covenant meal.

The elders

of Israel

are invited

up on the mountain

with Moses

sitting at God's feet

and the elders

ate in the presence

of the Lord

though the people

could not see

God face to face

and live.

So isn't it amazing

God desires

to share a meal

with the people

of Israel.

I think about Jesus

at the Lord's Supper

he says

I have greatly

desired to have

this meal with you.

So God desires

to fellowship

with his people

and you see that

right in the beginning

of Exodus

and even though

the people

could not see

God's face

and live

God still makes

peace with his people

before he calls

them into his presence.

They need not fear

destruction.

So isn't that amazing

God from the beginning

is desiring

to fellowship

with his people

to eat a meal

with us.

And to recap

the meeting place

between God

and his people

was mediated

by one

appointed by God

representing them

before God's presence

on the basis

of the sacrifice.

So the second part

is the temple garden.

The temple garden.

So question

in what ways

do we see

a similarity

between the temple

and the tabernacle

and the garden of Eden?

Just going to throw

that out there.

Any similarities

that we see?

Tom?

Is there

cherubim

a cherubim

or present?

Yes.

The cherubim

reappear in the tabernacle

guarding the Holy of Holies

just like the cherubim

were guarding Eden

and the Tree of Life.

So please

walk up in the garden

and that

this idea

of walking

is really

really precious

and important.

God is walking

in the garden

like you said Michelle

and this is echoed

throughout the Old Testament.

I have a few verses here.

Leviticus 26

the Lord promises

that he will walk

with his people

and be their God.

Verse 11 to 12

I will make my dwelling

among you

and my soul

shall not abhor you

and I will walk

among you

and will be your God

and you shall be my people.

Or Deuteronomy 23

God commands Israel

to keep their camp holy

because he walks

in their midst.

Verse 14

Because the Lord

your God

walks in the midst

of your camp

to deliver you

and to give you up

your enemies before you

therefore your camp

must be holy

so that he may not

see anything indecent

among you

and turn away from you.

2 Samuel

when David

plans to build a temple

the Lord reminds him

that I have been

walking about

in a tent

for my dwelling

that's a tabernacle

again the humility

of God

to walk among

people in a small tent.

I think the most

explicit area

where Eden

is described

as a temple

is in Ezekiel 28.

God calls Eden

a sanctuary

placed upon a mountain

which Bible

scholars point out

that's how Israel's

temple is often

described elsewhere.

So walking

is very important

there's cherubim

anything else?

You could think

of similarities

between Eden

and the tabernacle.

what was that

Ezekiel 28?

Just the whole chapter?

Yes.

And where Israel's

temple is described

elsewhere as

Exodus 15

Israel's temple

is described

as a mountain

just like

God calls Eden

a sanctuary

and a mountain.

there's two more

that I thought of

that I read about.

The second similarity

between the tabernacle

and Eden

is the parallel

between Adam's role

and the role

of the priest

of the temple.

So God placed Adam

in Eden

to work

and keep it.

So Adam's work

is not just

working the soil

but it's serving God

and guarding

the garden

from intruders.

So he is a gardener

and a guardian.

And the two Hebrew words

for work and keep

when they occur

later in the Old Testament

without exceptions

have the meaning

most often

of priests

serving God

in the temple

and guarding

the temple

from unclean things

entering it.

So I put

number three

as an example.

It's using

the same word

that God

charged Adam

with

when God

is charging

the priests.

It says,

they the priests

shall keep

guard over him

and over the whole

congregation

before the tent

of meeting

as they minister

as they work

at the tabernacle.

They shall guard

keep all the furnishings

of the tent

of meeting

and keep guard

over the people

of Israel

as they minister

at the tabernacle.

So those are the same.

It's echoing

the charge

that God gave

to Adam.

So Adam,

like the priest,

took care

of the temple,

the dwelling place

of God

by keeping

unclean things

out,

intruders out.

And you start

to see Adam's

responsibility

in the garden

and how he failed

to protect Eve

from the serpent.

So before this serpent

ever even

tempted Eve,

Adam has failed

in his duty

to protect the garden.

I think that's why

in Romans 5,

Romans 5:12

verse 12,

Paul will say

Adam bears

particular responsibility.

Romans 5,

Romans 5:12

verse 12 says,

sin came into

the world

because of

what one man

did and with

sin came death.

Adam failed

to keep the intruder

out.

He didn't intervene

to protect Eve

from the serpent.

So Adam

bore responsibility

for the fall

even before

Eve was tempted.

And we see

that picked up

in the temple

where the priests

were meant

to guard

from unclean

things,

mostly Gentiles,

from coming

into the

into the

inner sanctum.

So we see

the first was

walking,

Adam's priestly status.

There's the cherubim,

which we touched upon.

And then finally,

some Bible scholars

have pointed out

the lampstand

directly outside

the Holy of Holies

is possibly designed

to appear

as a tree

with seven branches

coming off

a single trunk.

It's possible

the lampstand

was designed

to point back

to the tree of life.

And if you read

Exodus 25,

there are these cups,

four cups

next to the lampstand

and they're described

with flowers

and almond blossoms.

So kind of a

garden imagery,

tree imagery.

I don't know.

Could be.

Doesn't Zechariah

talk about the memoir

with trees

feeding into it?

That sounds right.

Yeah.

I,

kind of looks like a tree.

It's got branches.

Yeah.

It's drunk.

Use your imagination.

But it could be,

it could be

symbolizing the tree

that was in the garden.

So the first part

was the temple symbol.

The second

was the temple

in the garden.

And now

the third part

in the play

is the temple

completed.

The temple

is finally completed.

And you could

see how the temple

mirrors

the Garden of Eden.

The innermost part

of the Holy of Holies,

the holy place

and the outer court.

So the cloud

that came upon

the tabernacle

isn't mentioned again

until Solomon's day.

So Solomon,

as you probably know,

is in the line of David,

who God promised

the Messiah

would one day come

and rule,

bring an international

blessing to the whole world

as God had promised Abraham

back in Genesis 12.

that offspring

will come

in the line of David.

The Messiah

would be from

the line of David.

And that great day

had finally come

under Solomon's reign.

It had taken

seven years

to build,

but now

it was finally complete.

Solomon's temple

was at last

a magnificent reality.

So to fit the occasion,

Solomon dedicated

this building

to the Lord,

asking that God's name

would dwell there.

And 1 Kings 8

records a celebration.

God let it be known

that he was present.

In verse 10 to 11

in 1 Kings 8,

it says,

And when the priest

came out of the holy place,

a cloud filled

the house of the Lord

so that the priest

could not stand

to minister

because of the Lord.

For the glory of the Lord

filled the house

of the Lord.

So God is now

dwelling with his people

in the temple.

In many ways,

this is the climax.

This is the apex

of the reigns

of David and Solomon.

This would be the place

that replaced the tabernacle

in the wilderness.

So this would be

the place that symbolized

the presence

of the living God

in the midst

of his people Israel.

The place where they

could come before him

and worship in prayer

and for the cleansing work

of the sacrifices

to happen amongst the priests.

The temple

would be the heartbeat

of Israel's faith

in Yahweh their God.

So if you turn

to Psalm 24,

the psalmist

writes a familiar verse

in Psalm 27,

sorry,

Psalm 27 verse 4.

Psalms 27:4

One thing

have I asked

of the Lord

that I will seek after

that I may dwell

in the house

of the Lord

all the days

of my life

to gaze upon

the beauty

of the Lord

and to inquire

in his temple.

And this glorious

passage is echoed

in Psalm 84

Psalms 84:10–11

verses 10 to 11.

The psalmist declares

my soul long,

yes,

faints

for the courts

of the Lord.

My heart and flesh

sing for joy

to the living God.

Then in verse 10,

better is one day

in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather

be a doorkeeper

in the house

of my God

than dwell

in the tents

of the wicked.

The psalmist

yearned

to be in the temple.

The psalmist

is saying

I long so much

I just want to

collapse to the ground

thinking about

being at the temple.

That's how much

I love it.

Maybe he really

appreciated the

architecture of the temple.

You know,

it's a beautiful

aesthetic design,

beautiful columns.

No, of course not.

That's not right.

Clearly the temple

was important

because the temple

is where God dwelt.

The temple

was the meeting place

between God

and his people

and the temple

represented the

glorious presence

of God

revealed most fully

in the Holy of Holies,

the inner chamber

of the temple.

More than anywhere

else on the earth,

more than anywhere

else,

God's presence

was manifested

in the Holy of Holies

in the temple.

He put his name there.

In Psalm 84,

the whole thing,

the temple

actually is an oasis

in the desert

for a weary pilgrim

because the psalmist

talks about being

attacked and persecuted

in the Valley of Tears

and the temple

becomes a Garden

of Eden for him

where he experiences

true happiness

because of the temple

is where he would

commune with his God.

So the temple

is a place

where God

would dwell

with his people.

Again,

isn't that amazing?

God desires

to dwell

with his people

and the entire Bible

is asking the question,

how can God

dwell with

the sinful people?

You know,

the Bible

is asking the question,

how can a good God

send us to hell?

That's not the question

at all.

The Bible

is asking the question,

how can a good God

not send us to hell?

And God desires

to dwell

with his people,

but again,

how can he

because he is holy?

And so there's a tension

right in the temple.

But right at the outset,

something is fundamentally

flawed about the temple.

The temple was great,

right?

Solomon hints,

even during the celebration,

that it's actually inadequate.

1 Kings 8, 13,

Solomon celebrates,

I have indeed built you

an exalted house,

a place for you

to dwell in forever.

But then in verse 27,

But will God indeed

dwell on the earth?

Behold,

heaven and the highest heavens

cannot contain you.

How much less this house

that I have built.

Solomon understood something.

He understood that

God created everything.

The one who created

everything out of nothing

could not possibly

be limited by a temple,

especially one made

from human hands.

So here's the first problem

with a temple.

A handmade structure

is not fitting

for the God

of the universe

to dwell in.

A handmade structure

is not fitting

for the God

of the universe

to dwell in.

Acts 7,

Acts 7:48–49

verses 48 to 49,

Stephen quotes Isaiah 66

when he said,

Yet the Most High

does not dwell in houses

made by hands.

As the prophet says,

Heaven is my throne

and the earth

is my footstool.

What kind of house

will you build for me,

says the Lord,

and what is the place

of my rest?

The whole earth

cannot contain God's presence.

How much less a building

made by human hands.

So we see that

while the tabernacle

and eventually the temple

serve at the center

of Israelite worship,

even from the beginning,

it's defective.

It's deficient.

But there's also

a second problem,

worse than the first one.

The second problem

is this.

Israel's sin

repeatedly compromised

the temple.

Israel's sin

repeatedly compromised

the temple.

As Jesus said,

His Father's house

of worship

was made into

a den of thieves.

Just like the heart

of a fallen sinner,

God made us

to be places of worship

but sin corrupts

and our hearts

become dens of thieves.

Instead of worshiping

God at the temple,

Israel quickly devolved

into what I call

rabbit hat religion.

Rabbit hat religion.

That's where God

is a means to an end.

God will do

whatever you ask Him

to do.

Pull a rabbit

out of your hat

if you just have

a lucky token

of the Ark of the Covenant

or if you just go

and make some sacrifices

at the temple.

But God is not

a means to an end.

He will not be mocked.

Eventually the temple

had sunk so low

that pagan sacrifices

were made inside it.

Is the God

who is holy

going to dwell

in a house

filled with idolatry?

Is the king

going to build

his house in a dump?

Would you live

in a dump?

Of course not.

How much more

is the God

who is holy

not going to dwell

in a house

filled with idolatry?

And at one point

the book of God's law

had to be found

in a pile of garbage.

It sunk so low

that God

told the people

that they would

go into captivity,

exiled into the foreign

nations,

and God's going

to utterly destroy

Jerusalem.

But right before

that happens,

right before that horror,

the most dreadful thing

happens.

God leaves

the people.

The glory of God

departs from the temple.

God declares

His intentions

in Ezekiel 10.

And He said to me,

Son of Man,

do you see

what they are doing?

The great abominations

that the house of Israel

are committing here

to drive me far

from my sanctuary.

But you will see

still greater abominations.

And He brought me

to the entrance

of the courts.

And when I looked,

behold,

there is a hole

in the wall.

And He said to me,

Son of Man,

dig in the wall.

So I dug in the wall

and behold,

there was an entrance.

And He said to me,

go in and see

the vile abominations

that they are committing here.

So I went in and saw

and there engraved

on the wall

all around

was every form

of creeping thing

and loathsome beasts

and all the idols

of the house of Israel.

And before them

stood 70 men

of the elders

of the house of Israel

with Jezaniah,

the son of Staphon,

standing among them.

Each had a censer

in his hand

and the smoke

of the cloud

of incense went up.

And He said to me,

Son of Man,

have you seen

what the elders

of the house of Israel

are doing in the dark,

each in his own room

for pictures?

For they say,

the Lord does not see us.

The Lord has forsaken

the land.

He said also to me,

you will see

still greater abominations

that they commit.

Shocking,

is it not?

The leaders of the people

are committing

flagrant idolatry

in the king's own house.

The glory of God

leaves the temple

and the people

no longer enjoy

God's presence.

You know,

God in fact prophesied

the departure of His glory

well in advance.

Back in Deuteronomy,

Moses warned the people,

then my anger

shall be aroused

against them in that day

and I will forsake them

and I will hide my face

from them

and they shall be devoured

and many evils

and troubles

shall befall them

so that they will say

in that day,

have not these evils

come upon us

because our God

is not among us.

Hosea 9 verse 12,

Hosea 9:12

God proclaimed,

woe to them

when I depart from them.

No illustration

can adequately

capture this national tragedy.

9-11 may be

the most striking

in recent memory

of a national tragedy

when the towers

came crashing down

but this was worse

because this building

would be like a church,

a trade center

in the White House

all wrapped into one.

But even then,

as Christians,

our worship

is not connected

to a place

so the words

don't adequately

capture the pain

of the temple

being destroyed.

Imagine everything

being taken away

from you.

First,

your church family

and then your

physical family

is carried away

and your house,

every possession

and finally

your own identity

is ripped away

from you.

God departs from you

and you are utterly

worthless

because God

has forsaken you.

The pain of it,

the writer of Lamentations

expressed this pain.

Lamentations 2,

he has bent his bow

like an enemy

with his right hand

set like a foe.

He has killed

all who are delightful

in our eyes.

In the tent

of the daughter of Zion

he has poured out

his fury like fire.

He has laid waste

his booth like a garden,

laid in ruins

his meeting place.

The Lord has made Zion

to forget festival

and Sabbath

and in his fierce indignation

has spurned king and priest.

The Lord has scorned

his altar,

disowned his sanctuary.

He has delivered

into the hand of the enemy,

the walls of her palaces.

They raise the clamor

in the house of the Lord

as on the day of festival.

The Lord determined

to lay in ruins

the wall

of the daughter of Zion.

This is like a person

looking at the ruins

of the raising of Warsaw

after the Holocaust.

Complete devastation.

But it was caused

by God's judgment.

The people were in darkness

because of their idolatry

and God had caused that.

Jerusalem is shattered.

The king from David's line

is removed.

Homes, including the palace,

are destroyed.

And the temple

is now a trash heap

laid in ruins.

Israel experiences

national death.

And during this downfall,

the long-for deliverer

from David's house

does not arise.

Where is this one

from David's line

who will come?

When will he come

to save Israel?

The people dwelled

in a deep darkness

in the exile.

But the fourth part

after the exile

is the temple expansion.

The temple expansion.

The prophets talk

about a future time

when the temple

not only returns,

but expands.

And the blessing

of God's presence

will expand over Jerusalem.

Over the whole site

of Jerusalem,

the temple is going

to expand.

Listen to some verses

in the prophets.

Isaiah 4, verse 5.

Isaiah 4:5

Then the Lord

will create over

the whole site

of Mount Zion

and over her assemblies

a cloud by day

and Moses in the shining

of a flaming fire

by night

and smoke in the shining

of a flaming fire

by night.

For over all the glory

there will be a canopy.

So God is going

to dwell over

the assemblies

gathered at Israel

a cloud by day.

Or Ezekiel 37.

God says,

I will make a covenant

of peace with them.

Actually,

Jeremiah 3.

And when you have

multiplied and been

fruitful in the land

in those days,

declares the Lord,

they shall no more say

the ark of the covenant

of the Lord.

It shall not come to mind

or be remembered

or missed.

It shall not be made again.

At that time,

Jerusalem shall be called

the throne of the Lord

and all nations

shall gather to it

to the presence

of the Lord in Jerusalem

and they shall no more

stubbornly follow

their own evil hearts.

So you see the picture.

All the nations

will gather

at this temple

and the Lord

will cleanse the hearts

of a stubborn people.

The temple is expanding

because there's no more

of the ark of the covenant.

Then we get into Ezekiel.

I will make a covenant

of peace with them.

It shall be

an everlasting covenant

with them

and I will set them

in their land

and multiply them

and will set my sanctuary

in their midst forever.

My dwelling place

shall be with them

and I will be their God

and they shall be my people.

Then the nations

will know that I am the Lord

who sanctifies Israel

when my sanctuary

is in their midst

forevermore.

So God is going to dwell

with his people forever.

But one of the most

stunning pictures

I think comes

at the end of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 40

envisions God

brought Ezekiel

to the land of Israel

and set him down

on a very high mountain

on which was a structure

and behold

there was a man

whose appearance

was like bronze

with a linen cord

and measuring reed

in his hands

and he was standing

in the gateway.

And then

that's picked up

in Revelation

to describe Jesus.

But Ezekiel

begins to describe

to the people

in exile

the new Jerusalem.

And the new Jerusalem

itself

is depicted

symbolically

as what?

A perfect cube.

And where else

have we seen a cube

so far?

The Holy of Holies.

The new Jerusalem

is described

as the Holy of Holies

and there's only one

cube in the Old Testament.

The Holy of Holies.

So you can't have

a temple, right,

in the Holy of Holies.

So what is he saying?

All the people of God

are in the Holy of Holies.

They are in the temple.

They are in the presence

of the living God.

So in the midst

of darkness

and discouragement,

Ezekiel is prophesying

about God restoring

the Garden of Eden

only much better.

God is going to start

dwelling with his people.

Meanwhile,

in Ezekiel 11,

God tells the exiles

that he himself

will be their sanctuary

in the exile.

So in other words,

God is teaching

his people

that the temple,

the true temple,

is where God is.

It's not where

the stonework

and masonry are.

And when the exiles

return,

of course,

they are encouraged