Road To Emmaus: Temple

Laptop: Hey, what a way church. Welcome to the Jesse and Javon podcast. Today is Wednesday, August 12th. You're probably hearing this sometime after Thursday, August 13th. But my name is Jesse. I'm Javon. And we're here today talking a little bit about the temple. we're in this phase of our types and shadows sermon series where this past Sunday I spoke about David, and the next few weeks we're going to talk about some of those things in that time frame of David. So we're looking at about a thousand years BC. we're gonna talk a little bit about David and Solomon and the temple over these next few weeks in our sermon time, but wanted to focus a little bit today here in this podcast on on this temple. Now, David does not have an opportunity to build it. He's told that because he's a man of violence, that this would be something that was saved for his son Solomon. And we know, of course, that Solomon did build a temple to kind of replace the tabernacle that the Lord had been dwelling in. But now I'm getting ahead of myself. Javon, you've been doing it. You're g you're you're putting some teasers out for some possible sermon topics, right? Well, I just like to like to make sure that we don't surprise people any more than we need to. There you go. Any you know, the Old Testament is just full of teasers about who the Messiah was going to be. So I'm just you know trying to Well, and like any good movie trailer, you know, it's gonna tell you the whole plot so you don't even have to watch the movie. That's right. But here we hold a little bit of a little bit of it back so we can always say, and there's more. Yeah, there's more. So so what Javan, as you've been thinking about this and and studying, I know you've been doing a lot of work. you've been doing a lot of work studying some Old Testament theology and and old testament languages and you've been doing some looking into the Old Testament temple. What what are you learning lately? Yeah. Well I think so the we're gonna kinda talk about this relationship between heaven and earth, and one of the things about temple, a common motif about temple, even especially in not just Israelites history, but also in the surrounding cultures, is that even in pagan culture, this is an idea that is that is kind of ubiquitous, right? Yeah, yeah. That the temple was a place where God's dwelling, where the heaven and earth kind of meet. Yep. and and we know that in in God's in the in the temple in Jerusalem that was built, God's presence dwelt on it. And in the Holy of Holies. And the same thing with the tabernacle, right? so the tabernacle, when we talk about tabernacle and temple, we're talking about the same type of situation, the same type of meaning. The tabernacle just happened to be a tent that was movable, right? That traveled with the Israelites The temple is a massive building and a massive complex made out of stone that did not move around. Right. Which is really cool. Tabernacle temple, similar, similar ideas, different kind of structure. Right. And the difference is cool. And we won't go too far into that because it's not the plan for now. But like think about the tabernacle being a symbol of God's presence that could move with the people. And then when they entered the promised land where God was taking them, God just just resided there with them. Like God's presence can move with us and it can stay with us where we're at. Nice. That sounds like a sermon. so moving forward with the temple, I think just making the connections between the temple actually and the Garden of Eden. so so you're going like way back in time. Right, to the Genesis chapter two. Uh-huh. And one of the things actually two and three, one of the things that we note in the Garden of Eden, the entrance to the Garden of Eden is on the east side. Entrance to the temple was set up to be facing the east. there's also just when you look at in first Kings Six and seven. I'm pretty sure it's first kings, if not second. but in that book you get a description of Solomon building the temple, and there's a lot of just flowers, palm trees, all kinds of gold, just nature. Yeah, the temple that that seems to be like the whole decoration thing, all the carvings, all the engravings. It's there's some animals, but then tons of plants and fruits and all kinds of stuff like that, right? It seems to be pointing back to a garden, right? And also the other thing that's interesting is you got these cherubim garden on the altar. Cherubim? What's a what's a cherubim? An angel, type of angel. Gotcha. All right. Do you know more? Do you want more description than that? I don't I don't I don't know. I was just curious about studies. I want to make sure we could squash all assumptions here in the talk. Yeah, yeah. So when when the Garden of Eden, when they were kicked out, we know that there was two an angel-like figures, the cherubim, that were s standing there with swords drawn to so that Adam and Eve and their descendants couldn't walk back in. Walk back in. So there definitely seems to be something about the temple that's pointing back to this reality in the Garden of Eden. And I think when you think about the Holy of Holies, that's where God's dwelling presence is. That's like the most inside core room right the temple, right? Right. And when well actually I'm getting ahead of myself. So let's so when in a in the Garden of Eden You we know that God apparently walked with Adam and Eve because when they sinned they heard God walking in the garden. He was able to come and walk among them. So it seems clear that there was just a a no barriers between the relationship face to face conversations, speeding back and forth kind of relationships. In a in a way you can envision this realm of heaven and earth overlapping. Noth not no gap between the two. They're overlapping, there's connection, there's relationship. Yeah. But then when we sin This holy God and heaven and earth separate. Now we have this earth that's just corrupted by sin that can no longer the presence of God can no longer just be in the midst of the sin. And that's not because the it's because you know, God is so holy that that sin sin can't exist in his presence. I think it's it's important that we talk about it that way. We shouldn't get it that it's like God's being limited. It's no, it's that If God appeared in front of sin, sin would disintegrate. And so there's this picture, there's this picture that with sin, sin is in the realm of the human, which is the earth. Right. And God and the holiness of God are in the realm of heaven. Right. And where once they were overlapped in the garden, now because of the sin of humanity, now they're separated. Right. They're separated. And so what does the temple do about all this? Right. So the temple, if you think when you walked into the temple, the first thing that was there was a way to Cleanse yourself. Okay. and then there was an altar for sacrifice. And we know those sacrifices are kind of talked about in scripture as in a way absorbing the sins of the people that came. And so the idea is they had to be made holy in a way, consecrated before God before they could come to the temple coming even just into the temple. To kind of be in God's presence, so to speak. Right. And so there is the temple is a is a glimpse of That reunited relationship between heaven and earth that was lost in the garden. So let's fast forward to Jesus. In John 114, John talks about Jesus dwelling with us, and that word for dwelling can literally be translated tabernacled. Okay. Pointing to again the dwelling place of God. And if you think about who Jesus was, he was God and man. Again, what do you see? This the unification, the overlap. Right, the overlap of heaven and earth. And the the perfect Venn diagram, right? Right, exactly. And and then Jesus is also a sacrifice for our sins. So through his blood, we are being made holy. We are being sanctified. And so we get the opportunity, we know that when we when we are made holy, when we're made sanctified by his blood, his holy spirit can come into our hearts and dwell with us. Again, bringing that unite uniting between heaven and earth. But it's also already, but not yet. Right. You kinda hear Jesus talking about this kingdom language where the kingdom is upon us, but also the kingdom's going to come in full completion. And we look forward to that day in Revelation when Jesus returns and s and finalizes this uniting between heaven and earth. And and I think you have some comments to make on that subject. I mean, that was that's some of the stuff that I've been reading about lately that I get excited about. You know, in in Isaiah sixty-five, Isaiah Has this prophecy, God delivers this prophecy, and and we often read this around Christmas time, but Isaiah says that God is going to make a new heaven and a new earth. And then Jesus picks up some of that language. And then in the book of Revelation, especially in chapter 21 and 22, near the end of the book of Revelation, the revelation that was given to John was a picture of a new heaven and a new earth. And there's the picture of Jerusalem coming down to this new earth. And and this is where at this time all evil has been eradicated. The only folks that are left on the scene are the Lord's people, you know, people who have been saved by Jesus Christ, Christians, the church. This is us. And so the picture is God's dwelling place, this new Jerusalem coming down out of the heavens, down to this new earth. And then in Revelation twenty-one and twenty-two, there's this beautiful picture. It says that the kings of the earth will come in and out of the city, bringing their goods, bringing the bringing the best of the earth. And and We know that it's not earthly kings, we know that it's not, you know, some kind of corrupt political system, which is almost always what's happening when we talk about the world and its kings in the rest of Scripture. Yeah. But what we're talking about here is saved folks who have new heavenly bodies in a new heaven and new earth, who are dwelling, some of them dwelling in God's holy city, but many of them dwelling on this new earth and living the way that we're called to live, you know, living as priests. And priestesses living as kings and queens ruling over in a benevolent, non-selfish way, ruling over God's creations and bringing the best of the earth into God's city. And there's this direct there's no temple in the city, right? We're told, because God's presence is there. Right. And people come and go. And and again, almost like what was happening, I mean, exactly like what was happening in Eden when God and humanity were face to face. You know, nothing in between them. Now, here we've got a city instead of a garden, but it's still the same idea and it's the same thing that the temple is pointing to, this idea of God and humans back in a perfect loving relationship, which is what we're intended for. It's what God made us for in the first place. Right. And I think to further that connection with the with Eden, you've got in in that and in the end city, you've got the tree of life, you got rivers, which we're told there was rivers in in in the Garden of Eden. And interestingly enough, we're told that the river Pishon, there was gold around it and onyx, all these precious metals and stones. And we're told that the temple we're also told the temple had precious stones, right? But then we're told in the end that there the city will be have there's the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh crystalline. All the different layers of the walls. Right. Just all these precious stones and just kind of connecting all of these things, showing us really, we serve a god. That when he created us, he desired relationship with us. He desired to dwell with us, he started desired to be with us. And we look forward to the day. I think of the psalmists even that just write about desiring so strongly to just be in God's presence and this longing that we should have to be with God, to be in his presence, as we look forward to the return to the new heaven, new earth, being with God. But then also that promise is made for us now. We can boldly come before the throne of God. We can we can pray. We can seek him. We know that he's dwelling in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. And how how does that change the way I live is what I think of when I realize that God wants to be with me and do life with me. How does that change the way I face suffering? How does that change the way I look at decisions that I'm going to make? How does that even just change the way I do my day to day tasks? I get so caught up in my, you know, sit down in the morning, write my ten tasks for the day, and I'm just zeroed in on that and then forget to invite God to direct and guide me. But he wants to be a part of our lives. He wants to have relationship with us. So many times those of us who are following after God, we get wrapped up in all the things that we're trying to do for God that we forget that we're living with God. Right. And you know, it is is a wonderful thing to serve the Lord, but what God really built us for is to serve Him and live in relationship with Him. Right. We we can't have the service without the relationship or else it's just it's just striving. Right. You know, and and when God creates, He doesn't just make things for a relationship with no service. He he builds things to yes we rest and we play, but God builds things for purposes, right? And and this is why we're called to rule over and subdue and And so yeah, it's exciting to think about and and I think it can be a a regular motivation for us and a regular comfort for us if we can remember that God desires to be in relationship with us and through Jesus Christ, you know, for for some centuries the temple was kind of the opportunity for people to get close to the Lord. But now, because of what Jesus has done in his finished work on the cross and in his resurrection, we have an opportunity now through Jesus Christ. to be related with God, walking with God, and to be speaking to and listening to God. Right, right. And I think if there's any anybody listening right now that is struggling with feeling close to God. Mm-hmm. I think my encouragement, the scripture says ask, seek, knock. Mm-hmm. Ask. Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you. Pray and seek his face. I think one of my favorite minor prophets, I was talking about this earlier today, is Hab Habakkuk. And he kinda sure it's not Habakkuk? Yeah, I th you think you might be right. I no, I really don't know. I that's hey everybody send in your send in your suggestions for pronunciation to Javon at waterwaychurch.com. That's probably more what it's like. I don't know, knowing the Hebrew. Sorry for ruining your ears if that if that did. But He you know, he cries out to God and and it talks about how he he will continue to cry out in in the like he says I'll continue to cry out while I wait. And I think that is something that we should do. There will be periods of waiting, but continue to cry out, continue to ask, continue to seek, and continue to look for the way God will respond. God will reveal himself. It might not be the way you'd expect, but he's there. He'll reveal himself. And the beautiful piece of it is that it's not only up to us to seek, but in Revelation three, Jesus says Behold, I stand at the door and knock. And if you will open the door and let me into your heart. And what Jesus is saying, he's he's saying, He loves us so much that he is pursuing us. He wants us. And so if you if you're a listener right now and you're not sure what to do about all this kind of stuff, where where is the application? it may be that Jesus is kind of knocking on the door of your heart right now. Will will you respond? And and the way that he loves for us to respond is to Recognize him as Lord. Yes, Lord, to repent of our sins. You know, take down this barrier between us. Jesus, please forgive me of my sins. And Jesus says, I will come in. And what did he say? I will eat with you. You talk about fellowship. You know, this is yes, we seek the Lord, absolutely. But also remember, folks, that the Lord is is calling after us. And so seek and you will find, but certainly respond. Respond when the Lord is is knocking on the knocking on the door to your heart as well. Good word. Good word. Anything else we have today, Javon, as we think about this this temple, as we think about God's drawing near to us and his desire for his people? No, I'm all good. I think we should erect some onyx pillars and, you know, sapphire pillars here at Waterway to kinda Well, you start collecting the Onyx and Sapphire and and we'll stack it up. How's that? That's good. All right. Well, hey, Waterway Church and anybody else who's listening, I thank you for taking the time to check in. Hope you've learned something today. I know as Javon and I prepared, we did. Right. And just a reminder how glorious it is to be able to study the word of God, how wonderful it is that the Lord gives us opportunities to connect with him. And hey, keep pressing on. Find your faith in the Lord, find your comfort in him. Take care of yourself and look after somebody else if you can. We'll talk to you later.