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,
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,
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,
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,
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.
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,
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
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,
verse 12,
Paul will say
Adam bears
particular responsibility.
Romans 5,
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
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.
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
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,
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,
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.
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
to rebuild the temple
as they are still
under the old covenant
and requires it.
But God is teaching
his people
that where I am,
that's where
the true temple is.
And now,
just as an aside,
Ezekiel's language
is apocalyptic.
And some will say
that physical temple
will be restored
in Israel
at some future date.
I would just
respectfully disagree
with that interpretation
because one of the
challenges,
I think,
of seeing that
the actual physical
temple being restored
in Israel
is that the temple
is always connected
with the sacrificial system.
So how can the temple
be restored
without also restoring
the ritual sacrifices?
So I think in this stage
of redemptive history,
right,
under the new covenant,
that sacrificial system
is obsolete
because the perfect
sacrifice has come.
So instead,
I think the temple
dimension seems symbolic.
Ezekiel is speaking
about God's good intention
for his people
and is speaking to exiles
in a language
they understood.
The temple will be restored.
And so the people
waited for that great day
to unfold
when the temple
will be restored
to its former glory,
but even better.
But even after the people
returned from exile
in Ezra and Nehemiah,
they built a modest temple
and the glory of God
did not return
on the temple.
So part five,
part five,
enter the temple fulfiller.
The temple fulfiller.
The centuries unfolded
and still the glory
was hidden.
But in the fullness of time,
Christ emerges
as the new temple.
God sent a man
who fulfilled the temple.
John 1, verse 1,
casually,
John says,
and the word became flesh
and dwelt among us.
So that word dwelt,
right,
literally means tabernacled.
God is now tabernacling
with his people
when the second person
of the Trinity,
Christ,
became a human.
And Jesus underscores this
in Matthew 12, verse 6,
where he says about himself,
something greater
than the temple
is here in front of you.
In the incarnation,
Jesus is the place
where God became a man.
That is what Christians
have always believed.
Listen to how
the Heinrich Neisting Cree
puts it.
We believe in one Lord,
Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten
of the Father,
God from God,
light from true light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one and being with the Father.
Through him,
that is Jesus,
all things were made.
So Jesus is with us.
God himself
is dwelling with us.
True God from true God,
one and being with the Father.
And the glory
that had departed
from the temple
in Jerusalem
appears once again.
But this time,
it wasn't on a temple,
but on a man.
That Shekinah glory
appears on Jesus
at the scene
of transfiguration.
Recall,
as he was praying,
the appearance
of his faiths changed
and his clothes
became as bright
as a flash of lightning
and his face
shone like the sun.
See,
an amazing act
rich in meaning.
In Jesus,
all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell.
That glory
is now resting
upon Jesus.
And Jesus began
to teach
to the woman
at the well
that the time
was dawning now
where true worshipers
would no longer
worship at the temple
in Jerusalem,
but would be directed
to the Father
through the Son.
Jesus fulfills
and now is replacing
the earthly temple
at Jerusalem.
He is now the place
where true worshipers
worship God.
So if you want
to worship God,
we don't go to the temple.
You go to the Son.
Jesus is the temple fulfiller.
We access the Father
through the Son.
Jesus is the way,
the truth,
and the life.
No one goes
to the Father
except through Him.
So our faith
is not bound up
with a location,
animal sacrifices,
or rituals.
Actually,
when Christianity
enters into a culture,
people stop killing animals.
It is bound up.
Our faith is bound up
in the work of Christ
and His work on our behalf.
And eventually,
the Romans
came and destroyed
the temple,
razed it to the ground
in 70 AD.
So God has said
He is done
with the physical temple.
It's over.
It's obsolete.
And while Jesus
identifies Himself
with the temple,
He goes on to say
this new temple
is still actually
under construction.
Jesus is the cornerstone
of a new temple,
of the new creation
that God is building.
So you recall
Jesus said to them,
Have you never read
in the Scriptures
that the stone
that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone?
This was the Lord's doing
and it is marvelous
in our eyes.
So if you were going
to build a great building
in the ancient world,
the cornerstone
had to be
absolutely perfect.
Only one stone
in the building
is perfect,
had to be perfect
and that's the cornerstone.
Had to be perfect
in each direction
because if it wasn't flat
then the building
would be stilted.
The builders
had to get
the perfect cornerstone.
And Jesus says,
I am the perfect Savior
to make a broken people
into the perfect building.
God declares
in Isaiah 28,
Behold,
I lay in Zion
a stone
for a foundation,
a tried stone,
a precious stone,
a sure foundation.
So another temple
is under construction
and Jesus
is the cornerstone.
Now,
we come back
to John 2.
Jesus' words,
Destroy this temple,
in three days
I will raise it up.
The temple
always symbolized
God's intention
to be with his people
and now Jesus
is the temple fulfiller.
I am the temple.
Neither his opponents
nor his disciples
understood what he meant.
John admits that.
But look into these words.
Don't miss them.
Destroy this temple.
Referring to himself.
So let those words
sink in for a minute.
Don't forget them.
The temple,
Jesus,
was destroyed.
And who destroyed
the temple?
Well, I mean,
on one hand,
the people destroyed
the temple.
Right?
But on the other hand,
ultimately,
the Father
put his own son
to death
because of love
for his people.
There's a deep mystery
here at the cross.
Jesus truly was
our substitute,
made to be sin
and a curse for us,
endured God's
righteous anger
for all who had
returned from their sin
and put their trust in him.
J.C. Ryle once said,
That death discharged
in full of the mighty debt
which sinners owe to God
and threw open
the door of life
to every believer.
That death satisfied
the righteous claims
of God's holy law
and enabled God
to be just
and yet the justifier
of the ungodly.
That death
was no mere example
of self-sacrifice,
but a complete
atonement
and propitiation
for man's sin.
And that death
solved the hard problem
of how God
could be perfectly holy
and yet perfectly merciful.
It opened the world
to a fountain
for all sin
and uncleanness.
So at Jesus' crucifixion,
the mockers declare,
You who destroy the temple
and rebuild it
in three days,
save yourself.
If you are the Son of God,
come down from the cross.
Jesus then dies
and the temple veil
is torn.
So what does
the tearing
of the curtain
symbolize?
What is the tearing
of that curtain
when Jesus died?
Miraculously,
that veil is gone.
What does that symbolize?
Olivia?
Taking down
the barrier
reaching us and God.
Amen.
Hallelujah.
Yeah,
that veil of the cherubim
was a constant reminder
to the people
that sin separated them
from a holy God.
Now through his death,
he has removed
that barrier
of sin
that separates us
from God
and we may now
approach him
with confidence
and boldness.
So friend,
if you are trusting
in Christ,
repenting of your sin,
know that God
is happy with you.
You can go to him
confidently
through the blood
of the mediator
and he will not
turn you away.
Right?
He is happy with you
if you're trusting
in Christ
and turning from your sin.
What an amazing thing
that Christ was made
an offering for sin
as we read
in 1 Peter 2.
For Christ also
suffered once for sins,
the righteous
for the unrighteous.
When Jesus said
in John 2
he was at the temple,
again,
they didn't understand
what he meant,
but after his resurrection
John tells us
that they remembered
his utterance
and understood
the scriptures.
Jesus is that
great meeting place
between God and man.
And of course
Jesus is the temple,
but the church,
those who have been
turned from our sin
and been united
to Christ by faith,
is a temple
that's currently
under construction.
Right?
1 Peter 2.5
You yourselves,
like living stones,
are being built up
as a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood,
to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.
And that's what
Ephesians 2,
verses 20-22 assert.
The church has been built
on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets,
Christ Jesus himself
being the cornerstone,
in whom the whole structure
being joined together
grows into a holy temple
in the Lord.
In him you also
are being built together
into a dwelling place
for God by the Spirit.
So corporately
we are a temple.
Right?
But Christian,
your body
is a mini-temple
of God.
Paul says,
do you not know
that you are God's temple
and that God's Spirit
dwells in you?
So that's a call
for personal holiness
and godliness.
A great deal
of language
tied to a sacrifice
in the New Testament
in worship
is tied to our living
in Christ.
So it is wrong
to think
that our worship
is restricted
to a worship service
at 9 or 11 o'clock
in the morning.
Our whole lives
are to be a pleasing
aroma to Christ.
And so that temple
helps us understand
what our mission
as a church is.
So God's original purpose
for the temple
in Eden
that God's image bears
would expand
to fill the whole earth
begins to be fulfilled
in Jesus,
the new temple
and in the church.
So you see
in this stage
of redemptive history
the temple
and the Holy of Holies
is reversed.
Whereas in the Old Testament
the Gentiles
were separated
from the innermost chamber
of the Holy of Holies
by the veil.
But now in the Great Commission
the temple is going out
to the ends of the earth
and through the church
proclaiming the good news
that life can be found
in the name of Christ.
So God is present
through the church
expanding until it reaches
the furthest ends
of the earth.
So the Holy of Holies
is extending
that temple
is extending
to the ends of the earth.
G.K. Beal says
our task
as the covenant community
the church
is to be God's temple
so filled
with His glorious presence
that we expand
and fill the earth
with that presence
until God
finally accomplish
the goal
completely at the end
of the time.
So that's our common mission.
That's why we support missionaries.
That's why we do evangelism.
Because the temple
is going out
to the ends of the earth.
It's a dynamic temple.
But yet
the account
goes further still.
It goes further still.
The last part
is
the world
encompassing temple.
The world
encompassing temple.
So in the culminating
vision
of the last book
of the Bible
the people of God
gather in the New Jerusalem
but there's no temple.
But why would there be?
Jesus is right there
with His people.
And John tells us
this new Jerusalem
is shaped
like a cube.
Now again
there's only one cube
in the Old Testament
and from which
this imagery is drawn.
It is the Holy of Holies.
So in other words
all of God's people
are now
in the Holy of Holies
in the most holy place
always in the sheer
unmediated glory of God
forever with the Lord
face to face
living in the Holy of Holies.
So it's a small wonder
John says
he saw no temple
in the city
for the temple
is God
the Lord God
the Almighty
and the Lamb.
And moreover
last thing
is the entire creation
has become
the Holy of Holies
as evidence
from Revelation 22
verse 4
where the high priest
who wore God's name
on his forehead
was the only person
in Israel
who could enter
the Holy of Holies
once a year
but in the future
all of God's people
will become high priests
with God's name
on their forehead
and standing
not one day a year
but forever
in God's presence.
And this Holy of Holies
will never be compromised
because it says
it will never be defiled
by anything unclean.
The last verse
in chapter 21
but nothing unclean
will ever enter it
nor anyone who does
what is detestable
or false
but only those
who are written
in the Lamb's book of life.
So all things
will be made new
when we go home to glory
there we will forever be
in that great meeting place
between God and his people.
So come Lord Jesus.
That's where the temple
ends
where we're going to be
living in the Holy of Holies
in God's very presence
forever.
So I have a song
that I'd love us to sing
and it's
Praise to the Lord
the Almighty.
Calvin once said
all orthodoxy
must lead to doxology.
So if we're not ready
to praise God
I'm sorry we've missed the point
so we need to
end with praising God
and then we will
time for questions
if
anybody needs to go
then feel free.
So praise the Lord
the Almighty.
Praise to the Lord
the Almighty
the King of creation
O my soul
praise Him
for He is
Thy health
and salvation
All ye who hear
now to His temple
draw near
join me
in glad adoration
praise to the Lord
who o'er all things
so wondrously reigneth
shelters thee under
His wings
e'er so gently sustaineth
Has thou not seen
how thy desires
there have been
granted in what
He ordained
Him
Praise to the Lord
who doth prosper
thy work
and defend thee
Surely His goodness
and mercy
here daily
attend thee
Ponder anew
what the Almighty
can do
if with His love
He befriend thee
Praise to the Lord
Lord all that is
in me
adore Him
All that hath life
and breath
come now
with praises
before Him
Let the Amen
sound from His people
again
Gladly forever
adore Him
Amen
What a wonderful privilege
to think about
the future glory
that we will all
experience
when Christ returns
or calls us home
So with that
questions
I'm probably just
scratching the surface here
there's a lot more
that we could talk about
Yeah Tom
Thanks Tyler
I don't have a time
especially about
I mean
we're starting
walking around
the garden
and the temple
that's so beautiful
I have a question
about dimensions
Yeah
I've always been
if you could just
quickly summarize
I feel like
there's three dimensions
Exodus has dimensions
of the temple
Ezekiel has dimensions
of something
John has dimensions
of something
You did touch on all this
but could you just
quickly just
boom boom boom
Yeah sure
yeah yeah
So in Exodus
the Holy of Holies
is 20 by 20 by 20 cubits
which forms a perfect cube
Okay
And then
Ezekiel is prophesying
about
in exile
that God is going
to restore Jerusalem
and it's shaped
as a perfect cube
And that's for the city
but he's envisioning it
as a cube
He's envisioning the city
as a cube
So he's envisioning the city
actually being
the Holy of Holies
like the city
which is
fulfilled in Revelation 21
where John describes
the new Jerusalem
as a perfect cube
And actually that
Ezekiel's vision
of the bronze man
is actually
Jesus
is described
as that
I think Revelation 3 or 4
So it's an apocalyptic
future looking
forward looking
vision about
the fate that awaits
God's people
and that is picked up
in Revelation
So this idea of a cube
Okay
Now I
I could be wrong
I thought that
John says
Ezekiel's men
even though they are
both cubes
Yeah
And they're both
Jerusalem
I think they were different
I think they have
different dimensions
Okay
Yeah so
John says
Doesn't he say
there's a translation thing
where you could say
like angelic measurements
It says
he says like
these are angelic measurements
I thought you had
I think a cubit
is a little different
Cubit versus
an angelic measurements
Yeah
That's good
However
If you look in
Revelation
Go back to your cube
Yes
I can do that
So your cube's off a little
instead of 8 by 8
you should be 12 by 12
Because you've got
the 12 stones
that are the
layers of the wall
which also relate
to the 12 stones
in the breastplate
of Greece
There has been
a lot of discussion
about just exactly
what stones
those are
because the different
languages
but they're
they're close
they're similar
but yeah
so the 12
and again
the cube
is accurate
It struck me
as interesting
when that
flashed up
I immediately
thought of
of course I would
pyrite
Pyrite is a mineral
that
forms
in the cubic
system
and it looks
without the lines
in it
exactly
like that
Yes
and it
dawned on me
that it was
very interesting
that of course
God has a sense
of humor
that he would
put that
in the ground
for us to find
here it is
this perfect
golden cube
and there it is
Of course
we're not going
to be living
inside a cube
in the ditch
but no
it's meant
I think it
symbolizes
God's presence
with his people
and you see
it's interesting
because
Revelation
21-22
describes
the New
Jerusalem
as a garden
but also
as a city
a garden
city
temple
and then
it's shaped
the cubic
is like a
temple
but there's
no temple
because God
is there
he's using
a lot of
symbolic language
to help
people understand
what it's
going to be
like
I'm more
interested
in the walls
which are
letters
of the
different stuff
Matt
so
in case
you're taking
notes
as
Revelation
21-17
he also
measured
its walls
144 cubits
by human
measurement
which is also
an angel's
measurement
we need
somebody to
write a
paper on
this angel's
measurement
but I do
think
two things
strike me
about
this picture
and this is
sort of
stepping back
to a little
bit of a
meta
but
the
the biblical
theology
of the
temple
is not
linear
it's
got
multiple
streams
in it
and even
the fulfillment
of it
it's like
the temple
fulfills
it's fulfilled
in Jesus
and in the
people of God
and in the
new creation
where it's
sort of
its totality
the things
that are
that it's
pointing to
we experience
in the fullness
of it
and I think
it's helpful
for us
to just
recognize
and particularly
when we're
in the
big deal
37
and we're
clearly in
apocalyptic
literature
it's
you know
it's helpful
for us
to see
those themes
without
trying to
be overly
modernistic
about
having to
make
the typology
all be
so particularly
precise
that we
know what
this symbolizes
in this
particular way
it's wonderful
to explore
those things
but it
strikes me
that sometimes
people get
really worked
up about
that
and honestly
that God
didn't reveal
it to be
this exceedingly
specific system
but more
he's using
this language
to communicate
broad truths
or specific
truths
in a
multi-fascative
way
yeah
if you
take it
too
literally
that word
literally
is
maybe we
should
take it
literally
versus
symbolically
or apocalyptically
it depends on
how you're going
to approach
those kind
of
those passages
but yeah
there's clearly
I mean
Ezekiel 40
is hard
but I
do
I would
I'll
put down
that I think
he's talking
about
revelation
where God
is dwelling
with his
people
but I can
be wrong
on that
who knows
I think
one of the
beautiful things
of tracing
this theme
throughout
the Bible
for me
is that
in the
beginning
God
does the
work
places us
in the
garden
gives us
of the
trees
gives us
all
you know
and walks
among us
like it's
all a
banquet
that he's
laid out
for us
right
then sin
happens
the fall
fractures
our relationship
and God
says I'm
a holy
God
this is
how you
serve me
and at
times I
think in
my Christian
walk I
thought God
was just
being crotchety
and saying
okay make
that I'm
purple
and that
I'm
purple
and it
comes to
that
wrong
but no
he's not
he's saying
this is
how you
serve me
like this
is how
you come
before me
which is
grace
to actually
describe to
us in
full detail
how to
come before
him
imperfectly
is a
grace
like that
God did
spend so
much time
laying those
things out
and then
obviously
we fail
but then
you know
but God
is still
even from
the garden
the prophecy
that Christ
is coming
like it's
there right
in the garden
that Christ
is coming
and then again
he sets a
banquet
he's setting
a banquet
out before
his disciples
or he's
inviting them
to a meal
like he's
doing it
again
then the
spirit
is given
to us
like there's
just grace
upon grace
in this
temple theme
and then at
the end
again we're
placed in
this perfect
God does
the work
right
Jesus I go
and prepare
a place
for you
he's already
working
to set
out this
banquet
for me
and that's
one of the
most beautiful
themes of
tracing the
temple
yeah
that's so
that's
so wonderful
yeah
that is so
wonderful
and the
fact that
yeah I'm
just struck
that he
initiates
God initiates
he's saying
this is how
you approach
me and he's
doing the
work to
rebuild what
was lost
but it's gonna
be better
I mean it's
gonna be better
because the
glory of
Christ will
be our
worship is
gonna be the
lamb who's on
the throne
worthy of the
lamb who was
slain so
yeah it's a
wonderful perfect
world but the
glory of Christ
will be there
which Adam
and Eve
couldn't they
couldn't have
said that I
mean they
would God
was there but
the glory of
the lamb is
wouldn't have
been apparent
to them even
though he was
always glorious
yeah
there's so much
more we could
say about the
temple
yeah
any other
questions
all right
let me just
close in a
word prayer
and then
we'll
continue
our father
thank you for
these wonderful
truths that
you are
working to
dwell with
your people
once again
and you've
done that in
Christ and
now the
spirit dwelling
in us
but Lord we
do look
forward to
the day
when we
will dwell
with you
face to
face again
and Lord
come Lord
Jesus
would you
whet our
appetite for
that great
day
in Jesus
name
amen
you