1. Referred to as the “Temple of God.”
The temple of the Old Testament was a holy place and very sacred to God’s people. It was considered the dwelling place of God among His people. There is no doubt that many comparisons exist between the temple of the Old Testament and the church that Christ established.
2. We will give consideration to three things about this new temple of God.
First, the material it is made of; second, the worshippers; and third, the worship.
A. The foundation of any building is very important and determines how long it will endure.
Paul describes the foundation of God’s temple as follows:
Again, Paul describes the foundation in Ephesians.
The apostles are mentioned as part of the foundation. This would be the teachings of the apostles. Jesus delegated to them the authority to bind and loose His teachings.
Unfortunately, many religious bodies today are based on the teachings of a man or a woman rather than on the teachings of Christ. Most have their origin with some man. Peter quotes from Isaiah, Isaiah 28:16, as follows: Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture.
There corner stone was always the first stone to be laid. It was a perfect square. The rest of the foundation went out from this stone. Christ is the chief cornerstone.
Thus the temple of God has Christ as its chief stone. This is why Jesus could say in Matthew 16:18 “The of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Even his death on the cross could not prevent Him from establishing the temple of God. It is enduring, strong, and steadfast.
B. This temple is made of unusual stones.
Thus, the temple is made up of living stones (people) and not material stones. God has never emphasised a material building. After the third century, we see emphasis being placed on the buildings that were used for worship.
They were considered sacred and are referred to as cathedrals, and some are very ornate and costly, even to the point of extravagance. Different parts of the building are given special names such as “the sanctuary, the altar, the chapel, etc”.
C. God is more concerned about the spiritual material than the physical material. Buildings do not have souls; people do.
A. Visualise for a moment the floor plan of the Old Testament temple.
It was a rectangle which was divided into two sections separated by a very beautiful curtain.
B. About two-thirds of the space was called the Most Holy Place.
No one but the priests could enter this part of the temple. The priests were from the tribe of Levi. They performed various duties such as offering prayers accompanied by the sweet smell of incense.
Today, every Christian can enter this part of the temple of God because we have become a “holy priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light,” 1 Peter 2:9.
A common concept of worship today is something like an audience watching a performance. This is demonstrated in choirs, organ preludes, solos, robes, processions, etc., all of which are very entertaining. But in God’s temple there is no place for this kind of demonstration. Each member, being a priest, engages in worship. God is our only audience.
C. One third of the space in the temple was called “The Most Holy Place.”
Only the High Priest could enter this area once each year to make atonement for the sins of the people. He would sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat for the sins of the people as well as his own sins.
However, the blood did not remove the sins of the people. There was simply a remembrance made each year of their sins. According to Hebrews 10:4, the blood of bulls and goats could not actually take away sins. However, forgiveness did occur in the mind of God. He forgave their sins because of the coming sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
The actual payment of the death penalty for all sins, including sins during the Law of Moses, was paid by Jesus on the cross “for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant,” Hebrews 9:15. Thus, the blood of Jesus was retroactive as well as reaching forward to cover all sins in the future.
D. But today’s high priest is entirely different.
In Hebrews, the writer calls our attention to the one who is the high priest in the Temple of God today.
Then the writer tells us the following.
E. As priests, we can praise and glorify our perfect Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, for taking our place on the cross, cleansing us with his own precious blood.
How much greater is God’s temple today than it was under the Old Testament period?
A. The apostle Peter sets forth the nature of the worship which we now offer in the temple of God.
Under Moses’ law, their worship consisted to a great degree of externals, using material things. Today we worship “In spirit and truth,” John 4:24.
B. The Hebrews writer wrote the following.
From such passages as Acts 2:42 / Acts 20:7 / 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 / Ephesians 5:19, we learn that Christian worship consisted of singing, praying, admonishing, giving, and, on the first day of each week, we approach him in a very special way by partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Such things as organs, incense, images, altars, etc., do not fit the description of worship given to us in the New Testament.
C. In Romans, we are commanded to do the following
This passage does not teach that everything we do in life is an act of worship. Sleeping is not an act of worship; brushing your teeth is not an act of worship. But everything we do should be in harmony with His will.
If the Jews offered the right sacrifices, but their lives were not right, God did not accept their worship, Isaiah 1:11-18. If a man worships God, but does not care for his parents, his worship is worthless, Matthew 15:3-9.
If a man prays loving prayers but is unkind to his wife, his prayers are “hindered,” 1 Peter 3:7. If a man’s tongue blesses God but curses men, hates his brother he is “nothing”, and his deeds profit nothing, James 3:9.
D. We give our bodies as a living sacrifice when we study, teach, and live God’s word, 1 Timothy 4:12.
Are you in the temple of God? If not, then you cannot offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. Only in the temple can they be offered. Are you a priest of God?
If you are not in the royal priesthood, then you are not a Christian, for this priesthood is composed only of Christians, children of God. Would you not like to be a part of this great and wonderful temple by becoming a spiritual stone?