The Temples of God: lessons for a dying church

The Church as the Temple of God

“While the Israeli government has no plan to build a temple, many Jews believe that God Himself will bring the Third Temple. However, before that can happen, a flawless red heifer has to be sacrificed for the ashes to be used in a purification ritual.“

Read “Will the Red Heifer Sacrifice Take Place This Month?“ by Olive Wilson on Medium: https://medium.com/koinonia/will-the-red-heifer-sacrifice-take-place-this-month-561beb60000c.

Olive Wilson, a Medium Contributor writer, wrote the article above, which presents a fascinating and complex history of Israel from the Old Testament. Not many, save for scholars, really know and understand the background. Why of interest today — because Evangelicals hold that a sign of the antichrist is the building of a new temple in Jerusalem where he will set his throne and rule the world for a short period. This will usher in the return of Jesus and the end of the age. But us there a real need for a rebuilt temple?

We see from the Old Testament that God consecrated the first temple built by Solomon.[1] The temple was elaborate with special vessels and items overlaid with gold. They had to be perfect in detail to meet God’s standards including the placement within the temple. Most important, the ark of the covenant was placed carefully by the temple priests. Once the priests returned out of the temple the house was filled with a cloud which represented the glory of God — a visible manifestation of God’s approval that was witnessed by the people of Israel surrounding the temple that day. There was no question that the temple was God’s house as He glorified it with His presence. But in Ezekiel Chapters 9 and 10 we see the reverse — God’s glory departs from the temple and no longer is God’s presence seen. This signified God’s judgement on Judah with eventual destruction by Babylon and the people taken in captivity. Sin and idolatry by the people of Israel led to this judgement.

God always sends prophets to warn the people and gives time for them to repent. God waits a considerably long period before he executes judgement and Israel had plenty of warnings. The lesson is that sin and disobedience over time will remove God’s glory and presence. Punishment and trouble follow.

According to Jewish writings, the second temple when completed lacked five essential items — the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred fire, the Shekinah, the Holy Spirit, and the mystic objects known as the Urim and Thummim.[2] God’s spirit never consecrated the second temple with His presence and the people did not see any manifestation. It was only a modest structure when compared to the first temple, but the people of Israel assumed it was a residence of God and continued the sacrifices. It was built in 516 BCE and destroyed by the Romans in 70CE. King Herod, not known for being a nice person, improved the second temple with lavish structural changes, mostly to show his wealth, and gain the support of the Jewish people. Perhaps even to impress the Romans that allowed him to rule. That temple was eventually called Herod’s temple.

The lesson is that the efforts of people are no substitute for the presence of God. However, sinful people can (and do) pretend that God is present in institutions they build and name after themselves. As God is slow to judge, this can go on for a long time, but eventually the false belief and its symbols are brought down. God continues His plan while others look the wrong direction believing they are correct. It’s a sad cycle.

Quietly, God builds another temple for himself — he brings forth a Son. The Son of God becomes the living temple of God. Jesus even told the pharisees that if they destroy the temple (himself) that he would rebuild it in three days.[3] While God dwelled in Jesus through the Holy Spirit, the real manmade temple of Herod had become a den of thieves. [4]

Where the Spirit of God dwells become His temple — and that temple is filled with His presence and power. When it isn’t it becomes useless and pretends to function as a den of thieves and robbers.

After Jesus departed, he sends the Holy Spirit to rest on his disciples and they in turn become the temple of God; and those added going forward creating a church that is the living temple of God — provided the Spirit is in them.[5]

We, however, see a concern — only those with the Spirit of God are a temple of God. We see that God glorifies the temple when He is present. But a temple can exist that God doesn’t glorify and yet be thought to be the temple of God. Claiming to be one is not the same as being truly holy and sanctified by God’s Spirit. We know clearly that scripture indicates impostors and false prophets would dominate the last days. That churches that lose their true purpose can lose their consecration as the churches at Sardis and Laodicea in Revelation. What we do witness today are churches claiming to be born of the Spirit with absolutely no idea what that means and never experiencing the consecration that comes when receiving the Spirit.

The churches and many denominations have become lazy and gave many excuses because the Holy Spirit doesn’t display itself more openly as the formal churches arose. The true Spirit should manifest in the life of true believers. Believers should know they have the Spirit. Without it, the churches follow through the motions of worship, but there is nothing there…. Like Herod’s temple.

God provides an example of His Spirit’s departure and absence in the tale of the two temples of Israel, and how disobedience and pride can lead to false worship, idolatry, and greed — then God’s Spirit departs. This is a major reason that many of today’s churches in the western world are losing members and their messages aren’t effective with non-believers. The right course of action would be to repent, confess your faith in Jesus with your mouth and heart, then open oneself to the expectation of the Holy Spirit. If not baptized, do so as soon as possible.

[1] 1Kings9:3; 2Chronicles 7:16

[2] Babylonian Talmud Yoma 22b

[3] John2:19

[4] Matthew 21:12–14; Luke 2:22–40

[5] Ephesians 2:22; 1Corinthians 3:16–17