1. The Temple as the Dwelling Place of God
Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem as a house for the name of the Lord. When it was dedicated, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The Lord said, "I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually." The temple was the visible symbol of God's presence among His people. Jesus is the true temple. John writes, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." The Greek word for "dwelt" is tabernacled. Jesus is the ultimate dwelling place of God among men.
2. The Temple Was the Place of Sacrifice
The temple was where the sacrifices were offered. The altar of burnt offering stood in the court. The priests killed the lambs, goats, and bulls. The blood was sprinkled. The smoke of the sacrifices ascended to heaven. All of this pointed to the sacrifice of Christ. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He offered Himself once for all. The temple sacrifices were shadows; the sacrifice of Christ is the substance. The temple pointed to the cross.
3. The Temple Was the Place of Atonement
Once per year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies behind the veil and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat. This was the most sacred act of temple worship. The writer of Hebrews explains that this was a shadow of the heavenly reality. Christ entered not a temple made with hands but heaven itself. He entered once for all with His own blood. The temple's annual atonement pointed to the once-for-all atonement of Christ.
4. The Temple Was the Place of Prayer and Worship
Isaiah prophesied that the temple would be called a house of prayer for all nations. Jesus quoted this prophecy when He cleansed the temple, driving out the money changers. He declared, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." Jesus is the place where believers meet God in prayer. He is the mediator. He is the way to the Father. Through Him, believers have access to the throne of grace. The temple as a house of prayer points to Christ, through whom all prayers are heard.
5. Jesus Identified His Body as the Temple
When the Jews asked Jesus for a sign, He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews thought He spoke of the physical temple in Jerusalem, which took forty-six years to build. But John records, "He was speaking of the temple of His body." Jesus' body was the temple of God. The Father dwelt in Him. His death was the destruction of that temple. His resurrection was its rebuilding. The temple of stone was a type; the body of Christ is the reality.
6. The Tearing of the Veil at the Crucifixion
At the moment Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Its tearing signified that access to God was now open through Christ. The temple's most sacred space was no longer off-limits. Believers could now enter the presence of God through the blood of Jesus. The tearing of the veil marked the end of the temple as the exclusive place of worship and the beginning of direct access to God through Christ.
7. The Temple Was a Type of the Church
Paul writes, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" The church, the body of Christ, is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Believers are living stones being built into a spiritual house. The temple of stone has been replaced by the temple of living stones. The church is not a building; it is the people of God. This truth flows from the typology of the temple. Christ is the foundation; believers are the structure.
8. The Temple Was a Type of the Individual Believer
Paul also asks, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?" Each believer individually is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwells in the believer's body. This is a profound truth. The same God who filled the temple in Jerusalem now fills the bodies of believers. The temple was a type; the believer is the fulfillment. The physical temple was temporary; the believer's body as a temple is eternal.
9. The New Jerusalem: No Temple Because God and the Lamb Are the Temple
John saw the New Jerusalem descending from heaven. He wrote, "I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." In the eternal state, there will be no physical temple because God Himself is present. The temple was always a pointer, not the destination. It pointed to the day when God would dwell with His people directly. In the New Jerusalem, the typology is complete. The type gives way to the reality. God and the Lamb are the temple.
10. The Superiority of Christ to the Temple
Jesus declared that He is greater than the temple. The temple was a building; He is the Son of God. The temple contained the presence of God; He is the presence of God. The temple offered sacrifices that could not take away sin; He offered the perfect sacrifice. The temple was destroyed in AD 70; Christ rose from the dead and lives forever. The temple was a shadow; Christ is the substance. Let every believer look to Christ, the true temple, and worship Him.
Conclusion
The temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God, the place of sacrifice, the place of atonement, and the house of prayer. Jesus explicitly identified His body as the temple. He is the true dwelling place of God among men. He is the Lamb sacrificed for sin. He is the High Priest who entered the heavenly Holy of Holies. He is the way to the Father. The temple was a type; Christ is the fulfillment. Let every believer worship in the true temple, Jesus Christ our Lord.