Covenant – The Temple

Temple

The temple of God had a very unique and special purpose in Israel. I will not be able to capture the sense of wonder that accompanied the Temple. No story could explore the depths of the magnificence surrounding it, no fact could describe the splendor of its sight, and no amount of praise could reflect the amount of joy the Temple gave. Why was the Temple so glorious in Israel? God was there. His presence is the satisfaction that man thirsts for since the fall in the Garden of Eden, and the Temple was a flowing fountain to drink of God’s glory.

One would do well to understand the Temple in terms of new creation and redemption. The temple flows in a linear story of God redeeming man and takes them back to signal what the Garden of Eden should have been with man continually experiencing the presence of God.

The first revelation to Israel of God’s presence came in the tabernacle. In Exodus, when God rescued Israel from the bondage of Egypt he led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:22). When God redeemed Israel, he directly led a people for the first time since the Garden. Not only did the presence of God lead them, but when they set camp Moses would enter the tabernacle and meet with God face to face (Exodus 33:9). God was restoring a relationship with the rebels that sinned against him.

I think the Bible is full of neat things, and sometimes I feel like a nerd studying because I feel like I’m putting a big puzzle together. One of the neat things to me in the Bible is the visual appearance of the tabernacle that God dwelled in. Now I’m not much on finding meaning in small details in the Bible and think broader strokes can be more beneficial. But, one theologian G.K. Beale points out that the visual appearance of the tabernacle pointed Israel back to the Garden and signaled that God was active in making creation new again. Think about it, Exodus 25-27 lays out the plans to build the tabernacle according to design shown to Moses on the mountain (25:9). In the plans for the tabernacle, God specifically tells them to design the Golden Lamp stand with almond blossoms and flowers (25:32) and to decorate with needle work the different parts of the tabernacle (26:36). Also, God specifically tells them to cover the curtains of entrance for the tabernacle with “cherubim skillfully worked in (26:1).” I agree with Beale when he draws that God is picturing for Israel that he is restoring the Garden of Eden with decorations of fruit and flowers and the Cherubim guarding the presence of God (cf. Genesis 3:24).

Next, we see a more permanent place for God’s presence in the Temple. The book of Chronicles sets out the hope of God’s presence as the nation of Israel and specifically David and Solomon seek to build the Temple. David secures the supplies and Solomon sees the fruition of the building. The reader can feel the excitement of the most prosperous times of Israel at this point as God is fulfilling the covenant by giving them the land, his presence, and hope.

Sadly, though, the Temple doesn’t last forever because of Israel’s constant disobedience and idolatry before God. God sent the nation prophet after prophet like Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah telling them to repent or the nation will fall. But they didn’t listen. So, finally, after much patience God sent Assyria and Babylon to ransack Israel and Judah. And when Judah fell, so did the Temple. Seeing the Temple fall is what made the exile hell for Israel. No more could they experience God’s presence, no more was there hope for returning to the Garden of Eden, and no more was the covenant in effect. The presence of God made them different from all other nations, but now they were in exile. Hope was gone.

 The Fullfillment- Temple

Hope is revealed. Jesus is the Temple of the Covenant. The Temple brought the presence of God to Israel. Jesus brought the very of presence of God, himself, to earth. John 1:14 says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.” The Word, Jesus, has already been established as God in 1:1, and the word for dwelt is a verb form of the word for tabernacle. It literally would read “the Word ‘tabernacled’ among us.” John points us back to the glory of God’s presence in the tabernacle and boldly testifies Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s presence and we have seen his glory!

Any reading of the Old or New Testament that sees the Temple fulfilled outside of Jesus is inadequate