THE LINC COLLECTIVE

The temple is a rich biblical image, describing the place where God and humanity overlap. See how the temple points to Jesus.

(This fully animated series, presented by The Bible Project, traces key biblical themes from their first appearance through the entire narrative of the Bible. With videos ranging from 1-6 minutes long – you can work through the whole series with your group or choose from the playlist. Either way, we encourage you to open in prayer, facilitate conversation and make it practical. Read the Word together, ask questions of the text and see what God wants to say and do.

Click here for the full playlist of 25 videos walking you through key themes in the bible from Genesis to Revelation, or continue with the specific theme below.)

The temple is a place where Heaven and Earth are united:

The ancient Israelite temple was a symbol that pointed to God’s desire to live among his human partners and rule the world through them.

The temple was a sacred place to the ancient Israelites. There, Israel’s priestly representatives entered into God’s presence on behalf of the people to offer sacrifices and be in the presence of Yahweh. The temple attracted Israelite pilgrims for centuries and was a cornerstone of their covenant relationship with God.

The Fate of Exile:
But this powerful symbol of future hope didn’t last. The books of Joshua through 2 Kings tell the story of how Israel entered into the promised land, rebelled against their God, and dishonored the temple in Jerusalem. So after centuries of patient waiting, God handed Israel and its temple over to the imperial powers of Assyria and Babylon, who plundered and destroyed the temple and exiled Israel far from their homeland. Israel replayed the rebellion of Adam and Eve and suffered a similar result. And even though many Israelites eventually returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, they never experienced God’s presence there in the same way. This is why the biblical prophets spoke of a future temple when Israel’s God would return and take up residence once more among his people.

Jesus as the New Temple:
Understanding the significance of the temple sheds new light on the story of Jesus. The Gospel of John opens by telling us that Jesus of Nazareth was the glorious temple presence of Israel’s God embodied as a human being. “The Word became flesh and pitched a tent among us, and we saw his glory” (John 1:14). With these words, Jesus is described as the tabernacle, as the divine temple glory that became human. Jesus is the ultimate reality to which the temple pointed.

The Renewed Temple:
When the Holy Spirit came to take up residence among Jesus’ followers at Pentecost (Acts 2), God’s fiery appearance echoed the filling of the Jerusalem temple with the divine presence (1 Kings 8). This also helps us understand why Jesus’ earliest followers described themselves as human temples. The apostle Peter called Jesus’ people “living stones who are built up as a spiritual temple as a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus the Messiah” (1 Peter 2:5). Through Jesus, humanity is invited to reclaim their original calling to rule the world together in partnership with God.

This is what we see on the last page of the Bible, where all creation is renewed and Heaven and Earth are united in a new garden city (Revelation 21-22). We’re told that there is no temple building there (Revelation 21:22) because God himself is the temple, and his people can now live and rule directly in his presence.

• Scriptures: Exodus 15:17-18; 1 Kings 8:27; Acts 17:24-27; Genesis 2:8-15; Exodus 25:1-8; Numbers 3:7-8; Genesis 2:15; 2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Jeremiah 52:12-23; Ezra 1:2-3; Ezra 3:12; John 2:13-22; John 1:1-2; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 21:1-7; Revelation 21:22

• Questions: Take a look at these helpful discussion questions if you’re needing further guidance.

• Revelation: What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through the text?
• Response: How does this revelation affect the rest of your life – i.e. what is your appropriate response/act of obedience?
• Prayer.

Want to dive deeper into this theme? Check out the study notes here.