The Temple / Tabernacle

Illustration of The Temple / Tabernacle
A tent in the wilderness. A magnificent temple on a hill. A body on a cross - destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Now believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Throughout the scriptures the tabernacle in the wilderness and later Solomon's temple served as the appointed place where the glory of the Lord descended and dwelt among his people, making visible the covenant promise of divine presence. This sacred structure reached its fulfillment when Jesus identified his own body as the temple, declaring that its destruction would be followed by resurrection in three days, thereby accomplishing redemption through his sacrificial death. In the new covenant the same indwelling Spirit now makes every believer a living temple, extending God's presence from the holy of holies to the hearts of the redeemed.

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Details

Symbolizes
God dwelling with humanity, Christ's body, believers as God's house

Old Testament Type

The tabernacle where God's glory dwelt among Israel (Exodus 40:34)

New Testament Fulfillment

Jesus' body is the true temple (John 2:21); believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19)

Key Chapters

Exodus 40 Setting Up the Tabernacle 5 min read God's glory filling the tabernacle shows His loving desire to dwell among His pe... John 2 Water into Wine 3 min read This passage reveals Jesus as the true temple, where God dwells with us through ... 1 Corinthians 6 Lawsuits and Sexual Purity 3 min read Your body matters deeply because it now houses God's Spirit, inviting you to liv...

Key Passages

Glory Fills Tabernacle

Exodus 40:34-35

God's glory filling the tabernacle shows His loving desire to dwell among His people and guide their journey.

T34hen a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Destroy This Temple

John 2:19-21

This passage reveals Jesus as the true temple, where God dwells with us through his death and rising.

J19esus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

Your Body Is the Temple

1 Corinthians 6:19

Your body matters deeply because it now houses God's Spirit, inviting you to live each day with reverence and purpose.

W19hat? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Explore Related

Characters 3

Jesus Jesus is portrayed in the Bible as the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah whose coming fulfilled Oldโ€ฆ Moses Moses was a prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt during the Exodus. Throughโ€ฆ Solomon Solomon, the son of King David and Bathsheba, succeeded his father as ruler of Israel around 970 BCE andโ€ฆ

Symbols 3

The Cornerstone The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Jesus quoted this about himself. Peter preachedโ€ฆ The Rock God is my rock, my fortress. Moses struck the rock and water flowed. Jesus said whoever hears his wordsโ€ฆ Light God's first word was let there be light. The pillar of fire guided Israel. The lampstand burned in the holyโ€ฆ

Did You Know?

1

The temple was the place where heaven and earth met. God dwelt in the midst of His people. Every detail of its construction and every sacrifice offered there pointed to something greater.

2

Jesus referred to His body as the temple. After the resurrection, the church became the temple of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God is no longer confined to a building made with hands.

3

We are being built together into a holy temple in the Lord. Every believer is a living stone. The church is not a place we go. It is who we are as the dwelling place of God.