Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Location of the Temple in the "Last Days"

I Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (Geneva Bible)

I Corinthians 6:19 “Know ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, whom ye have of God? And ye are not your own.”

II Corinthians 6:16 “And what agreement hath the Temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, ‘I will dwell among them, and walk there; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Ephesians 2:21-22 “In whom all the building coupled together, growth unto an holy Temple in the Lord. (22) In whom ye also are built together to be the habitation of God the Spirit."

Consequently, the temple of which Paul speaks in Thessalonians is the human heart!

False church in the end time

I Timothy 4: 1-3 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, be means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside from myths.”

The Temple of God

John 2:19-22 “Jesus answered, and said to them, “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up again. (20) Then said the Jews, “Forty and six years was this Temple a building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?” (21) But he spake of the temple of his body.” (22) As soon therefore as he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he thus said unto them; and they believed the Scriptures, and the word which Jesus had said.”

Jesus Temple rose from the grave in three days as he prophesied. The Temple has been rebuilt through his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension which is the corporate body of Jesus Christ.

The following quote suggests that the Temple of God is the corporate body of Christ.

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners: but citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God. (20) And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, (21) In whom all the building coupled together, growth unto an holy Temple of the Lord. (22) In who ye also are built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit.”

Through this clause: “ye also are built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit” in Ephesians we understand I Corinthians 6:19

I Corinthians 6:19 “Know ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, whom ye have of God? And ye are nor your own.”
Hence, the “temple of God” of which the Scripture speaks is the corporate body of Christ. The corporate body of Christ is composed of the regenerate individual people redeemed through the Holy Spirit.

Here is a list of verses in which the phrase “Temple of God” is found.

Matthew 21:12 refers to the literal material temple that Jesus prophesied would be torn down.

Matthew 21:12 “And Jesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves.”

Matthew 26:61 “And said, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God, and build it in three days.”

The following verses declare and confirm that the Temple of God is corporate body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Know he not that ye are the Temple of God. (17) If any man destroy the Temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the Temple of God is holy, which ye are.”

2 Corinthians 6:16 “And what agreement hath the Temple of God with idols? For ye are the Temple of the living God: as God hath said, ‘I dwell among them, and walk there; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

The Scriptures which I have quoted above clearly indicate that the corporate body of Christ is the Temple of God. Hence, it is apparent and not open to interpretation that the corporate body of Christ is the Temple of God.

The Revelation in which John records his vision is in figurative language. We find two verses speaking of the “temple of God” in Revelation.

Revelation 11:1 “Then was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the Angel stood by, saying, ‘Rise and mete the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein.”

Revelation 11:19 “Then the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in the Temple the Ark of his covenant; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and earthquake, and much hail.”

The verses I have quoted are ALL of the verses using the phrase “temple of God.”

The accounts in Revelation locate the temple of God in the heavenlies and corresponds to Ezekiel’s description.

Ezekiel 43:7 “Which said unto me, ‘Son of man this place is my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, whereas I will dwell among the children of Israel forever, and the house of Israel shall no more defile mine holy Name, neither they, nor their kings in their high places.”

The Scriptures clearly indicate that God does not dwell in buildings made with hands.

Acts 17:24 “God that hath made the world, and all things that are therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”

Any future literal physical temple built with hands would be desolate before its creation.

Hebrews 8:1 “Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum, that we have such an High Priest, that sitteth at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heavens. (2) And is a minister of the Sanctuary, and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man.”


Now we can begin to understand the “man of sin” found in 2 Thessalonians.

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