28-07-2019 Zerubbabel Temple (1)

Title: Zerubbabel Temple (1)

• The History of the Holy Temple

• The meaning of the Holy Temple
• It is where God is (Psalms 11:4)
• It is where the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16)

• What is the Holy Temple
• It is a physical building (1 Chronicles 29:3)

     Moses’ tabernacle -> Solomon’s Temple

     ->Zerubbabel’s Temple ->Herod’s Temple

• It is an individual body (1 Corinthians 3:9; 6:19)

Therefore, we should keep and protect the physical building as the Temple as well as your individual body as the Temple.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only our spirit and soul should be preserved well but also our body.

• The History of Redemption through the Temple

Like God used His covenant to continue the History of Redemption, God also used the Holy Temple to continue His Redemptive History.

• The Garden of Eden

Hebrew word for “to walk” means God had been there for quite some time. As God was there in the Garden of Eden, it can be regarded as the Holy Temple (Genesis 3:8). However, this temple was broken because Adam disobeyed the Word of God. After Adam was kicked out of the Garden of Eden, God walked with various patriarchs: God found Noah in 10 generations and Abraham in another 10 generations. Then, finally in Moses’ time another physical temple appeared that is the Tabernacle.

• The Tabernacle

In the Tabernacle, God was there to meet with the people of God and filled the place with His glory (Exodus 29:43; 40:34-35). However, this temple (tabernacle) was broken again with losing the Ark of the Covenant. The mercy seat is the cover of the Ark of the Testimony (Covenant). But the people of Israel lost the Ark of the Covenant including the mercy seat. Therefore, the tabernacle lost God’s presence and glory (Exodus 25:22).

• What are the reasons that the Ark of the Covenant was lost?

• Because they despised the sacrifice (1 Samuel 2:17)

There were two sons to Priest Eli: Hophni and Phinehas. These sons were not so faithful that they played with the sacrificed offering. If we despise and play with the offering of the Lord, God’s presence and glory will not be with us.

• Because they sinned immorally (1 Samuel 2:22)

During the Battle of Aphek, the tabernacle and the Ark were separated. Although the tabernacle remained in Israel, as the Ark of the Covenant was taken to Philistine, the tabernacle became the place without God’s presence.

• Journey of the tabernacle

Wilderness -> Gilgal -> Shiloh -> Nob -> High place at Gibeon

Ark of the Covenant was lost in Shiloh (1 Chronicles 16:39; 15:1)

• Solomon’s Temple

After Solomon’s temple was built, the Ark of the Covenant eventually was placed inside the temple. Then, the glory of God returned to the temple (2 Chronicle 7:1; 1 Kings 8:11).

However, this glorious temple was also broken because of sins of mankind (2 Kings 24:19-20; 2 Chronicles 36:16).

The people of Israel continued to mock the messenger of God, despise God’s Word. It means the people of God started sensing and believing that they don’t need the Word of God anymore.  Because of these thoughts, the temple eventually was burned down and destroyed completely, and the glory of God left (2 Kings 25:9-10; 1 Samuel 2:30).

4. Zerubbabel’s Temple and Herod’s Temple

After the people of Israel returned from Babylonian Captivity, they rebuilt the temple. The Bible says that Zerubbabel’s Temple was built according to the command of God which signifies that Zerubbabel’s Temple was God’s Holy Temple (Ezra 6:14-15). However, Zerubbabel’s temple was not so grandeur. Hence when Herod was governing over Israel, he renovated the temple and made it more beautiful and luxurious (John 2:20). No matter how luxurious it was, in AD 70, by Roman’s General Titus, Herod’s Temple was also destroyed (Matthew 24:2).

Conclusion

We should see and find Jesus if we are the true temple

Revelation 21:22 says that the essence of the temple is God almighty and His lamb. Thus, through the temple and the church, we should find God and Jesus. In Herod’s time, the temple was renovated greatly yet the hearts of the people were not seeking to meet God or meet Jesus Christ at all.