上帝的殿TheHouse of God
作者: L. Michael Morales 譯者: Maria Marta
上帝那火紅的雲彩從西奈山山頂移至新建的會幕，將會幕遮蓋住（出四十34），那一刻上帝與人類的交往達到了頂峰。在這威嚴的場景中，出埃及記以一個解決方法結束，盡管此方法對創世記第三章所講述的，人類被逐出伊甸園的故事來說是暫時性和過渡性的。此外，榮光-充滿的會幕亦預表上帝借著耶穌基督的位格和工作，最終解決了當初的驅逐事件。
在我們思考聖經中的會幕(和後來的聖殿)的重要性時，牢記兩點對我們很有幫助。首先，會幕是上帝的殿，上帝的居所。使用撚的細麻和藍色紫色朱紅色線做門簾；使用大量純金；使用幔子隔開兩個房間等等這些都是至聖君王的宮殿的標志特征。
其次，會幕也是通往上帝的途徑，它的獻祭儀式提供與上帝同住所需要的贖罪與潔凈。 獻祭制度可簡潔概述為通往上帝的途徑，它包括一次進入上帝之同在的三重活動，即一次追蹤三種主要獻祭儀式次序的「旅程」。 敬拜通常以潔凈祭物開始，重點是血-----強調人類贖罪所需要的，也就是蒙上帝赦免和潔凈所需要的。 接著是獻上全牲的燔祭，重點是祭牲的各部分要全然燒在壇上（皮除外），象征一種分別出來完全獻給上帝的生命。 拜祭儀式的最後是獻上平安祭，敬拜者可與家人和朋友一起，在上帝面前享用祭肉。所以獻祭的旅程教導：贖罪通往聖潔，聖潔在與上帝交通的喜樂中增長。
總而言之，以色列與上帝的關系透過會幕的祭祀制度保存並發展，天地的創造主藉此能與祂的子民同住、交通。 為了明白這樣一個深遠與奇妙的目的，我們首先要在上帝創造的目標內思考會幕的意義，然後視之為上帝與祂的子民立約的中心----由耶穌基督實現並應驗。
創造與會幕
也許，透徹理解會幕的作用和目的的關鍵，是首先要明白宇宙本身原被造為上帝的殿宇，人類在其中享受與上帝的交通團契。只有當殿宇被罪惡和死亡汙染後，一座次等臨時的殿----會幕----才成為必要。因此，人們期望會幕和創造物之間有一定程度的一致性，情況恰恰如此。
創世記一章一節至二章3節的創造記述描繪上帝是一位建造者，祂在六天內建造一座三層的殿宇（天、地、海洋），完工後居住在裡面，享受安息日的休息。 事實上，在整部聖經，宇宙常常被描述為上帝的居所、聖所、聖殿。例如，詩人說，上帝鋪張穹蒼如鋪幔子, 在水中立樓閣的棟梁（詩一0四2-3; 參閱賽四十22）。 古代和現代註釋者也注意到摩西五經中關於創造和會幕的敘述之間的重大相似之處，其中包括描述它們的完成所用的祝福與聖潔的語言。
另外，聖經用七個（七天）段落來敘述創造，在安息日達到高峰，同樣，聖經用七篇講話來指示建造會幕（出廿五31），第七次講話以安息日的立法通過為高峰，其立法通過直接指向創世記二章1至3節的上帝的安息（參出卅一12至18節）。「上帝的靈」既能將宇宙建造為上帝的殿（創一2），亦能將會幕建造成上帝的殿（出卅一1-5）。
此外，創造記述使用帳幕一詞，特別在創世紀一章14至19節描述的中間第四天，盡管通常此詞在英文翻譯中都消失了。 希伯來語的「光」是指太陽、月亮、行星、星星，與摩西五經其他地方提到的「燈」是同一個詞，都是指會幕燈台的燈。 同樣，希伯來語中的「季節」是光或燈的標志，它在摩西五經中轉變為以色列節期或文化節日的同義詞。
這些特征與創造敘述結尾的安息日一同用來描述宇宙是一座宏偉的殿宇，人類在這殿宇中擁有親近上帝的祭司特權，在敬拜和交通------與所有受造物一道，包括太陽、月亮、明星等都被召喚齊來敬拜。宇宙是天、地、海的三層殿宇，這在會幕的三重構造中反映出來，至聖所相對應於上帝天上的寶座。 所以創造的目的是為了上帝和人類居住在上帝的殿宇團契交通。 因為在整本創世記中，第七日是唯一分別為聖的對象（二3），所以在安息日與上帝交通是人類的「主要目的」就突顯出來。
在伊甸園的故事裏（創二4至四16），會幕的形象描述得到薘勃發展，伊甸園被描繪為原初的至聖所。伊甸園的蔥郁茂盛體現在與會幕有關聯的豐盛生命，包括燈台，一顆標志性的樹，有些人將它與伊甸園的生命樹相比（以西結聖殿的異象也包括一條生命河; 以西結書四十七章：1-12）。耶和華在伊甸園的臨在被描繪為「行走」，與祂在會幕的臨在相似（創三8; 利廿六11-12）。 另外，亞當在園中的工作描述被更好地翻譯成「敬拜和服從」（創二15），這片語在其他地方只用來描述利未人在會幕中的工作（民三7-8）。甚至上帝給亞當和那女人穿上皮衣的語言也在後來摩西給祭司穿上內袍中再次出現（創三21;利八13）。
也許最明顯的是伊甸園朝向東方，亞當和夏娃被驅逐後，基路伯------兇猛的受造組合物------被派去守衛伊甸園的入口處(創三24)，在古代世界，牠們通常是聖所入口的標記特征。在摩西五經，基路伯再次出現的唯一的另一個地方：與會幕的幔子和贖罪蓋接連 (出廿五18-21；廿六1，31)，也是面朝東方(廿七9-18；民三38)。
這些相似之處的要點表明會幕制度（包括擺設、祭司職分、祭祀、日歷、儀式）是從上帝而來的恩賜禮物，旨在重新獲得上帝創造的理念，再次確定上帝與人類同住的意願。因此，在出埃及記四十34節，在帳幕上移動的榮耀雲彩代表充滿上帝榮耀的新創造，亞倫和他的家系在這「創造」中擔當新亞當的角色。因此，神學上說宇宙是上帝原初的會幕，就是要領悟會幕乃為反映創造而創造的，至聖所代表伊甸園，而祭司的職責由更新的人履行。換句話說，會幕制度有如雪花玻璃球，它是宇宙的縮影，是一種配備它自己的人的創造模型的儀式。舉例來說，祭司必須身體健康、身體健全（利廿一17-23）；必須避免哀哭（（十6-7; 廿一1-3），在人類與上帝在伊甸園的生活的描繪中，這些都是人類角色的部分要求。
從會幕與創造的類比中，得出三個重要的觀察發現。首先，在創造方面，特別在創世記前面的記述中，儀式具有重大的意義。尤其在贖罪日，我們發現人類被驅逐出伊甸園的故事發生了逆轉：作為亞當的人物形象，大祭司將西行穿過基路伯的把守，進入伊甸園------也就是說，穿過繡有基路伯的幔子，進入至聖所-----靠著贖罪的血。顯然，在這個神聖的秋日，「東離西有多遠」，上帝子民的罪也被移除也有多遠(詩一0三12) ，當替罪羊被送到東方，作為上帝居所和宇宙模型的會幕本身，在儀式上得到洗凈，清除了以色列罪惡的汙穢。
第二，會幕和創造之間的類比也清楚表明，像贖罪日的祭祀，只能潔凈宇宙的模型，對上帝原初的殿宇，宇宙來說，則需要在創造本身的舞台上進行潔凈。這是希伯來書的部分信息，希伯來書的作者將耶穌不屬於利未家系，排除祂從事祭司工作的流言，轉變為邏輯的必然：如果耶穌是利未人，祂犧牲的祭和事工就會受限於宇宙的模型（即聖殿）。然而，耶穌成全了真正的贖罪日，因為祂已進了---- 不是天上樂園（至聖所）的模型，而是事實----「天堂本身」，不是用代表人之生命的山羊和牛犢的血，而是用自己的血（來九11–15, 23–28）。
第三、當上帝引領我們進入新天新地，創造被基督的贖罪之工潔凈，被聖靈的火更新，那時就不再需要聖殿------因為上帝的子民將與上帝同住在上帝新創造的殿。會幕和聖殿是為創造與新創造之間的時代而設，是臨時性的。
聖約與聖殿
要理解會幕在歷史上的重要性，就需要超越創造和時間-----透過聖經來注視------以確定上帝的願望，這種願望是在多次重覆的聖約應許裡啟示的：「我要在你們中間行走，我要做你們的神，你們要做我的子民。」這三重情感在整本聖經中整體或部分反覆出現，它們是聖約的核心，和創造與救贖的目標。事實上，出埃及記結尾的榮耀充滿的會幕正是這樣的聖約應許宣告所預期的：「當為我造聖所，使我可以住在他們中間」（出廿五8），和「我要住在以色列人中間，做他們的神。他們必知道我是耶和華他們的神，是將他們從埃及地領出來的，為要住在他們中間。」（廿九45–46） 後來的先知們用聖殿象征這種聖約關系，宣告上帝定會拯救，使祂的子民聖潔，並且會住在他們中間（例如，參看西廿七26–27）。在大衛之約裡，聖殿的角色在上帝救贖的計劃中變得格外突出。
上帝揀選錫安山作祂永久的居所後，大衛表達要為上帝建造一座永久的殿宇，即上帝的殿的願望 (撒下七章 )。雖然大衛因流血過多而被宣告不適合建造聖殿，但這禁令是在他進行征服戰爭的背景下提出的 (王上五3；歷上廿二8；廿八3)。因為從上帝移動的帳幕到永久的聖殿的轉變，旨在傳達穩定的訊息，所以大衛的兒子及繼承人所羅門更合適建造聖殿，所羅門的統治反映了存在變數的繼承權的穩定（而非征服）。更深一 層的含義是，上帝對大衛的回應暗示，最終考慮到兒子絕非所羅門，聖殿也絕非所羅門的建築物。希伯來語使用同一個詞來表達「殿」（house）和「家」（household），因此，譯者必須根據上下文來辨別它的意思。
在撒母耳下七章1至7節中，大衛渴望建造上帝的殿宇。然而，在上帝對大衛的回應中，將同一詞的意思從「殿宇」（house）轉變為「家室」（household）：上主「必為你建立家室」（11節），就像皇室或王朝那樣。那時，上帝應許大衛的兒子「為我的名建造殿宇」（13節）。這裏有個有趣的問題，在這段經文中，這個詞是如何理解的：是「殿宇」還是「家室」？若打算讓大衛的兒子建造一座石頭造的殿宇，那麽這故事的解決方案便有點虎頭蛇尾了。
相反，含義豐富的雙關語顧及所羅門聖殿的最初應驗，這應驗本身指出一個更奇妙的現實：耶穌基督，大衛的兒子將教會建造成活石的聖殿，它是上帝藉著聖靈居住的所在(弗二19–22)。新約將救恩描述為納入上帝的家，成為上帝的兒女，由聖靈賜予屬天的新生命 (約一12-13；三3-8；約壹三1)。上帝的子民既是祂的殿，也是祂的家。
基督與聖殿
從創造到新創造殿的過渡；從殿宇是聖殿到殿宇是上帝的家的過渡，都是以主耶穌基督的位格和工作為中心的。在約翰福音的序言中，我們讀到兒子道成了肉身，居住（tabernacled）在我們中間，彰顯祂的榮耀(一14，作者的翻譯)。透過道成肉身，永恒的兒子成為一座聖殿，祂的人性成為上帝的居所。作為聖殿，耶穌也是通往上帝的道路。祂在十字架上承受極大的痛苦，獻上自己作犧牲的祭，贖回我們的罪，成全了古代以色列的祭祀制度。相當恰當地，基督在十字架上受難那刻，上帝撕裂聖殿的幔子 (可十五38)----- 藉著耶穌肉身這幔子，開通一條通往上帝的「又新又活的路」 (來十19–22)。
透過祂的復活和升天，耶穌把人類------首先，藉著祂自己的人性，然後藉著我們的靈魂與祂的聯合------帶入上帝的天堂。事事上，耶穌是被建築工人所棄的石頭，但上帝卻證實耶穌是祂的活聖殿房角的主要石頭 (彼前二4-10；詩一一八22)。因著聖靈的傾注，上帝的子民，就像許多被揀選的寶石一樣，與基督連接配合，在祂裡面一同被建造為上帝的殿和上帝的家。極奇妙的是，教會-----上帝子民集體敬拜的聚集-----變成上帝的殿，上帝的靈住在其中(林前三16)。聖經中關於聖殿的主題無疑得出了與基督聯合的教義。
最終，聖殿代表上帝與祂的子民在創造中交通的堅定與永恒的願望。耶穌基督的死顯示上帝這種願望的長遠，和與基督聯合的高深度-------一種超越知識的愛(弗三17-19)。透過創造和盟約的鏡頭，榮耀充滿的會幕指引信心的眼睛，使約翰看到從天而降的教會的異象，教會被稱為聖城，新耶路撒冷。 (啟二十一章)。同樣的榮耀呼喚信心的耳朵，傾聽那來自天上的嘹亮之聲：「看哪，神的帳幕在人間！他要與人同住，他們要做他的子民，神要親自與他們同在，做他們的神。」 (3節) 在新創造的殿裡，全能的上帝和羔羊將是教會的殿，與教會-------每個時代和每個國家的上帝子民------成為上帝的殿。我們將會知道在上帝的殿裏，與上帝同在的完滿生命。
Dr.
L. Michael Morales is professor of biblical studies at Greenville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary and a teaching elder in the PCA. He is author of 《Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the
Book of Leviticus (New Studies in Biblical Theology) 》
本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌2017年十二月號 。
The
House of God
by L.
Michael Morales
hen
the fiery cloud of God moved from the summit of Mount Sinai to the newly
constructed tabernacle, covering God’s house with smoke and filling it with His
glory (Ex. 40:34), a pinnacle in God’s dealings with humanity was realized. In
this majestic scene, the book of Exodus ends with a resolution, albeit
temporary and intermediate, to the story of humanity’s exile from Eden narrated
in Genesis 3. Moreover, the glory-filled tabernacle also foreshadowed God’s
ultimate solution to that primal expulsion through the person and work of Jesus
Christ.
As we
consider the significance of the tabernacle (and later temple) in Scripture, it
will be helpful to keep two points in mind. First, the tabernacle was the house
of God, the place of His dwelling. Blue, purple, and scarlet-threaded curtains,
abundant use of pure gold, and a veil partitioning its two rooms mark the
tabernacle as the palace of the most holy King.
Second,
the tabernacle was also the way to God, its sacrificial rituals providing the
atonement and cleansing needed to dwell with God. A simplified overview of the
sacrificial system presents the way to God as involving a threefold movement
into God’s presence, a “journey” traced through the ritual order of three
primary sacrifices. Worship often began with the purification offering, with
its emphasis upon blood underscoring humanity’s need for atonement, that is, to
be forgiven and cleansed by God. Then followed the whole burnt offering that,
with its emphasis on burning the whole animal apart from its skin, symbolized a
life of total consecration to God. The liturgy would conclude with a peace
offering in which the worshiper feasted upon a sacred meal with family and
friends in God’s presence. Atonement, so the journey of sacrifice teaches,
leads to sanctification, and sanctification grows into joyous communion with
God.
In
sum, Israel’s relationship with God was preserved and cultivated by the
sacrificial system of the tabernacle, enabling the Maker of heaven and earth to
dwell with His people in fellowship. To understand the depth and wonder of such
a purpose, we will reflect upon the meaning of the tabernacle first within
God’s goal for creation and then as the heart of God’s covenant with His
people—a purpose taken up and fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
CREATION
AND THE TABERNACLE
Perhaps
the key insight into the role and purpose of the tabernacle begins with
understanding that originally, the cosmos itself was created to be God’s house
wherein humanity would enjoy fellowship with God. Only when that house became
polluted by sin and death did a secondary and provisional house—the
tabernacle—become necessary. One would, therefore, expect a measure of correspondence
between the tabernacle and creation, and that is precisely the case.
The
creation account of Genesis 1:1–2:3 depicts God as a builder who makes a
three-story house (heaven, earth, and seas) in six days, and then, upon its
completion, takes up residence within it, enjoying Sabbath rest. Indeed,
throughout Scripture the cosmos is often portrayed as God’s house, His
sanctuary or temple. The psalmist says, for example, that God stretches out the
heavens like a tent and lays the beams of His chambers in the waters (Ps.
104:2–3; cf. Isa. 40:22). Both ancient and contemporary interpreters have also
noted significant parallels between the creation and tabernacle accounts of the
Pentateuch, including the language of blessing and sanctification used to describe
their completion.
Also,
while creation is recounted in seven paragraphs (for seven days), culminating
in the Sabbath, there are, similarly, seven divine speeches recounting the
instructions for the tabernacle (Ex. 25–31), the seventh speech culminating
with Sabbath legislation that refers directly to God’s Sabbath of Genesis 2:1–3
(see Ex. 31:12–18). The “Spirit of God” enables the construction of both God’s
house as cosmos (Gen. 1:2) and God’s house as tabernacle (Ex. 31:1–5).
Moreover,
though it is typically lost in English translations, the creation account uses
tabernacle terminology, particularly on the central fourth day described in
Genesis 1:14–19. The Hebrew word for “lights,” referring to the sun and moon,
planets and stars, is the same word for the “lamps” that elsewhere in the
Pentateuch always refer to the lamps of the tabernacle lampstand. Similarly,
the Hebrew word for “seasons” for which the lights or lamps function as markers
is a term that in the Pentateuch becomes synonymous with Israel’s feasts or
cultic festivals.
These
features, along with the Sabbath day that concludes the account, serve to
portray the cosmos as a grand temple in which humanity has the priestly
privilege of drawing near to God in worship and fellowship—with all of creation,
including the sun, moon, and stars, serving as a call to worship. The cosmos as
a three-storied house of heaven, earth, and seas is mirrored in the
tabernacle’s threefold structure, with the Holy of Holies corresponding to
God’s heavenly throne room. The purpose of creation, then, is for God and
humanity to dwell in the house of God in fellowship. As humanity’s “chief end,”
Sabbath day communion with God is highlighted since the seventh day is the only
object of sanctification in the entire book of Genesis (2:3).
In
the Eden narratives (Gen. 2:4–4:16), the tabernacle imagery develops richly,
with the garden of Eden portrayed as the original Holy of Holies. The lushness
of Eden is captured in the fullness of life associated with the tabernacle, including
the lampstand, a stylized tree that some have compared to Eden’s tree of life
(and the vision of Ezekiel’s temple includes a river of life as well; Ezek.
47:1–12). The Lord’s presence in Eden, described as “walking,” is presented
similarly with the tabernacle (Gen. 3:8; Lev. 26:11–12). Also, the portrayal of
Adam’s work in the garden, translated better as “to worship and obey” (Gen.
2:15), is used elsewhere only to describe the work of the Levites at the
tabernacle (Num. 3:7–8). Even the language for God’s clothing of Adam and the
woman reappears later in Moses’ clothing of the priests (Gen. 3:21; Lev. 8:13).
Perhaps
most explicitly, the garden of Eden was oriented toward the east, and after the
expulsion of Adam and Eve, cherubim—fierce, composite creatures—were stationed
to guard the garden’s entrance (Gen. 3:24), features that in the ancient world
commonly marked the entrance to a sanctuary. The only other place in the
Pentateuch where cherubim show up again is in connection with the curtains and
atonement-lid of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:18–21; 26:1, 31), which also faced east
(27:9–18; Num. 3:38).
The
main point of these parallels is that the tabernacle system (including
furnishings, the priesthood, sacrifices, calendar, and rituals), as a gift from
God, was meant to recapture God’s ideal for creation, reaffirming His intention
to dwell with humanity. The glory cloud’s movement upon the tabernacle in
Exodus 40:34, therefore, represented a new creation filled with the glory of
God, with Aaron and his line serving the role of a new Adam in this “creation.”
Theologically, then, to say that the cosmos was God’s original tabernacle is to
understand that the tabernacle was created to reflect creation, that the Holy
of Holies represented the garden of Eden, and that the priesthood functioned by
office as a renewed humanity. Put differently, the tabernacle system was like a
snow globe, a microcosm within the cosmos, a ritual model of creation complete
with its own humanity. That the priests were to be healthy and whole physically
(Lev. 21:17–23) and were to refrain from mourning (10:6–7; 21:1–3), for
example, was part of their role in portraying humanity’s Edenic life with God.
The
analogy between tabernacle and creation leads to three important observations. First,
rituals find their significance in relation to creation and, particularly, to
the early narratives of Genesis. On the Day of Atonement, especially, we find
the story of humanity’s expulsion from Eden reversed: as an Adam figure, the
high priest would journey westward through the cherubim-guarded entry into the
garden of Eden—that is, through the cherubim-embroidered veil into the Holy of
Holies—and this with the blood of atonement. On this holy autumn day, the sins
of God’s people were visibly removed “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps.
103:12) as the scapegoat was driven away eastward and the tabernacle itself, as
God’s dwelling and model cosmos, was ritually cleansed of the pollution of
Israel’s sins.
Second,
the analogy between tabernacle and creation also makes clear that the drama of
rituals like the Day of Atonement, which cleansed only the model of the cosmos,
would need to take place on the stage of creation itself for the sake of God’s
original house, the cosmos. This is part of the message of the book of Hebrews,
whose author turns the scandal of Jesus’ not having a Levitical lineage,
precluding Him from priestly ministry, into a logical necessity: If Jesus were
a Levite, His sacrifices and ministry would have been limited to the model of
the cosmos (that is, the temple). Jesus, however, has accomplished the true Day
of Atonement by entering, not the model of heavenly paradise (the Holy of
Holies), but the reality—indeed, He has entered “heaven itself,” and this not
with the blood of bulls and goats that had represented the life of humanity,
but with His own blood (Heb. 9:11–15, 23–28).
Third,
when God ushers in the new heavens and earth, creation having been cleansed by
Christ’s atoning work and renovated by the fires of the Holy Spirit, there will
be no need for a temple—for God’s people will dwell with God in the house of
God’s new creation. The tabernacle and temple were provisional for the era
between creation and new creation.
COVENANT
AND THE TEMPLE
To
understand the significance of the tabernacle in history, one needs to
gaze—through Scripture—outside of creation and time to the determined desire of
God, a desire revealed in an oft-repeated covenant promise: “I will be your
God, you will be My people, and I will dwell in your midst.” This threefold
sentiment recurs, in whole or in part, throughout Scripture as the heart of the
covenant, the goal of both creation and redemption. Indeed, the glory-filled
tabernacle at the end of the book of Exodus had been anticipated already by
just such declarations of the covenant promise: “Let them make me a sanctuary,
that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex. 25:8), and “I will dwell among the people
of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their
God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them”
(29:45–46). Later prophets would use the temple as a symbol for this covenant
relationship, declaring that God would indeed redeem and sanctify His people
and dwell with them (see, for example, Ezek. 36:26–27). In the Davidic
covenant, the role of the temple in God’s plan of redemption rises to singular
prominence.
After
God had chosen Mount Zion as His permanent dwelling place, David expressed his
desire to establish a permanent house for God, that is, to build Him a temple
(2 Sam. 7). While David was declared unfit to build the temple due to his
shedding of much blood, this prohibition was given within the context of his
wars of conquest (1 Kings 5:3; 1 Chron. 22:8; 28:3). Since the transition from
the mobile tent-dwelling of God to the permanent temple was meant to convey the
idea of stability, it was therefore more appropriate for David’s son and heir,
Solomon, whose reign reflected the stability of dynamic succession (rather than
conquest), to build the temple. More deeply, the Lord’s response to David
intimates that, ultimately, a Son other than Solomon was in mind, as well as a
house other than Solomon’s edifice. The Hebrew language uses the same term for
“house” as for “household,” so interpreters must rely on context to discern
which idea is meant.
In 2
Samuel 7:1–7, David longs to build God a house. God’s response to David,
however, changes the meaning of the same term from “house” to “household”: the
Lord “will make you a house” (v. 11), as in a royal household or dynasty. Then
God promised that David’s son would be the one to build “a house for my name”
(v. 13). The intriguing question here is how the term is to be taken in this
verse: as “house” or “household”? Given the Lord’s recent transformation of the
term from a house of stone to a household of sons, not to mention His previous
relatively indifferent remarks concerning the former (vv. 5–7), it would be
somewhat anticlimactic for the story’s resolution to be found merely in the
notion that David’s son would build a house of stone.
Rather,
the rich wordplay allows for an initial fulfillment in Solomon’s temple (1
Kings 8) as an event that itself pointed to a more wondrous reality: Jesus
Christ, the Son of David, who would build the church as a temple of living
stones, a household as the dwelling place of God by His Spirit (Eph. 2:19–22).
The New Testament portrays salvation as being brought into the household of
God, as becoming God’s children, being given heavenly birth by His Spirit (John
1:12–13; 3:3–8; 1 John 3:1). God’s people are both His house and His household.
CHRIST
AND THE TEMPLE
The
transition from creation to new creation and from temple as house to temple as
household centers upon the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the
prologue of John’s gospel, we read that the Son became flesh and “tabernacled”
among us, manifesting His glory (1:14, author’s translation). Through the
incarnation, the eternal Son becomes a temple, His humanity the dwelling place
of God. As a temple, Jesus is also the way to God. His self-sacrifice on the
cross of agony atoned for our sins, fulfilling the sacrificial system of
ancient Israel. Quite fittingly, Christ’s crucifixion resulted in God’s rending
the temple veil (Mark 15:38)—through the veil of Jesus’ flesh, the “new and
living way” to God has been opened (Heb. 10:19–22).
Through
His resurrection and ascension, Jesus brought humanity—first, through His own
human nature, then through our Spirit-wrought union with Him—into God’s
heavenly paradise. Jesus is, indeed, the stone the builders rejected, but whom
God vindicated as the chief cornerstone of His living temple (1 Peter 2:4–10;
Ps. 118:22). By the outpoured Spirit, God’s people, like so many chosen gems, are
brought into union with Christ to form God’s house and household. Wondrously,
the church—the people of God assembled for corporate worship—has become God’s
temple in whom the Spirit of God dwells (1 Cor. 3:16). Inevitably, then, the
temple theme in Scripture arrives at the doctrine of union with Christ.
Ultimately,
the temple stands for God’s deep-seated, eternal desire to dwell in fellowship
with His people in creation. The death of Jesus Christ demonstrates the divine
depths of such desire, and union with Christ its height—a love surpassing
knowledge (Eph. 3:17–19). Through the lens of creation and covenant, the
glory-filled tabernacle directs the eyes of faith to John’s vision of the
church descending out of heaven, described as a temple-city, the new Jerusalem
(Rev. 21). The same glory beckons the ears of faith to listen for the loud
heavenly voice, saying: “Behold! The tabernacle of God is with humanity, and he
will dwell with them, and they shall be His people—God himself will be with
them and be their God!” (v. 3, author’s translation). Within the house of a new
creation, the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will be the church’s temple, and
the church—God’s people of every age and nation—will be God’s temple. Then we
will know the fullness of life with God in the house of God.
