Currently our congregation is studying the book of Hebrews. Preaching through this New Testament book each week has been extremely challenging but also rewarding. Lately we’ve been exploring chapter 9, which contrasts the “earthly sanctuary” with the “heavenly sanctuary.” The Old Testament tabernacle (which was basically a portable temple) and its furnishings symbolized the spiritual realities now fulfilled in Christ.
But the more I study the significance of the tabernacle/temple in relation to Christ, the more of its significance I see in Scripture. When I began our study of Hebrews, I was in the wading pool. Now I’m in the shallow end, making my way to the deep end, as I undertake a broader study of the temple in Scripture (beyond our study of Hebrews).
At a recent pastor’s gathering, a fellow minister recommended a landmark book by G. K. Beale entitled The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God. In the introduction, Beale sets forth is main proposition for the reader’s consideration:
My thesis is that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the cosmic eschatological reality that God’s tabernacling presence, formerly limited to the holy of holies, was to be extended throughout the whole earth. Against this background, the Revelation 21 vision is best understood as picturing the final end-time temple that will fill the entire cosmos.
Those statements may sound a bit technical, especially for a basic devotional like this, but stick with me for just a moment. It’s a fascinating subject! Using Scripture as his basis, Beale argues that
the Garden of Eden was the first archetypal temple, and that it was the model for all subsequent temples. Such an understanding of Eden will enhance the notion that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolic microcosms of the whole creation. As microcosmic symbolic structures they were designed to point to a worldwide eschatological temple that reflects Gods’ glory. It is this universally expanded eschatological temple that is pictured in Revelation’s last vision.
Asaph, who was a singer and poet appointed by King David to lead Israel in worship, describes God’s creation this way in Psalm 78:69:
And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has founded forever (or from eternity).
Asaph indicates that the earthly temple corresponded in some way to creation as a whole.
Israel’s temple was composed of three main parts: the outer courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies).
Beale contends that (1) the outer court represented the habitable world where humanity dwelt; (2) the holy place was emblematic of the visible heavens and its light sources; (3) the holy of holies symbolized the invisible dimension of the cosmos, where God and his heavenly hosts dwelt.
Still with me? If so, let’s unpack this just a bit further.
The Outer Court
This consisted of a large wash basin called the “sea” (1 Kings 7:23-26), and the altar of sacrifice which was to be an “altar of earth” or an “altar of [uncut] stone” (Ex. 20:24-25), thus identifying it with the more natural earth. So the “sea” and the “alter” appear to be cosmic symbols of the seas and the earth (land).
The Holy Place
This could well be a symbol of the visible sky. The lampstand in the Holy Place had seven branches and thus seven light-sources. These may have been associated with the seven light-sources visible to the naked eye (five planets, sun and moon). Interestingly, Genesis 1 uses the unusual word for “lights” (me·'o·rot) five times instead of “sun” and “moon” — a word that is used throughout the remainder of the Pentateuch (ten times) only for the “lights” on the tabernacle lampstand.
Furthermore, Vern Poythress notes,
The whole cycle of time marked by the sun and moon and stars is divided up into sevens: the seventh day in the week is the Sabbath day; the seventh month is the month of atonement (Lev. 16:29); the seventh year is the year of release from debts and slavery (Deut. 15); the seventh of the seven-year cycles is the year of jubilee (Lev. 25). Fittingly, the lampstand contains the same sevenfold division, symbolizing the cycle of time provided by the heavenly lights.
The Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies)
This chamber represented the unseen heavenly dimension of the world — the abode of God. Beale points out,
Just as the angelic cherubim guard God’s throne in the heavenly temple (e.g., Rev. 4:7-9), the sculpted cherubim around the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies (1 Kgs. 6:23-28), and the figures of the cherubim woven into the curtain that guards the holy of holies reflects the real cherubim in heaven who presently and in the future will stand guard around God’s throne in the heavenly temple (cf. 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kings. 19:15; 1 Chr. 13:6; Pss. 80:1; 99:1, all of which may have double reference to the earthly and heavenly cherubim).
No human could enter the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) in the earthly tabernacle but once a year, on the Day of Atonement. Even then, only the high priest could enter, and he offered incense which formed a cloud that covered God’s glorious presence so that the priest wouldn’t die (Lev. 16:13).
The ark of the covenant was understood to be the footstool of God’s heavenly throne (1 Chr. 28:2; Psalm 132:7-8; Isa. 66:1). The space directly above the Ark, between the two cherubim, was empty, because “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and therefore cannot be seen. “Thus,” Beale concludes, “the holy of holies was a representation of God’s unseen heavenly dwelling in his temple amidst ministering angels and spirits (Isa. 6:1-7; Ezek. 1; Rev. 4:1-11).”
Theological Conclusions
How does this biblical concept of the tabernacle representing both a cosmic temple and Christ all come together, especially when we consider Paul’s statement to the church, “You are God’s temple” (1 Cor. 3:16)? Well, Beale takes over 400 pages to trace the biblical theology of God’s dwelling place, and I’m trying to cram everything into a single blog post, which of course is impossible. My hope is simply to whet your appetite for further reading on your own.
The bottom line is that the physical temple was a foreshadowing of God’s and Christ’s presence as the true temple. Christ arose to become the cornerstone of the temple, and believers are living stones being built up as a spiritual house (see 1 Peter 2:4-10). In the book of Revelation,
the new creation and Jerusalem are none other than God’s tabernacle, the true temple of God’s special presence portrayed throughout chapter 21. It was this divine presence that was formerly limited to Israel’s temple and has begun to expand through the church, and which will fill the whole earth and heaven, become co-equal with it. Then the eschatological goal of the temple of the Garden of Eden dominating the entire creation will be finally fulfilled (so Rev. 22:1-3). Hence, eschatology not only recapitulates the protology of Eden but escalates it. (Beale, 368)
That is to say, the tabernacle/temple images not only the cosmos, but more specifically and importantly, Christ as the true temple. As a result of Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit continues to build the end-time temple, “the building materials of which are God’s people…. This building process will culminate in the eternal new heavens and earth as a paradisal city-temple. Or, more briefly, the temple of God has been transformed into God, his people, and the rest of the new creation as the temple” (Beale, 393).
Again, I have but scratched the surface in a blog post that is already a bit too long. But I hope this brief look at the cosmic temple — initially at creation and finally in the new heavens and new earth through the redeeming work of Christ, the true temple — will whet your appetite for further study.
More importantly, I hope that you personally have experienced God’s presence in your own life by believing that Christ died for your sin and rose from the dead and now reigns as the Lord God. Those who believe in Him become the dwelling place of God’s Spirit, just as God dwelt in Eden and in Israel’s temple. As believers, we enjoy God’s presence through prayer, through reading his Word, and by doing his will.
Furthermore, as we proclaim the gospel to others and they believe, God’s temple continues to grow. We actually partner with the Lord God in the expansion of his temple. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). That’s why the Psalmist prayed,
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. (Psalm 67:1-2)
Amen.