Steve Cahill

      We will examine a descriptive figure of speech contained in scripture; that of a TEMPLE. Paul uses this majestic figure of speech seven times in his epistles in reference to the Church. He uses the Greek word naos, which refers to the inner sanctuary of the whole temple, which is called the hieron. This was the part of the temple known as the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. (Luke 1:9 & 23:45)
      There are, no doubt many great similar truths taught in the Tabernacle and the Temple designs; but we are only concerned with one here. The design was a type of the Church in heaven. The truth concerning heaven and the Church may not be eadily clear, but it is there and so revealed by the Word of God.
      To see this truth, we must first look at the physical construction of the inner sanctuary. It consisted of two rooms divided by a veil. The first room was the Holy Place. In it were three pieces of furniture: The table of Shewbread, the Golden ampstand, and the Altar of Incense. The second room was the Holy of Holies. It was separated from the Holy Place by the woven veil. In it sat one piece of furniture: The Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat upon it.
      That these things were types of something is clearly revealed by the writer of Hebrews 9:1 thru 9, where in verse 9 he says: "Which was a figure for the time then present..." Then in verse 23 & 24 he says: "For Christ is not entered into the Holy Places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us." What he means here will become clear as we study further.
      First of all, the Holy of Holies was the place where the Shekinah Glory of God dwelt. (Ex. 40:34, 25:8, 29:43 thru 45) This most Holy Place has always had only one reality: It was a figure of the heavenly throne of God. In Revelation 11:19, John writes: "And the temple of God was opened IN HEAVEN and there was seen in His Holy Temple THE ARK OF HIS COVENANT..." This was what the Holy of Holies pictured. The writer said in Hebrews 9:24 that this was where Christ our Great High Priest, had entered for us. (Heb. 9:11 & 12) So we see that one part of the naos represented heaven.
      The Holy Place of the temple most concerns our study. It is a type of the Church, and is what the writer of Hebrews refers to in his use of this figure. Consider its design...
      Standing in the court outside this room was the brazen altar and the Laver. The brazen altar was a type of Calvary where God's judgement on sin was poured out on Christ. It shows that salvation is conditional upon everything else. The laver was a fountain in which the priests ritually washed their hands and feet before entering the Holy Place. (Ex. 30:21) We are at once reminded of what Jesus said to Peter: "If I don't wash your feet, you have no part with me." (John 13) This laver and the washing there pictured the requirement of daily cleansing from the defilement of sin by daily confession of sins. Unconfessed and consequently uncleansed sin separates from the fellowship with Christ. (I Jn. 1:9) This is what Jesus was referring to in what He said to Peter. The laver pictures the need for self-judgement and cleansing before one can worship God in spirit and truth. (See also II Cor. 7:1, James 4:8, I Jn. 1:7) It is a terrible and defiling thing for a member of the Royal Priesthood to come into the temple (the assembled body) without the cleansing and confession of sin.
      After washing, the priest then could enter the Holy Place and perform their duties. In the Holy Place they attended to the three pieces of furniture that were there.
      First, the table of Shewbread. (Ex. 25:23 thru 30) Literally translated in the Hebrew, this comes out; "the table of the bread of faces," or the bread of face to face, or fellowship. The flour with which these loaves were baked came from the children of Israel. (Lev.24:5 thru 9) After the loaves had been set on the table as an offering to God, it was eaten by Aaron and his sons the priests. Thus the communion of God and the priest partook of the common loaf. There were 12 loaves, which signified the identification of Israel in the act of the priests. In the Church, The Royal Priesthood has a special fellowship with God. (I Jn. 1:3)
      Next, there was the Golden Lampstand, which required their attendance. (Ex. 25:31 thru 39) Its practical purpose was for light, (Ex. 35:1-4) The lampstand itself was simply an instrument to hold the oil which gave off the light. Oil is symbolic of the unction (power) of the Holy Spirit. Its presence signified the presence of the Spirits power. (Compare I Jn. 2:20, 27) Thus the lampstand pictured the Glorifying work of the believer as he is empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 5:14 thru 16) The "Light" of the believer, i.e. his works which are the fruit of the Spirit, can shine only so long and only to the extent of the Spirit's indwelling power. Thus we see that the believer priests "good works" are a service performed not for men, no even for brethren, but for the Glory of God!
      Finally, there was the altar of incense. (Ex. 30:1 thru 10) The table of shewbread pictures the fellowship of the priesthood with God; the lampstand pictured the functional empowering of the priesthood into glorifying good works. The altar of incense pictures the believer priests worship of God. This altar stood directly before the veil of the Holy of Holies. On it was offered the sweet incense. It pictured the believer's total offering of himself to God as an instrument of righteousness. (Rom. 12:1 & 2) The sacrifices of his life consist of practical righteousness and adoration of God.
      The incense was to be "pure" or unmixed. (Ex. 30:4) The believer must not contaminate his offering to God with the carnality of the flesh. (See Isaiah 1:10 thru 18, 66:3)
      The significance of the metaphor is the absolute holiness of the Church and the requirements of sanctification for those who worship therein.

THE NEW TESTAMENT TEMPLE OF GOD

      Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the temple of God is Holy, which temple ye are.
      The grammatical language of the Greek text of I Corinthians 3: 16 & 17 make very clear what Paul is saying. Paul says: "you (all), plural, are a temple of God." He uses the plural form of the verb of being, with the singular noun "temple". The members of the Church at Corinth, collectively were a temple of God. So also in I Corinthians 6:19 where he says; "...For a temple you all (plural) are." There is no scripture, which says that the individual believer is a temple of God within himself. A temple is comprised of members of a New Testament Church.

THE SPIRIT'S DWELLING PLACE

      As such, the Spirits dwelling is called the House of God. I Timothy 3:15 refers to the house of God being His Church; also in I Peter 4:17 ...The house of God...us. Jesus referred to the Holy Place in the temple as the House of God. Matthew 12:4. Because of this, the divine presence of God was to be reverenced or held in awe. (Lev. 19:30, 20:2 & 3, Ezek. 23:38 & 39)
      Corrupting the temple of God, in other words rendering it unholy is also covered. Bringing in carnality such as is mentioned in I Corinthians 3:1 thru 4 is unacceptable. What one adds to the body, (temple) by his very presence is alluded to as either wood, hay, stubble: Or as gold, silver & precious stones. One group edifies the body the other does not. One seeks the spiritual growth of the church and the other caters to the selfish interests of the carnal mind.
      Immorality as exposed in I Corinthians 6:15 thru 19 has absolutely no place in God's temple. The immorality found at the Church at Corinth was literal. Note that fornication was not their only sin. There was also covetousness, selfishness, idolatry, railing, drunkenness, etc. (I Cor. 5:9 thru 11)
      Participation in the metaphysical Fornication of this world as clearly set forth in II Corinthians 6:14 thru 18 is illustrative of the believer who joins in with the idolatrous rites that the world believes in while professing to be a child of God. This behavior may be seen in an individual, or in a whole Church who may not be inclined to "be ye separate".
      There is judgement, sure judgement for entertaining these practices! (I Corinthians 3:17, Revelation 2:21 thru 23) Paul said that some in Corinth had actually died because of their unsanctified behavior. (I Corinthians 11:30)

THE INDWELLING SPIRIT

      I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19 (hagoiu pneumatos-no article) The question as to whether or not the Holy Spirit is bodily and personally present in the Church is immaterial. (Jesus said that wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, He was in their midst. We know that He did not mean He would be there bodily but by His omniscience and omnipresence.) The power of the Holy Spirit, is the important thing and it is not necessary for Him to be bodily present for His power to be present. He is God and the works of God are accomplished by the "Word" of His mouth. Hebrews 1:3, Isaiah 55:10 & 11, Isaiah 24:3, Psalms 33:6, Hebrews 11:3. None of these scriptures as well as Ephesians 2:22 (ennpneumati) speak of the bodily presence of the Holy Spirit, but rather of His power.
      Some manifestations of His Spirit in Scripture, Acts 2:1 thru 4. On the day of Pentecost it was the power of the Spirit that came upon the disciples. (Luke 24:49) In Acts 2:4 the Greek says that they were all "full of Spirit Holy" ...i.e., the enduing power. The visual manifestations of the "power of the Spirit" were the tongues of fire and the SOUND of "blowing air" out of heaven.
      The burning lamps of the tabernacle were illustrative of the "unction"; the divine "anointing with power" of the Holy Spirit. The fire, which burned upon the wicks, was the RESULT of the OIL in the lampstand. The oil was typical of the POWER of the Spirit. Thus the fire was a manifestation of the Spirit's Power, NOT His physical presence.
      The lampstand was illustrative of the believer, as he is a part of the Church. Revelation 1:20. The believer's as individuals, (plural) and the Church as a whole temple (singular) are the instrument through which the Holy Spirit works by the importation of His power. I Corinthians 12:4 thru 11, Galatians 6:22 thru 25, I Corinthians 6:19, Ephesians 2:22. (In these scriptures the POWER of the Holy Spirit is spoken of)
      The sound of "Blowing air." ...The word pneo means "to blow." The word "wind" here is pnoe, from pneo. In context it should be translated as exhaled breath from the mouth. The breath is the power, not the sound of the power. The sound heard with the ears, not a literal blowing such as one would feel blowing across the cheek, signified that the power of the Spirit had come. (See John 20:22) It was this "divine breath" from the Holy Spirit moving against the disciples which enabled them to speak in different languages, etc. Compare Job 33:4, 37:10, Psalms 33:6, Isaiah 11:4.

THE EMPOWERING PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT

      John 14:16 & 17. Jesus refers to the Spirit as ANOTHER paraclete. A paraclete was one who provided what is inherently lacking in another. For example, if that which lacks is strength, the He provides the strength. If wisdom is lacking, then He provides the wisdom. The believer inherently lacks the power or will to do what is right and well pleasing to God. Jesus, who was the FIRST PARACLETE, told the disciples that without Him, they could do nothing. John 15:4 & 5. His promise to His disciples, who were the first temple, was that this Paraclete would be with them forever, and that the divine energy of this paraclete would be In them. (Verse 17 uses exclusively neuter pronouns: "the spirit of truth <the power of truth> which the world cannot receive because is does not see it nor know it") Thus it is that God works in us, to want to do and to perform His will. Phil. 2:13

THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT

      Ephesians 4:1 thru 3. Paul admonishes these Church members to walk worthy of their calling; with all humility, meekness, longsuffering and bearing with one another in love. This, he goes on to say, is how we are to preserve the Unity of the Spirit. Only by the empowering of the Spirit are we able to exercise these traits which preserve the Unity.

THE REMOVAL OF THE SPIRIT

      Revelation 2:5. The removal of the lampstand out of its place signifies the cessation of the Church as an instrument of the Holy Spirit's Power. Such loss has dire consequences. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.