The Temple, from Eden to Revelation

—Rev 21:1–22:5

• Andrew Fountain – Sept 1, 2019

 
 
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Goal

To grasp the power of the temple imagery
throughout the Bible
and to see how it impacts our own lives and mission.

Time Travel

1. Eden functioned as a Temple

• Later the temple was the unique place where people could experience God’s presence
• Lev 26:12 I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. (Exact Hebrew word/form)

2. The Temple was full of Eden Imagery

• I Ki 6:18,29 the Temple had floral decorations, gourds & flowers, palm trees, pomegranites
• Eden was on a mountain (Ez 28:14)
• Gold and precious stones are mentioned in every temple reference in the Bible
• Ez 28:18 actually calls Eden “sanctuaries”
• Tree of life probably the model for the lampstand

3. Adam & Eve functioned as priests

• Gen 2:15 told to “serve and guard Eden”
• Exacltly the same expression used later for priests who serve/guard the temple

4. Adam & Eve were also to subdue the earth

• God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” Gen 1:28
• Eden was to extend and cover the earth

5. The final temple

• The final temple in Revelation is full of Eden symbols (…more later)

Five Reasons why Eden was a Temple

1. Eden functioned as a Temple
2. The Temple was full of Eden Imagery
3. Adam & Eve functioned as priests
4. Adam & Eve were also to subdue the earth
5. The final temple is full of Eden symbols

Time Travel

3. Courtyard: this world

• Massive wash-basin is called “the sea”
• 12 bulls facing the four quarters of the earth
• Huge altar whose bottom was known as “the bosom of the earth”
• All of God’s people could enter
• Places in Scripture where the heavens and earth are God’s temple:
• Psalm 78:69 “He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever.”

Purpose

• This little temple was never designed to last forever

• Israel received the same commission as Adam & Eve:
• Israel collectively was to be a kingdom of priests, (Ex 19:6)

• There are prophecies about “extending the tabernacle”
• But instead they saw the temple as a sign that they were God’s only true people.

Holy of Holies

• “The inner sanctuary was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 20 cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid an altar of cedar.” 1Kings 6:20

Time Travel

Jesus

• Christ and his followers are a temple in the New Creation
• The essence of the temple is the presence of God
  • Christ calls himself the cornerstone of the temple
• John 2:18–21 Jesus says “destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days”
• We are “living stones” 1 Pet 2:5, “the temple of the living God” 2 Cor 6:16

The basis for evangelism

• Adam & Eve told: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” Gen 1:28
• Disciples told: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” Mat 28:19
• Adam & Eve were to extend the roof of God’s temple to cover the earth. So are we!

21. In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22. in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Eph 2:21–22

Now

• Our task as a church is to be God’s temple, so filled with his glorious presence that we expand and fill the earth with that presence until our Lord Jesus consumates it.
• Then we’ll fulfull the promise of Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.