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“EVIDENCE FROM SCRIPTURE THAT JESUS WILL NEVER LIVE IN A STONE TEMPLE ON THE EARTH, BECAUSE WE ARE NOW HIS TEMPLE:
Jesus announced the permanent end of worship in an earthly location:
“…an hour is coming when NEITHER in this mountain NOR in Jerusalem will you worship the Father… But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father IN SPIRIT and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is SPIRIT, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24)
He also announced the complete destruction of the physical temple:
“His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, NOT ONE STONE WILL BE LEFT upon another, which will not be torn down.” (Mathew 24:1)
That indeed happened in 70 AD.
The basic message of the new covenant is that God no longer lives in temples built by man, but now He lives IN HIS PEOPLE:
“the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands;” (Acts 7:48)
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God… the temple of God is holy, and THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE.” (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17)
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM.” (John 14:23)
“…in whom you also are being built together into a DWELLING OF GOD in the Spirit.”
(Ephesians 2:22)
So the idea that Christians have, that Jesus will one day live in a physical temple on earth is completely unscriptural. It denies the most basic realities of the New Covenant. It is holding on to the old covenant mindset that is focused on the earthly things, while now everything is in Christ Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.
The elements of the old covenant were nothing but shadows, pointing to the reality that would come in Jesus Christ:
“The law is ONLY A SHADOW of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.” (Hebrews 10:1)
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. THESE ARE A SHADOW of the things that were to come; the REALITY, however, is found IN CHRIST.” (1 Colossians 2:16)
The old covenant was literal, the new covenant is IN THE SPIRIT:
“who also made us adequate as servants of a NEW COVENANT, not of the letter but OF THE SPIRIT; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
The old covenant would disappear in the days of the first Christians.
“When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is READY TO DISSAPEAR.” (Hebrews 8:13)
The temple was the center of the old covenant and it indeed disappeared a few years later, in 70AD.
The old covenant has faded and the new covenant is far more glorious:
“For if that WHICH FADES AWAY was with glory much more that which remains is in glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:11)
Since the destruction of the old Jerusalem en the temple, Jesus and the Spirit of God speak about a NEW Jerusalem, which is in the Spirit.
This New Jerusalem is called ‘A city on a mountain’ and ‘The bride of the lamb’ (Revelation 21:9, 10)
Jesus called believers ‘a city on a hill (or mountain)’:
“You are the light of the world. A CITY ON A HILL cannot be hidden;” (Mathew 5:14)
And Paul called believers ‘The Bride of Christ’.
‘I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.’ (2 Corinthians 11:2)
So the New Jerusalem (=the city where God dwells!) is a city on a hill and the Bride of Christ and christians are indeed a city on a hill and the bride of Christ.
The New Jerusalem is built with gold, silver and precious stones (Rev. 21:19) and Paul said believers are a house for God built with gold, silver and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:13).
Through the New Jerusalem runs the ‘river of living water’ (Rev. 22:1) and Jesus said this river of living water is the Holy Spirit that flows IN US (John 7:38).
On the foundations of the New Jerusalem are written the names of the apostles (Rev. 21:14) and Paul says the apostles are indeed those who lay the foundation of the spiritual building that consists of believers (Ephesians 2:20)
It is obvious that we are the city on a hill, the Bride of the Lamb, therefor we are the New Jerusalem.
Jesus will never live in an earthly temple, made by man, He lives in His NEW HEAVENLY city, the New Jerusalem, for the past wo thousands years.
God really lives in our midst!
“For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)
The covenant of letters and stones has passed away, we live in the covenant of the Spirit. We worship God in Spirit, and we are built up as His dwelling place in the Spirit.
And all this is in Jesus Christ.
The old has passed away, behold, the new has come.
Stop thinking in the old and start living in the new!
It’s about time, after two thousand years 🙂
David Sorensen
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