Throughout Israel’s history, the temple, the city Jerusalem, and Mount Zion were symbolic images of their God in their midst. These landmarks were not idols they worshipped but places they looked to as images of their God. Psalm 48:1-3 says, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King. God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.”
Just as the White House represents the authority of America; the Kremlin represents the authority of Russia; or how Buckingham Palace represents the authority of England; So was the temple in Jerusalem. But when Jesus prophesied the destruction of the earthly temple as a symbol of authority, this was hard for the Israelites to grasp. To this day they’ve struggled with no physical symbol of power to point to. God wanted them as people to be the new symbol of God’s power, the new image people pointed to and saw God in the midst of them both individually and corporately. Paul told the, Christ in you is the hope of glory. God was no longer in a building but in a people.
The leaders in the church have said, God is in the house, come to the church building to meet God, revival is in a building, come and see. The words of Stephen and Isaiah are now for us as they were for Israel. “David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord, OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE? WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?’” God doesn’t dwell in buildings made by man, He dwells in you, He dwells in me.
We must understand we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Wherever you are today, God is in you. He is near to you, He is for you, He wants to speak through you, do miracles through you, bless others through you. You are the temple, you represent God. I hope you enjoyed gathering with others who are the temple, yesterday as you corporately worshipped, prayed and heard truth, but you are still the temple at work, school, shopping, having coffee, raising kids or on vacation. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. May people see God when they see you, His temple!