The Doctrine of Christ

LESSON THIRTY-EIGHT The Temple of God

1. The sanctuary in the wilderness was built to furnish a dwelling place for God. Exodus 25:8. TDOC 98.1

2. Solomon built the temple for the same purpose. Acts 7:44-47; 1 Kings 8:20. TDOC 98.2

3. Both the tabernacle and the temple were types of Christ as the temple of God’s glory upon earth. John 2:19-21; 1:14, ARV, margin. TDOC 98.3

4. When Christ dwells in our hearts through his ministry of the Holy Spirit, we become temples of God. John 14:20, 23; Ephesians 3:16, 17; Romans 8:9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:22. TDOC 98.4

5. Then the same glory which was manifested through Christ will be manifested through us, and we shall become a light to the world, as he was. Isaiah 60:1; John 17:22; 8:12; Matthew 5:14, 16. TDOC 98.5

6. The most forcible reason why the Christian should do nothing to defile or injure his body, is the fact that it is the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; 3:16, 17, ARV; 10:31. TDOC 98.6

NOTES: A prefiguring of Emmanuel

“The tabernacle was a revelation of love, a representation of God coming down from heaven and dwelling with men as their Savior, a prefiguring of the Emmanuel through whom the Christian has fellowship with God; and as revealing not only the God they love, but the attributes of God they most delight in, is even now, when it exists only in history, an object of interest to those who would acquaint themselves as much as possible with their Father in heaven.” TDOC 98.7

Through grace the heart becomes God’s temple

“From eternal ages it was God’s purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of, heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saying grace the heart of man becomes again his temple.”-The Desire of Ages, 161. TDOC 98.8

The church the temple

“After his ascension and, the sending clown of the Spirit, the church takes the name her Lord had borne before; she is the temple of God, and the only temple which he has on earth during the present dispensation.” TDOC 99.1

Cleansing the temple

“In cleansing the temple from the world’s buyers and sellers, Jesus announced his mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin, from the earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the soul.”-The Desire of Ages, 178. TDOC 99.2

The ark teaches of Christ

“As it [the ark] was made of wood, and covered with gold, thus consisting of two materials, one ordinary and the other exceedingly precious, so Christ has two natures, the human and the divine, the former represented by the wood, and the latter by the gold; which two natures, however, make only one Christ, as the wood and the gold, one ark. The acacia was a very durable wood, not liable to decay like other species of timber, and it was in this respect a type of the body of Christ, which, though laid in the grave, was not suffered to see corruption. The ark had a border of gold around its lid: so Christ was crowned with glory and honor. Within the ark were the two tablets of the law; and Christ says, ‘I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.’ Over the ark was its lid, covering the tablets: so Christ covers all our sins which we have committed against the law. This lid was called the mercy seat, because God was here enthroned above his covered law as a God of mercy; but Christ is the true mercy seat, since it is through him that God is reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins. Prom the mercy seat God communed with Moses: through Christ he communes with us. The ark, with the mercy seat which covered it, was the place where God dwelt: in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead. Over the ark were two cherubs, turning their faces toward the mercy seat as if in wonder and delight: so the angels are said to study with interest the work of Christ in the redemption of men. The ark had four rings, one on each of its corners, by means of which it, was carried from place to place as the people journeyed in the wilderness: so Christ through the preaching of his gospel is carried into the four quarters of the world.” TDOC 99.3

Caring for the temple

God is not honored when the body is neglected or abused, and is thus unfitted for his service.”-The Ministry of Healing, 322. TDOC 99.4

“The knowledge that man is to be a temple for God, a habitation for the revealing of his glory, should be the highest incentive to the care and development of our physical powers. Fearfully and wonderfully has the Creator wrought in the human frame, and he bids us make it our study, understand its needs, and act our part in preserving it from harm and defilement.”-Id., 271. TDOC 99.5

The temple of the heart

“Fling wide the portal of your heart;
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly, use, for heaven’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy;
So shall your Sovereign enter in,
And new and nobler life begin. TDOC 100.1

“Redeemer, come we open wide
Our hearts to thee; here, Lord, abide!
Let us thy inner presence feel,
Thy grace and love in us reveal,
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on,
Until the glorious crown be won!” TDOC 100.2