Abode of God

Abode of God

Collin Leong.  Feb 5, 2013

Colossal snow sculptures and life-sized ice castles glowed with multi-colored lights at night. A cozy café serving liquor and hot cocoa that was entirely carved out of ice including its walls, windows, bar counters, tables and stools. This was our trip to Harbin, a city in the north east corner of China, where the world's largest annual ice and snow sculpting festival are held annually.

Harbin Ice Festival (China)

Saint Sophia Cathedral, Harbin, China

But what surprised me most was an enormous Russian cathedral situated right in the centre of Harbin city across from a vibrant local marketplace. The obtrusive Russian architecture looked decidedly out of place, as if a whirlwind had uprooted it from Russia and plunked it down in this small Chinese city. It’s said that shortly after being defeated in the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Army built the monumental Saint Sophia Cathedral in 1907 as a spiritual symbol to restore the army’s confidence.

  

Inside Saint Sophia

I have not traveled Europe extensively enough have a good photo collection of its magnificent churches and cathedrals, but if I ever have the chance to do so in future, I promise to update this blog. :) But it seems to me that man has put enormous effort to build bigger and better temples, churches and cathedrals as if to invite God to dwell. For example, the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was so grand and complex that it took more than 80 years to complete (1506 – 1590) involving the greatest minds and artists of the renaissance period such as Donato Bramante (original designer), Raphael and Michelangelo.

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

These are certainly praise worthy works that continue to inspire our minds and spirit today and the lavishness seemed appropriate for the “house of God.” But I wonder what God Himself thinks of all this, and what kind of house or abode He prefers. I guess the answer to this question would ultimately depend on what kind of God He is.

The Tabernacle

Going back into the Old Testament, the first artificial dwelling place made by man for God (Yahweh) was the nomadic Tabernacle erected by the Israelites in the desert (~1445 BC) as they sought for the promise land. God told them to build it for this reason: "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" for "there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory."  (Exo 25:8; 29:43)

Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. Ancient pagan worship structure?

Four hundred years later, the ark of the covenant was finally brought home by King David who pitched a tabernacle for it in Gibeon, six miles north of Jerusalem.  (~1000BC; 1Ch 16:39).

First Temple: Solomon’s Temple

David proposed to build a great temple for the Lord, for he himself was living in a lavish palace. However, God did not permit him to as he was a man of war. So it fell to his son, Solomon to build the first temple in Jerusalem. It took 7 years to construct and was completed in 966BC (2Sam 7:1-7; 1Ki 6). Interestingly, Solomon’s own palace took 13 years to complete.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London

Solomon’s temple, his palace and other marvels he built were wonders of that era and were acclaimed far and wide. It was said that when the Queen of Sheba came and saw his accomplishments, she was overwhelmed. (1Ki 10:5)

But even before Solomon's death, Israel began to drift away from God and began to worship other gods and idols. Ignoring prophets' call for repentance and warning of judgement, a great tragedy struck in 586 BC. The city of Jerusalem as well as Solomon’s beautiful temple was razed to the ground by one of Nebuchadnezzar’s general during the final Babylonian invasion. The gold articles from the temple were robbed and taken to Babylon along with many Jewish exiles. (2Ki 25)

Second Temple: Zerubbabel’s Temple (aka Herod’s Temple)

Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral

God’s wrath on the Israelites lasted 70 years. And as prophesied by Jeremiah and Isaiah, the Jews were permitted to return to Jerusalem after the Persians overthrew the Babylonians. Led by Zerubbabel the second temple was built and the Jews celebrated their first Passover in the new temple in 515 BC (Ezr 3-6). This temple was later rebuilt and extended by Herod the Great into a Roman era masterpiece, beginning from 19 AD. That’s why the second temple is also known as Herod’s Temple in history books.

Statues at St. Paul's Cathedral

It was this temple that Jesus was brought to be dedicated at 8 days old, and probably taught there as well.  The Lord’s visitation was foretold by Malachi:

"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. (Mal 3:1)

St. Paul's at sun set

Sadly, the Jewish nation rejected and crucified the very Messiah whom they had been seeking. Judgement befell them again and the world lost another architectural marvel when the Roman General, Titus (son of Emperor Vespasian), attacked Jerusalem in response to the Jewish uprising. Titus’ soldiers went amok and burned down Herod’s Temple in the ensuing massacre of defenseless men, women and children.

Jesus Himself had foretold the destruction of the second temple: “… not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.” (Mat 24:2).

Third Temple: The Tribulation Temple

Ruins in Rome

That was 1,940 years ago. Israel, a people repatriated and a nation reborn in 1948 (independence) and which later took control of the Temple Mount in 1967 (6-Day War) has uncharacteristically refrained from rebuilding the temple till today.

Various scriptures imply that a temple will be rebuilt and the sacrificial worship resumed before the second coming of Christ to judge the world. The temple will be desecrated by the anti-Christ, presumed to be a renowned world leader who breaks a peace treaty with Israel. This is known as the tribulation period (2 Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 11:1-2).

I believe it is God’s divine plan to delay the construction of the tribulation temple, for when that happens, it would mean that the grace period is over and the final judgment is imminent:

 “… in the last days scoffers will come… They will say, "Where is this `coming’ he promised? … The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Pet 3:3,4,9)

So the longer the re-building is delayed, the more time there will be for all to repent and accept the forgiveness from God through Jesus Christ.

Fourth Temple: The Millennial Temple (aka Ezekiel’s Temple)

Piazza Del Duomo, Pisa, Italy

The third temple will probably not survive the tribulation and the Armageddon war, and even if it does, it  would not be appropriate for continued use after the desecration by the anti-Christ.

There is a final temple described in great detail by Ezekiel (Eze 40-42). We know he was not describing the 3^rd temple because the topology described does not match that of Jerusalem today. The scriptures hinted that Israel's topology will be supernaturally altered in the last days (Zec. 14:10; Isa. 2:2).

 

Zechariah also hinted that Christ Himself will oversee the building of this final earthly temple (Zec 6:12). There would be no sacrifice for sin performed in this temple, for just as the earlier temples looked forward to the sacrifice of the Messiah, the last temple – the millennial temple – shall look backward as reminder of the cross throughout the 1000 year reign of Christ.

Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco (St. Mark's Basilica), Venice

“My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.” (Eze 37:27-28)

Where is He now?

Paris Cathedral. Tell me if you know the name.

Though we now live in an era called “the times of the Gentiles” where the physical temple does not exist, God does dwell with us in a spiritual temple. That temple is our body.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” (1 Cor 6:19-20)

Our God is the kind of God who loves us so much and who wants to be so close to us that neither Solomon’s Temple nor St. Peter’s Basilica is good or near enough; it is a heart of humility and faith that is the preferred abode of God.

  

“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" (King Solomon, ~ 959 BC; 1Ki 8:27)

The Notre Dame, Paris

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Jesus Christ, ~95AD; Rev 3:20)