Putting It All Together
Throughout this course we have followed one remarkable theme from the opening chapters of Genesis to the closing chapters of Revelation.
We began in the Garden of Eden, where mankind enjoyed unhindered fellowship with God. Although the Bible never calls Eden a temple, it presents it as the place where God dwelt with His people before sin entered the world.
When Adam and Eve sinned, that fellowship was broken. Humanity was driven from God's presence, and access to the tree of life was guarded by cherubim.
From that moment on, the Bible tells the story of how God would restore what had been lost.
The tabernacle was the next great step. God instructed Israel to build a sanctuary so that He might dwell among them. Yet the veil reminded everyone that sin still separated people from God's holy presence.
Solomon's temple continued that same message. It proclaimed God's holiness, His glory, and His desire to dwell with His covenant people. But it also reminded Israel that access remained limited and that sacrifices had to be offered again and again.
When Israel turned away from the Lord, God's glory departed from the temple. The building remained, but His presence was gone. The prophets warned that something greater was still to come.
That greater reality appeared in Jesus Christ.
John tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus declared that His own body was the true temple. In Him, God was once again present among His people—not in a building of stone, but in a living Person.
After Christ's resurrection and ascension, God began dwelling in His people through the Holy Spirit. The church became His spiritual temple, built of living stones from every nation and united under one Lord.
Finally, the Bible reaches its glorious conclusion.
John sees the New Jerusalem and says,
"I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." (Revelation 21:22)
The temple has not disappeared.
Its purpose has been fulfilled.
There is no longer any need for a building because God's redeemed people live forever in His immediate presence.
When we step back and look at the whole Bible, one truth stands out.
The temple was never primarily about architecture.
It was about fellowship.
It was about God's desire to dwell with His people.
Every temple pointed beyond itself.
The Garden pointed forward.
The tabernacle pointed forward.
Solomon's temple pointed forward.
Jesus fulfilled what they anticipated.
The church now enjoys that reality in part.
The new creation will reveal it completely.
The story begins with God and mankind together.
It ends with God and His redeemed people together forever.
That has always been God's purpose.
Continue Your Study
Many Christians find the prophets difficult to understand because they contain poetry, symbolism, historical events, and promises about the future.
How should we read them?
In our next course, we'll learn how the prophets spoke to their own generation while also pointing forward to God's work through Jesus Christ. We'll discover how the New Testament helps us understand their message and why context remains the key to sound interpretation.
Related Bible Studies
The Story of Redemption
The Kingdom of God
Understanding Revelation
How Does the Bible Interpret Itself?
Companion Video
Putting It All Together
Read First. Conclude Later.