Limitless Word

The Dwelling of God

WEBKJVBSBESVNKJVNASBNLT

God making his home with humanity — from a garden, to a tent, to a person, to a city.

The Bible begins with God walking with people in a garden and ends with God dwelling with them in a city — and in between he pitches a tent, builds a temple, and finally takes on flesh. Jesus calls his own body the true temple; the church becomes a temple of the Spirit; and the new creation needs no temple at all, "for its temple is the Lord God and the Lamb." This is the story of how a holy God comes to live with an unholy people.
  1. 1

    God walks in the garden

    Genesis 3:8

    They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

    In Eden, God dwells with humanity in unbroken fellowship — the dwelling that is then lost.
  2. 2

    The glory fills the tabernacle

    Exodus 40:34

    Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle.

    God comes to live among Israel in a tent — the cloud of his glory settles on it.
  3. 3

    Solomon's temple dedicated

    1 Kings 8:11

    so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house.

    The glory fills the temple; God puts his Name in a house of stone.
  4. 4

    "Destroy this temple"

    John 2:19

    Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

    Jesus calls his own body the true temple — torn down and raised in three days.
  5. 5

    You are God's temple

    1 Corinthians 3:16

    Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

    The Spirit makes the church the dwelling of God — a temple of living stones.
  6. 6

    No temple in the city

    Revelation 21:22

    I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.

    In the new creation there is no temple, "for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb."

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.