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The Dwelling of God

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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

    And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst 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 a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD 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 because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

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

    "Destroy this temple"

    John 2:19

    Jesus answered and said unto 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

    Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth 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

    And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

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