On the Second Temple...

I will try to summarize what was said last Friday. The topic of discussion was "what is TEMPLE OF GOD". The group has come with four types which could be called as temple of God. Atemple is A place where God is totally praised and worshiped [Isaiah 56:4, Matt 13:1.]

1. The temple of God in the sky [in Ariam, one of the seven skies where God is praised and worshiped by seraphim and cherubim].

Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" The prophet was talking about the temple in Ariam.

Revelation 11:19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

In this verse we understand that there is a temple in the heaven and it has also His covenant "Tabot" in it. this is one of the main reasons why we still have a Tabot in our church. If the Heavenly church has one, why on earth shouldn't we keep it?! however, In the discussion the presence of Tabot after the New testament was a big issue. Based on the view of other "Christians" groups, there were arguments against keeping the Tabot after New testament. The answer has already answered in the above verse. 1. If God didn't want us to have Tabot, why does Evangelist John wrote saying he saw one in the Heavenly church (Revelation 11:19). 2. There is no word in the bible that says we don't need the Covenant of God any more. Instead, God in His words says:-

Ephesians 2:20. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.
Tabot was first given to our Father Mussie, and God made this covenant as a foundation of His church when he came to earth.

Matthew 5:17. "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

In the above two verses we understand that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to fulfill the prophet that were told by our forefathers not to wipe out what He laid as a basic foundation of the Holy church during Old Testament.. Therefore, we can say that having a Tabot in a church is His word and His will, and we can easily say a a building with out the Tabot, His Covenant, is not a temple of God. To call a building a church, it must have TABOT.

2. The second temple of God is a building that has His covenant, Tabot in it [Earthly Holy Church, like our Holy Church].

King Solomon was the first who built the first building as a temple of God. Every body has to know that it is the Tabot that make the building a church. The first one who thought to build a house for the ark of the God was Kind David.

Psalm 132:2 How he swore to the Lord, And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: "Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, Or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."

2 Samuel 7. The king (David) said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains." Then Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you. However, King David couldn’t build it for he had committed a Sin. However, God promised him. "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

From above two verses one can understand that King David was thinking to build a house to the Ark of God Covenant, not just a building for worshiping. Then his son, King Solomon built the house of God.

1 King 8:20 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt."

As his father wished Kind Solomon built the temple dividing it into three parts where he put the Ark of Covenant in the holiest of holy.

Referring temple of God on earth in the New Testament:-

John 2:14-16 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

Act 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

3. Holy people also can be called as a temple of God.

1 Corinthians 3: 16. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

We can call a person as a temple of God only when God’s Sprit are dwelling in them, like Saints. A person who defies and break God’s law can not be a temple. In order to be called a Temple of God one has to have fruit of the Holy Sprit which are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.."( Galatians 5:22-23).

4. Holiest of Holy virgin Mary ( her womb) is also a temple of God.

In order to understand this, one should remember what make a building a temple. It is the Tabot, His Ark of covenant. Tabot is a Word of God written on a two plate given to our Father Moses. By the same talk, A Word of God came and become Human and God in St Marry womb (John 1:1, 1:7 , ). King David explains this as "God has chosen Her to be His resting place forever; He has desired Her Womb for His dwelling place (Psalm 132 13 -15 ). In short, since a word of God, Jesus Christ came and rest in Her womb, the Womb is like a Tabot which has God’s word too. Therefore, if a building which has Tabot can be called a Temple of God, by the same talk we can say St Mary who has bear the Word of God in Her womb is a Temple of God too. [not alone She, who bears our Lord Jesus Christ in Her womb, we sinner are being called as a temple of God].

5. The gathering ( Congregation) of Christians and Angles is also called as a Temple of God.

Ephesians 2: 19-22. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, In whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The gathering of Christians on the earth and Angles in Heaven to praise and worship God is also considered as a temple of God, because God’s Sprit dwell on those who gather to worship and adoration his name.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

God Bless all of us
Hawkum Dn medhanie