March 13th, 2023
by Steve Marshall
by Steve Marshall
February 19, 2021
Happy rainy day to you Church: As you read through God’s Word you generally find Scriptures that are easy to understand. But, there are a few that are not that easy. Revelation 11, is full of these hard-to-understand scriptures. Revelation 11, is generally the subject of more interpretive mysteries and disagreements than any other chapter in Revelation. Yet, there are so many joyful promises to be claimed from this chapter. Let’s tackle one of these promises.
The temple of God throughout scripture points to the meeting place between God and man. The Old Testament temple is where God’s shekinah glory was manifest, it is where God was clearly seen. Specifically, the temple of God is where His glory is visible, His holiness is visible, and where His infinite value is seen (shekinah).
So, at the beginning of the chapter eleven we see Jesus speaking to John, telling him to measure the temple of God, the altar and the people who worship at the temple of God. To understand this amazing picture and the promises for us today, we must remember that when Jesus arrived on the scene in the New Testament, “He became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). This means that when the Son of God became incarnate in Jesus Christ, God chose to dwell with His people in a more personal way, specifically in the Word who became flesh – JESUS, and not in a temple building made by man. This is one of the claims that Jesus made to the Jews that eventually led to His crucifixion.
OK, so let’s take this all in. This means that Jesus is the ultimate shekinah glory of God, His complete and perfect manifestation of His presence among His people. The glory which shined in the tent, tabernacle, and temple in the Old Testament is now embodied in Jesus Christ. God’s full glory is no longer in a temple made by man (Acts 17:24-25) but in Jesus Christ. To meet, talk, or worship God you do not have to go to a structure but to Jesus.
But, hold on, there is more! Because of Jesus, we, the Church, are the body of Christ as He is the head of the body and therefore we are the temple in which God is very happy to dwell. The shekinah glory of Yahweh now rests powerfully and permanently in us, His Church, through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:11-22). This means that as the local body of Christ, Grace Community Church of Topsail, we embody God’s complete and perfect manifestation of His presence. Does your presence in the Church add to the manifestation of the shekinah glory of God?
Wait, there is still more. The church is made up of individual believers. Each individual believer is occupied by the Holy Spirit of God. This means that the shekinah glory of God lives in each one of us. God’s complete and perfect manifestation of His presence dwells in each of us which makes us the temple of the living God (2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20). As believers, followers of Christ, through the Holy Spirit’s shekinah glory presence in us we are the temple of the living God. Pause… does that truth lead you to desire a time of personal repentance?
Alright, now back to Revelation 11. What is John asked to measure? He is told to measure the Church, His people, aka the temple of God. Why measure it? Ezekiel 40-48, reminds us that when God asks for something to be measured, He is declaring that this is mine! God is declaring in the same we do with a land survey, With a survey we measure out what we own so that we then protect it. We declare, I OWN THIS PROPERTY, IT IS MINE! And nobody is going to take this away from me! Church. You have been measured by the Creator God, you have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, you are owned, and you are the temple of the living God. No matter what comes tomorrow you are spiritually protected. God will not let you be stolen away spiritually by any event that may come. You have been measured and you are God’s. Enjoy life today!
2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
This Sunday we will be meeting in person at the church building if you would like to join us in person at 10am. And for those who will be staying at home, we will be live-streaming on our Grace Community Church Topsail YouTube Channel. Push the blue link. We can also be found at https://www.gracetopsail.com/
I look forward to worshipping the Lion and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, with you Sunday. - Steve
The temple of God throughout scripture points to the meeting place between God and man. The Old Testament temple is where God’s shekinah glory was manifest, it is where God was clearly seen. Specifically, the temple of God is where His glory is visible, His holiness is visible, and where His infinite value is seen (shekinah).
So, at the beginning of the chapter eleven we see Jesus speaking to John, telling him to measure the temple of God, the altar and the people who worship at the temple of God. To understand this amazing picture and the promises for us today, we must remember that when Jesus arrived on the scene in the New Testament, “He became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). This means that when the Son of God became incarnate in Jesus Christ, God chose to dwell with His people in a more personal way, specifically in the Word who became flesh – JESUS, and not in a temple building made by man. This is one of the claims that Jesus made to the Jews that eventually led to His crucifixion.
OK, so let’s take this all in. This means that Jesus is the ultimate shekinah glory of God, His complete and perfect manifestation of His presence among His people. The glory which shined in the tent, tabernacle, and temple in the Old Testament is now embodied in Jesus Christ. God’s full glory is no longer in a temple made by man (Acts 17:24-25) but in Jesus Christ. To meet, talk, or worship God you do not have to go to a structure but to Jesus.
But, hold on, there is more! Because of Jesus, we, the Church, are the body of Christ as He is the head of the body and therefore we are the temple in which God is very happy to dwell. The shekinah glory of Yahweh now rests powerfully and permanently in us, His Church, through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:11-22). This means that as the local body of Christ, Grace Community Church of Topsail, we embody God’s complete and perfect manifestation of His presence. Does your presence in the Church add to the manifestation of the shekinah glory of God?
Wait, there is still more. The church is made up of individual believers. Each individual believer is occupied by the Holy Spirit of God. This means that the shekinah glory of God lives in each one of us. God’s complete and perfect manifestation of His presence dwells in each of us which makes us the temple of the living God (2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20). As believers, followers of Christ, through the Holy Spirit’s shekinah glory presence in us we are the temple of the living God. Pause… does that truth lead you to desire a time of personal repentance?
Alright, now back to Revelation 11. What is John asked to measure? He is told to measure the Church, His people, aka the temple of God. Why measure it? Ezekiel 40-48, reminds us that when God asks for something to be measured, He is declaring that this is mine! God is declaring in the same we do with a land survey, With a survey we measure out what we own so that we then protect it. We declare, I OWN THIS PROPERTY, IT IS MINE! And nobody is going to take this away from me! Church. You have been measured by the Creator God, you have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, you are owned, and you are the temple of the living God. No matter what comes tomorrow you are spiritually protected. God will not let you be stolen away spiritually by any event that may come. You have been measured and you are God’s. Enjoy life today!
2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
This Sunday we will be meeting in person at the church building if you would like to join us in person at 10am. And for those who will be staying at home, we will be live-streaming on our Grace Community Church Topsail YouTube Channel. Push the blue link. We can also be found at https://www.gracetopsail.com/
I look forward to worshipping the Lion and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, with you Sunday. - Steve
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