“Don’t you know that you are Elohim’s temple and that Elohim’s Spirit lives in you? So if anyone destroys Elohim’s temple, Elohim will destroy him. For Elohim’s temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
“Or don’t you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach HaKodesh who lives inside you, whom you received from Elohim? The fact is, you don’t belong to yourselves; for you were bought at a price. So use your bodies to glorify Elohim.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Have you ever stopped to think what it means to be the Temple of the Holy Spirit? The very Spirit of Elohim, His presence, dwelling within. First we need to understand that in the first passage above the term translated as ‘you’ is plural. We do not have an equivalent word in English so it is simply translated ‘you’. However, in both Hebrew and Greek there are terms for a plural form without adding adjectives. Translators should have rendered the passage, “you people”. A short grammar lesson here. In order to keep ‘YOU’ as the noun they remove ‘people’ since with it ‘you’ becomes an adjective. Now, when Paul writes, “your body,” later he indeed means the individual. So they weren’t entirely wrong but we need to understand the difference. The Holy Spirit, (Ruach HaKodesh), dwells within the Ekklesia. He also dwells within the individual believer. Each one comes with deeper understanding of how we should worship.
To be identified as the Temple we must understand what Paul is trying to express. He didn’t just say, the Spirit dwells in you. But rather specifying that the Ekklesia as well as the individual are representations of the Temple of Elohim. What is a Temple, or more specifically, the Temple of Elohim? The Temple had very specific construction. It was an earthly representation of the Heavenly structure. A mirror image made with human hands. It also came with a set of rules. A very specific set of rules. All intended to keep the holiness of the Temple intact. For the very presence of Elohim in all His splendor and Holiness dwelt there. Today, it remains the same. Until the New Jerusalem and the Heavenly Temple are established in the millennium, we are the Temple.
So, if we are the Temple, both corporately and individually, what set of rules should we follow? Let’s begin to explore this by taking a look inside the Holy space. “And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is Adonai Elohim Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 4:8. Contrast that with a glimpse of the earthly Holy place. “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of Yahweh, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Elohim filled the house of Yahweh.” 1 Kings 8:10-11. Does this begin to open your eyes to the significance of what it means to be the Temple of Elohim?
With this picture, think about your corporate gathering. Does it look like Elohim’s presence is welcome there? Are the folks anticipating the HOLY presence of Elohim? Or does it look like a concert hall where everyone is looking to be entertained? “You know I just didn’t get anything out of worship today.” In the Temple there was an order, a structure, a purpose for everything. From the show bread, to the Menorah, to the Ark and the Altar, each had their place and function. The Priests had specific responsibilities within the Temple and had to be cleansed before participating. For too long now we have had a lackadaisical approach to corporate worship. As Priests it is our responsibility to change that perspective and approach. “But you are a chosen people! A royal priesthood! A holy nation! Elohim’s special possession! That you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Now, as an individual. What are you thinking about? What are you reading, listening to or watching? Who or what are you inviting into your personal space? What are you eating and drinking? Are these things edifying the Temple of Elohim or would you be embarrassed if Yahoshua was standing next to you? Well, if Scripture is true not only is He standing next to you, He dwells within you. If you are feeling distant from Elohim, wondering why He seems afar off. You might need to evaluate how you are treating the Temple of Elohim. If you think the Temple idea was just an illustration and isn’t important. Or that it was only a Jewish thing. Let me leave you with Ephesians 2:19-22.
“So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with Elohim’s people and members of Elohim’s family. You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yahoshua the Messiah Himself. In union with Him the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with Adonai. Yes, in union with Him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for Elohim!”
For more understanding on the Temple read 1 Kings 8. It’s time we get back to a sense of awe and wonder for the Day of Adonai is quickly approaching! You don’t want to be left outside of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The good news is if you have breath in your lungs you have time. Begin to get your Temple in order, become the light, share the bread, make disciples, serve your Ekklesia.
This is the Way of the Rabbi,
You are loved,
cj










