NEW COVENANT TEMPLE

LET'S FIRST LOOK AT THE OLD PATTERN, THEN THE NEW ONE

A. OLD COVENANT DWELLING PLACES OF ALAHIM

We cannot consider Old Covenant Israel without thinking of the whole of the Mosaic economy that Alahim gave to His Chosen nation. The Law Covenant involved redemptive ceremonialism as seen in the earthly habitations of Yahuah (the Tabernacle and Temple), along with its Priesthood, Sacrifices and Offerings. Many people today seek the restoration of these shadow-practices, attempting to implement them now, or desire to see them restored either at the end of this age or in the coming Millennial Age. Many look for the Jews to rebuild a Temple and re-establish the Priesthood and Sacrificial System. But we ask:

Is this what the Scripture teaches?

Did the early Assembly look for such things?

Today, Yahusha’s Bride must come out of her massive Covenantal Confusion !!

The Old Covenant writings show that Yahuah sought to connect with His creation, peaking through the dimensional seam (a portal door) on rare, brief occasions due to the defilement of sin in the earth (He couldn't come too close). Occurrences like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s Altars (remember Jacob’s Ladder, or the wresting match) … also the burning bush to Moses. However, formally, there were three major dwelling places of Yahuah Alahim among His chosen people, Israel. These are spoken of as the Tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness, the Praise Tent of David in Jerusalem, and then later a grand combination of the two in the Temple of Solomon.

1. The Tabernacle of Moses

By 'The Tabernacle of Moses', we mean 'The Tabernacle of Yahuah' that Moses built by divine revelation, and according to the pattern shown to him on Mt Sinai. Alahim’s dwelling place consisted of three places, respectively called the Outer Court, the Set-Apart Place and the Most Set-Apart Place. In each of these places, Alahim commanded Moses and the builders to set particular furnishings. And remember this was a blueprint shadow of the Heavenly Tabernacle, just as David’s was also (only grander). “On earth as it is in Heaven”. 

Here, the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood served Yahuah in the daily ministrations and yearly festival occasions. Upon the Ark of the Covenant, the very presence and glory of Alahim dwelt. Here, Yahuah spoke to Aaron from the blood-stained mercy-seat on the Ark. The Tabernacle was placed in the centre of Israel’s camp, and Yahuah determined all of their movements in the glory-cloud over that Tabernacle. This service continued through the 40 years in the wilderness wanderings and on into the Canaan Land, through to the time of King David. Then, under King David, a new Tabernacle/Tent was established ...

2. David’s Praise Tent 

In David's time, a new Tabernacle/Tent was set up in Mt Zion. The remnants of the Tabernacle of Moses and its sacrificial system continued in David's time on Mt Gibeon. However, the Ark of Yahuah, after its return from captivity in the land of the Philistines, was eventually placed in David’s Praise Tabernacle in Jerusalem, which was simply a tent set up to house the Ark of the Covenant-Witness. In this Praise Tent, called after David, there was established a whole new order of worship in Israel. This is seen in the order of the singers and musicians, who offered (after the dedicatory animal sacrifices) sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving daily to Yahuah before the Ark of Alahim. After some years, David was given the revelation and pattern of the Temple of Yahuah as he desired to build a permanent House for the Ark of Alahim. This, Solomon (his son), was to build.

3. The Temple of Solomon

By 'The Temple of Solomon', we mean 'The Temple of Yahuah', built by Solomon. It was King David who received the revelation and pattern of the Temple by the Spirit in writing upon him. But David had been a man of war and bloodshed and was not permitted to build the house of Yahuah. A man of peace must do this. So Alahim chose Solomon, whose name means "Peace" or "Peaceable", to build His house after Israel had rest from all their enemies.

The Temple followed the same pattern as the Tabernacle of Moses, having Outer Courts, Set-Apart Place and Most Set-Apart Place. But it was twice as large as the Tabernacle of Moses. Within the most Set-Apart place, there was the great olive Cherubim under whose wings the Ark of the Covenant was placed. That Ark had been taken from the Tabernacle of Moses to the Tabernacle of David and now found its final resting place in the Temple of Solomon.

Also, the Temple incorporated in itself the solemn way of approach through blood atonement (from Moses` Tabernacle), combining it with David’s order of Praise from his Tabernacle. The Temple of Solomon was the embodiment of all that had been in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacle of David, the previous habitations of Yahuah.

Here at the dedication, the Shekinah-Glory of Alahim filled the Temple as it came to overshadow the Ark of the Covenant. None could minister because of that glory. 

All this service continued over the years until the corruption, desolation and destruction of the Temple under the Babylonian Captivity and Judah's judgment. Some of Judah was restored to Jerusalem after 70 years of Babylonian Captivity, and they rebuilt the Temple under Ezra and Nehemiah. The whole purpose was to hold them in the land until the coming of the Messiah. Yahuah would 'come suddenly to His Temple again, but who could abide the day of His coming?' (MALACHI 3:1-6)

B. NEW COVENANT DWELLING PLACES OF ALAHIM

We now look at the New Covenant dwelling places of Alahim. Does Yahusha dwell in Temples made with hands? Will the Jews rebuild a Temple for Alahim to dwell therein? Will Yahusha Himself go back to material Temples in this age or a Millennial (eternal) Age? Let’s see what the New Covenant writers have to say on this matter with their New Revelations in the Spirit.

1. Yahusha and the Temple

One cannot overlook the significance of Yahusha's ministry and revelation to the earthly and material Temple in Jerusalem as seen in the Gospels. Even though the Temple (since its rebuilding after the Babylonian Captivity) had experienced various desolations, pollutions and restorations, Yahusha still spoke of it as "My Father's House" during His earthly ministry.

(a) TEMPLE CLEANSINGS

Yahusha, at the beginning of His ministry, went to the Temple and overthrew the money-changers and the corrupt system of the sellers of sacrificial offerings to the pilgrims. He called the Temple "My Father's House". It had become a house of merchandise, so he drove them out of the Temple courtyards. The zeal of the Father's house had consumed Him (Ps 69).

It is significant also that He spoke of "the Temple of His body" being destroyed and raised again in three days. The Jews misunderstood and thought He spoke of the material Temple, but He spoke of "the Temple of His body". Yahusha also, at the close of His 31/2 years' ministry, cleansed the material Temple a second time.

This time, He said, "My house is a house of prayer for all nations", quoting from Isaiah and Jeremiah in doing so. But they had made the Temple a "den of thieves". After the cleansing, the blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them amidst great Hosannas. However, the religious leaders rejected this cleansing as they had rejected the first. Alahim (Yahusha) indeed came "suddenly to His Temple", but none could abide the day of His coming and judgment as He sought to cleanse His Father's house (Malachi 3:1-6). And for this rejection, Yahusha prophesied the coming destruction of the material Temple.

(b) TEMPLE DESTRUCTION

Matthew Chapters 23-24 follow quickly upon Matthew 21. After pronouncing eight "woes" on the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees, Yahusha lamented over Jerusalem. In Matthew 23:28, He speaks of the temple and says, "YOUR HOUSE is left unto desolate". No longer is it "My Father's house", or "My house", but "YOUR house ...desolate", devoid of inhabitants.

In Matthew 24:1-2, Yahusha went out and departed from the Temple, surely a physical-symbolic act! His Disciples pointed out to Him the glory of the Temple buildings. Yahusha plainly said that the days were coming when not one stone would be left unturned upon another. It would be another Temple desolation and destruction, even as Jeremiah and other prophets had foretold the same under Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. This time it would be under the Roman armies and Prince Titus in 70AD, where we see how the prophecies of Yahusha were fulfilled. Josephus, the Jewish Historian, provides a vivid and hideous account of the atrocities and desolation of Jewry, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.

Yahusha demonstrated in His life that He was finished with the material Temple. As He died on the torture stake of Calvary, the veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom. By this symbolic act, the Old Covenant of the outward, physical, carnal Torah/Law had ended. He was finished with the material, Temples and the Old Covenant Priesthood. Now, access within the veil was available for all who believe in and accept His sacrifice at Calvary. Yahusha also confirmed this decision through His Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost, He bypassed the material Temple, where the Priests were keeping the letter of the law of the Feast and He went to the upper room where the true Spirit of the feast was being kept.

There, He poured out and formed the New Covenant Temples of Lively Stones of the 120 Disciples. There He came as the esteem/glory of Alahim to indwell the New Covenant Temples - the bodies of the believers in Yahusha. So Alahim set His seal to the fact that material and earthly Temples were forever finished with, and He would no longer inhabit such.

2. New Covenant Temples

The New Covenant Temples are the bodies of the redeemed. We see this first in Yahusha and then in His Bridal Assembly.

(a) YAHUSHA THE TEMPLE

There is no mistaking the fact that the body of our Master Yahusha Messiah was Alahim’s Tabernacle/Temple. Yahusha Himself spoke of "the Temple of His body". The Jews (like many believers today) looked at the wrong Temple when Yahusha spoke. They looked at the material Temple and missed the spiritual Temple, the supernatural Temple of His body. They misinterpreted the words of Yahusha, Who is the Tabernacle of Alahim, since He is all the fullness and completeness of Alahim in human form. The Word was made flesh and dwelt (‘tabernacled/boothed’) among us and we beheld His esteem/glory. Alahim only dwelt in material Tabernacles and Temples until He came as Yahusha THE Tabernacle and THE Temple of Alahim. 

It fulfils the prophecy of Ezekiel 11:16, that "I will be to them a little sanctuary" in all places His people would be scattered. Yahusha is THE Sanctuary, the Tabernacle, the Temple to believers wherever they are. There is no need for the externals of a material Tabernacle or Temple anymore.

(b) BELIEVERS - YAHUSHA ALAHIM'S TEMPLE

All New Covenant writers unmistakably declare that believers, both individually and corporately, are Yahusha’s Temple, His dwelling place. Individually, the believer's body is Yahusha’s Temple, in which the Shekinah-Glory of His Spirit dwells, and it must not be defiled or it will be destroyed, as sure as the material Temple was destroyed when defiled. Corporately, the Bridal Assembly is the body of Yahusha, a clean habitation by the Spirit (EPH 2:19-22). He says 'We are the Temple of Alahim and Yahusha will dwell in us, and walk in us and be our Alahim and we His people" (2 COR 6). Peter says we are built up a "spiritual house as Lively Stones" (1 PET 2:4-5). All New Covenant writers show that the Assembly is Alahim's house, His Dwelling Place. "Messiah in us is the hope of glory" (COL 1:26-28). "He dwells (tabernacles) in our hearts by belief and the washing of His blood sacrifice, which connects us to His Reign since more" (EPH 3:16-17).

In light of these New Covenant writers, who had been under the material Temple system, who show clearly that believers and the Assembly are now Yahusha’s Temple, why then should we look for a rebuilt material Temple in this age or the eternal age to come? Yahusha will not forsake New Covenant Temples to go back to material Temples. He was never fulfilled in such. He wanted to dwell in His redeemed.

We were created to be indwelt by His Spirit and Glory-Fire (TWO BAPTISMS) ...

THIS IS HOW YAHUSHA DELIVERS & POSSESSES US - HIS TEMPLES !! 

The final dwelling place of Yahusha is the Royal, Set-Apart City, the Heavenly and New Jerusalem. There is no Temple there, for Yahusha Alahim (the Lamb) is the Temple thereof. It is a city without a Temple, for Yahusha Alahim and His Bride are the eternal Temple of Alahim. For all these reasons, the visionary Temple of Ezekiel can never refer to a material Temple in this age or any other. It finds its fulfilment in the Bride, the Temple of the living Alahim. Understanding New Covenant realities concerning Yahusha’s NEW COVENANT TEMPLE will further help us as New Covenant believers to indeed come out of the massive covenantal confusion of today!

A NEW PATTERN

1 COR 2:9 “But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which Yahusha has prepared for those who love Him.' 10 But Alahim has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of Yahusha. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of Yahusha Alahim except His Spirit. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is Yahusha, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by Him".

Yahusha is Alahim the Lamb, and His Bride will be joined and consummated as One with Him in a New Jerusalem City on a New Earth. Why would there be any other place? Yahusha is all and in all, He is the light and the divine, eternal Temple Himself. THIS IS A NEW PATTERN, not like the ones given to Moses and David, for this Temple has none of the previous requirements, furniture or garb that the former had. Yahusha as the Alahim/Man qualifies as the ULTIMATE TEMPLE BEING due to His transition into flesh and His death, resurrection and ascension back into all authority as Alahim.

Yahuah is gone, completely metamorphed into Yahusha, and so likewise His Bride must go through the same process, putting to death their fleshly self and the spirit that has controlled them, putting on the New Behaviour of Love from a pure heart, only available through Yahusha Alahim’s baptisms of Spirit and fire. This is the ultimate Temple experience, scattered local quarries of LIVELY STONES, soon to be revealed in fullness (fitted together).

Yahusha is revealing it to His servant/friends ahead of time so that we are prepared and be ready for this eternal blissful existence in the light of Yahusha Alahim… the only New Covenant Temple that is eternal, along with His overcome, matured, wise Bride who has picked up her torture stake and followed Him into the sufferings … ALL FOR THE JOY TO COME !

ALL SCRIPTURE IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD SUPERNATURALLY, NOT INTERPRETED INTO THE NATURAL HERE AND NOW. YAHUSHA'S SPIRIT SEEKS TO TRANSFORM US AND GIVE US AN ETERNAL, SPIRITUAL EXISTENCE STARTING NOW.

ARE YOU RECOGNISING THE SUPERNATURAL IN YOUR DAY, OR IS THE PHYSICAL DAY-TO-DAY ROUTINE AND HUM-DRUM OF LIFE FAR TOO CAPTIVATING FOR YOU?

WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD, YET WE ARE NOT A PART OF IT. IS THIS HOW YOU EXIST? IN THE NATURAL/CARNAL? OR THE SUPERNATURAL MIRACULOUS? GIVE YOURSELF A RATING? HOW DO YOU FAIR? HOW MUCH OF YOUR DAY IS WALKING IN THE SPIRIT (A HIGHER, HEAVENLY DIMENSION) AND HOW MUCH ARE YOUR THOUGHT AND ATTENTION IS ON THIS SPINNING GLOBE OF CONSTANT INSANITY, SPEWED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPIRITS IN HIGH PLACES -- SEEKING TO DEVASTATE AND DESTROY YOU?

DON'T YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING ALAHIM YAHUSHA? WHAT AN AMAZING CALLING AND PRIVILEGE!!

WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO YOURSELF ??

REVELATION 21

1 And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 And I, John, saw the Royal, Set-Apart City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of the Heaven from Alahim, prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the Heaven saying, “See, the Tabernacle of Alahim is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and Yahusha Himself will be with them and be their Alahim. 4 And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying. And there will be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 

5 And He Who was sitting on the Throne said, “See, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and trustworthy.”  6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Aleph and the Tau, the Beginning and the End [including all that is in this book]. To the one who thirsts, I will give of the fountain of the water of life without payment. 

7 The one who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his Alahim and he will be My son. 8 But as for the cowardly, and untrustworthy, and abominable, and murderers, and those who whore, and drug sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the false, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.” 

9 And one of the 7 Angels who held the 7 bowls filled with the 7 last plagues came to me and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the Royal, Set-Apart City, New Jerusalem, descending out of the Heaven from Alahim, 11 having His esteem, and her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal, 12 and having a great and high wall, having 12 gates, and at the gates 12 Angels, and names written on them, which are of the 12 Tribes of the children of Israel: 13 Three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 

14 And the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and on them were the names of the 12 Disciples of the Lamb. 15 And He who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod, to measure the city, and its gates, and its wall. 16 And the city lies 4-cornered, and its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the rod: 2,200 kilometres - length, and the breadth and height of it are equal. 17 And he measured its wall: 65 metres, according to the measure of a man, that is, of a messenger.18 And the structure of its wall was jasper. And the city was clean gold, like clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation jasper, the 2nd sapphire, the 3rd agate, the 4th emerald, 20 the 5th sardonyx, the 6th ruby, the 7th chrysolite, the 8th beryl, the 9th topaz, the 10th chrysoprase, the 11th jacinth, and the 12th amethyst.

21 And the 12 gates were 12 pearls – each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was clean gold, like transparent glass. 22And I saw no Temple in it, for Yahusha Al Shaddai (the Lamb) is its Temple. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it, for the esteem of Yahusha Alahim lightened it, for the Lamb is its lamp. 24 And the nations, of those who are delivered, will walk in its light, and the sovereigns of the earth bring their esteem into it. 25 And its gates will not be shut at all by day, for night will not be there. 26 And they will bring the esteem and the appreciation of the nations into it. 27 And there will by no means enter into it whatever is unclean, neither anyone doing abomination and falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Scroll of Life. 

REVELATION 22

And He shows me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of Yahusha the  Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit each month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And no longer will there be any curse, and the throne of Yahusha the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him. 4 And they will see His face, and His Name will be in their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more, and they will have no need of a lamp or the light of the sun, because Yahusha will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever. 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And Yahusha Alahim of the set-apart prophets has sent His Messenger to show His servants what has to take place with speed. 7 “See, I am coming speedily! Blessed is he who guards the words of the prophecy of this book.” 

8 And I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the Angel who showed me these things. 9 And he said to me, “Oy, don’t do that! For I’m your fellow servant, and of your brothers the prophets, and of those who are guarding the words of this book. Worship Yahusha.” 10 And He said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.

11 “He who does wrong, let him do more wrong; he who is filthy, let him be more filthy; he who is righteous, let him be more righteous; he who is set-apart and clean, let him be more set-apart and clean. 12 “And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work.13 “I am the Aleph and the Tau, The Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. 14 “Blessed are those doing His commands so that the authority will be theirs to the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are the dogs and those who enchant with drugs, and those who whore, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and all who love and do falsehood. 

16 “I, Yahusha, have sent My Angel to witness to you these truths in the assemblies. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” 17 And the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” And he who hears, let him say, “Come!” And he who thirsts, come! And he who desires it, take the water of life without paying!

18For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, Yahusha will add to him the plagues that are written in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Yahusha will take away his part from the Scroll of Life, and out of the Royal, set-apart city, which are written in this Book. 20 He that bears witness of these things says, “Yes, I am coming speedily.” Amein. 

Yes, come, Master Yahusha! 21 The favour of our Master Yahusha Messiah be with all the believers. Amein.