Where
Did God Place His Name?
By Dr. Ken Matto
One of the most strategic placements in the Bible is
where God chose to place his name.
We find his name being placed in two very strategic locations in both the Old
and New Testaments. It was a very
important plan for God to place his name among his people because it showed a
special relationship he had with them and that he was their protector.
Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out
of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house,
that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel. (1
Kings 8:16)
It was about 480 years since the people of Israel had
come out of Egypt. While they were
wandering they had no specific place where God was to place his name.
He already had a place in mind but up to this point he did not make it
known. The timing was not yet
right. However, in this verse we
read the God made David the King over his people Israel and it was him that was
given the hint of where the temple was to be built.
18 And the LORD said unto David my father,
Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well
that it was in thine heart. 19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the
house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the
house unto my name. (1 Kings 8:18-19)
David was a man of war so he was forbidden to build the
temple but Solomon was the one who would build the temple of the LORD.
But God said unto me, Thou shalt
not build an house for my name, because thou
hast been a man of war, and
hast shed blood. (1 Chronicles 28:3)
And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and
thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house,
which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine
heart shall be there perpetually. (1 Kings 9:3)
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears
attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now
have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and
mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. 2 Chronicles 7:15-16
Solomon had finished the temple and dedicated it to the
LORD. The LORD even hallowed the
house making it a holy sanctuary unto the LORD.
Then the LORD says something that gives us a hint of where he will place
his name. Here the LORD is stating
that the temple is going to be the place where he is going to place his name
forever. Not only that but his eyes
and heart will be there perpetually which means everlastingly or permanently.
He will even be attentive to the prayers which were made in this place
which is the temple.
And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my
servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have
chosen me to put my name there. (1 Kings 11:36)
And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which
the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. (2 Kings 21:4)
But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be
there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. (2 Chronicles 6:6)
Since David was a man after God’s own heart, God
promised to give David one tribe and that was the tribe of Judah.
Here God widens the extent of where he was going to place his name.
In the previous verses we saw that he limited it to the temple alone but
here in these three verses he mentions the name of the city of Jerusalem where
he plans on placing his name.
Jerusalem means “possession of peace.”
The temple was the center of worship for ancient Israel and it was
located in Jerusalem but God widened the meaning as we shall see further in this
study.
And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made
in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this
house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I
put my name for ever: (2 Kings 21:7)
Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof
the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. (2 Chronicles 33:4)
Manasseh was one of the most idolatrous kings Judah ever
had. He reigned 55 years and even
sacrificed his children on the altar to Molech.
It seems that he was so idolatrous that the image of the false god was
made in the house of the LORD, probably in the holy place.
He was so wicked that he actually built altars to the false gods in the
temple which was supposed to be dedicated to the LORD.
Here God once again states that the idolatry took place in the temple of
the LORD and in Jerusalem where he will put his name forever.
And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my
sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I
have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. (2 Kings
23:27)
Now a shift has taken place in that God is about to cast
Judah out of his sight along with the city of Jerusalem which he chose to place
his name there. The city and the
temple had now become so idolatrous that the name of the true God can no longer
be associated with either place. So
here God is foretelling the coming removal of Judah to Babylon for 70 years as
punishment for their idolatry.
Manasseh ruled from 698-643 B.C. and the first carrying away was in 605 B.C.
which was 38 years later. The other
two removals were 597 and 586 B.C.
Not that God did not see them but he removed his special favor from them for 70
years. Judah would once again be
reinstated in the land because the Lord Jesus Christ would have to be born in
Bethlehem of Judah.
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the
thousands of Judah, yet out of
thee shall he come forth unto me that
is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth
have been from of old, from
everlasting. (Micah 5:2)
For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down
of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place
incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name
shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1:11)
Now we come to the book of Malachi which is dated
between 435-400 B.C. So Judah
returned to the land in 516 B.C. which means now in Malachi we see a prophecy of
the salvation of the Gentiles.
Here we see a prophecy of the future when the true
gospel will go forth all over the world and every day, all day the name of the
Lord will be praised by those whom he has saved. At present there is no country
in the world where the true gospel is not taught even in countries which have
banned Christianity. In fact, the more hostile the governments become toward
Christianity, the more it increases. One just has to look at countries like
China and Iran where Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds. Then he
states that in every place there will be incense offered in God’s name. 3
And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there
was given unto him much incense, that he should offer
it with the prayers of all
saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the
smoke of the incense, which came
with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
(Revelation 8:3-4) Here we read in Revelation
8:3-4 that the incense being offered will be mingled with the prayers of the
Saints. It is a symbol that the prayers to God are as pleasing as the aroma of
incense. Then it speaks of a pure offering which looks forward to the Lord
Jesus Christ. Christians will bring their petitions before the Lord with a pure
offering. John 14:13 (KJV) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will
I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. The pure offering will
be the sinless Son of God on Calvary and that is why the animal sacrifices in
the Old Testament had to be perfect. Then as Christianity spreads throughout
the earth, the Son will receive glory and the Father will receive glory through
His Son.
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a
chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel: (Acts 9:15)
Here we read the commission of the Apostle Paul whose
ministry extended to the Gentiles as well as the children of Israel who outright
rejected him.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and
said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to
you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting
life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46)
The stubbornness of the Israelites continued into the New Testament.
They were as rebellious as those in the Old Testament.
So it seems now we have a dilemma because we read in
some of the previous verses that God was going to place his name in the temple
and in Jerusalem forever. What
happened in 70 A.D.? The LORD
himself dispatched the Roman Army to completely destroy Jerusalem and the
temple.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut
off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a
flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:26)
Now following the 62 weeks we are told that the Messiah will be cut off. The
words “cut off” are used quite copiously in the Old Testament and carries with
it the meaning of “death.” Because he hath despised the word of the LORD,
and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his
iniquity shall be upon him. (Numbers 15:31) In
Daniel 9:26, we are told that the Messiah will be cut off which means He
will be put to death. “Not for himself” because He was absolutely sinless but
He would be cut off for the sins of His people making substitutionary atonement
for their sins. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21) These
would be known in the New Testament as the “Elect” of God. Who shall lay
any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans
8:33)
Then we are told that the people of the prince shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary. This is a prophecy looking forward to the time when General Titus
and the Roman Army will destroy Jerusalem, the Temple, and Judah from 66 A.D. to
about 74 A.D. The other ten tribes when taken to Assyria in 721 B.C. never
returned to the land because there was no need since Messiah came through the
lineage of the tribe of Judah. When it speaks about a flood, it describes the
immensity of the final destruction of Judah by the Romans. Within the time
frame of the final siege of Judah by the Romans there would be mass
executions. They hung so many Jews on crosses that they actually ran out of
wood plus there was no food or water and over one million Jews died. Behold,
your house is left unto you desolate. (Matthew 23:38) The Lord
prophesied these desolations in Matthew 23 and 24.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken
of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the
mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take
any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field
return back to take his clothes. (Matthew 24:15-18)
Matthew 24:15-18 prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem which is also called
the holy place. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the
city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. (Psalm
46:4) The Roman army marched into Jerusalem or the holy place and made it
desolate. The Christians had fled Jerusalem because they heeded the Lord’s
warning found in Matthew 24:15-18 and as a result, no Christians were killed in
the siege of Jerusalem. This was also a historically accurate event as
historians of the first century noted that no Christians were killed but over
one million Jews were killed by the Romans because they did not believe who
Christ was and therefore did not heed His warning.
There was also much fighting among the Jews themselves and Titus later
stated that if the Jews did not fight each other but were united, Jerusalem
would never have been taken.
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?
verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that
shall not be thrown down. (Matthew 24:2)
As for these things which ye behold, the days
will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that
shall not be thrown down. (Luke 21:6)
And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these
great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not
be thrown down. (Mark 13:2)
In Matthew, Luke, and Mark there are warnings given by
the Lord Jesus Christ himself that there was going to be a destruction of
Jerusalem and the temple but they did not know when.
That destruction came in 70 A.D.
So the question now remains, how could God place his name perpetually in
a place that no longer exists? The
two places where God was to place his name forever was the temple and Jerusalem.
So either the Scriptures are incorrect or something changed!
After the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ
took place in 33 A.D. everything had changed.
No longer were animal sacrifices accepted, there was no longer a special
priesthood, feasts and special days were now null and void.
Therefore the physical temple was no longer needed and that is why the
city of Jerusalem was destroyed.
Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. and in 130 A.D. Emperor Hadrian rebuilt
Jerusalem but not for the purpose of reinstating the Jews and their worship but
it was now a Roman outpost. The
so-called “Wailing Wall” was not part of the temple edifice but was a supporting
structure of the Antonia Fortress which housed the Tenth Roman Legion.
Jerusalem was rebuilt as a Gentile City as it remains
that way today. Modern Israel
accommodates many false religions including Judaism and Islam.
Those who follow Judaism are following a
false religion because they are all Gentile converts to Judaism.
They have no connection whatsoever to ancient Israel which was completely
dispersed across both Assyria and Rome.
They assimilated into those cultures and no one knows who they are as
they most likely adopted the local religions for survival.
If modern Israel does erect another temple and once again establishes
animal sacrifices, it means absolutely nothing and the sacrifices will have no
value since the Lord Jesus Christ was the true sacrifice for sin and the animal
sacrifices were just a foreshadow of Christ’s final sacrifice for sin.
For
it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)
So now let us answer our question.
Where did God place his name since Jerusalem and the temple were
destroyed?
We will look at the temple first.
Many people believe that modern faux Israel is going to build a third
temple.
First temple – Solomon’s
Second Temple – Zerubbabel’s which was redone by Herod.
So we have historical evidence that the first two
temples were built. We also have
biblical evidence that the third temple has already been under construction for
2,000 years. Oh really?
Where?
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom
all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation
of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of
God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any
man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is
holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people. (2 Corinthians 6:16)
Here we have a number of verses which state specifically
that the body of believers, both individually and corporately, is the temple of
God in the New Testament. There is
no mistaking it. The third temple
is not some physical building of brick and mortar but is made up of all the
believers in Christ. Now in the Old
Testament God chose to place his name in the physical temple which were the
first two temples as we previously read.
In the New Testament we see that God has placed his name in the body of
believers which is the third temple.
Look at 2 Corinthians 6:16 above and what do we read?
Just as God placed his name in the Old Testament temple, he is
transferring it to the New Testament temple by means of dwelling in them and
walking in them. This means that
God himself has placed himself within the true believer in Christ.
This results in God being our God and we shall be his people.
This was taken from Leviticus 26:12 but with a different relationship.
And I will walk among you, and
will be your God, and ye shall be my people. (Leviticus 26:12)
Notice it says that God will walk among them but in the New Testament he
states he indwells them. A much
more intimate relationship is dwelling in them rather than among them.
2 Corinthians 6:16 ends the argument of who the people
of God are. Those who are in Christ
are referred to as “they shall be my people.”
It does not say they will be one of my people but it is singular in that
the true body of believers are the people of God.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth
the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are
now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
The fact of the true believers being the people of God
is confirmed in 1 Peter 2:10 where it states in time past were not a people,
“but are now the people of God.”
The direct article “the” tells us that there is only one specific people
in view that are the chosen people of God, it is those in Christ.
God does not have two chosen people.
The people like Moses, Joshua, Solomon, David, and others were saved
people within the ancient nation of Israel.
They were the true chosen because they were saved.
16 And
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever; 17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you. (John 14:16-17)
Notice in John 14:16-17, the Scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit
who is the third person of the trinity, eternal God, will indwell the true
believer.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God. (Revelation 21:3)
God confirms the message of 2 Corinthians 6:16 as we
read in Revelation 21:3 that the true believer will be the children of God and
he will be our God. Then we must
ask the question. How long will
this indwelling be and the relationship to God last?
Jesus answers that question in John 5:24:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John
5:24) The relationship will
never end as the true believer is granted everlasting life.
So here we see that God not only placed his name in the body of believers
but has placed himself within them both individually and corporately.
Christianity proclaims God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit as the temple of God continues to grow in the world until the last one is
saved and the “habitation of God” is complete.
The word “habitation” in Ephesians 2:20 means “dwelling place.”
Then the other place where God chose to place his name
was the city of Jerusalem. This was
the ancient city which survived until 70 A.D. when God himself saw to its
destruction via the Roman Army.
Then in 130 A.D. it was rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian and became a Gentile city.
The Jerusalem in modern faux Israel has nothing whatsoever to do with any
phase of biblical prophecy nor is it God’s city.
God left there in 70 A.D. with the total destruction of the temple and
city and now is sending forth the gospel of grace through his people.
So now what city is God placing his name in?
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go
out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and
he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in
the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For
he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)
Abraham did not look for a city on this earth but once a person is born again
and is alive unto God, we look beyond the physical and set our sights on the
spiritual. This is what Abraham did as a believer. He looked beyond the physical
horizons and looked to the heavenly city where the real home of the believers
lie. The heavenly city is referred to as the body of believers.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall
go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of
the city of my God, which is new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I
will write upon him my new name. (Revelation
3:12) Those who overcome, that is, those who become saved will be made a
pillar in the temple of God and will become part of the New Jerusalem. The New
Jerusalem is described in Revelation in many beautiful ways.
And the city had no need of the sun,
neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and
the Lamb is the light
thereof. (Revelation 21:23) The builder and maker of this city is God
Himself. This city has foundations and it is not like the tents in which Abraham
was dwelling in, these were the permanent foundations where the believer will
have a permanent home. No longer will there be a wandering on the part of the
believer as they will have a permanent dwelling place. Just as in this present
world where the believer cannot find a home because of its hostility toward the
true Gospel, there will be an eternal rest for the believer in the New City of
Jerusalem.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an
heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16)
Rather than them returning to Mesopotamia, they desired that heavenly city which
God had prepared for them. Back in Mesopotamia there was nothing but false gods
and idolatry and those false gods could do absolutely nothing. Here in Canaan
they met the true living God and once they met Him, they wanted more of Him and
the false gods had faded away in the presence of God. They knew that false gods
were just idols made of hands and could benefit them nothing but the true and
living God was able to give them an eternal habitation in Heaven.
Hebrews 11:10 speaks about a city whose builder and maker is God.
Here in Hebrews 11:16, we read that God prepared for them a city.
In my Father's house are
many mansions: if it were not
so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
When Christ went to the cross, he had prepared a place for the true
believers and upon their physical death, they go right into the city which was
prepared for them by God the Father and God the Son.
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of
the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
(Hebrews 12:22)
Under the Old Covenant, to approach God would have meant death unless it was
according to the way God had given, normally through the sacrifices and the High
Priest once a year. Now under the New Covenant, we come through the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the approaching is peaceful because those who are born again, have
the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all
things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they
be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians
1:20) Under the New Covenant, the war is over, and the redeemed may approach
God at any time. The city which the Patriarchs had looked for has now come and
all true believers have entered in through the blood of Christ. No longer did a
person have to wait once a year for the High Priest to make an atonement, now
the believer had direct access to God at any time. The first century Christians
had lived at the beginning of the age of fulfillment of the very thing the
Patriarchs sought for by means of living on the promise. The promise will reach
its ultimate fulfillment on the last day, when the last one is saved and that
will usher in the final events of earth’s history. The vast number of angels are
mentioned here because the ultimate promise is of eternal life in Heaven where
the angels live. They still minister to the believers in the course of our
earthly walk. Are they not all
ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation? (Hebrews 1:14) If
you notice in this verse that the name of the city that Abraham sought for is
the New Jerusalem which is further expanded upon as we search the Scriptures.
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to
come. (Hebrews 13:14)
Here we have no continuing city.
Remember the earthly Jerusalem was to be totally destroyed as the book of
Hebrews is one of the earliest writings of the New Testament.
It was definitely written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
This is why the verse speaks about the fact we have no continuing city
because the old Jerusalem was cut off forever in 70 A.D. and therefore the true
believer looks for a continuing city.
The word “continuing” in the Greek is the word “ménō” which means “be
permanent, abide, lasting.” When
Hebrews was written, the old Jerusalem had only about 40 years or maybe less
before it was completely destroyed meaning that it would not continue.
What would continue forever was the New Jerusalem which was everlasting.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple
of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which
cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my
new name. (Revelation 3:12)
Here we have a full panoply of the identification of the
true believer. First of all, they
are made a pillar in the temple of God and if you remember that the temple of
God is both the individual and corporate body of believers.
Then the verse teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ will write the name of
God upon the new believer which is figurative for the true believer belonging to
God. Then they will also have the
name of the city of God written on them which is the new Jerusalem which will
last forever that comes out of Heaven.
Then the true believer will have written upon them the new name of
Christ.
His eyes
were as a flame of fire, and on
his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (Revelation 19:12)
This name is not revealed but only Christ knows the name and it will be
shared with the believer as it is written upon them as a sign of family
ownership.
The secret
things belong unto the LORD our
God: but those things which are
revealed belong unto us and to
our children for ever, that we
may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
The new name is one of those things which is secret and belongs unto the
LORD alone.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation
21:2)
Then John was privileged to see the entire body of
believers as they come down from God in Heaven.
They are called the bride of Christ.
It is called the holy city or the body of believers which Abraham sought
for. The earthly Jerusalem faded
but the Heavenly Jerusalem is everlasting.
Back In Galatians 4:26, the heavenly Jerusalem
was already mentioned as the mother of us all. It is the new Jerusalem which
gives spiritual birth to the believer.
But Jerusalem which is above is free,
which is the mother of us all. (Galatians 4:26) The name “Jerusalem” means
“possession of peace.”
And came out of
the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared
unto many. (Matthew 27:53)
After Christ had died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from
top to bottom. It was torn that way
so people would know that it was not torn by people but by God himself which
ushered in the end of the Mosaic system.
Many came out of the graves and went into the holy city.
Once Christ had died, the old Jerusalem was no longer the holy city but
the new Jerusalem was now the holy city as we read in Revelation and Hebrews.
The proper understanding is that these
believers who were resurrected went directly into Heaven and appeared to many of
the Old Testament Saints. On the last day, all the believers will be
resurrected unto their glorified spiritual bodies and will reside in the New
Heaven and the New Earth.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high
mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
heaven from God, (Revelation 21:10)
The angel takes John away in the spirit to a great and high mountain. This
mountain is not a literal mountain but it just shows that John will have a lofty
view of the descent of the great city as it descended out of heaven. It was
necessary for John to have the best view possible because he must write what he
is seeing in this vision. In Scripture, especially in the Old Testament we are
introduced to many cities and the inhabitants of those cities are normally
identified with those cities and the traits. For example, Ephesus was identified
with Diana worship. Rome was identified with Emperor worship. Corinth was
identified with disreputable lifestyles. Anyone coming from these three cities
would automatically be labeled as being identified with what made the city
famous, whether it would be idolatry or a sin-filled lifestyle. Here in
Revelation we are going to receive a city type view of the body of believers as
we received a temple view of the body of believers in Ezekiel 40-48 which was
representative of Christ building the temple of the body of believers. The
true believers are identified with the New Jerusalem.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying,
Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy
judgment come. (Revelation 18:10)
In Revelation 18 the Bible uses the term “city” for the
entire kingdom of Satan which will be destroyed completely on the last day.
So the term “city” used for the body of believers which is the Kingdom of
God is a proper use of the term.
Here “city” is symbolic of an entire kingdom which will meet its doom in a very
short time.
Summary
We have seen that God uses the terms “temple” and “city” to describe the body of believers. The continuing city is not the old Jerusalem on earth or even the modern city of Jerusalem in faux Israel. God did not transfer his name to the modern Jerusalem but to the body of believers as we have read. The continuing city is everlasting and is the body of believers. Christians must look beyond the horizon of earth and stop looking at modern Jerusalem as a spiritual city because as we have seen it is a Roman rebuild by Hadrian. As Abraham, we too look for the continuing city and that continuing city is the new Jerusalem where God has placed his name for eternity. True Christianity teaches the truth about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Religion does not teach the truth about them and therefore true Christianity is the portal to the new Heaven and the New Earth. So to recap, the third temple is being completed slowly with the addition of new believers being added each day but one day the last pillar will be added to that temple and then the end shall come. So if modern Israel builds a temple and starts animal sacrifices, it is just another false religion trying to bypass God’s way of salvation. They will pay the everlasting consequences for their rejection of Christ as will all false religions.
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