Pentecost pivoted disciples of Christ from a physical to a spiritual presence of God.
I want you to go on a quick survey to temples in the Old and New Testaments. I want you to read this brief article to establish a specific aspect of the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts Chapter Two.
Temple of God
Old Testament
In the Old Testament, God desired a temple as a visible symbol of His presence among His people, the Israelites. The Israelites used the temple as a central place of worship, where they made sacrifices and offerings to honor God and seek His forgiveness. It served as a place where God’s people could learn about His laws and receive guidance.
Temple # 1 – Temple at Shiloh
Hannah prayed at the Temple of Shiloh, which was the central sanctuary for the Israelites during the time of the Judges. The Ark of the Covenant lived in this temple, which the Israelites considered a sacred place of worship. In 1 Samuel 1:9-18, the Book of 1 Samuel records Hannah’s prayer for a child at the Temple of Shiloh.
The Philistines destroyed the Temple and Tabernacle in Shiloh about 1050BC when they captured the ark and slew Eli’s sons in a battle with the Israelites at Ebenezer. The Assyrian army permanently destroyed the city and left it in ruins until a modern-day Jewish community resettled the area in 1978.
Temple # 2 – Solomon’s Temple
King Solomon built Solomon’s Temple, also known as the First Temple, in Jerusalem around 960 BCE. According to the Bible, it stood as a splendid and majestic structure, intended to serve as the focal point of worship for the Israelites. Skilled artisans decorated the temple with precious metals and stones, and it contained the Ark of the Covenant, which held the Ten Commandments.
1 Kings 5-6 and 2 Chronicles 2-4 describe the construction of the temple. The symbol of God’s presence among the people held significance and served as a focal point for their religious and national identity. However, the Babylonians eventually destroyed the temple in 586 BCE because of Israel’s disobedience and turning to idolatry.
The fire fell
Something unusual about Solomon’s Temple is that God’s fire fell upon it.
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house.
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3
Temple # 3 – Zerubabbel’s and Herod’s Temple
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the people of Jerusalem constructed Zerubbabel’s Temple, also known as the Second Temple, after the Babylonian exile, around 516 BCE. According to the Bible, Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David, led the construction of the Temple with the support of the Persian King Cyrus.
The rebuilding of the temple was a significant event for the returning exiles, as it symbolized the restoration of their religious and national identity. The construction of Zerubbabel’s Temple is documented in the books of Ezra and Haggai. In contrast to Solomon’s Temple, it possessed a humble design, devoid of the magnificence and opulence of its forerunner. It served as the central place of worship for the Jewish people until Herod the Great later expanded and renovated it.
Fire did not fill Zerubbabel’s temple in the same way as it did with Solomon’s temple, according to the Bible. Nevertheless, the two temple constructions have notable distinctions and carry significant meaning in the biblical narrative.
After the Babylonian exile, the Jewish people built Zerubbabel’s temple, also known as the Second Temple, to serve as a symbol of hope and restoration. While it may not have experienced the same visible manifestation of God’s presence as Solomon’s temple, it still held great importance in the religious and historical context of the time.
New Testament
A change in the temple of God accompanies the transition from the Old Testament to the New.
Jesus abandoned the temple and left it desolate until a future time.
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until [the time] come when ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Luke 13:35
Herod’s temple, also known as the Second Temple, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE during the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman general Titus led the forces that besieged and eventually sacked Jerusalem, resulting in the destruction of the temple and the dispersion of the Jewish population. This event had significant consequences for both Judaism and Christianity, as it marked the end of the Jewish sacrificial system and the beginning of the Jewish diaspora. In Christianity, it is often seen as a fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy about the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, and Luke 21:5-6).
Temple # 4 – The Temple of God
Before the destruction of Herod’s temple, God had already constructed a new temple. That temple represents both each individual believer and the Church as a whole.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22
God has transferred His dwelling place away from physical buildings into His believers.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16
and
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 5:19
The fire fell
There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Acts 2:3
God’s temple is here on earth and every born-again believer is that temple and part of a larger temple.
Temple # 5 – The Final Physical Temple
God abides in us right now. However, a new temple exists in Heaven.
The Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, contains a vision of the heavenly temple. In Revelation 11:1-2, John is instructed to measure the temple, its altar, and the worshipers.
There was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Revelation 11:1
I’ve read after some people who spiritualize this physical temple, but the textual implications make the temple both tangible and measureable.
Temple # 6 – The Final Temple
This temple represents the dwelling place of God among His people and is a symbol of divine presence and protection. Revelation 21:22 reveals that in the New Jerusalem, the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) serve as the temple, showing that there is no need for a physical temple.
I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Revelation 21:22
The heavenly temple in Revelation represents God’s promise to dwell with His people and the spiritual nature of worship.
Back to Acts Chapter Two
I want you to notice the transition of the temple of God from a building to you as a person. In Acts Chapter Two, the fire fell upon the temple in a way similar to God’s filling of Solomon’s temple.
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