Topical Bible: Types of Christ: Temple

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In biblical typology, the Temple serves as a profound symbol and type of Christ, embodying the presence, holiness, and redemptive work of Jesus. The Temple, as described in the Old Testament, was the central place of worship for the Israelites, where God's presence dwelt among His people. This sacred structure prefigures Christ in several significant ways.

1. The Dwelling Place of God:

The Temple was the dwelling place of God's Shekinah glory, where He met with His people. In the New Testament, Jesus is presented as the ultimate dwelling place of God. John 1:14 states, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." Here, the incarnation of Christ is depicted as God tabernacling among humanity, fulfilling the role of the Temple as the locus of divine presence.

2. The Center of Worship:

The Temple was the focal point of Israelite worship, where sacrifices were offered, and festivals were celebrated. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, identified Himself as the new center of worship. In John 2:19, Jesus declares, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Berean Standard Bible notes that He was speaking of the temple of His body (John 2:21). This statement underscores that true worship is now centered in Christ, who is the ultimate sacrifice and mediator between God and humanity.

3. The Place of Sacrifice:

The Temple was the site of continual sacrifices, which pointed to the need for atonement and reconciliation with God. These sacrifices were a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice that Christ would offer. Hebrews 10:11-12 explains, "Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God." Jesus, as the Lamb of God, fulfills the sacrificial system of the Temple, offering Himself once for all.

4. The Holy of Holies:

The Holy of Holies within the Temple was the most sacred space, where only the high priest could enter once a year to make atonement for the people. This inner sanctum symbolizes the ultimate access to God, which Christ provides. At the moment of Jesus' death, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), signifying that through His sacrifice, believers now have direct access to God. Hebrews 10:19-20 states, "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body."

5. The Temple as a House of Prayer:

Jesus emphasized the Temple's role as a house of prayer, quoting Isaiah 56:7, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Mark 11:17). In Christ, the invitation to communion with God is extended to all people, transcending the physical boundaries of the Temple. Believers are now called to be living temples, as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price."

In these ways, the Temple serves as a rich type of Christ, illustrating His role as the dwelling place of God, the center of worship, the ultimate sacrifice, the mediator of access to God, and the embodiment of prayerful communion. Through the lens of the Temple, the multifaceted work of Christ is revealed, inviting believers into a deeper understanding of His redemptive mission.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 6:1,38
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 2:19,21
Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Fasting, and the Goat Sent Away, were Types of Christ.
... Chapter VII."Fasting, and the goat sent away, were types of Christ. ... Footnotes:
[1527] Cod. Sin. reads "temple," which is adopted by Hilgenfeld. ...
/.../barnabas/the epistle of barnabas /chapter vii fasting and the goat.htm

Faustus Denies that the Prophets Predicted Christ. Augustin Proves ...
... lion, a lamb, and a stone, are used as types of Christ ... to Jeremiah's prophecy, and
in the restoration of the temple, every believer in Christ must see ...
/.../faustus denies that the prophets.htm

The Temple which Christ Says He Will Raise up is the Church. How ...
... in one interpretation at least, to be types of the ... foundation of the Apostles and
prophets, Christ Jesus being ... stone; and it is, therefore, called a temple. ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/20 the temple which christ.htm

The Fact of the Redeemer's Return was Typified in the Lives of ...
... This is one of the composite types of Scripture. ... Millennium (see Jer.23:6). Solomon
was the builder of Israel's Temple, so also we read of Christ that He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/4 the fact of the.htm

Blair -- the Hour and the Event of all Time
... smitten by Moses, to furnish drink in the wilderness; all were types of Christ and
alluded ... desire of all nations, was to come suddenly to His temple; and to ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/blair the hour and.htm

Typology
... 683. Types."The letter kills. All happened in types. ... Christ must suffer. ... Circumcision
of the heart, true fasting, true sacrifice, a true temple. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section x typology.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... I therefore take those pinnacles to be types of those ... Satan attempted to entertain
Christ Jesus with this type ... one of the pinnacles of the temple, and offered ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

The Typical Significance of the Scriptures Declare their Divine ...
... At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon was the one who ... I Kings 10) as all the nations
will to Christ during the ... In the above types we have not sought to be ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter six the typical significance.htm

Faustus is Willing to Admit that Christ May have Said that He came ...
... Christ, in bringing to light what the types signified, does ... God, or they committed
adultery in the temple of God ... say this, how can you say that Christ, when He ...
/.../faustus is willing to admit.htm

Prophecy Sets Forth Two Different Conditions of Christ, one Lowly ...
... been expiated) the priests of the spiritual temple, that is ... declared both as most
obscure in its types, and as ... to this day they deny that their Christ has come ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter vii prophecy sets forth two.htm