History of God's House

A History of God’s House
“From Tents to Tent-Makers”

God’s 1st House: The Town
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
(Genesis 28:16-19)

God’s 2nd House: The Tent
So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God… Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
(Exodus 29:44-46, 40:34)

God’s 3rd House: The Temple
When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.' (1 Chronicles 17:11-14)


God’s 4th House: The Christ
I tell you that one greater than the temple is here…

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body…

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.
(Matthew 12:6, John 2:19-21, Colossians 2:9)

God’s 5th House: The Church
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple… (1 Cor. 3:16-17)

We are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them…. (2 Cor. 6:16)

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit… (Eph. 2:19-22)

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God… (1 Peter 2:5)