May 25 | Easter 6, Year C
Acts 16:9-15
Psalm 67
Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9
We think about the Temple as the symbol of God’s presence amid his people. After all, it was the designated place where the people of God could go and meet with him. It is no wonder then that the Jewish people of St. John’s time, and even those who live today, look forward to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. To this day, the Western Wall of the destroyed Temple, or the Wailing Wall, is a major spiritual destination for Jewish pilgrims to Jerusalem.
Yet from the eternal perspective, the Temple is more a symbol of our sinful nature than of our holiness. Several lines of reasoning lead to that conclusion.
- We need a temple because we are separated from God by our sin. Since he is holy and we are not, we can only meet with God in prescribed ways if we are to survive the encounter.
- The Temple was the place where sacrifices were made to God for the atonement of the people’s sins.
- There is no mention in the Bible of a tabernacle or temple until the family of Jacob became the people of Israel during the Exodus from Egypt. In fact, the building of the tabernacle follows the incident with the golden calf.
- After the nation of Israel was established, the nations were excluded from the Temple as unclean and even the Gentile seekers were confined to the outer court. Sin regulated the access to God of those who gathered in the Temple.
After the Judgment, with the elimination of sin, there is no need for a Temple. God will be directly accessible to all people who enter the New Jerusalem through the cleansing blood of the Lamb. The presence of God will be so perfect that it will enfold everything. There will be nothing false to cast a shadow of untruth. The city will be built of gold so pure that she will be transparent. Perfect truth, perfect light, and the perfect knowledge of God will eliminate the darkness of unknowing so all the inhabitants will perfectly know God and be perfectly known by him. All will live in the faultless, transparency of a perfect relationship.
It is one thing to proclaim the effect of perfectly knowing God and quite another to attain such a knowledge. God has given us the record of his activity in the world. But even more, he provides us with a Counselor. It is as if this life were an open book exam in which the teacher sits next to us, turning to the correct pages and pointing out the answers for us. Under such circumstances, who would be afraid of failing the test?
We have been given the correct model to follow in the person of Jesus Christ. He has demonstrated what perfect obedient love for God looks like. But like the disciples, our sin-darkened minds cannot grasp the full understanding of all Jesus said and taught. Being fully human and yet fully divine, Jesus knows our weakness and fear. Accordingly, by grace he has given us a Guide, the Holy Spirit, who assures us that we can arrive at our destination, no matter the distractions and the obstacles.
Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father are one—both as the temple and the light in the New Jerusalem. If God is to be the center of our eternal life, he must be the center in this life and this world. We will never know the perfection of his light if we do not seek it through Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit while we are dwelling in this present darkness.
Look It Up: Psalm 67:1-2
Think About It: He is the God of grace, revelation, and salvation.
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Henrico, Virginia.
