Kingdom Disciples

Ever since the Word became flesh, God’s Glory has been manifested in Jesus of Nazareth, and all who believe in him behold His splendor . Jesus is the  Logos , the “ Word become flesh ” in whom the “ Glory of God ” resides. He is the Greater Tabernacle foreshadowed in the Tent carried by Israel, the place where the Glory of Yahweh was seen in the Wilderness. His full glory is now displayed throughout the World for all men to see wherever Christ is proclaimed. Jesus is the true “ light that illuminates every man coming into the world .”

Jésus est le Dernier et Véritable Temple préfiguré dans l'ancien Tabernacle et le Temple de pierre ultérieur de Jérusalem . Jésus est le véritable Sanctuaire de Dieu préfiguré par les anciennes structures religieuses et les rituels de culte de la nation d'Israël. Il est la demeure de la présence de Dieu, la “ tente ” vivante où la Gloire Divine est vue, et le seul Médiateur entre le Ciel et la Terre. L'homme de Nazareth est le Temple “ fait sans mains ” qui a été détruit par des hommes mauvais mais restauré lorsque son Père l'a ressuscité des morts.

Jesus is the Greater and Final Temple prefigured in the ancient Tabernacle and the later Temple building in Jerusalem . Jesus is the true Sanctuary of God foreshadowed by the ancient religious structures and worship rituals of the nation of Israel. He is the dwelling place of God’s presence, the living “ tent ” where the Divine Glory is seen, and the only Mediator between Heaven and Earth. The man from Nazareth is the Temple “ made-without-hands ” that was destroyed by evil men but restored when his Father raised him from the dead.

Jésus est le Sanctuaire final où habite la gloire de Dieu, la gloire préfigurée dans l'ancien Tabernacle et le Temple - Jean 2:13-22. Les disciples ont découvert que Jésus est le vrai Temple de Dieu et celui qui compte vraiment. L'ère dans laquelle Dieu “ habitait ” dans des tentes portables ou des bâtiments en pierre s'est terminée avec l'arrivée du Messie d'Israël. Dieu n'habite plus dans des structures artificielles . Ni Sa présence ni Sa gloire ne peuvent être contenues par des murs physiques ou des frontières géographiques.

Jesus is the Final Sanctuary where the glory of God dwells, the glory foreshadowed in the ancient Tabernacle and Temple – John 2:13-22. The disciples discovered that Jesus is the real Temple of God and the one that truly matters. The era in which God “ dwelt ” in portable tents or stone buildings terminated with the arrival of Israel’s Messiah. No longer does God dwell in structures made by hand . Neither His presence nor His glory can be contained by physical walls or geographical boundaries.

Jésus a révélé que l'adoration et la présence de Dieu ne se limitent plus à des lieux géographiques ou à des structures artificielles - Jean 4:20-24. Jésus a révélé la forme et le lieu appropriés pour adorer Son Père à une femme de Samarie. Avec l'avènement du Messie, les concepts et les traditions sur l'espace saint et le temps saint sont devenus sans importance. La présence du Messie rendait inutile tout débat sur l'emplacement du Temple juif. À partir de maintenant, Dieu doit être adoré en vérité et en esprit .

Jesus revealed that worship and the presence of God no longer are limited to geographical locations or man-made structures – John 4:20-24. Jesus revealed the proper form and location for worshipping His Father to a woman from Samaria. With the advent of the Messiah, concepts and traditions about holy space and holy time became irrelevant. The presence of the Messiah rendered any debate over the location of the Jewish Temple pointless. From now on, God must be worshipped in truth and spirit .

The New Testament applies Temple language and imagery from the Hebrew Bible to the Body of Christ, the true Sanctuary of God . Apart from the contacts between Jesus and the early church with the priestly authorities, the New Testament shows minimal interest in the Temple complex in Jerusalem. More frequent are the applications of temple language to the community of believers inaugurated by Jesus and built by his Apostles. What the Temple and the Tabernacle foreshowed is coming to fruition in the “ Body of Christ .”

The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the True House of God and the open way of access to the presence of God. He is the Greater and True Bethel , the “ House of God .” From now on, Heaven is open to all men, and angels are seen “ ascending and descending ” on the “ Son of Man .” What Jacob saw in a vision long ago has become a concrete reality in Jesus of Nazareth.

The  Gospel of John  presents Jesus as the place where the glory of God is seen, the Greater and Final Tabernacle in which His presence resides. With the advent of Jesus, the worship of men desired by the Father no longer is limited to dedicated buildings or geographic locations. From now on, worship takes place “ in the spirit and truth .” Men and women experience the majesty of God and behold His nature in the “ face of Jesus Christ .”

Under the guidance of the Spirit, Stephen gave effective testimony to the priestly leaders of Israel .  The young church of Jerusalem  experienced conflicts between its Greek and Aramaic-speaking members. The apostles instructed the community to select seven men “ full of the Spirit and wisdom ” to take charge of the matter. One of them was Stephen, and the Book of  Acts  notes especially that he was “fu ll of faith and the Spirit .”

In his ‘Olivet Discourse,’ Jesus provided his disciples with a chronological key – they would know the time of the demise of the Temple when they saw all “ these things ” coming to pass - Before “ this generation ” reached its inevitable end. That was his definitive answer to the question, “ When will THESE THINGS come to pass? ” Within one generation, Jerusalem and its Temple would be destroyed, and some of his followers would live to see it.

The  Gospel of Mark  divides the story of the barren fig tree into two sections and places the “cleansing” of the Temple between them. The two incidents are closely linked. The fruitlessness of the fig tree and its cursing highlighted the failure and fate of the Temple, and the actions of Jesus foreshadowed its destruction. After his arrival in the city of Jerusalem, he first visited the Temple and “ looked around on all things .”

According to Jesus, the “ Abomination of Desolation ” will appear in Jerusalem - It will be a local, not a global event. And his admonition for disciples to flee is applicable to Jerusalem and the immediate vicinity. Disciples must flee to the hills to escape the imminent calamity signaled by this abominable thing or person.

In his ‘Olivet Discourse,’ Jesus describes key events that will occur in the future, especially the destruction of the Temple and the “ coming of the Son of Man .” In doing so, he provides geographic details related to each event that alternate between the local and the universal, depending on which event he is under discussion.

The ‘ Olivet Discourse ’ in the thirteenth chapter of  Mark  is the last recorded block of teachings by Jesus given shortly before his death on the Mount of Olives. It followed a series of confrontations in the Temple between him and the Pharisees and the priestly authorities, disputes that set the stage for his trial and execution. Thus, his “trial” effectively began in the Temple, and inevitably, it concluded with his unjust death on a Roman cross.

Before his final departure from the Temple, Jesus fielded challenges from the “ Scribes and Pharisees ,” confrontations that set the stage for his arrest and trial, as well as his execution by the Roman authorities. As he left the building, he pronounced its impending judgment and destruction. From start to finish, priests, Scribes, Herodians, Sadducees, and especially Pharisees resisted him, and some of the Temple authorities became complicit in the plot to put him to death.

At the end of his journey, his destination was the Temple in the center of the city.  The next several stories prepare the reader for his final days, A full third of Mark’s gospel account concerns the events of that week that culminate in his death and resurrection. All that preceded his arrival in the city was moving inexorably forward to his arrest, trial, and execution in the city of David and the prophets.