Message Three—Crucial Types of God’s Building in the Old Testament

THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE

God’s Building
Message Three—Crucial Types of God’s Building in the Old Testament

Scripture Reading: Gen. 2:22, 35:1; 1 Kings 6:1; Ezek. 40:4-44:31; Hag. 1:2-15

I. The building of Eve with the rib taken from Adam’s side typifies the building of the church with the resurrection life released from Christ through His death on the cross and imparted into His believers in His resurrection—Gen. 2:22; John 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:3:

A. The church as the real Eve is the totality of Christ in all His believers.

B. Only that which comes out of Christ with His resurrection life can be His complement and counterpart, the Body of Christ—1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 5:28-30.

II. Abraham’s tent with the altar built by him was a prefigure of the tabernacle with the altar built by the children of Israel after the exodus from Egypt—Exo. 40; Gen. 13:18.

III. God’s purpose according to His heart’s desire is to have Bethel, His house on earth—Gen. 35:1; 28:12:

A. God desires to have a house on earth. His intention is to transform His called ones into stones, material for His building.

IV. The breastplate on the ephod signifies the church as the building together of God’s redeemed people upon Christ—Exo. 28:15:

A. The twelve precious stones set in gold symbolize the saints as transformed precious stones built together in the divine nature of Christ to become one entity, the church as Christ’s Body—vv. 17-20; 1 Cor. 3:10-12a; Eph. 1:22-23.

B. The entire ephod with its shoulder pieces and the breastplate are a marvelous portrait of Christ with the church. (Exodus 28:15, footnote 2, Recovery Version)

V. The temple replaced the tabernacle as God’s dwelling on earth; the temple first signifies the incarnated Christ, the embodiment of God as God’s dwelling on the earth—1 Kings 6:1; John 2:19-21, 1:14; Col. 2:9:

A. It also signifies the church, including all the believers, the members of Christ, as the enlargement of Christ to be God’s dwelling on the earth—1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; Eph. 2:21-22.

B. The contents of the tabernacle were placed in the temple, indicating that as God’s dwelling place the tabernacle and the temple were one.

C. The tabernacle was a portable precursor moving through the wilderness, whereas the temple was a consummation of God’s building in typology—1 Kings 8:1-11.

VI. In the three previous sections of the book of Ezekiel, concerning the glory of the Lord (ch. 1), the judgment of God (chs. 2—32), and the recovery of the Lord (chs. 33—39), are all for the holy building of God (chs. 40—48)—Ezek. 40:1:

A. God’s eternal purpose is to have a building as a mingling of Himself with His chosen people; whatever God does among His people and among the nations on earth is for His building.

B. Beginning with Abraham’s tent, progressing to the tabernacle and then to Solomon’s temple, and concluding with the temple in Ezekiel’s vision, there is a continual progression in the enlargement of God’s building in the Old Testament—see Gen. 14:18, footnote 1

C. This enlargement signifies a continual increase in the experience of Christ by God’s people—1 Kings 6:2, footnote 1.

D. God’s building in the Old Testament prefigures God’s spiritual building in the New Testament, which begins with Jesus Christ, the incarnated God, as God’s tabernacle and God’s temple, advances to the church, the Body of Christ, as the enlargement of Christ and consummates with the New Jerusalem as the ultimate manifestation and enlargement of God’s building in eternity—John 1:14, 2:19-21; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:20-22; Rev. 21:2-3, 15-17.

VII. By enjoying the riches of the land, the children of Israel were able to build up the temple to be God’s habitation on earth and the city of Jerusalem to establish God’s kingdom on earth—Deut. 8:7:

A. Likewise, by enjoying the unsearchable riches of Christ, the believers in Christ are built up to be Christ’s Body, the church, which is Christ’s fullness, His expression, and which is also the habitation of God and the kingdom of God—Eph. 1:22-23; 2:21- 22; 1 Tim. 3:15; Matt. 16:18-19; Rom. 14:17.

B. Ultimately, God’s habitation and God’s kingdom will consummate in the New Jerusalem in eternity for the fulfillment of God’s eternal economy—Rev. 21:1-3, 22; 22:1, 3.

VIII. The central thought of Haggai’s prophecy is that the building of the house of Jehovah is related to the welfare of God’s people today—Hag. 1:2-15; Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:20-21:

A. During the years when the rebuilding of the temple was interrupted through the opposition of the adversaries (Ezra 4), the children of Israel began to build houses for themselves and gradually forgot the building of the temple—vv. 2-4.

B. It is impossible for us to be neutral; we must be absolute, either taking care of our houses first or taking care of the Lord’s house first—cf. Matt. 6:33; Luke 9:57-62.

C. If we do not have the heart to take care of God’s house for His satisfaction, no matter how much we eat or drink or how well we dress, there will be no satisfaction.

D. In our response to the Lord’s charge, we all should be occupied by the Lord Jesus in the work of preaching the gospel, feeding the new believers, and taking care of others for the building up of the Lord’s house, the church as the Body of Christ—John 21:15-17.

Ministry Excerpts:

THE BUILDING OF EVE

It does not say that Eve was created but that she was built. The building of Eve with the rib taken from Adam’s side typifies the building of the church with the resurrection life released from Christ through His death on the cross and imparted into His believers in His resurrection (John 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:3). The church as the real Eve is the totality of Christ in all His believers. Only that which comes out of Christ with His resurrection life can be His complement and counterpart, the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 5:28-30). (Genesis 2:22, footnote 1, Recovery Version)

At the end of the Bible is a city, New Jerusalem, the ultimate and eternal woman, the corporate bride, the wife of the Lamb (Rev. 21:9; 22:17), built with three precious materials (Rev. 21:18-21), fulfilling for eternity the type shown in this chapter. Thus, in type all the precious materials mentioned in vv. 11-12 are for the building of the woman (see note 121). (Genesis 2:22, footnote 2, Recovery Version)

THE BUILDING UP OF GOD’S ETERNAL DWELLING PLACE

At Bethel Jacob had made a vow to God, promising that if God would preserve him and care for him, the stone which he set up for a pillar would be the house of God (28:20-22). Here, God reminded Jacob to fulfill his part of that vow (cf. 31:13). On his return from Paddan-aram, Jacob came to Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he settled there (33:18-20). However, this was short of God’s goal. God’s purpose according to His heart’s desire is to have Bethel, His house on earth. Thus, it was necessary for Jacob to go on from Shechem to Bethel. All the unfortunate events in ch. 34 were sovereignly used by God to make it impossible for Jacob to remain in Shechem and to prepare Jacob to receive God’s charge to go up to Bethel. Jacob’s passing through Shechem and going up to Bethel signifies our passing through the individual Christian life and going up to the corporate church life for the building up of God’s eternal dwelling place, which is the church today and the New Jerusalem in eternity.

BETHEL BEING A SEED OF THE HOUSE OF GOD

Bethel is a great seed in the Bible, a seed of the house of God. When Israel, the transformed Jacob, was multiplied into the house of Israel, in God’s eyes the house of Israel was the house of God (see note 6 in Heb. 3). Eventually, the tabernacle and later the temple were built as symbols of the house of Israel as God’s dwelling place on the earth in the Old Testament time. In the beginning of the New Testament the Lord Jesus came through incarnation to be the reality of the tabernacle and the temple (John 1:14; 2:18-21). Then, in Matt. 16:18 the Lord prophesied that He would build the church as the habitation, thetemple, of God (Eph. 2:22; 1 Cor. 3:16-17) on Himself as the rock and with His believers as stones (1 Cor. 3:11; 1 Pet. 2:5). This is Bethel, the house of God (1 Tim. 3:15). Ultimately, this Bethel will be enlarged to consummate in the New Jerusalem, the eternal tabernacle of God, in which God Himself and the Lamb will be the temple (Rev. 21:3, 22). See note 12 in ch. 28. (Genesis 35:1, footnote 1, Recovery Version)

GOD’S DWELLING IN CHRIST AND IN THE CHURCH

The temple replaced the tabernacle as God’s dwelling on earth. The temple first signifies the incarnated Christ, the embodiment of God (Col. 2:9), as God’s dwelling on the earth (John 2:19-21; 1:14). It also signifies the church, including all the believers, the members of Christ, as the enlargement of Christ to be God’s dwelling on the earth (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; Eph. 2:21-22). Christ and the church are one, Christ being the Head and the church being the Body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18a). The Body is the enlargement of the Head for God’s dwelling. Hence, God’s dwelling in Christ is God’s dwelling in the church. (1 Kings 6:1 footnote 2, Recovery Version)

GOD’S ETERNAL ECONOMY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
IN THE WAY OF TYPOLOGY

Solomon and the temple built by him typify Christ and His Body, the church, respectively, as the center, the reality, and the goal of God’s eternal economy. Since Solomon and the temple play the strongest roles in the history of Israel and occupy a wide realm in such a history, they are strong evidence that the history of Israel is very much related to the accomplishing of God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament in the way of typology. This is a clear indication that the books of history were written from the point of view of God’s eternal economy concerning Christ and the church. (1 Kings 6:1 footnote 2, Recovery Version)

GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE TO HAVE A BUILDING

The three previous sections of this book, concerning the glory of the Lord (ch. 1), the judgment of God (chs. 2—32), and the recovery of the Lord (chs. 33—39), are all for the holy building of God (chs. 40—48). God’s eternal purpose is to have a building as a mingling of Himself with His chosen people. Whatever God does among His people and among the nations on earth is for His building. This is confirmed by the book of Revelation, which is parallel to the book of Ezekiel and concludes with God’s ultimate building, the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2—22:5). (Ezekiel 40:1 footnote 1, Recovery Version)

GOD’S BUILDING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

After the destruction of the temple built by Solomon (2 Kings 25:8-9), the temple was rebuilt by the captives who returned from Babylon (Ezra 3:6b-13; 6:13-15). Later, this temple was replaced by Herod’s temple, which was built in forty-six years (John 2:20). Herod’s temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman army under Titus (Dan. 9:26; Matt. 23:38; 24:2). Neither the temple in Ezra’s day nor the temple of Herod’s time was the full recovery of the temple built by Solomon. However, the temple of Ezekiel’s vision was a more than full recovery of Solomon’s temple. Although the temple itself was the same size as the one built by Solomon (41:2, 4; cf. 1 Kings 6:2), a number of details related to the gates, the courts, and the buildings around the temple in Ezekiel’s vision indicate an enlargement over Solomon’s temple. Thus, beginning with Abraham’s tent (see note 18 in Gen. 14), progressing to the tabernacle and then to Solomon’s temple, and concluding with the temple in Ezekiel’s vision, there is a continual progression in the enlargement of God’s building in the Old Testament. This enlargement signifies a continual increase in the experience of Christ by God’s people (cf. note 20 in 1 Kings 6). God’s building in the Old Testament prefigures God’s spiritual building in the New Testament, which begins with Jesus Christ, the incarnated God, as God’s tabernacle (John 1:14) and God’s temple (John 2:19-21), advances to the church, the Body of Christ, as the enlargement of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:20-22), and consummates with the New Jerusalem as the ultimate manifestation and enlargement of God’s building in eternity (Rev. 21:2-3, 15-17). (Ezekiel 40:1 footnote 1, Recovery Version)

NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS AS COMPONENTS OF
GOD’S SPIRITUAL BUILDING

Literally, the visions concerning God’s holy building in chs. 40—48 will be fulfilled in the restoration, when the restored Israel will rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem for their dwelling with God in the millennium. The spiritual significances of all the details should be applied to the New Testament believers as components of God’s spiritual building, the church. (Ezekiel 40:1 footnote 1, Recovery Version)

Ezekiel saw the first vision, the vision of the appearance of the glory of the Lord, when he was thirty years of age, the age at which a priest began to function (1:1). He saw the last vision, the vision of the holy building of God, twenty years later (cf. 1:2), at the age of fifty, the age of retirement for a priest (Num. 4:3). This indicates that to see the building of God, Ezekiel needed more maturity in life (cf. note 1 in ch. 1). (Ezekiel 40:2 footnote 1, Recovery Version)

THE HOUSE OF JEHOVAH RELATED TO
THE WELFARE OF GOD’S PEOPLE TODAY

The central thought of Haggai’s prophecy is that the building of the house of Jehovah is related to the welfare of God’s people today and to the coming of the millennial kingdom with its Messiah in the age of restoration (Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:20-21). In the Old Testament the house of God, or the temple, was first a type of Christ as the house of God individually (John 2:19-21) and then a type of the church, the Body, the enlarged Christ, as God’s housecorporately (1 Tim. 3:15). Thus, Haggai’s prophecy refers to us, the New Testament believers, since we are the reality of the type. (Haggai 1:1 footnote 2, Recovery Version)

TAKING CARE OF GOD’S HOUSE

The self-serving and God-neglecting returned captives were taking care of their houses but not Jehovah’s house; hence, He came in to ask them concerning His house. (Haggai 1:5 footnote 1, Recovery Version)

This indicates that if we do not have the heart to take care of God’s house for His satisfaction, no matter how much we eat or drink or how well we dress, there will be no satisfaction. If we neglect the church, we will have no real enjoyment or satisfaction. (Haggai 1:6 footnote 1, Recovery Version)

THE RECOVERY OF THE BUILDING OF GOD’S HOUSE

The word run indicates that the people were busy caring for their own houses. It is impossible for us to be neutral. We must be absolute, either taking care of our houses first or taking care of the Lord’s house first (cf. Matt. 6:33; Luke 9:57-62). (Haggai 1:6, footnote 1, Recovery Version)

For the recovery of the building of God’s house, God’s elect were stirred up by the Lord in their spirit in the order of God’s authority, beginning with Zerubbabel the governor (cf. Ezra 1:5). In the Minor Prophets both the divine Spirit and the stirred-up human spirit of God’s elect are mentioned. In the New Testament the divine Spirit has been consummated and poured out (Acts 2:17-21; Joel 2:28-32), and our human spirit responds to such a Spirit by being stirred up (cf. Acts 17:16; Rom. 8:16; 2 Cor. 2:13). (Haggai 1:14, footnote 1, Recovery Version)

In our response to the Lord’s charge, we all should be occupied by the Lord Jesus in the work of preaching the gospel, feeding the new believers, and taking care of others for the building up of the Lord’s house, the church as the Body of Christ (John 21:15-17). (Haggai 1:14, footnote 2, Recovery Version)