Understanding the Kingdom of GodSample

The Kingdom of God and the Temple

Wherever God’s presence is, there is freedom, goodness, justice, and abundance of life. On the one hand, we can say that since God is almighty, He is everywhere at the same time. We refer to this as God’s omnipresence. On the other hand, we see in the Bible that there were specific locations where God’s presence resided in a special way. We usually refer to this as God’s manifest presence.

The Biblical authors had another way of describing this special presence of God: The glory of the Lord. The meaning of the word “glory” is also intimately connected to God’s power and authority to rule the world with justice and goodness.

The Garden of Eden became where God’s glory resided in the story of Creation. As mentioned earlier, God gave humanity the vocation to govern the earth on His behalf. God’s ruling power was mediated through human beings so that the whole of Creation would be filled with His glory. Humanity would establish God’s reign everywhere by multiplying and filling the earth. God’s plan was a global Eden.

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve’s rebellion meant God’s special presence was withdrawn. When God’s presence left, that void was quickly filled by the powers of darkness. Humanity and all of Creation were thrown into a whirlpool of chaos and destruction.

When we arrive at the story of Israel, we find God’s glory again residing with humanity. This time, God’s glory dwells among the people of Israel. While in the wilderness, God dwelled with His people in the Tabernacle (or Tent of Meeting). Later, as the nation became firmly established in the Promised Land, God’s glory resided in the Temple in Jerusalem. Throughout the Bible, God’s dwelling place is referred to by many names: the Temple, the House of the Lord, Mount Zion, God’s Holy Hill, or the Mountain of God. The whole city of Jerusalem is often referred to as God’s dwelling place in the Old Testament. God dwelled amid His people.

Israel, therefore, became God’s proxy. They were, just like Adam and Eve, given the vocation of spreading the good reign of God to all nations. Israel became a miniature Garden of Eden of sorts. They were the “headquarters” of God’s governance on earth.

However, Israel was contaminated by the same sin and evil as that of pagan nations. The task of carrying God’s presence was also very daunting. Would they be able to fulfill their vocation faithfully? This is a key question that the Old Testament authors wrestled with.

As Christians, we have God’s special presence with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Take a few minutes to meditate on God’s presence in your life.