Under Construction: Lessons From the Book of HaggaiSampel

God wants us to be his temple

The people in Haggai’s day were called to rebuild God’s temple. This project was part of God’s great vision of reconciliation between Him and humans. The temple was His special dwelling place on earth where people came to ask for forgiveness, to bow down in prayer, to worship, and to celebrate God’s goodness. But in the year 70 AD, this Jerusalem temple was destroyed and never rebuilt.

The New Testament speaks about another temple that will never be destroyed. It does not consist of precious stones, gold, and silver, but of “living stones” that are built up as a spiritual house. This spiritual temple is the worldwide church, and Jesus is its Cornerstone. The church is now God’s dwelling place.

There is no need for a physical temple anymore. We need not bring animal sacrifices anymore, since Jesus Christ was the ultimate Sacrifice. God’s presence is not limited to a particular space, but we can worship Him everywhere.

Being part of the worldwide church is a great calling. For, today’s text says, “God’s temple is holy.” Do you live a holy life as a “living stone” of this temple?

If you want to learn more about God's plan for this world and how you can be part of it, try our course King of Glory. Also, we invite you to sign up for our daily devotionals.