The Tabernacle, The Temple, and Us...

Yahweh gave His people a tabernacle, also called the Tent of Meeting, where they could meet with Him. Made from mostly animal skins, linen, and acacia wood it was not a grand temple of stone and seemed to be nothing special to look at from the outside (just like our Messiah). A few hundred years later, David desired to build the LORD a house, yet it was Solomon who did the building.

That Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in their invasion of Jerusalem. The Israelites were carried into captivity, but would return and build another Temple under the guidance of Nehemiah. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle this.
However, that second Temple was eventually destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE and it has not been rebuilt since...and for good reason.
The reason being that God never desired a temple of stone to be built for Him, but rather, a temple of flesh and blood - us.

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19
"However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says, 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool What house will you build for Me? says the LORD Or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?'" Acts 7:48-50

God only 'dwelt' in the tabernacle as a picture of the true relationship that He desired with His people all along. The fulfillment of that is found in the gospel of John.

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.'" John 14:23

Our God abides in us and we in Him if we keep His word/commandments and trust in Him for our salvation. By Him abiding in us, He dwells in His temple - His people!

"you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5

God is building His temple with His hands by building up His church. We who have put our faith and trust in Christ are being made into a spiritual temple for God to dwell in.

Think of it! The God of the universe who spoke everything into existence wants a deeply personal relationship with each and every one of those people who would accept Him. To think that the Holy Spirit lives within us is purely amazing.

It is the Holy Spirit that not only dwells in us, but makes us a truly holy temple for God to dwell in. How does He do that? you may ask. Well let's take a look at the Scriptures and see what they say.

"the house of the LORD was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God." 2 Chronicles 5:14

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:4

"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

Acts 4:31

Notice that in both instances the apostles were filled with the Spirit; a direct correlation to God filling the temple, in 2 Chronicles, so that the priests could not continue ministering, they could only give Him praise.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come and live in us forever. Notice John 14,

"If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, ..."

John 14:15-17a

As the Holy Spirit lives within us it is then that we see His ministry to believers.

The Spirit empowers (Acts 1:8), strengthens (Acts 4:31), encourages, comforts, and teaches (John 14:26; 16:13), and above all - makes us holy.

He (the Holy Spirit) makes us holy by abiding in us and filling us with His presence, because He is holy and He causes, and reminds us, of God's ways.

"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." Ezekiel 36:27

By His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, God writes His laws upon our hearts and minds (Jeremiah 31:33) and causes us to walk in His ways (Ezekiel 36:27 & Ephesians 2:10).

As Peter reminds us by quoting from Leviticus, "because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy" 1 Peter 1:16.

As God is holy, so He wants us to be holy (separate) and He helps us in that by filling us with His Spirit of holiness and truth.

"For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.' Therefore Come out from among them and be separate, says the LORD.'" 2 Corinthians 6:16-17