Chapter XVI.—The spiritual temple of...

Chapter XVI.—The spiritual temple of God.

Moreover, I will also tell you concerning the temple, how the wretched [Jews], wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the temple, as being the house of God. For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshipped Him in the temple. ¹⁶⁷² But learn how the Lord speaks, when abolishing it: “Who hath meted out heaven with a span, and the earth with his palm? Have not I?” ¹⁶⁷³ “Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool: what kind of house will ye build to Me, or what is the place of My rest?” ¹⁶⁷⁴ Ye perceive that their hope is vain. Moreover, He again says, “Behold, they who have cast down this temple, even they shall build it up again.” ¹⁶⁷⁵ It has so happened. ¹⁶⁷⁶ For through their going to war, it was destroyed by their enemies; and now: they, as the servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it. Again, it was revealed that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be given up. For the Scripture saith, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Lord will deliver up the sheep of His pasture, and their sheep-fold and tower, to destruction.” ¹⁶⁷⁷ And it so happened as the Lord had spoken. Let us inquire, then, if there still is a temple of God. There is—where He himself declared He would make and finish it. For it is written, “And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built in glory in the name of the Lord.” ¹⁶⁷⁸ I find, therefore, that a temple does exist. Learn, then, how it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, observe ye, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling ¹⁶⁷⁹ of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple. ¹⁶⁸⁰ He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, ¹⁶⁸¹ but to Him who dwelleth in him, and speaketh in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. ¹⁶⁸² This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord.

Footnotes

147:1672

That is, “they worshipped the temple instead of Him.”

147:1673

Isa. xl. 12.

147:1674

Isa. lxvi. 1.

147:1675

Comp. Isa. xlix. 17 (Sept.).

147:1676

Cod. Sin. omits this.

147:1677

Comp. Isa. v., Jer. xxv.; but the words do not occur in Scripture.

147:1678

Dan. ix. 24-27; Hag. ii. 10.

147:1679

Cod. Sin. reads, “the calling.”

147:1680

Cod. Sin. gives the clauses of this sentence separately, each occupying a line.

147:1681

That is, the man who is engaged in preaching the Gospel.

147:1682

Such is the punctuation adopted by Hefele, Dressel, and Hilgenfeld.