What are Temples?

What is a temple in the Bible?

In its most basic biblical definition, a temple is where God dwells. It is where God reveals his most holy presence in a special way. It is the place where God and humanity have their most intimate connection. Across Bible history, this special place wasn’t always in a particular building with ornate decorations. In fact, there is a definite narrative and progression about where God chooses to dwell. By studying this progression, we can learn much about what it means to be a Christian and where our standing before God comes from, so let’s begin.

What does the Bible’s narrative show us about temples?

The Bible opens with the creation of the universe (Genesis 1–2). God created innumerable stars, suns, moons, and planets with such variety and majesty; upon earth, God created seas and lands with lush vegetation, teeming with life. God’s options for grand places to call home were undoubtedly endless. God could have built a castle nestled in the peaks of mountains, a towering monument that every eye could see, or even some galactic structure that would dominate the night sky. But he didn’t do that. Instead, God planted a garden in the east called Eden (Genesis 2:8). He placed man and woman in the garden and charged them with caring for it. It is this special garden that was God’s first temple; it was the first place God would intimately abide with man.

God’s first dwelling place, however, wouldn’t last long. Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating from the tree from which God commanded them not to eat—because of this, sin and death entered the world (Genesis 3:1–19; Romans 5:12–21). This sin separated mankind from God. Sinners could not remain in God’s presence because of his pure and perfect holiness. So God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden and placed a guardian cherubim and a flaming sword at the entrance to ensure sinful man would not enter God’s holy place. It was as if God had hung a massive ‘KEEP OUT’ sign at the entrance to Eden, a vivid reminder that sin separates mankind from the presence of a holy God. Because of man’s failure, the intimate fellowship of God’s first dwelling place with humanity was lost.

However, God was not content to be severed from humanity. Out of his great love, he promised to defeat sin and restore his people so they could live in his presence again (Genesis 3:15). While the ultimate fulfillment of that promise was still to come, God established temples as temporary dwelling places. These temples served to teach his people about the seriousness of sin, their need for atonement, and the hope of the rescue he would provide. Many generations after Adam and Eve, God instructed his people to build a new temple where he could dwell among them. This second stage of God’s temple was realized in three distinct structures over the course of nearly 1,500 years: Moses’ Tabernacle (Exodus 25–31, 35–40), Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 5–8; 1 Chronicles 28–29; 2 Chronicles 2–7), and Zerubbabel’s Temple (Ezra 3–6).”

God instructed his people to adorn the Tabernacle and temples with beautiful art that evoked the Garden of Eden. Palm trees, pomegranates, and gold-covered furnishings filled the space, while a large curtain embroidered with flaming cherubim separated mankind from the Most Holy Place—God’s throne room—just as cherubim had guarded Eden after humanity’s fall into sin. The decorations and rituals were vivid reminders of the lost communion with God in Eden and pointed forward to the restoration to come. These structures were a partial return to the intimate fellowship once enjoyed in the garden. The Israelites had a tangible sign of God dwelling in their midst—a holy place where his presence was known. Though the sacrificial system and purification rituals were necessary for the Israelites to survive God’s holy presence among them, this was still a profound gift of grace.

From the beginning, God intended the Tabernacle and temples to be temporary systems, rich in symbolism and pointing to something far greater. His ultimate plan was not merely to dwell in a building near his people but to dwell within them. This plan culminated in the sending of Jesus Christ. God, who walked with Adam and Eve in Eden—the first temple—descended into his creation to dwell among humanity once again. As Scripture says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). In Jesus, God became man, fulfilling the promise of restoration first given in the garden (Genesis 3:15). The incarnation was the ultimate expression of unity between God and humanity: God and man joined together in one person.

Jesus fulfilled every aspect of the Tabernacle system. He is the true High Priest who offered himself as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 7–10). He is the ultimate temple, the very presence of God among us (John 1:14). At the moment of Jesus’ death, God himself tore the temple curtain—the veil embroidered with the cherubim that had symbolically guarded access to God’s presence since Eden—from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This act signified that through Jesus’ sacrifice, the barrier of sin had been removed, and humanity could now approach God freely. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus restored what was lost in Eden, bringing humanity back into union with God.

Today, God no longer dwells in a physical temple but makes his home in the hearts of believers (1 Corinthians 6:19). In Jesus, the fellowship with God lost in Eden is fully restored—a restoration that begins now and will be perfected in the eternal temple of heaven (Revelation 21:3).

This progression—first a garden, then a building, and now a heart—reveals the unfolding of God’s plan to dwell with his people. But the story doesn’t end there. There is one final stop in the Bible’s narrative of God’s dwelling place: heaven. As if it weren’t profound enough that God purified believers to endure his holy presence in their hearts, he has yet another grand blessing in store. Revelation 21 captures this vision of the future:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’ … I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp”

Revelation 21:1–4, 22–23

No death, no mourning, no crying, no pain—perfect unity with God. This is what is in store for God’s children! The new heavens and the new earth will be just like the Garden of Eden, where God and man dwelt together in perfect harmony.

So, what does it mean to be a Christian? It means that the holy and infinite God has chosen to make his home within you. You are a living temple, set apart to reflect his glory and grace as you journey toward the ultimate temple: heaven. From Eden to eternity, the Bible reveals a God who longs to be with his people, and through Jesus Christ, that longing has been fulfilled. Jesus gave his life so that your heart could become the very dwelling place of God. What an indescribable gift and privilege—to have the Creator of all things living within you!

What was the purpose of temples in the Bible?

God designed the temple (and Tabernacle) in the Old Testament as his great classroom. Its structure stressed the seriousness of sin and how it separated all humanity from God (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23).

The innermost room was called the Most Holy Place (or the Holy of Holies). This room contained the Ark of the Covenant: a decorated chest that held the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments and other significant religious items. The Most Holy Place was God’s throne room, where dwelt among his people, where his presence was felt in full force. However, sinful humans cannot survive God’s holy presence! So this room was separated from the people with a thick curtain, and only one person, the High Priest, entered that room on only one day a year to make atonement for the people’s sins.

The next room out was called the Holy Place. It contained golden lampstands, a table for holy showbread, and an altar for burning incense. Though more accessible than the Most Holy Place, the Holy Place was still very exclusive. Only ordained priests who were ceremonially clean could enter the room to do their daily work.

Right outside the temple was a large courtyard with an altar for animal sacrifices. This was where the majority of the temple work was completed. To even approach this outside portion of the temple grounds, one had to make sure he was ceremonially clean, and even still, he was only allowed there for a brief time to offer his sacrifice or offering.

To be ceremonially clean, you had to avoid certain foods, not come near a dead body of any kind, not have a skin disease, not come into contact with molds, and many other restrictions laid out in Leviticus. It took a lot of intentional effort to come near God’s presence.

Why? Why would God set up a system like this?

As we mentioned earlier, God established the temple system to teach his people profound truths about their sin and its devastating consequences. Sin is not a trivial offense; it is a fundamental rupture in the relationship between a holy God and fallen humanity. The daily sacrifices and elaborate purification rituals were not merely ceremonial but served to emphasize the gravity of sin and the cost of remaining in God’s presence. These rituals did not make the people holy on their own but symbolized their need for cleansing and atonement. In effect, God was declaring, “Sin is not something you can minimize or overcome by your own efforts. It corrupts every part of your being and separates you from me completely.” The temple system demonstrated that sin is a pervasive problem requiring a divine solution—one that only God himself could ultimately provide.

Through the temple sacrifices, God demonstrated the necessity of blood to atone for sin. Consider this: it took an entire year of ritual sacrifices and purification to sufficiently prepare the High Priest—just one person—to enter God’s presence in the Most Holy Place for only a few minutes on the Day of Atonement. If that level of preparation was required for such a brief encounter, what must it take for us to stand in God’s presence for all eternity?

Remember, all these sacrifices and ceremonies were only teaching tools from God; they didn’t actually remove sin themselves (Hebrews 10:4). Instead, they prepared God’s people for the coming of the Messiah. All these sacrifices pointed ahead to Jesus, the Lamb of God, who alone could remove sin completely (John 1:14). On the day we now call Good Friday, the Lamb of God was sacrificed on the altar of the cross. His shed blood atoned for sin once and for all—it was the ultimate and perfect sacrifice. Unlike the blood of sheep or goats offered in earthly temples that only symbolized atonement, Jesus offered his very own blood, accomplishing eternal redemption in the true, heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:11-14). Why did God create such an elaborate system? He did all of this to point ahead to Christ and his sufficient and complete sacrifice!

In what sense was Jesus the fulfillment of the temple?

The Old Testament temples were rich with symbolism and purpose, all of which Jesus fulfilled entirely and perfectly. His fulfillment is seen in one of his well-known titles: the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). As mentioned before, people would bring lambs to the temple day after day, year after year, to sacrifice and make atonement for their sins, restitution for their guilt, or simply for a fellowship celebration. Yet, no matter how many lambs were offered, the work was never done. Jesus Christ, however, was the final and perfect sacrificial lamb. His sacrifice didn’t only provide an object lesson for the purification from sin but actually and permanently purified the world from its sin once and for all!

Another way Christ is the fulfillment of the temple is seen in a different title: our Great High Priest. In the Old Testament temples, the priests were constantly busy—preparing, slaughtering, and offering animal sacrifices day after day. They had to obey specific extra rules to remain ceremonially pure and belonged to certain family lines set apart for the Lord. Among these priests, only one man was selected to serve as the High Priest, who bore the added responsibility of entering the Most Holy Place once per year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). Yet even his most solemn work had to be repeated year after year. Notably, the Temple and Tabernacle had no chairs because the priests’ work was never complete. This priestly line, marked by endless duties and temporary atonement, was ultimately fulfilled and completed in Christ, our eternal priest (Hebrews 4, 5, 7).

However, Christ’s high priestly work radically differed from that of the previous priests. Read the words of Hebrews 10:11-14:

“Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

The contrast is breathtaking. The Old Testament priests never sat down because their work was never finished. They stood constantly, offering sacrifices that could only point to the solution but could never truly solve the problem. By contrast, Jesus sat down at God’s right hand because his work was complete. The Old Testament sacrifices had to be repeated endlessly, but Jesus offered one perfect sacrifice for all time. Their efforts could only cover sin temporarily, but Jesus’ sacrifice has made us perfect forever. The endless, exhausting labor of the temple system was replaced by the finality of Jesus’ atonement. Jesus surpasses the former priests in every way, accomplishing what they never could: bringing us into perfect and eternal communion with God.

Does the Christian church still need temples today?

The short answer is, “No!” As discussed in the previous section, the Old Testament temples were temporary shadows of a greater reality—they pointed ahead to Christ, who perfectly fulfilled everything they represented. The entire purpose of the temple system—sacrifices, purification rituals, priesthood, and even the structure itself—found its completion in Jesus. Now that Christ has come and offered the final sacrifice, there is no longer any need for a physical temple or its rituals. God’s presence is no longer confined to a building because, through Jesus, he dwells directly with his people.

This fulfillment was demonstrated in a remarkable and undeniable way. At the moment Jesus died, the massive veil in the temple—separating the Most Holy Place, the very dwelling of God, from the rest of the temple—was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This was no human act. God himself tore the curtain, ripping it from above—top-down—declaring that the barrier of sin had been removed. The curtain wasn’t just a piece of fabric but a symbol of the separation between sinful humanity and God. For centuries, it had served as a physical reminder that no one could enter God’s presence directly—there had to be purification, sacrifice, and an appointed mediator. Then, in a single moment, God himself tore it apart.

The tearing of the temple curtain wasn’t just a dramatic event—it was a declaration from heaven that the old temple system had ended. For the first time, the Most Holy Place stood open, yet God’s presence was no longer there. He had moved. No longer would he dwell in a restricted sanctuary built by human hands because, through Christ, he now dwells in the hearts of believers. If God himself removed the temple barrier, why would we ever attempt to rebuild it?

Think about that. Imagine that you were an Israelite worshipping at the time Jesus died. You would have spent your whole life being kept from the Most Holy Place, knowing that even stepping beyond the veil meant certain death. Then, suddenly, the curtain is torn apart from top to bottom—and yet, no one is struck down. What had changed? The barrier of sin was removed! God was showing that there was no longer any need for sacrifices, rituals, or physical temples. The final sacrifice, Jesus Christ, had been offered so that God’s beloved people could not only stand before him but walk with him once more.

By this great sacrifice, God no longer dwells in temples made by human hands (Acts 17:24-25). Instead, he dwells in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus Christ and have received his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The endless work of the temple system is finished—not because humanity achieved perfection, but because Jesus did. Through his complete work of reconciliation, God made his people his permanent dwelling place. Since God’s new “temples” are the hearts of his believers, there is no need to construct a physical, set-apart place.

What does being a temple of the Holy Spirit mean?

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul delivers a striking truth:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

This statement reveals two key truths: believers are already made holy, and they are called to live with purpose as God’s dwelling place.

To understand this passage, it’s important to consider its immediate context. Paul is addressing issues of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church. He warns against uniting one’s body with a prostitute, reminding the believers that such an act profoundly contradicts their identity as members of Christ and dwelling places of the Holy Spirit. For Paul, the argument is not merely about behavior—it’s rooted in identity. As Christians, our bodies are not our own; they belong to God, purchased by the blood of Christ.

Paul’s temple imagery is intentional. Under the old covenant, maintaining God’s dwelling place required constant purification and sacrifice. But now, Paul declares, God’s dwelling is no longer in a building—it is in the hearts of believers.

So what does that mean for us? First, God is supremely holy and only dwells in holy places. Nothing unholy can survive in his presence! Yet, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6 that God now dwells within believers—and we are not consumed. How is that possible? Because in Christ, we have been made perfectly holy. Right now, through the work of Jesus, every believer is fully cleansed and completely sanctified—God’s dwelling place, made holy by Christ.

Your own worthiness and works were never the conditions for God to dwell within you because God’s standard is perfect holiness, and no human effort can achieve that. But through Christ, you have been made truly worthy—not by your obedience, but by his perfect life and atoning sacrifice. Jesus fully sanctified you, making it possible for God and humanity to dwell together once more. Your Great High Priest has completed this work and sat down—his mission is finished! Because God already dwells within you, there is nothing left to accomplish for you to be in his presence—he is with you now. Death and entrance into heaven will not be a long-awaited return to God’s presence but the full unveiling of a reality that already exists.

Connected to this reality is a great purpose for our lives. Paul doesn’t stop at declaring, “You are a temple of God”—he also calls believers to live accordingly. But notice the order: You are a temple—not because of anything you have achieved, earned, or become, but because God, in his love, has made it so.

The reasoning in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 flows like this: You are the temple of the Holy Spirit; therefore, honor God with your bodies. This is completely different from any system that says, “Honor God so that you may become his temple.” In Christ, your identity comes first. You already are a member of his body, a dwelling place of his Spirit. And because this is true, you are called to live in a way that reflects his holiness.

This truth is deeply practical. If you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then every action, thought, and decision you make takes place in the presence of God, who dwells within you. In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul specifically applies this to sexual purity. To unite with a prostitute—or engage in any form of sexual immorality—is not just a personal sin but a misuse of God’s temple. How can someone indwelt by the Spirit of God unite themselves with sin?

Paul’s reasoning is rooted in identity. God has already made his home within us—his presence is not something we strive for but something we already have. Because of this incredible gift, believers are called to live lives that reflect his presence and honor his holiness. These strivings are not conditions for receiving God’s love—they are joyful expressions of gratitude for what has already been given.

Finally, being a temple of God is profoundly freeing. You don’t need to travel to a holy place, perform elaborate ceremonies, or meet a list of requirements to enter God’s presence—because he is already with you. He dwells in you through his Spirit and will never leave you.

Your worth and standing before God are not determined by what you do but by what Christ has already done for you. This truth radically transforms our relationship with God. You are his temple, his dwelling place, his beloved.

In response, live in a way that honors him—not out of fear or obligation, but in joyful gratitude for the incredible gift of his Spirit.