The dwelling place of the Holy Spirit
Following YHWH’s triumphant salvation of children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, Moses sang a song before the children of Israel glorifying God. One line of that song speaks of a habitation to be prepared for Almighty God.
Exodus 15:2
YHWH is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
In due time Moses would receive sacred instructions in Mount Sinai from YHWH to begin to build a habitation or sanctuary for The God of Israel.
Exodus 25: 1-8
¶ And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, 5 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
This first sanctuary was called the tabernacle, which was essentially a sacred tent dwelling for the God of the Hebrews. The tabernacle was situated inside a wall of linen cloth coverings surrounding the tabernacle itself.
The Levites of Israel, from the tribe of Levi, were the priests of Israel and kept watch over the tabernacle and ministered to YHWH and the holy things regarding the tabernacle services interceding for the children of Israel who brought forth sacrifices to God, but did not dare enter into the main sacred tabernacle. Only the Levite high priests could minister inside the middle sacred tent.
The enclosed draped linen fenced walls of outside court yard of the tabernacle faced the entire camp of Israel which all twelve tribes of Israel’s tents surrounded outside of the tabernacle on every side with the center of the camp being the holy tabernacle.
Thus, only the priests had access to the tabernacle to work inside and minister the holy rituals and service of the tabernacle.
The inner most sacred tent or the actual tabernacle, covered by four layers of cloth and animal skins, inside the fenced court yard, was made of two inner chambers. The first chamber was the holy place used by high priests for ministering sacrificial duties before God. The second chamber was called the holy of holies and only the high priest could enter once a year into this most holy chamber, for it held the most sacred ark of the covenant which held the law of God given to Moses at mount Sinai. The ark was a gold covered box with winged angels, or cherubim, facing in toward the center of the ark. This was called the mercy seat of the ark of covenant, which was a holy golden lid closed over the law of YHWH.
YHWH told Moses he would commune with Moses over the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant which was kept in pitch black darkness inside the second chamber closed off to the priests by a heavy elaborate veil.
Exodus 25:22
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
Once a year, only the high priest could enter into the veil into the holy of holies and minister a holy sacrifice before YHWH to make atonement for the sins of the children of Israel.
Only Moses could approach face to face to speak with YHWH, and only the high priest would enter to minister before God once a year.
Thus, the Almighty God of Israel was separated and holy from the general population of the children of Israel which had to approach God through sacrifices made to the priests made outside the tabernacle court yard. None but the priests could enter near the tabernacle or enter inside the court yard.
More than 400 years later, king Solomon the son of king David built a house for God to dwell in. This was the first temple built in Jerusalem.
Read what happened in the holy temple.
1st Kings 8:1-11
¶ Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of YHWH out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of YHWH, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up. 5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of YHWH unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims. 7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when YHWH made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of YHWH, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of YHWH had filled the house of YHWH.
You see there was a separation from God and the people of Israel. Only the Levite priests could approach or even come near to God to minister to God and intercede for the people. Only God would choose special holy men of God to be prophets and speak the words God gave them and warn to turn the children of Israel back to God and away from their sinful ways.
Despite seeing and experiencing the supernatural power of God and being reminded to obey his Laws, the people of Israel, by and large, rebelled against God’s prophets and forsook YHWH and his holy laws. Thus, God had no other option than to punish Israel for her sins and he cast away the children of Israel from off of their land and scattered Israel into the Gentiles (nations).
More than 300 years later, the children of Israel, of the twelve tribes of Israel, would be divided into two separate houses from their sinful behaviors and forsaking the law of YHWH and YHWH their God. Israel had forsaken YHWH and was guilty of worshiping the gods of the other peoples of the lands and many other sins committed against God. YHWH would judge Israel, both divided houses of Judah and Israel, and scatter them away out of his sight off the land that YHWH brought their ancestors to settle.
The northern house of Israel was taken in 722 BC to Assyria in the Assyrian Captivity. The southern house of Judah was taken away to Babylon in the Babylonian captivity of 586 BC. The city of Jerusalem was also sacked by the Babylonians and the temple Solomon had built was destroyed by fire and all of the treasures and holy items of YHWH’s holy house were taken away to Babylon. The Ark of covenant is never to be seen again.
During this time of Judah’s captivity by Babylonians the prophet of YHWH, the prophet Jeremiah wrote the words of YHWH concerning a new covenant God would make with Israel.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith YHWH: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith YHWH, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know YHWH: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith YHWH: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
YHWH declares a New Covenant to be made with the children of Israel, whereby God will have mercy on Israel and put his law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be his people.
Another prophet around this time period of Israel’s fall, who followed Jeremiah, was the prophet Ezekiel. The prophet Ezekiel declared a similar message from God.
Ezekiel 36:22-28
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am YHWH, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 ¶ Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
In this prophesy by Ezekiel, God states he will cleanse Israel and give them a new heart and new spirit. God says “I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
YHWH promises to put his spirit within his people with a change of their heart toward YHWH.
The next scripture comes from another prophet of YHWH, the prophet Joel.
Joel 2:27-31
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am YHWH your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. 28 ¶ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of YHWH come.
The prophesy says God will pour out his spirit on the people of God.
We now move into the New Testament, or New Covenant YHWH made with Israel.
Nearly more than seven hundred years from the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel, the prophesied messiah, the Christ, out of the house of king David had come. This was Jesus the Christ, God in the flesh, who had three years of ministry and was put to death on the cross to atone for the sins of the children of Israel. Before Jesus died and bled his holy blood on the cross of Calvary, Jesus spoke to his disciples hours before his arrest regarding the coming comforter, or the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit of God.
John 14:15-21
¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 ¶ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:23-26
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 25 ¶ These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15:26-27
¶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:5-14 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 7 ¶ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead the third day, appearing alive to his disciples and many others as witnessed in the book of Acts where the next scripture shows Jesus speaking to his disciples and many others before he ascended into heaven.
Acts 1:1-8
¶ The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 ¶ When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Jesus promised that his disciples would receive Power from God after the Holy Ghost came upon them.
Read what happened on the day of Pentecost, about ten days after Jesus ascended back into the heaven.
Acts 2:1-21
¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 ¶ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 14 ¶ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Holy Ghost had come! The Promise of YHWH and promise of Jesus of the comforter sent from the Father in Jesus' name had come to fulfillment! The Spirit of God had come to his children according to the holy prophets of Israel like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Joel.
God's Holy Spirit was now indwelled in the hearts of his people. God’s law was now written in the heart of his people. The Spirit of Christ was now in the hearts of his believers.
Now read the following scriptures regarding the Church of Christ, the body of his believers, those baptized into Jesus the Christ.
Romans 8:8-14
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 ¶ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The Holy Spirit of Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God now lives inside the believer of Jesus the Christ.
Read the next scriptures.
1st Corinthians 2:12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1st Corinthians 3:16-17
¶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1st Corinthians 6:19-20
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Once God only was dwelling in the holy tabernacle and later the holy temple separating his people Israel from his holy presence, except for the high priests and prophets of God. Now God’s Holy Spirit indwells in the heart of the believers of Christ Jesus. There is no more separation from God, for the believer of Jesus the Christ has become the temple. Our Body has become the temple in which the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit of God indwells!
Read the next scripture to see how one receives the promise of the Holy Ghost.
Galatians 3:7-14
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
It’s by our faith in Christ Jesus that we receive the promise of the Spirit.
Read the next scripture.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
The Body of Believers of Jesus the Christ are also like as the Temple of God, holy house of God to dwell in among his people.
Read on.
Ephesians 3:14-19
¶ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
God’s Spirit of Christ Jesus now dwells within in the heart of those who have faith in Jesus!
Read the next scriptures by the apostle John.
1st John 3:23-24
¶ And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1st John 4:12-16
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 ¶ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
In conclusion, when ancient Israel knew God, YHWH dwelt in various separated holy sanctuaries whereby only the most holy of Israel could commune, minister, or prophesy the word of God. The people of Israel were largely not allowed near to God for their unbelief and sinful natures and their rejection of God holy laws and ways.
Since Christ came and died for the sins of Israel and the world, and arose into heaven into the glory of his Father to be seated at the right hand of God, the Holy Spirit of God sent from the Father in Jesus’ name, now dwells in the believers in Jesus the Christ in the temple of our bodies and in the housing of our hearts, according to promise of holy prophets of old.
The veil of separation that separated us from God’s holy presence has been removed by Jesus the Christ. The wall of separation has been removed and we now have direct access to approach to the throne of Almighty God making our sacrifices of repentance, thanksgiving, and prayers to the one true living God!
Christ lives in the heart of his believers and YHWH, the God of Israel, dwells in the midst of his people, the Israel of God--the body of believers in Jesus the Christ!
Won’t you join me in praising God Almighty for his amazing promise and gift of the Holy Ghost and praise YHWH for his Son, Jesus the Christ who now lives in heart of his believers!
Do you believe in Jesus the Christ?
Do you possess the Holy Spirit of God?
Do you know Jesus the Christ?
Have you been washed in the blood of the lamb?
Have you been baptized for the remission of your sins?
I leave you with a word of exhortation from one of Christ's chief apostles and the man Jesus gave his keys to the kingdom of heaven to.
Acts 2:38-41
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.