The Temple of God
Today’s Focus: Gathering of the Tribes: The Concept of Holy Convocations
Scripture: Leviticus 23
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
This message is going to frame everything else for the rest of the series.
Leviticus 23:2: Speak to the children of Israel and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Leviticus 23 is the chapter in which the Lord is describing and instructing Israel on what to celebrate and how to celebrate all of the seven appointed feasts (Passover, Unleavened bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement (Yom Kippur), Tabernacles). Now notice in Leviticus 23:2 the Lord tells Israel that also all of these feasts are proclaimed to be Holy Convocations.
In the last message we discussed that the holy convocations are a gathering of all the tribes of Israel to celebrate to appointed feasts. Now in the Old Testament post-Exodus of Israel there was a holy convocation of Israel at Mt. Sinai when the Lord came down on the mountain on the third day. As a feast the holy convocation is held in the Temple at Jerusalem and in the New Testament we have a holy convocation of the Body of Christ at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. This holy convocation is very unique and I am drawing a picture right here.
God never celebrated the feasts in a synagogue. He instructed Israel to celebrate at the Temple in Jerusalem. All of the feasts were celebrated at the Temple at Jerusalem because this is where all the tribes could come together as one nation. Now here is a thought:
If this is a type and shadow and we are to move from type and shadow to reality, then the reality cannot be less than the shadow.
Celebrations of the feasts did not happen in a tent or Solomon’s quarry or a synangouge. It only happened in the temple. The purpose of this is to promote unity. Look at this scripture:
1 Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Now we know that we, the Body of Christ, are the Temple of the Living God. This is the reality, not the type and shadow. The type and shadow is a physical building. Now since God designed Israel to come together, all tribes to celebrate these feasts, how is the Body of Christ to come together as one Body. Now if you are talking about in one central location in time, the only time that will happen is in the return of the Lord. However the Body of Christ can come together as a whole in cities. When we talk about not meeting in a synagogue, a tent or Solomon’s quarry, all of these represent the Local Church. The Temple, where all the tribes meet is a picture of the city church. Now you may wonder where am I going with this.
Over the next couple of messages we will look at how the Local church is being exalted above the City Church. This is crucial to understand because the City Church represents the Temple of God and the place where all of the tribes meet. If we examine the state of the church now, can we even say that the Body of Christ has come together in a city as one corporate Body? I would be safe to guess the answer is 99%, no, because I cannot be absolute on this but. The Glory of God fills the Temple, not the synagogue. I pray you continue to study with us on this most important issue.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
