Considering Pentecost: We Are the Temple
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe
Many Christians consider Pentecost as only a New Testament Holy
Day. However, it is one of the three
pilgrim feast days, or appointed times of the Lord, outlined in the Pentateuch. Leviticus 23:15-15: “And you shall count for
yourselves from the day after the Sabbath (Passover) from the day that you
brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count
fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new
grain offering to the Lord.” Pentecost
means “50 days.”
Jesus' disciples gathered in Jerusalem 50 days after His crucifixion
in to offer a new grain offering for Pentecost.
Acts 2:1-4 ”When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together
in one place. And suddenly a sound came
from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where
they were sitting. And there appeared to
them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Fire from heaven had long been a sign of the presence of
God with His people. The Lord spoke to
Moses from a burning bush. Fire from
heaven consumed the offering when the Tabernacle in the wilderness was
completed. The Israelites followed a
pillar of fire by night as the Lord led them through that wilderness and into
the Promised Land. When Solomon dedicated
the Temple in Jerusalem, again, fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice on the
altar.
In the first century, the Temple in Jerusalem was soon to
be destroyed by the Roman legions.
However, God had a better plan. He sent fire to rest upon each person
gathered in that upper room. God was
present not only among the people, He was present within each person as
well.
Paul wrote the church in Corinth: “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? or you were bought at a price; therefore,
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians
6:10-20).
Each of us houses the Temple of God in our bodies. The Holy Spirit dwells within us. Therefore, we must honor our God both in our
bodies and in our spirits.
Peter encouraged: “Coming to Him as to a living stone,
rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 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 2:4-5).
Together, believers are being built into a family, a
household of priests with full access to the God who indwells us. Understanding this, we cannot refrain from
worshipping Him and glorifying Him even with our bodies.
Then God’s fire upon the altar
Of my heart was set aflame;
I shall never cease to praise Him
Glory, glory to His Name!
Of my heart was set aflame;
I shall never cease to praise Him
Glory, glory to His Name!
(Margaret J. Harris)
For more about Pentecost see http://pastorlonnie70.blogspot.com/2015/05/events-of-pentecost.html and http://pastorlonnie70.blogspot.com/2014/06/pentecost-our-jubilee.html