THE CHURCH AND THE TEMPLE
This message was written by Brother Jack Hodgdon from Oregon U.S.A. in July 2002. Jack has been a believer, teacher and prophet of the Glorious Sonship Truths for many years. He is a wise support and counselor to me and I know that he is a blessing to many others who hold these Glorious Truths. I commit this Word to my web site for The Holy Ghost to open the eyes and ears of those who will read this.
Today is a day when the Lord is once again unfolding his word to me of the greater meaning of the Temple. I have wondered why are we called the church in many places, and other places we are called “The Temple of the Living God”. There are two different Greek words translated as temple. One is “Hieron” meaning “a sacred place”. Here is a powerful truth being unfolded in my spirit. This inner sanctuary is the theme of the New Testament writers. It's at this point where we separate the word “church” from the word “Temple”. This word church means “called out ones”. It's the Greek word “ekklesia”, used to describe a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation, a Jewish synagogue, or a Christian Community of members on earth, saints in heaven, or both. God in this hour is unfolding the mystery called the Church. We are all apart of the Glorious church He is assembling.
There remains a greater understanding of who the “Temple People” are. We are all the church but we are not all the Temple .The Sanctuary was in the center the Tabernacle and further on was the Holy of Holies. To enter the Holy of Holies, there must be a cleansing and a total separation unto God. The Sons of God are being formed in a womb in Jesus’ church.
There is a “Spiritual Temple” being erected in a secret place, and this Spiritual Temple is a different Greek word that is used, - “Naos”. This Greek word is used in many places in the New Testament and is called the Temple. Those who make up this Temple or Holy of Holies have been called out of the visible church to walk the “High Calling” to gain the prize of the Divine Image of Jesus Himself!
One of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God is that “They that run in a race run all, but one winneth the prize, so run that ye may obtain”. To win Jesus Christ is much higher than just going to church every week. We in this calling have been called beyond the experience of being filled with the Holy Ghost baptism with the evidence of speaking in other tongues!
We are being changed from Glory to Glory until the very day of our revealing to the whole body of Christ as The perfect man, unto the full stature and full anointing, when He shall declare “these are My Beloved Sons”. This is that last hour of our preparation before the unveiling of who we really are IN CHRIST, the Heavenly Temples of “Living Stones”. A house built with-out the sound of a hammer. My heart’s desire is to be a tabernacle not made with hands. “Behold the old has passed away and we have become new”.
Yes, His Sons are that Living Temple that God hath built and not man. 1 John 3:2 says, “Now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear who we are but it will be made manifest who we really are, for when He doth appear then we to shall appear with Him in Glory”. See also Colossians 3:3.
So with bated breath we wait for that hour when we shall like Jesus to be declared to be His manifested Sons. The Lord is in His Holy Temple!
This morning upon rising, I was hearing the words of a song but could not distinguish the words. And then the words and music began to be made known to me. It was like I was hearing my good friend Del Aldous singing this song that I have heard him sing: “THE LORD IS IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE LET ALL THE EARTH BE STILL”, which are the words of Habakkuk 2:20.
It was then that this message began to form in my spirit and I then began to look at different scripture on the Temple in the Old and New Testament. It was a beautiful revelation of His Temple and what it all means.
As you begin to search it out, you quickly begin to understand that it takes the Holy Spirit to unfold the Truths concerning his HOLY TEMPLE and what it all means. This is a great mystery concerning Christ and his Church.
You soon become aware that we are all a part of the church, but not all are part of his Temple. There are “MEMBERS IN PARTICULAR” -1 Cor.12:27. The Temple is that masculine part called the “over-comers”, who through much tribulation shall enter the Kingdom of God on earth. This temple are those “seven pillars of wisdom” spoken of in Proverbs 9:1, “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars”. 1 Samuel 2:8 says, "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of his glory: FOR THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH ARE THE LORD'S ,AND HE HATH SET THE WORLD UPON THEM." All things shall be made new by a Holy remnant few, The Elect.
Out of this Tabernacle of Wisdom, has all creation longed and waited for from the dawning of time. He has revealed to me that they shall speak words held back from before the foundation of the world, when the world is ready to receive them. This Holy Temple of Living Stones shall fill all the earth and the ends of the earth shall bow down and call Jesus, “Lord”.
There is a wonderful revelation on the Temple, that “The Temple is not the Bride of Christ”.
In John 20:4-7, there is a truth which I saw many years ago of what Peter and that other disciple saw when they entered into the sepulchre. In v 7 says “And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes but wrapped together in a place by it's-self”. The Lord revealed to me that there is a “headship company” that is raised up first before the main body of believers are anointed to enter the everlasting Kingdom of God.
Mary the mother of Jesus brought forth Jesus the first-born son and knew not her husband (Joseph type of Christ) for forty more days until the time of her cleansing was completed. In 1 Corinthians 15:23 it says, “There is Christ the first-fruits, then AFTERWARDS they that are Christ's at His coming”. There is so much here that it almost blows your mind of the Glory and the Majesty of his Kingdom.
This word “AFTERWARDS”, has great meaning. It has everything to do with “the restoration of all things”. This vision grows brighter and brighter and never grows dim as we wait and look to Him. (A song written by our dear brother Ray Prinzing) The Lord is writing on the tables of the hearts of His Sons, the Glory and the Majesty of His Kingdom.
Jack Hodgdon
