Cleansing the Temple
The Bible tells us over and over that Jesus has power to forgive and cleanse us. In this study we are going to learn about one aspect of our life that Jesus wants to cleanse.
1. God asked the Israelites to build Him a sanctuary, why?
Exodus 25:8 (Psalms 11:4; Hebrews 8:1-2; 2 Chronicles 6:18; 7:1)
25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
The real throne of God is in the sanctuary in heaven, but God manifested His presence in the earthly sanctuary (and temple) so that His people could realize how close He was to them.
2. What was one of the first things Jesus did at the beginning of His earthly ministry?
John 2:13-17 (Mark 11:15-17; Matthew 21:12-13)
2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
3. Jesus cleansed the temple again at the end of His earthly ministry. The religious leaders and people still refused to keep the temple spiritually clean and so God deserted it. Even though the temple was soon destroyed after God’s departure, does God still have a dwelling place on this earth?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (John 14:23)
6:19 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?
6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
4. The Christian and the Christian church are called temples in the New Testament because God desires to dwell in each of them. What will happen if we defile God’s temple?
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (John 2:19, 21)
3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
5. The body-temple can be defiled in many different ways. What is one way that Daniel believed it could be defiled?
Daniel 1:8, 12 (1 Corinthians 9:25, 27)
1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse [fruits and vegetables] to eat, and water to drink.
6. What was the original diet that God created for us?
Genesis 1:29 (Genesis 9:3-4; 7:2)
1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Man’s original diet for the first 1656 years was of fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables; and the average lifespan was 912 years! Because vegetation was destroyed by the flood during Noah’s time, God allowed the people to eat animal flesh. God made provision for this by having Noah bring extra of the “clean” animals onto the ark before the flood.
7. Why did God prohibit His people from eating “unclean” animals?
Deuteronomy 14:2
4:2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar [special] people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
8. What are some of these “unclean” animals?
Deuteronomy 14:3-20 (1 Peter 2:9; Leviticus 11: 1-47)
14:3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
14:4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
14:5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.
14:6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
14:7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
14:8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.
14:9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
14:10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.
14:11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat.
14:12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey,
14:13 And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,
14:14 And every raven after his kind,
14:15 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind,
14:16 The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,
14:17 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,
14:18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
14:19 And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
14:20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.
Some people misapply Scripture and suggest that these health laws from our Creator were only meant for the Jewish people (though all our bodies are the same!). However, Paul’s counsels on health were given to the Gentiles (see 1 Corinthians 6:10, 19-20; 10:31).
9. God will judge those who rebel against Him by defying His health laws. How and when will He do this?
Isaiah 66:15-17 (Revelation 21:27)
66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
66:17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
10. Besides the eating of “unclean” meat, what is another way that we can defile our body?
Proverbs 23:29-33 (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
In Bible times, wine meant grape juice—either fermented or fresh. The Bible says here “Do not look on the wine when” it turns “red” and “swirls…smoothly.” This means that we are not to drink any juice after it has fermented.
11. Even though Cigarettes were not “invented” yet in Bible times, doesn’t tobacco defile the body?
Deuteronomy 29:18 (this Scripture warns against a “poisonous herb”)
29:18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood [bitterness and poison];
12. How does Paul summarize the way we are to treat our bodies (temples)?
1 Corinthians 10:31 (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
13. What has God promised to people who obey Him?
Exodus 15:26 (3 John 2)
15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
At times we have ailments that God chooses not to heal (2 Corinthians 12:7-9), but by following His counsels we have better health, and nothing will happen to us that is not in our best interest. We will ultimately be perfectly healed when Jesus comes in the clouds to take us home with Him for all eternity!
Please Note: There are some texts which, when taken out of context, could be “twisted to our own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). For Example, Jesus said that it is “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth” (Matthew 15:11). Jesus was not talking about food. Jesus does not contradict Scripture either. The Pharisees He was addressing were not questioning food at all, but their human tradition of ritual washing before eating (Matt. 15: 2, 20). Also, Peter knew that Jesus was not changing the health laws for several years later he was given a vision of “all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean’ ” (Acts 10:12-14). This vision was symbolic and Peter knew it. After the vision he “wondered within himself what the vision meant” (verse 17). And then he was “shown” that he should not call any man common or unclean” (verse 28). You see, the Jews at that time called the Gentiles “unclean” dogs, but it was now time to take the gospel to these Gentiles. Read Acts 10:9– Romans 11:18 for this entire account.
Today, Jesus is asking us to respect our body temples so that we may have clearer minds, better health, and be able to give Him more faithful service. Will you ask Him to give you power over everything that defiles the body-temple?