The Middle Wall broken down.  The enmity abolished.

One new man created, so making peace.

The figure that is now before us is a holy temple, and at first sight the

denomination `The Living Room' may savour of irreverance -- but the title has

been chosen with care.

What is our conception of a temple?  The English word is derived from the

Greek temno `to cut', meaning a part cut off or separated for religious

purposes.  Associated with a temple, are priests, altars, sacrifices, veils,

incense and elaborate ritual, yet these are accidental, being rendered necessary

because of the unclean and sinful nature of man.  The essential purpose of a

temple is to provide a dwelling place for the Most High among men, and only the

necessity to preserve the holiness of the Divine Occupier, called for all the

elaborate ritual associated with the place.  First of all let us remember that

both Stephen and Paul declare `The Most High dwelleth not in temples made with

hands'.  Stephen, in Acts 7:48,49 quoting from the Old Testament because he was

speaking to Jews, and Paul, in Acts 17:24 appealing not to Old Testament

Scriptures but to common sense:

`God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of

heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands',

because he was speaking to Gentiles.  This is an example of method and approach

that should not be lightly

set aside.  The fact that these words are a deduction

drawn from the confession of Solomon, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 2:6, shows how

great an impression the witness of Stephen had upon that young man whose name

was Saul (Acts 7:58).  The language of Stephen and Paul, if isolated from the

rest of Scripture, could be used to flatly deny that God ever did or ever will

dwell in any temple made with hands, but this is not according to truth.  The

words of Stephen are based upon the prayer of Solomon, which he goes on to

quote.  In 2 Chronicles 6:18 Solomon says:

`But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and

the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which

I have built!'

The argument that would make it impossible for God to dwell in a temple on

earth, because it could not contain God, would also make it impossible for God

to dwell in the highest heaven, for it too cannot contain God. In both cases He

must condescend, and if He can do so in the one, He may do so in the other.  Let

us hear therefore the language of the Most High:

`For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose

name is Holy; I dwell in the High and Holy Place',

and we might be pardoned, if stopping here, we drew the conclusion that God can

never dwell with man, but this is reckoning without grace; the Prophet

`with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit' (Isa. 57:15).