The church is often referred to as “the house of the Lord.” Anciently, when Moses met with the Lord Who appeared in a burning bush, he was told to remove His shoes because the ground on which he was standing was “holy ground” (Exo. 3:5). At that moment in time that parcel of land was God’s earthly “house.” Following His meeting with the children of Israel on Mt. Sinai, the Lord instructed Moses to build a portable structure– a “sanctuary” or “tabernacle” in which He (God) would dwell (Exo. 25:8,9) as Israel moved throughout the Sinai Desert following their refusal to enter the Promised Land called Canaan.

Later, the Lord commissioned Solomon to build a permanent residence for Him in Jerusalem. In each instance in which a residence was erected for the Lord He dictated the specifics for the structure with exactness. This set the pattern for the place where the Lord would abide among His people. Remember that the God of the Old Testament Israelites was the Word Who later came to earth as Jesus of Nazareth (Jn. 1:1-4,14). He is the God Who does not change.

Over time synagogues were established in the cities throughout the nation of Israel so that the people could gather locally to hear the priests read from the Holy Scriptures on a daily basis if desired. Even then, Gentiles (Heb.–goyim–heathen) were allowed to hear God’s Word from areas outside the walls of the synagogues. This included the Temple in Jerusalem where the Gentile’s area was called Solomon’s Porch.

Because of Israel’s history of disobedience to the Lord, He eventually brought about the defeat, enslavement and global scattering of the entire nation. In the process He arranged the total destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., along with the city itself, including its walls. As Jesus prophesied would happen: not one stone was left upon another that was not thrown down. The Lord’s wrath toward His chosen people was such that He ordered the heathen hoards to destroy even His own temple and to carry off the sacred utensils the people had used in their service to Him. Warning: this is exactly what He will soon do to America, and for the same reason–rebellion against His Law by which He governs His true saints. Read The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. Key word–Tribulation. Read about the Lord’s Place of Safety where His true saints will be secured during the Tribulation Period. Key word–Safety.

The Word–the God of the Old Testament Who became Jesus of Nazareth (Jn. 1:1-4,14)–came to earth to call His Chosen People (Israel) back to the Father, to His Law, His Truth, His will and His way. He would also offer salvation to those Gentiles who would believe and obey His Word, making them spiritual Israelites. Together they would form the Church of God–His true, obedient saints whom He calls His “chosen group,” His “remnant,” His “Little flock,” His “peculiar people,” His “Holy nation,” His “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9)–HIS CHURCH/ HIS HOUSE. Each member that makes up His house is called His “temple” in whom He abides in the form of His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16,17; 2 Cor. 6:16). Spiritually, all of the temples (individuals) and churches (local church bodies) are the same for there is “ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL WHO IS ABOVE ALL AND THROUGH ALL AND IN ALL.” The two-headed, multi-bodied Catholic/Protestant Religious System which calls itself “the church” is a counterfeit Christian body. Which brings us to the subject of this series–THE HOUSE OF THE LORD IN THIS END-TIME (LAODICEAN) AGE written about in Revelation 3:14-20. Read that segment which perfectly describes the modern day religious system known as “the church.” The question is, how did this great false religious system come to exist? The Lord tells us.

In Matthew 24:4,5 and Revelation 6:1-8 Jesus prophesied about four “horsemen” that would create havoc throughout the earth beginning with His death and the creation of the church. The reason for the final three horsemen (various type of curses) would be mankind’s embrace of the first horseman–FALSE RELIGION which Jesus warned about in Matthew 24:4,5. Because He knew “the end from the beginning,” he knew that man would reject God’s true religion based on His Law. Therefore, He would send the various curses (wars, diseases, famines, etc.) by which He would afflict mankind until His (Christ’s) return. Read Deuteronomy 28 for a full review of the blessing those who obeyed Him would receive and the curses those who disobeyed Him would receive. One will note that what is described in verses 14 through 68 describes what is happening world-wide today. The message is clear: MANKIND DETERMINES WHETHER HE WILL BE BLESSED OR CURSED IN THIS LIFE BY HIS APPROACH TO THE LAW OF THE LORD.

God has only one house/church and a few temples who occupy that one and only church. The problem with professing Christianity is that man has a variety of houses/churches. Man gives himself the authority to design his version of the church using the Bible as nothing more than God’s “frame” which salvation seekers can “flesh out” any way he wants. Those who want it to be a certain color, etc. make it that color, etc., give it a name and call it a church. Different “churches” have different specifics–windows, siding, rooves, room sizes, etc. In spite of God’s Words to the contrary, each church believes that He has chosen their specifics over His own as stated in His Holy Scriptures. L.J.