Temple

The temple was the house of God in Jerusalem, first built by Solomon in place of the tabernacle, destroyed by Babylon, and later rebuilt; the New Testament also calls Jesus' body, the church, and the believer's body a temple.

The tabernacle

• Exodus 25:8-9
  ⁸And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. ⁹According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.
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• Exodus 40:34
  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
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Solomon builds the temple

• 1 Kings 6:1
  And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the month of Ziv, the second month of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, he began to build the house of the LORD.
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• 1 Kings 8:10-11
  ¹⁰And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD ¹¹So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
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• 1 Kings 8:27
  But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.
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Destroyed and rebuilt

• 2 Kings 25:9
  And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire.He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.
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• Ezra 3:10
  And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as David king of Israel had prescribed.
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• Ezra 6:15
  And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
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Jesus and the temple

• Luke 2:46
  And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.Finally, after three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
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• John 2:14-16
  ¹⁴And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. ¹⁵And 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;So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
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• John 2:19-21
  ¹⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” ²⁰Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” ²¹But he spake of the temple of his body.But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.
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• Matthew 24:1-2
  ¹And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings. ²And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
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Believers as God's temple

• 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
  ¹⁶Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
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• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
  ¹⁹What? 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?Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
  Show context · Read 1 Corinthians 6 →
• 2 Corinthians 6:16
  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
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• Ephesians 2:21-22
  ²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.
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The temple in heaven

• Revelation 11:19
  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
  Show context · Read Revelation 11 →
• Revelation 21:22
  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
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See also

• Worship
• Jerusalem
• Priesthood
• Sacrifice
• Church

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.