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Commentaries
English
Acts
  
c) The Tabernacle of Meeting, and the Establishment of the Temple (Acts 7:44-50)
44“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen,45which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David,46who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.47But Solomon built Him a house.48However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:49‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? Says the Lord, or what is the place of My rest?50Has My hand not made all these things?’”


Stephen confirmed that God did not first dwell in the magnificent temple, but met with Moses in the constructed tabernacle of witness. This occurred particularly during the great days of covenant making with the prophet Moses, but also during the victories of Joshua and the revival at the time of David. The perishable beauty and glamour of the temple were not, in themselves, tokens of the presence of God among men, while the tabernacle of meeting, constructed in the wilderness, reflected the transitional period of the Old Testament, which faded away after all.
It appeared to Stephen that the grace of God had prevented David from building a temple. It was an indication that God was not in need of gold, man-made stately buildings or structures in order for Him to dwell among His followers. The simple, unornate tabernacle of the wilderness was proof that God met with poor men. John the evangelist used in his Greek-language gospel (John 1: 14) the most common term “Logos” to explain Jesus’ essence, saying: “The Logos, or Word became flesh and tabernacled, or dwelt among us.” This humility shows the great grace of God that came down and dwelt in the temple of a perishable body.
The wise Solomon built the well-known temple, exploiting the people greatly for this purpose, until the nation became divided after him. The temple was built to unite the people, being the center of Jewish worship rites and culture. The result, however, was division and dispersion, for God does not live in one certain place, nor does He dwell in stones. All your suitcases and material objects are unnecessary for God, for He is with you wherever you are, whether at sea or on land, in the air or under the ground. He who hears His word and Acts.accordingly continues in God’s presence and communion.
Stephen testified before his judges that he was not blaspheming against the temple if he did not worship the golden stones, for the Most High does not live in a human prison, and the whole earth is His footstool. The Creator has no need of hand-made houses of dust for His resting place. He who made heaven and earth, the sea and all the springs of water, is in need of nothing.
Today we know that the earth is not the whole universe, but is only an atom of dust in the midst of millions of suns swimming and turning around billions of groups of planets. Dear brother, penetrate deeply into the mysteries of the universe. By so doing, your mind will become open and your heart will worship the majesty and glory of God. Our Creator fills the entire world; there is no sort of house which can contain Him. He is more spacious than all the oceans and stars together. At the same time, He controls every electron of the atom. He who studies the modern natural sciences carefully will not become an atheist, but a humble worshiper of God.
The Holy Bible tells you that the great God is willing to dwell in your heart so that your body may become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Has your mind become a dwelling place for God? Or are you still a den of unclean spirits? The blood of Christ will cleanse you if you open yourself to His design. His Holy Spirit will fill you until your cold selfishness ends and you become, together with all other believers in the fellowship of His love, a temple of the essence and presence of God. Have you experienced the beauty and glory of this spiritual temple? Its characteristics are love, humility, joy, meekness, peace, uprightness, self-control, and all righteousness. Have you become adorned with the fruit of Christian faith? If you have you will magnify God through your behavior in the midst of a world filled with unclean spirits.

Prayer
O great God, we thank You that You do not live in a church, or a temple, or a house made of stones, but dwell in all those who truly believe in Christ. Come into my heart, cleanse my conscience, and fill my mind with Your Holy Spirit, that You may be centered in me forever, and I may obey You with constant joy.
Question
Why did Stephen prefer the tent of the tabernacle to the golden, glorious temple?