Disciples Digital Library

In the prologue of John’s gospel, Jesus is identified as the Logos , the “ word made flesh ” in whom the “ glory of God ” now resides. He is the Greater Tabernacle foreshadowed by the Tent in the wilderness, the place where Yahweh’s glory is manifested. And this declaration anticipates John’s later passages that link the Nazarene to the Father.

The parable of the “ budding fig tree ” is a graphic illustration of Christ’s answer to the question – “ When will these things come to pass? ” The fig tree sprouting foliage is the clue for the “when” of the predicted events. Its leaves signal the arrival of “ summer ,” the time when “ all these things ” will be fulfilled.

The prologue of John’s Gospel presents key themes that are explained in the book. And most critically, Jesus is the “ word made flesh ” in whom life and light are found. He is the true “ tabernacle ” where God’s “ glory ” dwells. And John employs imagery from the history of Israel to illustrate what God did in His “ only born Son .”

The gospel of  Mark  divides the story of the barren fig tree into two sections and places the “cleansing” of the Temple between them. The two incidents are closely linked. The fruitlessness of the fig tree and its cursing highlight the corruption and fate of the Temple, and his actions foreshadow its destruction.

Jesus is the Greater and Final Temple foreshadowed by the ancient Tabernacle and the later Temple in Jerusalem .  Jesus is the true sanctuary that was foreshadowed in the ancient religious structures and worship rituals of Israel. He is the dwelling place of God’s presence and glory, and the true and final mediator between heaven and earth. Christ is the temple “ made without hands ” that was destroyed by evil men but restored when his Father raised him from among the dead.

The fullness, grace, and truth of God are found only in the Word made Flesh, namely, Jesus of Nazareth  – John 1:14-18.  The prologue to John’s gospel introduces several key themes -  Life ,  Light ,  Witness ,  Truth , and  Grace .  Jesus is the  Light of the world , the source of  Grace and Truth , the  True Tabernacle , the  only born Son of God , and the only one who has  seen the Father .  It concludes by declaring that he is the only one who is qualified to  interpret  the unseen God.

Jesus is the true and only way of access to the Father, the Greater Bethel, and the House of God  – John 1:47-50.  The gospel of John presents Jesus as the  True House of God  and the means of access to the presence of God. He is the Greater  Bethel , the “ house of God ,” and from now on, heaven is open to all men, and angels are “ ascending and descending ” on the “ Son of Man .” What Jacob saw in an ancient vision has become a concrete reality in Christ.

In Samaria, Jesus revealed that the presence of God no longer is limited to geographic locations or man-made structures  – John 4:20-24.  To the woman in Samaria, Jesus reveals the proper form and location for the worship of the Father. With the advent of the Messiah, concepts, and traditions about holy space and holy time become irrelevant, and his presence renders the historical debate over the location of the Temple moot. From now on, worship must be performed  IN TRUTH  AND  SPIRIT .

Jesus is the True and Final Sanctuary in which the glory of Yahweh now dwells, the substance foreshadowed by the ancient Temple  –  John 2:13-22 .  In the second chapter of  John , we find the disciples discovered that Jesus is the  True and Final Temple of God . The era of God “dwelling” in portable tents and stone buildings in Jerusalem or anywhere else had come to an end. God does not dwell in structures “ made-by-hand ,” nor can His presence be contained within physical or geographic boundaries.

Jesus provided his disciples with a chronological key – they would know the time of the Temple’s demise when they saw all “ these things ” coming to pass before “ this generation ” reached its inevitable end. That was his definitive answer to the question, “ When will these things come to pass? ” – within one generation.

According to Jesus, the “ Abomination of Desolation ” will appear in Jerusalem - It will be a local, not a global event. And his admonition for disciples to flee is applicable to Jerusalem and the immediate vicinity. Disciples must flee to the hills to escape the imminent calamity signaled by this abominable thing or person.

Before his final departure from the Temple, Jesus fielded challenges from the “ scribes and Pharisees .” These were confrontations that set the stage for his arrest and trial, as well as his execution by the Romans. As he left the building, he pronounced its impending judgment and destruction.

In his ‘Olivet Discourse,’ Jesus describes key events that will occur in the future, especially the destruction of the Temple and the “ coming of the Son of Man .” In doing so, he provides geographic details related to each event that alternate between the local and the universal, depending on which event he is under discussion.

The ‘Olivet Discourse’ is the last recorded block of Christ’s teachings. It was given on the Mount of Olives following a series of confrontations with the Temple authorities. His controversies with the religious leaders of Israel set the stage for his trial and execution. What transpires began in the Temple, but ends on Calvary.

At the end of his journey, his destination was the Temple in the center of the city.  The next several stories prepare the reader for his final days, A full third of Mark’s gospel account concerns the events of that week that culminate in his death and resurrection. All that preceded his arrival in the city was moving inexorably forward to his arrest, trial, and execution in the city of David and the prophets.

Jesus is the True and Greater Tabernacle in whom the presence and glory of God reside and manifest for all men to behold  – John 1:14.  The gospel of  John  presents Jesus as the dwelling place of God, the  Greater Tabernacle  where his glory is seen. Moreover, the worship desired of men by the Father takes place “ in the spirit and truth .” Access to His presence is no longer limited to the Temple in Jerusalem or the Tabernacle in the wilderness.