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New Studies in Biblical Theology #17
The Temple and the Church's Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man." (Revelation 21:1-3, ESV). In this comprehensive study, G. K. Beale argues that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the end-time reality that God's presence, formerly limited to the Holy of Holies, would be extended throughout the cosmos. Hence, John's vision in Revelation 21 is best understood as picturing the new heavens and earth as the eschatological temple. Beale's stimulating exposition traces the theme of the tabernacle and temple across the Bible's story-line, illuminating many texts and closely-related themes along the way. He shows how the significance and symbolism of the temple can be better understood in the context of ancient Near Eastern assumptions, and offers new insights into the meaning of the temple in both Old and New Testaments.
458 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2004
177 people are currently reading
1378 people want to read
About the author
Gregory K. Beale
43 books200 followersG. K. Beale (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the coeditor of the Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament and the author of numerous books, including A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
February 27, 2014
This book attracted my attention while I was studying recent developments in the study of Genesis as ancient cosmology and especially Walton's "cosmic temple" interpretation of Genesis 1. I wish I'd had this book while engaged in that study. Beale offers an in-depth exegetical study of the temple theme throughout Scripture from Eden to the eschatological temple of the New Testament, showing that the cosmos was created as God's temple and humanity as his priests, with a mission to spread the influence of his presence through an ever-expanding Eden. Humanity failed. The task was again given to Israel, centred around a physical temple imaging the cosmic temple whose light she was to bear. Israel failed. And then Jesus came as the temple himself, rendering Israel's physical temple obsolete as the dwelling place of God. Beale follows this theme through the New Testament as Jesus establishes a new temple not made with hands, thus inaugurating a new age in the Church and calling on his people, now indwelt by the Holy Spirit, back to the mission originally given to Adam and looking forward to the end of history when the mission will be accomplished and the heavenly temple descends, transforming all of Creation in an eschatological Holy of Holies.
The book is easily worth four stars and probably four-and-a-half. It's not a light read. It's a detailed, thorough, and quite lengthy exegetical study and most of it suffers from rather dry prose. That said, the theme itself is exciting and engaging. The seven pages of "practical reflections" at the end seem a little terse and tacked-on. Beale's exegesis is solid. Where his work is highly speculative, he's humble enough to admit as much, however, as parts of the whole, those few speculative parts really do fall into line with the larger and obvious themes.
It would be worthwhile to work through the book's headings in order to draw up a series of expository sermons on the subject--perhaps one sermon each on the various uses of the temple theme form Genesis to Revelation. The study does offer very good insight into the Church's identity and mission in Christ. It also offers plenty of corrective to the silly and shallow escapism of so much pop-theology and pop-eschatology that today dominates the evangelical world.
The book is easily worth four stars and probably four-and-a-half. It's not a light read. It's a detailed, thorough, and quite lengthy exegetical study and most of it suffers from rather dry prose. That said, the theme itself is exciting and engaging. The seven pages of "practical reflections" at the end seem a little terse and tacked-on. Beale's exegesis is solid. Where his work is highly speculative, he's humble enough to admit as much, however, as parts of the whole, those few speculative parts really do fall into line with the larger and obvious themes.
It would be worthwhile to work through the book's headings in order to draw up a series of expository sermons on the subject--perhaps one sermon each on the various uses of the temple theme form Genesis to Revelation. The study does offer very good insight into the Church's identity and mission in Christ. It also offers plenty of corrective to the silly and shallow escapism of so much pop-theology and pop-eschatology that today dominates the evangelical world.
January 15, 2024
Tremendously helpful book for understanding the entire Bible. Beginning at the garden of eden, the archetypal temple, Beale traces temple language throughout the Bible, methodically working his way through every book of the Bible that references the temple.
God created the universe to be his great temple. And he gave Adam a charge to spread the glory of God to fill the entire earth. This goal would be achieved not directly by God but by a "human vice-regent whom he installed in the garden sanctuary to extend the temple of God’s presence worldwide.”
That was Adam’s purpose, and it is ours. Jesus founded the heavenly temple on earth and left us the mission of extending the temple of God to cover the earth like the waters cover the sea.
We, as the church, ARE the end-time temple.
"Our ongoing task is to serve God in his temple in which we always dwell and of which we are a part. The essential sacrifice we offer is our own body, which is ‘a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God’, which is our ‘spiritual service of worship’ (Rom. 12:1).”
To put it another way: Christians expand the kingdom temple, the presence of God, when they obey their king.
That’s our job on earth.
Beale gives you eyes to see the temple language that saturates scripture:
- "Not made with human hands”
- The ark of the covenant=the holy of holies= God’s footstool
- "the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost ‘from heaven’ in the form of ‘tongues of fire’ is…a descending heavenly temple."
- Christ is the cornerstone of the new temple (Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2); he is the latter-day cosmic temple
One of Beale’s most helpful contributions is showing how ancient near eastern people wrote of their pagan temples and gods:
If you’re interested in this topic but not enough to read a 459 page book, you could read Beale’s 177 page version of this book God Dwells Among Us: A Biblical Theology of the Temple though it’s significantly less good.
Here’s the thing about good academic works - they’re often very readable and more clearly argued than their stripped/dumbed down counterparts. The 177pg version doesn’t make the content more accessible, but quite the opposite. It lacks coherence and is difficult to understand. While the 459 page book is long, it’s very clear and coherent. And the length is a feature, not a bug. We learn through repeated exposure over weeks, not days. If you chew on the Temple in scripture for a solid month, it will stick with you. The average reader can read 450 pages in 12.5 hours. So if you read 30 minutes/day over the course of a month, you could easily read The Temple by Beale.
It’s worth the effort. You’ll be surprised at your intellectual ability to dig deep and really learn about Scripture. You can push through some of the clunkiness of an academic work: "In this section, I will continue to attempt to draw together some of my more important hermeneutical observations and conclusions made so far throughout the study, especially as these bear upon the theology of the temple.” Yes, that sentence is very dry. But 99% of the book is packed with such incredible insight that you won’t be able to stop reading it.
God created the universe to be his great temple. And he gave Adam a charge to spread the glory of God to fill the entire earth. This goal would be achieved not directly by God but by a "human vice-regent whom he installed in the garden sanctuary to extend the temple of God’s presence worldwide.”
That was Adam’s purpose, and it is ours. Jesus founded the heavenly temple on earth and left us the mission of extending the temple of God to cover the earth like the waters cover the sea.
We, as the church, ARE the end-time temple.
"Our ongoing task is to serve God in his temple in which we always dwell and of which we are a part. The essential sacrifice we offer is our own body, which is ‘a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God’, which is our ‘spiritual service of worship’ (Rom. 12:1).”
To put it another way: Christians expand the kingdom temple, the presence of God, when they obey their king.
That’s our job on earth.
Beale gives you eyes to see the temple language that saturates scripture:
- "Not made with human hands”
- The ark of the covenant=the holy of holies= God’s footstool
- "the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost ‘from heaven’ in the form of ‘tongues of fire’ is…a descending heavenly temple."
- Christ is the cornerstone of the new temple (Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2); he is the latter-day cosmic temple
One of Beale’s most helpful contributions is showing how ancient near eastern people wrote of their pagan temples and gods:
Ancient kings would set up images of themselves in distant lands over which they ruled in order to represent their sovereign presence.
typically images of gods were placed in the god’s temple and kings were viewed as living images of a God.
most striking, because of its similarity to Genesis 1:26, is the statement by Ramses II (1290–1224 BC) about his relationship to his god: ‘I am thy son whom thou hast placed upon thy throne. Thou hast assigned to me thy kingdom, thou hast fashioned me in thy likeness and thy form, which thou hast assigned to me and has created’
If you’re interested in this topic but not enough to read a 459 page book, you could read Beale’s 177 page version of this book God Dwells Among Us: A Biblical Theology of the Temple though it’s significantly less good.
Here’s the thing about good academic works - they’re often very readable and more clearly argued than their stripped/dumbed down counterparts. The 177pg version doesn’t make the content more accessible, but quite the opposite. It lacks coherence and is difficult to understand. While the 459 page book is long, it’s very clear and coherent. And the length is a feature, not a bug. We learn through repeated exposure over weeks, not days. If you chew on the Temple in scripture for a solid month, it will stick with you. The average reader can read 450 pages in 12.5 hours. So if you read 30 minutes/day over the course of a month, you could easily read The Temple by Beale.
It’s worth the effort. You’ll be surprised at your intellectual ability to dig deep and really learn about Scripture. You can push through some of the clunkiness of an academic work: "In this section, I will continue to attempt to draw together some of my more important hermeneutical observations and conclusions made so far throughout the study, especially as these bear upon the theology of the temple.” Yes, that sentence is very dry. But 99% of the book is packed with such incredible insight that you won’t be able to stop reading it.
March 23, 2019
This is a phenomenal book. Beale traces the gradual development, from Genesis to Revelation, of the theme of God's gracious and immanent dwelling on earth among his people. God placed Adam and Eve in Eden, a garden temple, to serve as priests, with the goal of them gradually expanding Eden as they were fruitful and multiplied and subdued the earth. The goal, quite simply, was to turn all of earth into the dwelling place--the temple--of God. Of course, they failed.
Later, God gave Israel the tabernacle, and still later, the temple, as a new Eden, fully decorated with images of flora and fauna reminiscent of Paradise. Here, in the Holy of Holies, he dwelt among them. Yet these sanctuaries were but a shadow of God's ultimate purpose.
When the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, when the body of Christ became the new temple, that divine purpose began being realized. God is now expanding his temple, the church, the body of his Son, into all the world. Finally, in the eschaton, when the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven, it will fill the earth with the presence of God. The people of God, each of them priests, will inhabit this Eden, this holy city, this new earth, where the Lord God and the Lamb *are* the temple.
Beale, with exquisite skill, unpacks all of this by demonstrating how the theme grows by inner-biblical exegesis. This book is a game-changer.
Later, God gave Israel the tabernacle, and still later, the temple, as a new Eden, fully decorated with images of flora and fauna reminiscent of Paradise. Here, in the Holy of Holies, he dwelt among them. Yet these sanctuaries were but a shadow of God's ultimate purpose.
When the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, when the body of Christ became the new temple, that divine purpose began being realized. God is now expanding his temple, the church, the body of his Son, into all the world. Finally, in the eschaton, when the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven, it will fill the earth with the presence of God. The people of God, each of them priests, will inhabit this Eden, this holy city, this new earth, where the Lord God and the Lamb *are* the temple.
Beale, with exquisite skill, unpacks all of this by demonstrating how the theme grows by inner-biblical exegesis. This book is a game-changer.
November 15, 2013
Beale has woven together many facets of biblical theology and presented the church with the task of spreading God's glory throughout his creation.
Beale's thesis is "The old testament temples were symbolically designed to point to the future eschatological reality of God dwelling with his people" (25). Using this as his fulcrum Beale explores the cosmic symbolism of the temple in the OT, its uses, the coming *new* temple in the person of Christ, the temple-drama in Hebrews, and the consummating eschatological glory in Revelation.
Specifically Beale argues that with Christ the temple ceased to do its purpose (why have the shadow when the real is come?), and worse, it had become corrupted. Jesus identifies himself with the temple because he, not the temple, is the real bridge between God and man. Interestingly, when Christ died on the cross and the curtain was torn, there were stars on the curtain. This is symbolic of the cosmos (the old world order)and the inaguration of a new creation (189).
In the Book of Acts, the Temple (yet to be defined here), is contrasted with the Tower of Babel as anti-types. Part of God's curse on Babel was its refusal to spread God's glory throuhgout the earth. Secondly, Acts is an implementation of the work of the Gospels. More specifically, Pentecost is a divine theophany of the Heavenly Temple. Pentecost is a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that nations are to be reoriented around Temple Worship.
He also surveys the New Temple in Paul's epistles, Hebrews, Revelation, and the practical implications thereof.
Beale's thesis is "The old testament temples were symbolically designed to point to the future eschatological reality of God dwelling with his people" (25). Using this as his fulcrum Beale explores the cosmic symbolism of the temple in the OT, its uses, the coming *new* temple in the person of Christ, the temple-drama in Hebrews, and the consummating eschatological glory in Revelation.
Specifically Beale argues that with Christ the temple ceased to do its purpose (why have the shadow when the real is come?), and worse, it had become corrupted. Jesus identifies himself with the temple because he, not the temple, is the real bridge between God and man. Interestingly, when Christ died on the cross and the curtain was torn, there were stars on the curtain. This is symbolic of the cosmos (the old world order)and the inaguration of a new creation (189).
In the Book of Acts, the Temple (yet to be defined here), is contrasted with the Tower of Babel as anti-types. Part of God's curse on Babel was its refusal to spread God's glory throuhgout the earth. Secondly, Acts is an implementation of the work of the Gospels. More specifically, Pentecost is a divine theophany of the Heavenly Temple. Pentecost is a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that nations are to be reoriented around Temple Worship.
He also surveys the New Temple in Paul's epistles, Hebrews, Revelation, and the practical implications thereof.
January 29, 2023
If you want a deep study of the biblical theme of the temple and the theology it teaches us as the church, this book is for you. The study is deep and comprehensive (almost exhaustive). His argumentation is to present all the evidence and by looking at the more obscure passages through the clearer passages about the role of the temple in redemption history. By doing so, he makes a strong case that the theme of God to dwell with his people
Sometimes I felt Beale was a bit pedantic. However, I think a part of this is because I already agreed with him on most of what he was discussing and felt like he over explained some things. For someone who was completely unfamiliar with his perspective and may have pre-millenialist interpretations of the temple prophecies, then the lengthen explanations may be necessary. I still think he was wordy and somewhat repetitive. Overall, I give his writing stile throughout most of the book a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
While his discussion of his interpretive approach to the prophecies in chapter 12 was extremely helpful for understanding "literal" vs. "figurative" vs. 'extended meaning," he still could be a bit confusing in his use of the term "literal" throughout the book. He would often say something to the effect of "God will dwell in a literal temple that would encompass the entire cosmos." When most people hear "literal temple" they think of a physical building because a temple is a building. But for Beale, the "temple" is a concept, the place where God's revelatory presence dwells. While one can understand what he says, it still made me pause to reread sometimes to make sure I understood what he meant by "literal" (in this case, God *actually* dwelling in his creation and making all of his creation his dwelling place).
Sometimes I felt Beale was a bit pedantic. However, I think a part of this is because I already agreed with him on most of what he was discussing and felt like he over explained some things. For someone who was completely unfamiliar with his perspective and may have pre-millenialist interpretations of the temple prophecies, then the lengthen explanations may be necessary. I still think he was wordy and somewhat repetitive. Overall, I give his writing stile throughout most of the book a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
While his discussion of his interpretive approach to the prophecies in chapter 12 was extremely helpful for understanding "literal" vs. "figurative" vs. 'extended meaning," he still could be a bit confusing in his use of the term "literal" throughout the book. He would often say something to the effect of "God will dwell in a literal temple that would encompass the entire cosmos." When most people hear "literal temple" they think of a physical building because a temple is a building. But for Beale, the "temple" is a concept, the place where God's revelatory presence dwells. While one can understand what he says, it still made me pause to reread sometimes to make sure I understood what he meant by "literal" (in this case, God *actually* dwelling in his creation and making all of his creation his dwelling place).
November 15, 2022
4.2 Stars
G.K. Beale’s “The Temple and the Church’s Mission” is a rich biblical theology of the temple. Beale's main thesis is that Eden was an archetypical temple where God intended to spread His glory to the ends of the earth through an Adamic priest-king. The first Adam failed but Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God's mission to spread His glory through the new temple, His church, and consummation in the New Heavens and the New Earth. Beale's book is Scripturally deep and rich, in that he spends the bulk of his book tracing the theme of the temple through numerous texts and how the temple's ultimate purpose is fulfilled in Christ and the church. This book is great, but it is highly academic and light on application. I have read Beale's "God Dwells Among Us" which is meant to be a popular level version of this book, and that book seemed not to scratch my itch either. I am hoping for a strong middle ground, highly theological but also practical, book on the temple to come out one day, hopefully by Beale himself. Anyways, I would still recommend this book!
G.K. Beale’s “The Temple and the Church’s Mission” is a rich biblical theology of the temple. Beale's main thesis is that Eden was an archetypical temple where God intended to spread His glory to the ends of the earth through an Adamic priest-king. The first Adam failed but Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God's mission to spread His glory through the new temple, His church, and consummation in the New Heavens and the New Earth. Beale's book is Scripturally deep and rich, in that he spends the bulk of his book tracing the theme of the temple through numerous texts and how the temple's ultimate purpose is fulfilled in Christ and the church. This book is great, but it is highly academic and light on application. I have read Beale's "God Dwells Among Us" which is meant to be a popular level version of this book, and that book seemed not to scratch my itch either. I am hoping for a strong middle ground, highly theological but also practical, book on the temple to come out one day, hopefully by Beale himself. Anyways, I would still recommend this book!
August 9, 2025
Maranatha
January 19, 2014
I enjoyed reading Beale. This study is very dense academic reading, so I probably wouldn't read it cover-to-cover unless you had a particular interest in the subject or a lot of spare time. I still recommend this book to anyone with an interest in biblical theology on the basis of two aspects of the book.
1. Topic - the temple is a pervasive feature of the OT and NT alike, and as Beale says, "the image of God's glorious presence in a garden-like temple has formed an inclusio or kind of 'book-end' structure around the entire canon (Gen. 2 and Rev. 21:1-22:3)(385). It was immensely beneficial to me by virtue of the topic alone. For this reason, I don't think Carl Trueman was overzealous in his review which states "This book fundamentally changed the way I read the Bible."
2. Methodology - I'm no scholar, but I found Beale's exegesis and interpretation to be comprehensive and convincing. He handles the dynamics of prophetic fulfillment of the temple with care, especially in his nuanced understanding of a "literal" fulfillment (e.g. Hirsch's distinction of verbal meaning v. significance), in a way that escapes spiritualizing temple texts.
1. Topic - the temple is a pervasive feature of the OT and NT alike, and as Beale says, "the image of God's glorious presence in a garden-like temple has formed an inclusio or kind of 'book-end' structure around the entire canon (Gen. 2 and Rev. 21:1-22:3)(385). It was immensely beneficial to me by virtue of the topic alone. For this reason, I don't think Carl Trueman was overzealous in his review which states "This book fundamentally changed the way I read the Bible."
2. Methodology - I'm no scholar, but I found Beale's exegesis and interpretation to be comprehensive and convincing. He handles the dynamics of prophetic fulfillment of the temple with care, especially in his nuanced understanding of a "literal" fulfillment (e.g. Hirsch's distinction of verbal meaning v. significance), in a way that escapes spiritualizing temple texts.
December 23, 2015
Hard work at times but worth the effort. Beale presents a tremendous amount of work, from an almost pedantic study of the Scriptures to an immensely broad interaction with 2nd temple literature. But for all his reams of well structured, convincing, and detailed theology he remains readable and avoids reducing the truth to something dense or cold. This is a crucial offering not merely to our understanding of temple language in Scripture, but because of how Beale 'does' biblical theology.
November 28, 2012
When was the last time you meditated on the divine purpose for and theology of the temple? Like me, maybe you’ve never given it much thought. However, while reading this book I found myself constantly giving thanks to God for G. K. Beale devoting a 402-page book entirely to the theology of the temple in The Temple and the Church’s Mission. You would be surprised how enlightening and edifying a study of the temple can be!
Beale’s central aim is to show that the tabernacle and the temples were intended to signify and predict God’s plan to expand His dwelling place to cover all of creation, as found in the consummated new heavens and earth in Revelation 21-22. To achieve this end, he thoroughly surveys the theological development of the temple throughout the Biblical storyline.
Beginning with the Old Testament, Beale argues that temples represented God’s rule over creation (chapter 2), that they signified His intention to expand His dwelling place throughout creation (chapter 3), a future promised and predicted throughout the Old Testament (chapter 4).
His argument consists of cosmic imagery being intentionally placed in the OT tabernacle and temples as well as in pagan temples. The outer court is shown to represent the earth; the holy place reveals the sky and heavens; and the Holy of Holies represents the dwelling place of God. Temples therefore, functioning like architectural models of the entire cosmos reflected a desire for, and awareness of the intent of worldwide coverage.
Adam’s original commission to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28) should, among other things, be seen as a command to expand the garden to the whole earth, creating a worldwide Eden in relationship with God. Adam’s sin results in his being cast out from the Garden, but his commission is given to the line of the woman (Noah, Abraham, the patriarchs, and Israel). This command to fill the earth becomes reflected in the temple’s cosmic imagery.
Turning to the New Testament we see that it, “pictures Christ and the church as finally having done what Adam, Noah and Israel had failed to do in extending the temple of God’s presence throughout the world.” (169). Surveying the Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, the letters of Paul and Revelation, Beale explains in Chapters 5-10 that the temple as dwelling place of God is identified as Christ, and then the church through her identification with Him. Through His life and death, Christ brought the already but not yet completion of Adam’s commission through the church, as seen in texts such as Acts 6:7, “and the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Much more is discussed in these chapters, establishing Christ and His presence in the church as the reality to which the temples pointed and will find their complete fulfilment in His unrestrained presence in all of creation described as a city with garden and temple imagery (Revelation 21-22).
Critically reviewing this book a difficult task as it has influenced many other fantastic scholars and theologians. During my reading of this book, I came across three other significant works with content influenced by the ideas presented in this one: T. Desmond Alexander’s From Eden to the New Jerusalem, James Hamilton’s God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment and even Tim Keller’s King’s Cross. With such endorsements and its status as a classic of Biblical Theology[1], what could I hope to add in reviewing this work? However, I will do my best.
One of the strengths in this book is the constant reminder that Beale has done his research. Doug Moo said that Beale got so obsessed with this topic that he designed his garden around the temple! He has clearly devoted himself to this work and his passion for the topic shows through and is contagious, even in such a technical book. Beale’s mastery of the Biblical text and primary sources (including Ancient Near East sources) is evident. As I studied this book lights were going on everywhere and Biblical dots were being connected.
However, sometimes Beale’s methodology worked against him. I know of others who were only convinced of Beale’s conclusions from other authors that he influenced! Beale intentionally used several lines of evidence to support his claims in this work, with the intention that the more convincing insights will support those less convincing. The mixed blessing in this approach results in abundance of wonderful insights that would be missed otherwise, but unfortunately sometimes bogged down the book with extended diversions that resulted in a lack of rhetorical punch.
Beale also often left conclusions until the end of each chapter and it wasn’t until the very final chapters that he tied his points together in a clear way. With a book of this length and depth, this leaves the reader wondering why their attention is being drawn to certain texts and insights, not to have them tied back together hundreds of pages later. It wouldn’t have hurt Beale to occasionally say “I think this insight is relevant because …” I read this book over a month and because of this weakness, I would encourage others to try to read it in over uninterrupted period of time.
I felt that most of the ANE discussion wasn’t as interesting or persuasive as his discussion of Biblical texts. These sections were only intended to give additional evidence, but they often felt superfluous to the overall argument.
Another issue is the many Scripture reference mistakes. I constantly found references to Revelation 22:1-2 being mistyped as Revelation 21:1-2 and vice versa. With such deep Biblical argumentation, mistyped Scripture references can really make understanding more difficult than necessary!
Theologically and Biblically, the New Testament chapters were particularly illuminating, especially the discussions on passages like 2 Cor 6 that contain quotations of OT texts that by this point were familiar from discussion in earlier chapters. Seeing how the NT writers understood OT passages about the temple being applied to Christ and the church was very informative and helped me get a better understanding of the texts. In contrast with the masterful sections elsewhere, the chapter on Hebrews felt surprisingly dry, possibly because most of the points had been made elsewhere by that point.
Beale concludes the book in a chapter showing the practical implications of his study. This short chapter is so full of insight on other NT passages like Phil 2:17 that I wish Beale could have developed this further! Once seeing how prominent the temple is in the rest of the Bible, it’s too much to ask Beale to put together all the implications in this book. This is now the wonderful task of the reader to return to Scripture and see many texts in a fresh light.
Despite the few issues above, I’ve not come across a book so paradigm shifting and thoroughly Biblical. It was surprising how enjoyable such a dense theological book could be, but with a Biblical revelation on every other page, I couldn’t put it down.
I wish that I could recommend this book to everyone, but my one reservation is due to the style of writing and format of the book placing a lot of expectations upon the reader. Beale presents so many insights that I believe all would benefit from, but realistically this is not a book that most Christians will persevere through.
Most will likely benefit more from someone else bringing these ideas in a more readable and less exhaustive format. Alexander’s From Eden to the New Jerusalem may be such a book, and I will be reviewing it soon. I’ve heard that Beale is also working on a condensed version of this book. If that is the case I hope it will be one that I can recommend more widely.
However, Bible College and Seminary students, pastors and more academic Christians should all seriously consider reading this book!
Many thanks to IVP for a review-copy of this book!
Beale’s central aim is to show that the tabernacle and the temples were intended to signify and predict God’s plan to expand His dwelling place to cover all of creation, as found in the consummated new heavens and earth in Revelation 21-22. To achieve this end, he thoroughly surveys the theological development of the temple throughout the Biblical storyline.
Beginning with the Old Testament, Beale argues that temples represented God’s rule over creation (chapter 2), that they signified His intention to expand His dwelling place throughout creation (chapter 3), a future promised and predicted throughout the Old Testament (chapter 4).
His argument consists of cosmic imagery being intentionally placed in the OT tabernacle and temples as well as in pagan temples. The outer court is shown to represent the earth; the holy place reveals the sky and heavens; and the Holy of Holies represents the dwelling place of God. Temples therefore, functioning like architectural models of the entire cosmos reflected a desire for, and awareness of the intent of worldwide coverage.
Adam’s original commission to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28) should, among other things, be seen as a command to expand the garden to the whole earth, creating a worldwide Eden in relationship with God. Adam’s sin results in his being cast out from the Garden, but his commission is given to the line of the woman (Noah, Abraham, the patriarchs, and Israel). This command to fill the earth becomes reflected in the temple’s cosmic imagery.
Turning to the New Testament we see that it, “pictures Christ and the church as finally having done what Adam, Noah and Israel had failed to do in extending the temple of God’s presence throughout the world.” (169). Surveying the Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, the letters of Paul and Revelation, Beale explains in Chapters 5-10 that the temple as dwelling place of God is identified as Christ, and then the church through her identification with Him. Through His life and death, Christ brought the already but not yet completion of Adam’s commission through the church, as seen in texts such as Acts 6:7, “and the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Much more is discussed in these chapters, establishing Christ and His presence in the church as the reality to which the temples pointed and will find their complete fulfilment in His unrestrained presence in all of creation described as a city with garden and temple imagery (Revelation 21-22).
Critically reviewing this book a difficult task as it has influenced many other fantastic scholars and theologians. During my reading of this book, I came across three other significant works with content influenced by the ideas presented in this one: T. Desmond Alexander’s From Eden to the New Jerusalem, James Hamilton’s God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment and even Tim Keller’s King’s Cross. With such endorsements and its status as a classic of Biblical Theology[1], what could I hope to add in reviewing this work? However, I will do my best.
One of the strengths in this book is the constant reminder that Beale has done his research. Doug Moo said that Beale got so obsessed with this topic that he designed his garden around the temple! He has clearly devoted himself to this work and his passion for the topic shows through and is contagious, even in such a technical book. Beale’s mastery of the Biblical text and primary sources (including Ancient Near East sources) is evident. As I studied this book lights were going on everywhere and Biblical dots were being connected.
However, sometimes Beale’s methodology worked against him. I know of others who were only convinced of Beale’s conclusions from other authors that he influenced! Beale intentionally used several lines of evidence to support his claims in this work, with the intention that the more convincing insights will support those less convincing. The mixed blessing in this approach results in abundance of wonderful insights that would be missed otherwise, but unfortunately sometimes bogged down the book with extended diversions that resulted in a lack of rhetorical punch.
Beale also often left conclusions until the end of each chapter and it wasn’t until the very final chapters that he tied his points together in a clear way. With a book of this length and depth, this leaves the reader wondering why their attention is being drawn to certain texts and insights, not to have them tied back together hundreds of pages later. It wouldn’t have hurt Beale to occasionally say “I think this insight is relevant because …” I read this book over a month and because of this weakness, I would encourage others to try to read it in over uninterrupted period of time.
I felt that most of the ANE discussion wasn’t as interesting or persuasive as his discussion of Biblical texts. These sections were only intended to give additional evidence, but they often felt superfluous to the overall argument.
Another issue is the many Scripture reference mistakes. I constantly found references to Revelation 22:1-2 being mistyped as Revelation 21:1-2 and vice versa. With such deep Biblical argumentation, mistyped Scripture references can really make understanding more difficult than necessary!
Theologically and Biblically, the New Testament chapters were particularly illuminating, especially the discussions on passages like 2 Cor 6 that contain quotations of OT texts that by this point were familiar from discussion in earlier chapters. Seeing how the NT writers understood OT passages about the temple being applied to Christ and the church was very informative and helped me get a better understanding of the texts. In contrast with the masterful sections elsewhere, the chapter on Hebrews felt surprisingly dry, possibly because most of the points had been made elsewhere by that point.
Beale concludes the book in a chapter showing the practical implications of his study. This short chapter is so full of insight on other NT passages like Phil 2:17 that I wish Beale could have developed this further! Once seeing how prominent the temple is in the rest of the Bible, it’s too much to ask Beale to put together all the implications in this book. This is now the wonderful task of the reader to return to Scripture and see many texts in a fresh light.
Despite the few issues above, I’ve not come across a book so paradigm shifting and thoroughly Biblical. It was surprising how enjoyable such a dense theological book could be, but with a Biblical revelation on every other page, I couldn’t put it down.
I wish that I could recommend this book to everyone, but my one reservation is due to the style of writing and format of the book placing a lot of expectations upon the reader. Beale presents so many insights that I believe all would benefit from, but realistically this is not a book that most Christians will persevere through.
Most will likely benefit more from someone else bringing these ideas in a more readable and less exhaustive format. Alexander’s From Eden to the New Jerusalem may be such a book, and I will be reviewing it soon. I’ve heard that Beale is also working on a condensed version of this book. If that is the case I hope it will be one that I can recommend more widely.
However, Bible College and Seminary students, pastors and more academic Christians should all seriously consider reading this book!
Many thanks to IVP for a review-copy of this book!
November 29, 2021
Would round up to 5 stars and down to a 9/10 if such a measure was allowed. Beale is mesmerisingly thorough in his thesis and altogether quite convincing. At times the argument seems a little speculative, but nonetheless the exploration of the Temple throughout the scriptures is excellent.
The book lands on an encouragement to evangelism that feels particularly motivating and inspiring, and it is this that demonstrates this book's excellence; it is surely the mark of any good work of theology that it encourages the Christian go go out and proclaim the good news of the Gospel.
The book lands on an encouragement to evangelism that feels particularly motivating and inspiring, and it is this that demonstrates this book's excellence; it is surely the mark of any good work of theology that it encourages the Christian go go out and proclaim the good news of the Gospel.
September 8, 2024
Strålende bok av Beale som ikke bare forklarer tempelet i Bibelen, men bruker tempelet til å forklare hele historien i Bibelen. Lang og omfattende, men likevel forståelig. En slik bok kan virkelig berike bibellesningen og forståelsen av hva Bibelens store fortelling handler om.
February 1, 2018
What are the first chapters of Genesis all about? What is going on and what do they mean? And what about Revelation--that mysterious last book of the Bible? For millennia these books have been subject to immense interest and scrutiny. Enter Greg Beale and The Temple and the Church's Mission.
Step by step Beale meticulously builds a case from the whole of the Bible to answer those questions. The first chapters of Genesis focus on creating a cosmic temple for God to dwell in as well as a sanctuary in the garden as a kind of microcosmic symbolic representation of the temple where God was also to dwell. Why does God do this? Because his plan is that his ruling presence is to expand from the garden and eventually fill the whole earth.
From descriptions of the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament, we see that aspects of it were intended to represent the whole earth and the whole cosmos, symbolizing God’s presence throughout creation. Yet his special ruling or revelatory presence is not always evident. So the task of Adam and Abraham and all Israel is to participate with God in expanding the temple, spreading God’s presence to all the earth, to all the nations as stated in Genesis 12:1-3, Isaiah 55:4, Habakkuk 2:14 and dozens of other places.
So in this framework, when we look at the commission in Genesis 1:28 to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it,” it is not a command to dominate nature. Rather it is about expanding the rule of God (God's dwelling place) throughout the whole earth, expanding his temple presence to include all people and all nations as God’s vice regents.
The detailed case that Beale builds over 400-pages may not be everyone’s cup of tea. So the shorter and more popular rendition of this content that he coauthored with Mitchell Kim, God Dwells Among Us (IVP), may be of more interest to a wider readership. (Disclosure: I work for the publisher.) But his thesis is sweeping and very worthwhile for understanding what are often seen as arcane parts of Scripture.
It is often said that the Bible starts with a garden in Genesis and ends with a city in Revelation. What Beale shows us is that it actually starts with a temple and ends with a temple--God’s presence filling all.
Step by step Beale meticulously builds a case from the whole of the Bible to answer those questions. The first chapters of Genesis focus on creating a cosmic temple for God to dwell in as well as a sanctuary in the garden as a kind of microcosmic symbolic representation of the temple where God was also to dwell. Why does God do this? Because his plan is that his ruling presence is to expand from the garden and eventually fill the whole earth.
From descriptions of the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament, we see that aspects of it were intended to represent the whole earth and the whole cosmos, symbolizing God’s presence throughout creation. Yet his special ruling or revelatory presence is not always evident. So the task of Adam and Abraham and all Israel is to participate with God in expanding the temple, spreading God’s presence to all the earth, to all the nations as stated in Genesis 12:1-3, Isaiah 55:4, Habakkuk 2:14 and dozens of other places.
So in this framework, when we look at the commission in Genesis 1:28 to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it,” it is not a command to dominate nature. Rather it is about expanding the rule of God (God's dwelling place) throughout the whole earth, expanding his temple presence to include all people and all nations as God’s vice regents.
The detailed case that Beale builds over 400-pages may not be everyone’s cup of tea. So the shorter and more popular rendition of this content that he coauthored with Mitchell Kim, God Dwells Among Us (IVP), may be of more interest to a wider readership. (Disclosure: I work for the publisher.) But his thesis is sweeping and very worthwhile for understanding what are often seen as arcane parts of Scripture.
It is often said that the Bible starts with a garden in Genesis and ends with a city in Revelation. What Beale shows us is that it actually starts with a temple and ends with a temple--God’s presence filling all.
March 21, 2021
The temple is an important facet of the Old Testament theology and the life of ancient Jews. Though clearly transfigured, the temple remains prominent in the New Testament. In The Temple and the Church’s Mission, G. K. Beale traces the theme of the temple from the Garden of Eden to Revelation’s New Jerusalem. He argues that the original purpose of the temple, as embodied in the Garden, tabernacle, and later temples, was to fill the entire world as the place where God would dwell. I have great respect for G. K. Beale and have benefitted from numerous of his works, so I have for a while now looked forward to diving into The Temple. However, I found the book overall a disappointment for reasons that will be explained in this review. Nevertheless, there remain many insights in the book, and many of his conclusions about the spiritual fulfilment of the physical, Old Testament temple in Christ and his Church are surely correct.
Summary
In a nutshell, Beale argues across the books 400+ pages that the Edenic Garden was a temple and, like latter temples, manifests God’s original purpose for the temple, that it would expand to encompass the entire creation. He frames the problem the book attempts to answer around a tension he finds in Revelation 21-22: why is it that after “seeing a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1), John then sees the “New Jerusalem” descending from heaven (Rev 21:2) (pg. 23, all pages are for the Kindle ed.)? For Beale, the latter is identical with the former: the New Jerusalem is the entire new creation, and yet it is clearly a temple. He frames his purpose in this way, “My purpose in this book is to explore in more depth the significance of the temple in John’s Apocalypse and especially in this final vision of the book (pg. 25).” Why is it, Beale asks, that the eschatological end of the temple is the entire cosmos? His thesis is that “the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the cosmic eschatological reality that God’s tabernacling presence, formerly limited to the holy of holies, was to be extended throughout the whole earth” (pg. 25). He argues that this, a world-encompassing temple, was the purpose of the temple from the beginning across ten chapters, along with an introduction (Chapter 1), theological conclusion (Chapter 12), and practical reflections (Chapter 13). In this final chapter, he ties the all-encompassing telos of the temple with the Christian life, highlighting the themes of prayer and sacrifice: “The main point of this book is that our task as the covenant community, the church is to be God’s temple, so filled with his glorious presence that we expand and fill the earth with that presence until God finally accomplishes the goal completely at the end of time!” (pgs. 401-402). Chapters 2 – 4 concern the Old Testament: they argue that the Old Testament temples (i.e. Eden, Tabernacle, etc.) have cosmic symbolism such that they represent as a microcosm the entire cosmos (Chapter 2). Beale then argues that the purpose of the Temple is seen to expand across the Old Testament (Chapter 3) and that this particularly relates to its eschatological end (Chapter 4). He argues that throughout the prophets and in passages such as Daniel 2:34-35, we see the temple expand to fill the entire world. In the following chapters, Beale than argues that this end-time temple finds its partial fulfilment with Christ’s first coming and its final fulfilment at his return. Chapters 5 & 6 address the temple in the Gospels and Acts respectively, Chapter 7 Paul’s Letters, Chapter 8 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 9 Hebrews, Chapter 10 Revelation, and Chapter 11 Ezekiel 40-48 and its relation to the New Testament. I have found Beale’s treatment of Ezekiel’s temple very helpful, and his identification of the “temple” within which the Antichrist sits in 2 Thessalonians is compelling. There is much that is helpful in Beale’s analysis of the evidence, especially as it concerns the New Testament. However, as a whole, I did not find his argument compelling. This comes down, I believe, to two points in his methodology and the dozens of places (related to these decisions) where his exegesis appeared to be tenuous and forced on the text (as I believe is the case for Daniel 2:34-35).
Evaluation
I did not find Beale's thesis compelling, first, because many of his exegetical arguments were weak. Exemplary of many more instances that I judge to weaken his argument significantly are his claim that the new creation equals the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:1-3ff (pg. 23-24), his claim that there are five temple-building elements in the patriarchal covenant narratives (pg. 95), and his claim that the heavenly temple in Hebrews is eschatological (Chapter 9). Second, he treats the Solomonic temple on par with the Tabernacle, despite significant evidence that Solomon's temple is to be viewed with suspicion. I believe both of these areas reflect two methodological decisions Beale makes. I discuss all these points more thoroughly in my full review at Teleioteti.ca.
Conclusion
For these reasons, I did not find The Temple and the Church’s Mission as helpful as I hoped it would be. However, there is still much that is good in Beale’s argument; I think his treatment of 2 Thessalonians and the eschatological temple in Ezekiel are particularly important. For these reasons, the book may perhaps serve many reader’s better as an exegetical reference than a single, compelling argument.
Summary
In a nutshell, Beale argues across the books 400+ pages that the Edenic Garden was a temple and, like latter temples, manifests God’s original purpose for the temple, that it would expand to encompass the entire creation. He frames the problem the book attempts to answer around a tension he finds in Revelation 21-22: why is it that after “seeing a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1), John then sees the “New Jerusalem” descending from heaven (Rev 21:2) (pg. 23, all pages are for the Kindle ed.)? For Beale, the latter is identical with the former: the New Jerusalem is the entire new creation, and yet it is clearly a temple. He frames his purpose in this way, “My purpose in this book is to explore in more depth the significance of the temple in John’s Apocalypse and especially in this final vision of the book (pg. 25).” Why is it, Beale asks, that the eschatological end of the temple is the entire cosmos? His thesis is that “the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the cosmic eschatological reality that God’s tabernacling presence, formerly limited to the holy of holies, was to be extended throughout the whole earth” (pg. 25). He argues that this, a world-encompassing temple, was the purpose of the temple from the beginning across ten chapters, along with an introduction (Chapter 1), theological conclusion (Chapter 12), and practical reflections (Chapter 13). In this final chapter, he ties the all-encompassing telos of the temple with the Christian life, highlighting the themes of prayer and sacrifice: “The main point of this book is that our task as the covenant community, the church is to be God’s temple, so filled with his glorious presence that we expand and fill the earth with that presence until God finally accomplishes the goal completely at the end of time!” (pgs. 401-402). Chapters 2 – 4 concern the Old Testament: they argue that the Old Testament temples (i.e. Eden, Tabernacle, etc.) have cosmic symbolism such that they represent as a microcosm the entire cosmos (Chapter 2). Beale then argues that the purpose of the Temple is seen to expand across the Old Testament (Chapter 3) and that this particularly relates to its eschatological end (Chapter 4). He argues that throughout the prophets and in passages such as Daniel 2:34-35, we see the temple expand to fill the entire world. In the following chapters, Beale than argues that this end-time temple finds its partial fulfilment with Christ’s first coming and its final fulfilment at his return. Chapters 5 & 6 address the temple in the Gospels and Acts respectively, Chapter 7 Paul’s Letters, Chapter 8 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 9 Hebrews, Chapter 10 Revelation, and Chapter 11 Ezekiel 40-48 and its relation to the New Testament. I have found Beale’s treatment of Ezekiel’s temple very helpful, and his identification of the “temple” within which the Antichrist sits in 2 Thessalonians is compelling. There is much that is helpful in Beale’s analysis of the evidence, especially as it concerns the New Testament. However, as a whole, I did not find his argument compelling. This comes down, I believe, to two points in his methodology and the dozens of places (related to these decisions) where his exegesis appeared to be tenuous and forced on the text (as I believe is the case for Daniel 2:34-35).
Evaluation
I did not find Beale's thesis compelling, first, because many of his exegetical arguments were weak. Exemplary of many more instances that I judge to weaken his argument significantly are his claim that the new creation equals the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:1-3ff (pg. 23-24), his claim that there are five temple-building elements in the patriarchal covenant narratives (pg. 95), and his claim that the heavenly temple in Hebrews is eschatological (Chapter 9). Second, he treats the Solomonic temple on par with the Tabernacle, despite significant evidence that Solomon's temple is to be viewed with suspicion. I believe both of these areas reflect two methodological decisions Beale makes. I discuss all these points more thoroughly in my full review at Teleioteti.ca.
Conclusion
For these reasons, I did not find The Temple and the Church’s Mission as helpful as I hoped it would be. However, there is still much that is good in Beale’s argument; I think his treatment of 2 Thessalonians and the eschatological temple in Ezekiel are particularly important. For these reasons, the book may perhaps serve many reader’s better as an exegetical reference than a single, compelling argument.
June 14, 2021
Hard to believe this is not a masterpiece.
A deep study of the historico-redemptive view of the temple in the Scripture.
Beale provides in-dept exegesis and hermeneutic rendering a clear exposition of the view.
In the meantime, he also explains why the litteral understanding of such passages is incorrect and doesn't take in consideration the context and historico-redemptive progression in Scripture.
As always, Beale stay highly interesting in his exposition and will get your attention in every little detail.
A deep study of the historico-redemptive view of the temple in the Scripture.
Beale provides in-dept exegesis and hermeneutic rendering a clear exposition of the view.
In the meantime, he also explains why the litteral understanding of such passages is incorrect and doesn't take in consideration the context and historico-redemptive progression in Scripture.
As always, Beale stay highly interesting in his exposition and will get your attention in every little detail.
April 28, 2021
Que obra espetacular! O tratamento dado ao Éden como primeiro templo é simplesmente fantástico!
November 6, 2024
This was argued for ad nauseum, but Beale admits that. This might be one of the most important streamlines throughout all of the Bible though, so it deserves a work like this.
5/5 for content (if you care)
2/5 to actually read
5/5 for content (if you care)
2/5 to actually read
November 7, 2024
GK Beale does the academic legwork that we need for this topic. And for that I am immensely grateful for this work. This work feels like a Magnum Opus of sorts for Beale.
However, this was a slow burn and difficult to get through at times. Had I read this in a different season it may have gotten more stars.
I will regularly come back to this when meditating on biblical theology and specifically the typology of the temple in the Old and New Testament.
Once again, thankful for the research and thesis but not an enjoyable ride.
However, this was a slow burn and difficult to get through at times. Had I read this in a different season it may have gotten more stars.
I will regularly come back to this when meditating on biblical theology and specifically the typology of the temple in the Old and New Testament.
Once again, thankful for the research and thesis but not an enjoyable ride.
April 10, 2025
Excellent. A mind-widening, eye-opening, heart-exulting, Christ-completing view of the temple.
February 3, 2015
You can read my full review here: spoiledmilks wordpress com
If John sees a new heaven and a new earth in Revelation 21.1, what is the 'holy city, new Jerusalem' that comes down from heaven? 21.3 says the dwelling place of God is with man, and in 21.10-22.3 "he sees a city that is garden-like, in the shape of a temple (p. 23). How does John provide explanation for all this?
Through his book, Beale provides the biblical theological explanation for this. Where did John receive his insight to this? What's with the different imagery? Beale moves smoothly from the OT to the NT, with writings from the intertestamental period and Qumran strewn throughout the book.
One could think, "How can someone write a 458 (really 379) page book on a biblical theology of the dwelling place of God?" Could anything be more boring than the temple? Have you ever actually read the last third of Exodus (chs 25-31; 35-40)? Or 1 Kings 5-7? Those are the chapters we wish we could avoid when we read our Bibles, yet Beale has written a monster of a book in the NSBT series. Why read this book?
Beale hands the reader plenty of scriptural references to back up his points. It's rare for him to be without scripture. This is immensly helpful, and when Beale makes a claim, he backs it up, and the reader can come to their own conclusions without being left in the dark.
The final chapter is practical, rather than theoretical. Beale doesn't want to fill our heads with only "head knowledge" (although what he does give us at least provides a strong foundation for the unity of the whole Bible, even if one doesn't agree with everything he says). I was impressed that he gave us some good practical application with his book. Being in Christ, we can be like Christ who resisted testing from Satan (Matt 4; Lk 4), and not be like Adam who allowed sin to reign (Gen 3). He relates the OT to Christians in Christ (the True Israel who completely obeyed) and how we live today. The temple is a house of prayer for all the peoples (Is 56.7)? Then we are to be 'continually prayerful' today (p. 398).
I'll point you to my blog to read the full review, but yes, this is certainly recommended. This book is quite dense and academic, and I was immensely encouraged by it. Growing up, I always wondered why the biblical authors used the terms they used. In 2 Corinthians 5.1 when Paul says, "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" what does "a house not made with hands" mean? Is it simply that God is making our resurrected bodies? This is true, but is there more to it?
The subject matter of Paul's letters is often times the tip of the iceberg, with the rest of the information lying under the surface (and throughout the OT). Beale shows the inter-connections of the New Testament with the Old, giving more confirmation that the Bible really is one unified book. And that even the most seemingly boring of subjects (like the temple) can be one of the most fascinating when viewed in light of Christ's person and work.
To quote Beale and Clowney, "While it is true that Christ fulfills what the temple stands for, it is better to say, 'Christ is the meaning for which the temple existed'" (Beale: 374-75, Clowney: 177).
If John sees a new heaven and a new earth in Revelation 21.1, what is the 'holy city, new Jerusalem' that comes down from heaven? 21.3 says the dwelling place of God is with man, and in 21.10-22.3 "he sees a city that is garden-like, in the shape of a temple (p. 23). How does John provide explanation for all this?
Through his book, Beale provides the biblical theological explanation for this. Where did John receive his insight to this? What's with the different imagery? Beale moves smoothly from the OT to the NT, with writings from the intertestamental period and Qumran strewn throughout the book.
One could think, "How can someone write a 458 (really 379) page book on a biblical theology of the dwelling place of God?" Could anything be more boring than the temple? Have you ever actually read the last third of Exodus (chs 25-31; 35-40)? Or 1 Kings 5-7? Those are the chapters we wish we could avoid when we read our Bibles, yet Beale has written a monster of a book in the NSBT series. Why read this book?
Beale hands the reader plenty of scriptural references to back up his points. It's rare for him to be without scripture. This is immensly helpful, and when Beale makes a claim, he backs it up, and the reader can come to their own conclusions without being left in the dark.
The final chapter is practical, rather than theoretical. Beale doesn't want to fill our heads with only "head knowledge" (although what he does give us at least provides a strong foundation for the unity of the whole Bible, even if one doesn't agree with everything he says). I was impressed that he gave us some good practical application with his book. Being in Christ, we can be like Christ who resisted testing from Satan (Matt 4; Lk 4), and not be like Adam who allowed sin to reign (Gen 3). He relates the OT to Christians in Christ (the True Israel who completely obeyed) and how we live today. The temple is a house of prayer for all the peoples (Is 56.7)? Then we are to be 'continually prayerful' today (p. 398).
I'll point you to my blog to read the full review, but yes, this is certainly recommended. This book is quite dense and academic, and I was immensely encouraged by it. Growing up, I always wondered why the biblical authors used the terms they used. In 2 Corinthians 5.1 when Paul says, "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" what does "a house not made with hands" mean? Is it simply that God is making our resurrected bodies? This is true, but is there more to it?
The subject matter of Paul's letters is often times the tip of the iceberg, with the rest of the information lying under the surface (and throughout the OT). Beale shows the inter-connections of the New Testament with the Old, giving more confirmation that the Bible really is one unified book. And that even the most seemingly boring of subjects (like the temple) can be one of the most fascinating when viewed in light of Christ's person and work.
To quote Beale and Clowney, "While it is true that Christ fulfills what the temple stands for, it is better to say, 'Christ is the meaning for which the temple existed'" (Beale: 374-75, Clowney: 177).
January 23, 2021
2020 reads: 45/52
Rating: 5 stars
Wow. This is a tour de force. Anyone attempting to write a biblical theology these days simply does so under the shadow of G. K. Beale. This +400pg biblical theology presents this thesis: "the Old Testament tabernacle and temple were symbolically designed to point to the cosmic eschatological reality that God's tabernacling presence, formerly limited to the holy of holies, was to be extended throughout the whole earth." (25) Now, perhaps this seems insignificant, a tangent to the biblical story. Beale however shows how such a concept runs right throughout the biblical canon and is central to God's purposes.
Key points to Beale's argument are:
1) The Garden of Eden was the first archetypal temple in which the first man worshipped God. By definition of God's rule over the earth, Adam and Eve were commissioned to extend the geographical boundaries of the Garden (i.e., extend God's covenant lordship).
2) The ancient notion that the Old Testament temple was a microcosm of the entire heaven and earth, meaning that it pointed forward to a huge worldwide sanctuary in which God's presence would dwell in every part of the cosmos (sound familiar?).
3) Israel was to fulfil this same Adamic commission by extending God's presence from the holy of holies to the ends of the earth.
4) Since the OT temple represented the creation, when the NT speaks of Jesus as the temple we are to understand the inauguration of the new creation. His resurrection, then, becomes the first great act of new creation.
5) Jesus' followers carry the same description of the 'temple of God' because they are corporately represented by the resurrected Lord of the new creation. As such, it is now the task given to the church to expand the ruling presence of God through the preaching of the gospel. Such a rule is extended when sinners repent and receive the Holy Spirit. Beale writes: to see Christ and the church as the true end-time temple is neither an allegorical spiritualization of the OT temple nor of prophecies of an eschatological temple, but is an identification of the temple's real meaning…Christ is the meaning for which the temple existed." (374-75)
This is just a small re-telling that does not do justice to Beale's research, exegesis and theological reflection which is simply astounding. As you may infer, there are many many implications from such a proposal. This work is, at least initially, very dense in sections, but I must say, toward the end, it was well worth it. My only critique is that the title is actually a little misleading. Beale spends very little time addressing the church's mission. All his heavy lifting is spent defending and constructing the argument that Jesus and the church are the end-time meaning of what the temple anticipated. The book is already long but perhaps more reflection on how the church ought to go about its mission could have been included. All that is to say, this is a beast of a book and is necessary reading.
Rating: 5 stars
Wow. This is a tour de force. Anyone attempting to write a biblical theology these days simply does so under the shadow of G. K. Beale. This +400pg biblical theology presents this thesis: "the Old Testament tabernacle and temple were symbolically designed to point to the cosmic eschatological reality that God's tabernacling presence, formerly limited to the holy of holies, was to be extended throughout the whole earth." (25) Now, perhaps this seems insignificant, a tangent to the biblical story. Beale however shows how such a concept runs right throughout the biblical canon and is central to God's purposes.
Key points to Beale's argument are:
1) The Garden of Eden was the first archetypal temple in which the first man worshipped God. By definition of God's rule over the earth, Adam and Eve were commissioned to extend the geographical boundaries of the Garden (i.e., extend God's covenant lordship).
2) The ancient notion that the Old Testament temple was a microcosm of the entire heaven and earth, meaning that it pointed forward to a huge worldwide sanctuary in which God's presence would dwell in every part of the cosmos (sound familiar?).
3) Israel was to fulfil this same Adamic commission by extending God's presence from the holy of holies to the ends of the earth.
4) Since the OT temple represented the creation, when the NT speaks of Jesus as the temple we are to understand the inauguration of the new creation. His resurrection, then, becomes the first great act of new creation.
5) Jesus' followers carry the same description of the 'temple of God' because they are corporately represented by the resurrected Lord of the new creation. As such, it is now the task given to the church to expand the ruling presence of God through the preaching of the gospel. Such a rule is extended when sinners repent and receive the Holy Spirit. Beale writes: to see Christ and the church as the true end-time temple is neither an allegorical spiritualization of the OT temple nor of prophecies of an eschatological temple, but is an identification of the temple's real meaning…Christ is the meaning for which the temple existed." (374-75)
This is just a small re-telling that does not do justice to Beale's research, exegesis and theological reflection which is simply astounding. As you may infer, there are many many implications from such a proposal. This work is, at least initially, very dense in sections, but I must say, toward the end, it was well worth it. My only critique is that the title is actually a little misleading. Beale spends very little time addressing the church's mission. All his heavy lifting is spent defending and constructing the argument that Jesus and the church are the end-time meaning of what the temple anticipated. The book is already long but perhaps more reflection on how the church ought to go about its mission could have been included. All that is to say, this is a beast of a book and is necessary reading.
May 22, 2018
Excellent biblical theology of the temple ! The main point of the author is that the entire cosmos (the former and the new that is to come) is the temple in which God wants to extend his special revelatory presence (his presence in the Holy of holies in the architectural temple of the Old Testament), in other words to dwell ; and that God's goal is to extend his presence formerly limited to a restricted area (the garden of Eden, the Holy of holies in the Tabernacle and Salomon's Temple) in news heavens and a new earth that he will create.
Throughout the history, he commanded Adam, Noah, the patriarchs and Israel to extend his presence by being his witnesses and the priests who would link the whole humanity to God.
But as we could expect, they all failed. Hovewer, Jesus-Christ, the last Adam and the true Israel, has succeeded where all the others failed, he is himself the Temple, the keystone of the last-days (eschatological) Temple. By his death and his resurrection, he inaugurated the decreation of the present heavens and earth and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth which will all be consummated at his second coming. All those who are united with him become alike part of the new Temple, the last-days Temple and share with Christ the same mission : the extension of God's presence in the entire cosmos.
Throughout the history, he commanded Adam, Noah, the patriarchs and Israel to extend his presence by being his witnesses and the priests who would link the whole humanity to God.
But as we could expect, they all failed. Hovewer, Jesus-Christ, the last Adam and the true Israel, has succeeded where all the others failed, he is himself the Temple, the keystone of the last-days (eschatological) Temple. By his death and his resurrection, he inaugurated the decreation of the present heavens and earth and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth which will all be consummated at his second coming. All those who are united with him become alike part of the new Temple, the last-days Temple and share with Christ the same mission : the extension of God's presence in the entire cosmos.
August 29, 2017
The author's thesis is that the "Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the cosmic eschatological reality that God's tabernacling presence, formerly limited to the holy of holies, was to be extended throughout the whole earth."
He relates each part of the temple to a part of the cosmos:
Temple ~>(symbolised) Cosmos
Outer court ~> habitable world where humanity dwells
Holy Place ~> visible heavens & light sources
Holy of Holies ~> where God + heavenly hosts dwell
---
I took a four months to plough through the book, and I was glad I persevered. Beale argues convincingly for his case, backed up by tons of Scripture references and ANE sources. While this has been one of the densest books I've read to date, the author helped me along by reiterating the overarching theme and salient points throughout the book (the "Conclusion" sections at the end of each chapter were especially helpful in outlining the logical flow).
Difficult but eye-opening read.
[Check out "God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth" - the more accessible, non-academic version of this book]
He relates each part of the temple to a part of the cosmos:
Temple ~>(symbolised) Cosmos
Outer court ~> habitable world where humanity dwells
Holy Place ~> visible heavens & light sources
Holy of Holies ~> where God + heavenly hosts dwell
---
I took a four months to plough through the book, and I was glad I persevered. Beale argues convincingly for his case, backed up by tons of Scripture references and ANE sources. While this has been one of the densest books I've read to date, the author helped me along by reiterating the overarching theme and salient points throughout the book (the "Conclusion" sections at the end of each chapter were especially helpful in outlining the logical flow).
Difficult but eye-opening read.
[Check out "God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth" - the more accessible, non-academic version of this book]
April 17, 2018
Fantastic read! The thesis is essentially: The Garden of Eden as a microcosmic temple, in which man is commissioned by God to cultivate, care for, and spread this temple (including God’s dwelling presence) throughout unto the ends of the earth and into the New Creation. He traces this theme throughout the entire epochs and canon of Scripture.
Though entrenched in biblical exegesis, the thesis of this book and it’s material is foundational in understanding not only in how we put the Bible together, but is an essential theme that runs across all of scripture and connects other various themes together. Here Beale has done a great service to the church. This is biblical theology at its finest. This volume has several footnotes on nearly every page, showing the depth of his research to back up his argument. For some, this might be a little distracting, and for that, he has a smaller more accessible volume, God Dwells Among Us. But for the depth and wealth of insight, this volume is well worth the extra couple hundred pages if one has the time.
Though entrenched in biblical exegesis, the thesis of this book and it’s material is foundational in understanding not only in how we put the Bible together, but is an essential theme that runs across all of scripture and connects other various themes together. Here Beale has done a great service to the church. This is biblical theology at its finest. This volume has several footnotes on nearly every page, showing the depth of his research to back up his argument. For some, this might be a little distracting, and for that, he has a smaller more accessible volume, God Dwells Among Us. But for the depth and wealth of insight, this volume is well worth the extra couple hundred pages if one has the time.
April 4, 2020
"The Temple and the Church's Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God" is an extended study that shows exactly what the title claims. Beale traces out the roadways that lead from Eden to Revelation 21-22. If you've never considered how Eden was a Temple, with Adam and Eve fulfilling the priestly roles of working and keeping it (Genesis 2:15); or how the Tabernacle and Temple were a renewed Garden of Eden; or how the final Temple of the New Heavens and New Earth are pictured as an expanded and intensified Eden, then this is the book to get. In Beale's own words, "the eschatological goal of the temple of the Garden of Eden dominating the entire creation will be finally fulfilled...Hence, eschatology not only recapitulates the protology of Eden but escalates it" (368). And yes, the author masterfully shows how the church in union with Christ is the inauguration of that eschatological Temple. It's a scholarly read, but one worth the time and tenacity. I highly recommend the book.
January 8, 2016
This was a very helpful book. Although it was pretty dense. Worth the read in the end. I thought the most helpful chapters were chapters 1-5.
October 2, 2021
G. K Beale is my favourite scholar in the discipline of biblical studies (alive). This is his volume in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series edited by Don Carson (which is currently at volume 56), also one of the more popular entries. The biblical-theological motif of God's cosmic presence, from Eden, to the tabernacle and temple, to Israel, to Jesus, to the church and to the new heaven and new earth/eschatological Jerusalem/temple is not really an unfamiliar or obscure theme. Rather, it is prevalent across the New Testament (John 1-4, 1 Corinthians 3, Hebrews 8-9, 1 Peter 2, Revelation 21 and etc). What Beale sets out to accomplish is then to strengthen and really draw out the exegetical evidence, hermeneutical framework, and theological implications for this "biblical theology of God's cosmic presence."
He does so by first examining the exegetical details of Eden and creation mandate as God's commission to Adam to bring His cosmic and glorious presence to the entire earth, and then moving to see how this mandate has continued on in the postlapsarian world through the patriarchs, the tabernacle, and Israel's temple, concluding that the biblical portraits of "garden," "tabernacle," "temple," "mountains," "stone altars (by the patriarchs)" and many more, across the OT, really all points to the same imagery of God's expanding cosmic presence to reflect His glory upon creation. That the failure of Israel to fulfil this mandate does not frustrate God's expanding presence across the earth, as Beale demonstrates that the OT prophets (Daniel 2, Ezekiel 40-48, Isaiah 60-66, and etc) consistently points to the true eschatological temple that will bring God's holy presence unto fallen creation by renewing man and creation through the great commission.
Additionally, Beale strengths really come out in how he demonstrates that the NT authors consistently applied and understood the OT texts as pointing towards Jesus as the eschatological temple that ushers in the presence of God and new creation, and therefore also providing a hermeneutical key to reading this biblical motif better across the canon. Another feature of Beale's scholarship is the employment of Ancient Near East resources (Egyptian, Summerian, think Epic of Gilgamesh) as references (that many ANE cultures also understood these religious symbolisms) to strengthen the biblical portrait of garden/mountain/stone altars/temple across the canon as God's cosmic presence, as well as his use of Jewish sources (Qumran, Philo) to reveal that even Judaism understood, theologically, much of the OT texts in view, in a similar fashion to how the NT authors understood and applied them theologically.
However, because the book is so exegetically packed and Beale moves quickly from point to point and reference to reference almost without catching a breath, the prose of the book can be quite dry, and one can often lose track of Beale's point or argument amidst the plethora of material presented, so I could only give it a 4/4.5 stars tops. As compared to his 1000-page A New Testament Biblical Theology, that other volume provided a better reading experience as he really took the time and space to develop the OT biblical theology unfolding across the NT (which this book only presented a facet), with all the exegetical and hermeneutical framework that Beale consistently employs throughout his work (the NT use of the OT, Qumran and Judaism writings and theological reference, "already-not yet" framework and etc.). But a slow, careful study of this volume would definitely enrich greatly one's exegetical-biblical-theological grasp of the whole canon of Scripture.
He does so by first examining the exegetical details of Eden and creation mandate as God's commission to Adam to bring His cosmic and glorious presence to the entire earth, and then moving to see how this mandate has continued on in the postlapsarian world through the patriarchs, the tabernacle, and Israel's temple, concluding that the biblical portraits of "garden," "tabernacle," "temple," "mountains," "stone altars (by the patriarchs)" and many more, across the OT, really all points to the same imagery of God's expanding cosmic presence to reflect His glory upon creation. That the failure of Israel to fulfil this mandate does not frustrate God's expanding presence across the earth, as Beale demonstrates that the OT prophets (Daniel 2, Ezekiel 40-48, Isaiah 60-66, and etc) consistently points to the true eschatological temple that will bring God's holy presence unto fallen creation by renewing man and creation through the great commission.
Additionally, Beale strengths really come out in how he demonstrates that the NT authors consistently applied and understood the OT texts as pointing towards Jesus as the eschatological temple that ushers in the presence of God and new creation, and therefore also providing a hermeneutical key to reading this biblical motif better across the canon. Another feature of Beale's scholarship is the employment of Ancient Near East resources (Egyptian, Summerian, think Epic of Gilgamesh) as references (that many ANE cultures also understood these religious symbolisms) to strengthen the biblical portrait of garden/mountain/stone altars/temple across the canon as God's cosmic presence, as well as his use of Jewish sources (Qumran, Philo) to reveal that even Judaism understood, theologically, much of the OT texts in view, in a similar fashion to how the NT authors understood and applied them theologically.
However, because the book is so exegetically packed and Beale moves quickly from point to point and reference to reference almost without catching a breath, the prose of the book can be quite dry, and one can often lose track of Beale's point or argument amidst the plethora of material presented, so I could only give it a 4/4.5 stars tops. As compared to his 1000-page A New Testament Biblical Theology, that other volume provided a better reading experience as he really took the time and space to develop the OT biblical theology unfolding across the NT (which this book only presented a facet), with all the exegetical and hermeneutical framework that Beale consistently employs throughout his work (the NT use of the OT, Qumran and Judaism writings and theological reference, "already-not yet" framework and etc.). But a slow, careful study of this volume would definitely enrich greatly one's exegetical-biblical-theological grasp of the whole canon of Scripture.
August 11, 2021
This book shows us how the mission of mankind never was to sit in a garden and chill out. No, from the beginning the commission of mankind (Adam) was to spread God's glorious presence, his kingdom, to the ends of the earth. Adam failed, Israel failed, but Jesus succeeds. Beale works through the Scriptures, tracing the theme of 'temple', and showing us many things that a modern person wouldn't notice on a first reading. His research is thorough and comprehensive, which is not good for 'readability' but makes this a good reference work. In A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New Beale provides us with a summary of this book and presents a magnificent biblical theology, showing how God's new-creational kingdom is central, which always plays on the background in The Temple and the Church's Mission.
May 12, 2020
The best book in the NSBT I read so far ! The case Beale is proposing is very compelling. Every pertinent texts is studied with sufficient depths. What a fresh way to see the major redemptive story line with the Temple of God’s lens !
I also appreciated the case he made against a too literalistic (the commonly known historical-literal hermeneutic) hermeneutic and for a more appealing way to interpret Scripture.
The only cons I have is that, in my sight, Beale could have wrote less in the Ancient Near East literatures’ sections of the first three chapters and still get to his point. That would have save maybe 50-70 pages.
I recommend it to everyone. His writing is easy to understand.
I also appreciated the case he made against a too literalistic (the commonly known historical-literal hermeneutic) hermeneutic and for a more appealing way to interpret Scripture.
The only cons I have is that, in my sight, Beale could have wrote less in the Ancient Near East literatures’ sections of the first three chapters and still get to his point. That would have save maybe 50-70 pages.
I recommend it to everyone. His writing is easy to understand.
November 7, 2024
I think I’m amill now. In all seriousness, really good study of the temples in the OT and what they alluded to. Bit repetitive at times, but I argue that it’s necessary. To wrap it all up, he provided some ways to take what you learn and apply it to our lives such as sharing the gospel, praying, etc. This was my introduction to biblical theology and I pray I read more within this realm of study.
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