The Presence of God in His Temple

The temple of Jerusalem, which had replaced the previous sanctuary which the Israelites carried around in the wilderness, was the place selected by God during the Old Covenant to express his presence to the people in a special way.  But this was only an imperfect anticipation or prefiguring of the full expression of his presence among men – the Word of God becoming man. 

Jesus, in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” is the full presence of God here on earth and, therefore, the true temple of God.  Jesus identifies the temple of Jerusalem with his own body, and by so doing refers to one of the most profound truths about himself – the incarnation.  After the ascension of the Lord into heaven this real and very special presence of God among men is continued in the sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist.