When the Holy Spirit came to take up residence among Jesus’ followers at Pentecost (Acts 2), God’s fiery appearance echoed the filling of the Jerusalem temple with the divine presence (1 Kings 8). This also helps us understand why Jesus’ earliest followers described themselves as human temples. The apostle Peter called Jesus’ people “living stones who are built up as a spiritual temple as a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus the Messiah” (1 Peter 2:5). Through Jesus, humanity is invited to reclaim their original calling to rule the world together in partnership with God.
This is what we see on the last page of the Bible, where all creation is renewed and Heaven and Earth are united in a new garden city (Revelation 21-22). We’re told that there is no temple building there (Revelation 21:22) because God himself is the temple, and his people can now live and rule directly in his presence.