Lesson:

Preparing the Temple of God

Goal:

To assist the children in realizing that a spiritual Temple is currently being constructed.

Objectives:

1. Children will be able to understand that there will be a future physical Temple.

2. Children will be able to have an understanding of the spiritual Temple that is now being built.

3. Children will be able to name at least two positive things that can be done to help make themselves and the spiritual Temple successful.

4. Children will name two things that should be avoided in order to maintain a strong relationship with God.

Resources:

What is the Holy Spirit? (No. CB3)

Being Filled with the Holy Spirit (No. CB85)

The Ten Commandments (No. CB17)

21-Day Sanctification Period (CB82)

Relevant Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 6:4; 1Corinthians 3:16-17

Format:

Open with prayer.

Ask the children how they think stone or brick buildings are constructed or put together?

Ask the children what they think the spiritual Temple of God/Eloah is?

Read the paper Preparing the Temple of God (No. CB35).

Activity associated with Lesson: Preparing the Temple of God (No. CB35_2).

Activities:

A. Worksheet: What Happens First?

B. Relay Race What Happens First

C. To be Baptized

Close with prayer.

Lesson Introduction:

o Read through the paper Preparing the Temple of God (No. CB35), unless it was read as the sermonette with the children present.

o Review the basic concepts of the paper with the children.

o Children’s questions are in bold.

Questions and Answers

Q1. “Who makes up the spiritual Temple of God?”

A. We are the Temple of God (1Cor. 3:16-17).

Q2. Will there be a physical Temple built in the Millennium?

A. Yes, there will be a physical Temple built in the Millennium. From the paper Measuring the Temple (No. 137) we see:

o Millennial systems enforced.

o The administrative and judicial system developed.

o The Temple constructed and priesthood allotted duties.

o Jerusalem developed as the centre of world government under Messiah in preparation for the Second Resurrection and the handover to God.

o War of the end of the Millennium c. 3001-3027.

Q3. Was there a restoration, (that is correcting the rules that a society lives by) under King Josiah?

A. Yes, there was a restoration under King Josiah (the name Josiah means Yahweh heals) (2Chr. 35:1-3).

Q4. What happens when we are baptised?

A. Once baptized, we are organized into the service of the House of the Lord our God. We become a holy priesthood (1Pet. 2:5).

Q5. What are the steps for a person to be baptized?

A. The procedure is that as adults we repent, are baptized and have hands laid on us for the receipt of the Holy Spirit. We are then set apart and prepared to serve the Lord God and His people Israel, the nation and His Church, into which we are grafted (Gal. 6:16; Heb. 8:8).

Q6. Do all baptized members have access to the Holy Spirit? Are they to help build up each other and the Body of Christ?

A. Yes. We all partake of God’s Holy Spirit through Christ. Christ deals with us as a Church and as individuals. We are given gifts for the building up of each other and the Body of Christ, which is the Church (Eph. 4:12).

Q7. What was to be inside the Ark? How was it to be carried, and by whom?

A. There were two tablets of the Ten Commandments (Testimony) placed inside the Ark (see Ex. 25:1-22; Deut. 10:1-2). The priests carried the Ark on the long poles or dowels that went through the rings on the Ark.

Q8. Since the Tabernacle of the Wilderness or physical Temple is no longer used, where does God want us to carry His Law?

A. We carry the Law of God in our hearts. God places His Laws on our hearts and writes them in our minds (Heb. 8:10).

Q9. Who is in charge of everything?

A. God the Father. We see that with each physical restoration in the Old Testament, it was God the Father who caused the people to return to Him (Ezra 1:5). God prepared the people in all cases, and it is done according to His timing (2Chr. 29:36).

Q10. Who is the Master Builder? Who is Eloah?

A. God is the Master Builder (Heb.11:10). Eloah is the One True God; He is not made up of two or three parts. The Shema describes Him in Deuteronomy 6:4.

Q11. Are we to keep the Sabbaths, New Moons and Feasts? If so, why?

A. Yes, we should keep all God’s Sabbaths; since they make up part of the requirements that the Temple is built on (Ex. 20:8-11; Lev. 23:1-44; Deut. 5:12-15; 16:1-16; 1 Chr. 23:31; 2 Chr. 2:4, 8:13; 2Chr. 31:3).

Q12. Are we to be a living stone?

A. Yes (1Pet. 2:4, 5).

Q13. Are we to present ourselves as living sacrifices?

A. Yes, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Rom. 12:1; 1Pet. 2:5).

Q14. Should we ever allow false doctrines or beliefs in the House of God?

A. No, we would be breaking the Commandments if we did.

Q15. Was there a point in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar that he did not give the praise and glory to God but rather he thought he had accomplished great things by himself?

A. Yes, King Nebuchadnezzar was removed from the kingship because he allowed his heart to be filled with pride. The king said, "Babylon the great! Was it not I, with my great strength, who built it?" (Dan.4:30). He did not acknowledge what God had done for him. Nebuchadnezzar was made to eat grass like the beasts of the field for seven periods of time (Dan. 4:31-33).

Q16. Did King Nebuchadnezzar repent of his thinking and give praise to the Eloah? If so, did God restore the things the King had?

A. God restored King Nebuchadnezzar and rebuilt his royal palace with new stones because he learnt that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wills (Dan. 4:26-34). The king said, "My understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High" (Dan. 4:34).

Q17. Was Belshazzar, King Nebuchadnezzar’s son, aware of what happened to his father?

A. Yes, (Dan. 5:22).

Q18. Did Belshazzar learn from his father’s mistakes and obey God?

A. No, he sinned through his disobedience and pride. He drank from the sacred vessels and let others drink from them also. He was guilty of polluting what he knew to be holy and sacred. He praised idols and did not honour God (Dan. 5:1-5).

Q19. What happened to Belshazzar?

A. Belshazzar was judged according to the Law; he was slain that night (Dan. 5:30-31).

Q20. What happens if we let bad thoughts turn to anger?

A. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to murder. We continue to sin more and more unless we repent and change.

Q21. Were any of us clean or perfect before our baptism?

A. No, we were all sinners (Rom 3:10).

Q22. Does God require that there be gatekeepers at the doors of His Temple? What is a door or gatekeeper?

A. Yes, God requires that there be gatekeepers at the doors of His Temple (2Chr. 23:19). A door or gatekeeper only allows someone to enter that is authorized or approved to enter; they help protect the house or building because they do not allow everyone to enter.

Q23. Does the Church have a policy or plan for someone to become a member?

A. We must understand that the Church has a responsibility to ensure that those wanting to join are willing to obey the Laws God has established for His House. This may be in the form of written consent to abide by Church protocol and its Constitution.

Clean animals portray the elect

Q24. What types of animals are found in Leviticus 11:1-4? Was Christ pictured as a clean or unclean animal?

A. Land animals considered clean can be found in Leviticus 11:1-4. Only clean animals were allowed because they represented Christ’s sacrifice, which was without blemish or spot (1Pet. 1:19).

Q25. Is there a parallel to us eating only clean food physically and us only taking in “clean/pure” spiritual food?

A. The eating of clean food to nourish our physical bodies parallels the taking in of spiritual food, which feeds our hearts and minds. Science today is now realizing that food deemed unclean in the Bible is harmful to our health. In the same way, anyone who eats of spiritual food which of itself is unclean, places his spiritual wellbeing in danger. God makes the distinction of what is clean and unclean through the observance of His Word.

Q26. What does it mean if an animal “chews the cud” and are there spiritual parallels for us?

A. Land animals that are clean are those that chew the cud and have a divided hoof (Lev. 11:1-4). Some of us may be familiar with the term "to chew the cud". In a physical sense it means the animal spends a very long time chewing his food over and over. It is a figurative expression meaning to meditate on a matter. That’s what we do concerning the word of God (Ps. 1:2).

Q27. What are some ways we can help and teach others?

A. We are to focus on reading the Scriptures, encouraging and teaching one another (1Tim. 4:12-16). We meditate and think about the word of God so we may be examples of godly living. We are to be lights to the world (Mat. 5:14).

Q28. What is a hoof? How does a hoof relate to a person? What does Scripture tell us about it?

A. The hoof can portray our feet, and the way in which we walk in the truth and conduct our lives. We are to walk before the Almighty God and be perfect (Gen. 17:1; 48:15). We are to walk in God’s Law (Ex. 16:4). The divided hoof depicts those who rightly divide the word of God and keep His Commandments. We are to live a life worthy of the calling we have received (Eph. 4:1). We are called to be separate in our conduct (Ezra 10:11) and to come out of this world (Rev. 18:4). We are to have our feet shod with the gospel of the peace (Eph. 6:15).

Q29. What day does the cleansing of the Temple start from yearly?

A. The cleansing of the Temple is required under the Law. Messiah cleansed the Temple from the New Year in the year of his sacrifice to show us what is required. We do this on a yearly basis from the New Year, the first day of the First month of Nisan/Abib, right up to the Feast of the Passover and through the seven days of Unleavened Bread, just as Christ did. We must cleanse ourselves to partake of the Lord’s Supper and to enable us to go through another year free of the sins we accumulated in the previous year. Our cleansing is a spiritual one of prayer and fasting for ourselves first and then for other sinners of the Church and the nation that are still weak or ignorant in the faith. It is our responsibility as a Church and as individuals because we are the Temple of God.

Q30. Should we give thanks to God in everything?

A. Yes (1Thes. 5:18).

Activity A. Worksheet: What Happens First?

Starting with the number one as the first event to happen, number the following events in the correct order.

____ Millennium starts

____ Christ returns

____ Dead in Christ rise

____ Marriage Supper of the Lamb

____ Sealing of the 144,0000

____ Those alive caught up in the air

____ Satan and fallen Host bound or put away for a 1000 years

____ 1000 years of Just Rule

____ Great Multitude wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb

____ Physical Temple built and morning sacrifices implemented

Activity B. What Happens First Relay

Supplies: Copies of the Worksheet: What Happens First per each time, tag board and glue stick per each team.

Procedure: Have individual worksheet questions cut apart. Each team’s questions, glue stick, and tag board are located at the finish line. Each team forms a line behind their team captain on the start line. Once the cue is given to start the captain runs to the finish line to get one question, the tag board or the glue stick and returns to the start line which signals the next teammate to start running. Once all the questions and necessary supplies are secured the team correctly places the questions in chorological order, starting with the first event to happen on the very top of the paper. Once all groups have completed the project they can share their work with the others.

Activity C. To be Baptized

Supplies: One “to Be Baptized” sheet per child or group, scissors, glue sticks, markers, and construction paper.

Procedure: Review the steps to baptism with the children. Provide the children with the necessary supplies. Allow them to cut out the cue cards (or have them pre-cut for the younger children). The children place the cards in the correct order on a piece of construction paper which is titled: To Be Baptized. The children can draw a picture or write a brief description of why these things happen or are needed in each box and decorate their paper.

Maybe you would first want to explain the concepts of Baptism and then ask the children: Why do we need to get baptized? Why do we need to repent? What do we repent of? What happens to our past sins after baptism? What must each baptized member of the Body of Christ partake of each year? These are just some examples.

Refer to the sections on “Baptism” in the papers The Sacraments of the Church (No. 150) and Repentance and Baptism (No. 52). See also the paper Baptism Ceremony (No. D3).

To Be Baptized

Become part of the spiritual Temple	Hands laid on the little children
Baptism	Repentance
Obeying God to retain the Holy Spirit	Sanctified by our parents
Taking of the Lord’s Supper yearly: foot washing and eating the unleavened bread and drinking the wine	Our sins put as far as east is from the west