The Local Churches Typified in the Book of Psalms

The Temple and the House of God As Types of the Local Church

In the Psalms, many references are made to the house of God and the temple of God. According to Witness Lee, the house of God and the temple of God typify the New Testament church and derivatively, the local churches as the reality of God’s dwelling place (1 Tim. 3:15). In the following passage, Witness Lee provides the scriptural basis for his reference to the temple and the house of God as types of the church.

We now see that the temple…[and] the house…were indeed not the church, but types of the church. Similarly, we do not say that the Passover lamb and the manna were Christ, but that they are types of Christ.

How may we prove that the building up of the temple…in the Old Testament…[is a type] of the building up of the church? It is important that we have a strong basis and proof for this in order to substantiate our position that the building up of the temple…[is a type] of the building up of God’s house today. We have such proof in Psalm 68:18, “Thou hast ascended on high. Thou hast led captive a train of vanquished foes. Thou hast received gifts in man, and even for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell with them.” The key is in the last part of this verse: “That the Lord God might dwell with them.” The purpose of Christ’s ascending on high and receiving gifts was that the dwelling place of God might be built up. Surely, according to Psalm 68:18, this refers to the building up of the temple. We all know this, and we all agree with this. But Paul the Apostle quoted this very verse in reference to the church: “Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto man…and he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:8, 11-12). When we put these two passages in Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 together, we have strong proof that the building up of the temple in ancient times was a type of the building up of the church today. This is the ground we have in saying that the temple…[is a type] of the church. We do have the basis for saying that all the verses in the Psalms concerning the temple…[and] the house are verses which typify the building up of the church.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 220-221)

Witness Lee goes on to specify the principal aspects of God’s house as a type of the church.

Now let us see something concerning the aspects of the church as God’s house in the Psalms. This is a deeper matter. In all the Psalms we have Christ revealed, prophesied, and mentioned in so many aspects; now in all the Psalms we also have the house, that is, the type of one aspect of the church….When we speak of God’s house, we must make mention of the house principally as God’s dwelling and the place of His presence, beauty, glory, and riches.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 221-222)

The Psalms are truly replete with references to God’s house, and the psalmists obviously experienced many rich aspects of God’s house. Witness Lee’s ministry wonderfully reveals that these experiences are not limited to the Old Testament believers. Indeed, the believers in Christ can enjoy the same riches since the reality of the house of God today is in the local churches.

Main

God’s House

Zion

City of God

Bride

Practical Salvation

Built Up

Victory

Bibliography

Links