Heaven touching Earth

Solomon gets to build the temple anticipated by David. Its fantastic! 2 Chronicles spells it out (as does 1 Kings), devoting several chapters to the undertaking. Its grand scale national and corporate 'Woot Woot!', all in celebration of and dedicated to God and His goodness.

But Solomon is also realistic. He realises that no structure, no matter how magnificent, can ever contain God (see 2:5-6). Yet despite this obvious limitation the temple was going to be seen as having a very special purpose. David said it back in 1 Chronicles 28:2 - a place 'for the footstool of our God'. In other words whilst God obviously resides elsewhere, the temple will be a place where heaven touches earth, where God's reign is clearly visible in the world.

Yet Isaiah (66:1) saw a bigger picture, where the whole earth would be the footstool. A theme taken up by Jesus and then again by New Testament writers. Jesus replaces the temple, symbolic reign of God is exchanged for actual reign through the Lord Jesus. A reign that can now be extended across the whole globe.

I've recently started using the phrase 'missional edge', by which I mean any place where the Kingdom of God might come in contact with people or structures that as yet know little of God's goodness or Jesus as Lord. Its the places where potentially we might see heaven touching earth, as the Kingdom of God is manifest in a variety of possible ways.

It might be in a group or activity within our church buildings, or it might be out there in unlikely places, but wherever it is, it is has the potential to be filled with the magnificence of God.