The Body of Christ
When the Scripture is studied it becomes clear that the Lord was not speaking primarily of Solomon when He said, "He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne forever."
The Holy Spirit was looking down through the years to a greater Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God to David through the prophet Nathan was a prophecy concerning the Body of Christ, an announcement of the plan the Lord had all along—that of the construction of the eternal dwelling place of the Most High.
King David himself was one of the most outstanding prophets of all time.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. (Psalms 50:2)
Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever. (Psalms 68:16)
The Scripture just quoted, Psalms 68:16, describes God’s desire to inhabit Mount Zion. Spiritual Zion is the Kingdom of God, the fulfilment of David’s Tabernacle, the building of which is the purpose for the present age (Acts 15:16; Hebrews 12:22). Christ is the chief Cornerstone in Zion.
The eighteenth verse of Psalms 68 gives additional understanding:
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. (Psalms 68:18)
The fourth chapter of Ephesians unfolds the meaning of Psalms 68:16,18
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Ephesians 4:11)
The gifts "for the rebellious" are the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit, especially apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers.
Psalms 68:18 reveals the purpose to be accomplished by the gifts and ministries given to the Body of Christ: "that the Lord God might dwell among them." The fourth chapter of Ephesians confirms this statement of purpose: "the perfecting of the saints; for the work of the ministry; for the edifying [building up] of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12).
In the fourth chapter of Ephesians, verses seven through sixteen, the method and goal of God’s plan for a temple are set forth in brief form. Paul states, in this chapter, that God has given gifts and ministries to the Church and that the end result of the operating of these ministries is the building of the Body of Christ until it stands complete in all the will of God.
The Body of Christ is to be brought to perfect Divine unity and is to attain a maturity described as "the measure of [maturity as measured by] the stature of the fullness of Christ."
God the Father will dwell only in Christ. He will dwell nowhere else. It is vain for the "high hills" to leap because God will dwell only in Zion, which is Christ—Head and Body. As of now the Head, Christ, is perfect. God has found His eternal resting place in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God desires to have much more room, a much larger family than this. Also, God is in the process of creating a bride for His beloved Son. In order to accomplish His goals, God Almighty has purposed in Himself to build the Body of Christ. The Body is to be fashioned from members selected by Himself (II Timothy 1:9).
In Christ, Head and Body, God can fill the universe with Himself in bodily, visible form (Colossians 1:15; Revelation 3:12).
The Christian Church is far too immature, at the present time, for a calling as high as this. Therefore God, through the ministries and gifts given to the Body of Christ, is fashioning each victorious saint with the end in view of forming the saints together into one body—a body that can be called in truth "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," "the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 4:13; 1:23).
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to the Christian Church, the Body of Christ, so the dwelling place of God, Mount Zion, may be a holy and wholly fit place for the Presence of God.
When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. (Psalms 102:16)
For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. (Psalms 132:13,14)
Spiritual Mount Zion is the Body of Christ. Mount Zion of the physical world was one of the hills on which the city of Jerusalem was built. It was referred to also as the city of David. It was here that David installed the Ark of the Covenant under a tent, amid much rejoicing, while the Tabernacle of the Congregation remained at Gibeon (I Chronicles, Chapters 15 and 16).
Spiritual Zion is the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God. Zion is the habitation of God, the place of His rest. In the Book of Isaiah, Israel is asked this question:
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)
Here is one of the great questions of the Scriptures. The next verse gives the answer:
For all those things hath mine handmade, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)
The follower of Christ who is poor and of a contrite spirit—he is the house of the Lord; he is the place of God’s rest.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
If we are rich in our own ways and of a proud and ambitious spirit, then—Christian or not—we are not a suitable dwelling place for the Father in Christ. Christ wishes to come in to us Christians and to dine with us and find pleasure in and with us. This is not possible if we are filled already with other things—even religious things.