First Peter 1:9

Israel was placed in a land with a temple and the presence of God in Jerusalem.

The Church is told to go into all the world and go to all the nations.

This is because the church is a spiritual temple built of living stones which are each believer.

First Peter 1:9 is a combination of Exodus 19:5-6 and Isaiah 43:20-21 woven together.

The Spiritual temple that Peter is discussing in 1 Peter 2 is the cooperate church, not individual people.

The church is not Israel. Israel is going to return and be used by God and have their promises fulfilled:

Romans 11:133-16; 23-26 and 9:6-8

Tabernacle manifested God’s glory: Exodus 35 through 40:20 and 20:34

Temple manifested God’s glory: 1 Kings 7-8:10

Millennial Temple will also manifest the presence and glory of God: Ezekiel 43:1-7

During the church age the glory of the Lord fills this spiritual temple which is made up of each believer: Acts 2:1-4

In Acts 2:1-4 the Spirit of God came down on the upper room but did not fill a building or a room. Instead it separated and went to each of the individual believers.

“You” is emphatic

”but” is contrasting the unbelievers of verse 8

“people” is genoV and means race, a body of people with common life and descent

“Royal” is BasileioV and means belong to the King

“Priesthood” means to serve in the presence of Deity

a) service is our daily lives and everything we do

b) we have access to God

c) our service is worthy and acceptable to God

d) We stand in the Gap between men and God

It is a royal priesthood similar to Melchizedek in Hebrew 7:1-3

Jesus himself is both a a king and a priest

“holy” means set apart for deity. Moral holiness and Godly nature

“nation” is a multitude of People having same nature

“belonging to God” is peripoihsiV (“peculiar” in the KJ)

a) the word means to make around

b) to make something and then surround it with a circle

c) It is used in the Septuagint (LXX) in Isaiah 43:21

d) It means Unique, private and personal

“declare” is spoken language and means “to tell forth, to tell out”.

The word includes declaring things unknown

“Praise” is aretaV and is not the usual word for praise

a) it means “excellencies, gracious dealings, glorious attributes

b) it means “virtue, ability to do heroic deeds

c) it involves Advertisement and often means self declaration

d) when applied to deity it does not denote virtue or intrinsic qualities but instead the manifestation of divine power

“into” does not mean only location but a result. We are creatures of light.

Hosea 1:9-10 and 2:23