STUDY TIP: See Third Commandment for understanding of God’s  name.

A SPIRITUAL PLACE
Religions wrongly teach that temples, tabernacles, shrines, altars and other special meeting places are sacred, holy places where they can expect to have a personal encounter with God. This belief allows religious leaders to hold meetings, services, revivals, conferences and other kinds of gatherings in almost any physical location. And this belief encourages religious people of all religions to go to these places with the expectation that God will spiritually bless people who gather together in these designated places. Such beliefs are fake faith.

STUDY TIP: See Tabernacles, Temples, Altars, High Places and Pilgrimages for more about holy, or sacred places where people go to encounter God. Also see this link about the Mountain of God and this link about sacredness.

See TEARING DOWN IDOLS, ALTARS AND HIGH PLACES for understanding of why God wants his people to destroy places designated for religious activity.

Religion also teaches that evidence of God can be found in nature (i.e. creation), especially in the heavens (i.e. sky, universe), in observable events and circumstances which might be called God- sightings or miracles, and in religious rituals/traditions. This also is fake faith because God, being invisible, only values the invisible, spiritual world of faith.

 STUDY TIP: See Religion is not Faith and A HISTORY OF STUMBLING OVER TRADITIONS. Also see Creation.

Given the many Biblical references to places where people have personal encounters with God, it is not surprising that these religious beliefs exist. Furthermore, because of scriptures that instruct people to bring tithes and offerings to the place where God will place his name, it is not surprising that commercial religion is usually conducted in the context of buildings where religion is conducted. It all happens because people interpret the Bible literally — not symbolically.

STUDY TIP: See Sacrifices, Tithes and Offerings and Tithes for more about the place where God wants tithes and offerings to be brought.

When we learn to interpret the Bible symbolically, we see that God is very clear about the place where he causes his name to dwell –and it is not in physical places. Consider the scriptures that confirm the following:

If we stop to think about the fact that God is spirit, we will realize that it only makes sense that a spiritual being is not confined by a physical place like a church or synagogue. Rather, his home must be in a spiritual place (i.e. heart).

Since spirits are not confined by physical space, we still have a problem trying to understand where God causes his name to dwell. Is it anywhere in particular, or is it everywhere in general as some people think? Maybe it is or maybe it is not, but that question is immaterial. What matters is that God’s name (i.e. character as represented in his laws) exists only in the hearts of people. It is not represented in stones or buildings or any other physical object whether natural or man-made.

So, to understand where God lives we must first put away all religious teaching about where God lives and look at what the Bible says:

Finally, we are forced to conclude that God’s name/character is embodied in his laws. We learn this from the following logic: