Why is it that The Holy Spirit uses so many different names to describe the same person or thing in Scripture? We see that with Jesus; and with His Church. We are called His Temple, His bride, His sons; a holy nation; a holy priesthood, etc, but we are His people of the New Covenant which He established in His blood. And in Zechariah we are told that He being called the Branch will build His Temple.

Zechariah 6:12 “Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD. 13 “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”‘ (NASB1995)

Is it now clear then why Jesus would tell Peter that He will build His Ekklesia translated Church in English, when Zachariah has told us that He will build the Temple? I believe that it will be.

2 Corinthians 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. (NASB1995)

Is there proof that we are now one within this Temple that Jesus the Branch would build?

Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner [stone,]. 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (NASB1995)

But what does this really mean, which most of the church will argue over, as they seek to divide God’s people. Paul tells us:

Ephesians 3:3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 [to be specific,] that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, (NASB1995)

Why did Jesus say that He would build His Church when in fact it was the Temple of God that He was building from us Gods people? Did Jesus ever build a physical building called a temple? Think about this: Ekklesia translated Church in the English language is a Greek word. Jesus spoke in the Greek. It was the language of the day: “I will build my Ekklesia. This word was in use in that day in the Greek Old Testament. At that time there was no New Testament or Covenant.

One of its meanings of Ekklesia in the Old Testament was and is “the people of God. That term which in English is translated “Church” was well known to even the average Jew in Israel such as Pater, when Jesus spoke it to Him. It would be the people of God whom Jesus would build into His temple.

We are the people of God. Built into the Temple of God by the BRANCH, Who is the Priest and King of the book of Hebrews. He is the provider of this New Covenant through His shed blood. Yes His Covenants and His Word must mean everything to us His people even as it did to the saints of old, who were called in Jesus day the “Ekklessia”.

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” [which is] performed in the flesh by human hands– 12 [remember] that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both [groups into] one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (NASB1995)