Strong’s Greek 2732 speaks of a settled habitation—more than a passing shelter, it is a place designed to host a continuing presence. In Scripture the word frames two sharply contrasting realities: the redeemed community being fashioned into God’s own dwelling and the doomed world-system that has degenerated into a dwelling for demonic forces.

Occurrences

• Ephesians 2:22
• Revelation 18:2

Dwelling Place of God: Ephesians 2:22

“And in Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)

Paul’s vision culminates the earlier promise that Gentiles and Jews “are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19). The imagery moves from household to temple, then to this consummate expression: the Church—local and universal, visible and invisible—is becoming the very habitation of God. Two implications dominate:

1. Unity in Christ: Living stones (compare 1 Peter 2:5) are fitted together; division mars the architecture of the Spirit’s home.
2. Holiness of life: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). A habitation for God must reflect His character.

Dwelling Place of Demons: Revelation 18:2

“He cried out in a mighty voice: ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair of demons…’” (Revelation 18:2).

John portrays the end-time world order, symbolized by Babylon, as a city so saturated with rebellion that it turns into a permanent abode for every unclean spirit. The word highlights the finished condition of Babylon’s corruption; evil no longer merely visits—it settles. The moral contrast with Ephesians 2:22 is deliberate: where God’s people become His residence, a wicked society becomes a residence for His enemies.

Biblical Theology

1. Covenant Fulfillment: From the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:8) through Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:27) to the Church, God’s intent has always been to dwell among His people.
2. Indwelling Spirit: The New Covenant internalizes what was once localized (John 14:17; Romans 8:9), making every believer and the gathered Church corporately a sacred habitation.
3. Separation from Worldliness: Because Babylon’s destiny is destruction, believers are urged, “Come out of her, my people” (Revelation 18:4). The choice of habitation—God or demonic darkness—reveals ultimate allegiance.

Historical Setting

• Ephesians was written to congregations in a cosmopolitan center where temples to Artemis and imperial cults dominated the skyline. Declaring the Church as God’s dwelling directly confronted the surrounding pagan architecture.
• Revelation addressed first-century Christians oppressed by Rome yet tempted by its allure. Labeling the empire “Babylon” exposed its spiritual reality and foretold its collapse.

Ministerial Implications

1. Church Planting and Growth: Each assembly is a construction site where Christ is both cornerstone and builder; leaders steward the building process through sound teaching and corporate love.
2. Discipleship: Personal holiness and relational unity are not optional enhancements but structural necessities if God is to inhabit the community in manifest power.
3. Evangelism: A Spirit-indwelt Church displays the alternative to Babylon, drawing the nations toward the living God.

Eschatological Outlook

Revelation 21:3 anticipates the consummation: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” The temporary, sin-marred habitations of this age will give way to the eternal city where righteousness dwells. Until that day, the Church lives as a present-tense preview of that future reality.

Additional Cross References

Psalm 90:1; Isaiah 57:15; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 3:6.

Key Takeaways

• The same term can describe the Church’s highest privilege or the world’s deepest degradation—what determines the difference is who resides there.
• God is actively building a holy habitation; believers cooperate through unity and purity.
• Earthly systems that reject God inevitably become settled strongholds of darkness and await judgment.