Parallels to LDS Temples will be shown in Ancient Writings and Historical Christian Art. Many of these writings were not available at the time the Prophet Joseph Smith restored the knowledge of Temple Ordinances back upon the earth in their fullness.
The Hand of God
(click all pictures to enlarge and read)
That the Lord is concealed behind some kind of barrier is borne out by many painting and stelae from churches and cemeteries in the early centuries of Christianity. God is never completely visible but only his arm can be seen as it is stretched out from behind a veil, a curtain, a cloud, or a screen, such as in the churches of Nola, SS. Cosa e Damiano in Milan; Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, Italy; Parezo in Istria, and others. Even though the correct interpretation may elude the modern churchgoer, it is evidently an ancient symbol of great significance and transcendent reality.
The imagery of the atonement is there as the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt. Thus Moses: "But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh" (Deuteronomy 7:8).
Also See:
Power in the Right Hand
The Hand of God
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