THE TABERNACLE OF GOD HEREAFTER – REVELATION 21:3

 

 

Introduction:

A tabernacle is place of worship for Christians. It was used by the Jews in the ancient times. Hence the Israelites made it a small and movable place of worship in the course of their journey in the wilderness. The tabernacle, therefore, symbolized where God dwells and the people of God would always want God’s presence wherever they went and constantly, they worshipped God in tabernacles.

 

Thus, it became an annual great feast for the Jews in commemoration of the forty years spent in the wilderness. The feast lasted a week, and was held annually beginning on the seventh day of the seventh month (7/7). Booths were erected in which the people lived during the feast. The first and last days were days of holy convocation or public worship, and the intervening days were devoted to the free enjoyment of the festal season. Throughout the week an elaborate scheme of sacrificial offerings was carried through. It is therefore instructive that God has always desired that His people would be with Him and Him with them, no matter the wilderness experience they may have.

 

The Temple:

As time went on, the Solomonic Temple, described in 1 Kings 6 and 2 Chronicles 3:4 was for the most part only an enlarged edition of the Mosaic Tabernacle with the modifications necessitated by the requirement of such a splendid edifice. In place of the single laver in the outer court of the Tabernacle, Solomon placed ten lavers in the Temple – five on the right and five on the left – to wash the holy vessels – 2 Chronicle 4:6, while he provided a much larger one, brazen sea – 2 Chronicle 4:2-6 for the priests to wash in.

 

In place of the single seven-armed candlestick, Solomon made ten of a similar pattern to that in the Tabernacle, which were arranged in two rows of five each – 2 Chronicles 4:7.

 

Man – The Temple of God:

In refocusing man’s attention, God, while appreciating man’s efforts in building the tabernacles and the temples made it clear that man himself is His temple – “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

 

The Tabernacle of God Hereafter:

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God”. Revelation 21:3. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away” v4.

 

Whereas, the earthly tabernacles and the temples symbolize the dwelling place of God, man himself is the dwelling place of God here on earth! If, therefore, God had honour and respect for the earthly tabernacle and the temple, how much more man, his own image which will culminate into the essence of His worship in the Tabernacle hereafter?

 

God had great respect for His temple “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house” 2 Chronicles 7:1-2. How desirable it is that the glory of God will continually fill His temple – the Man? For you and I, the questions we should ask ourselves is: Are we reflecting the glory of God in our lives? Are we really consecrated?

 

The Tabernacle hereafter is the throne of God, where He dwell in Heaven. It is the final convocation of the saints where we shall eventually come into the company of the saints, in the assembly of the innumerable angels, the city of God – Zion. When we shall come to general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of the just man made perfect – Hebrews 12:22-23.

 

A time shall come when either the tabernacle or the temple shall be no more. “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof”. Revelation 21:22-23. In the tabernacle hereafter “… there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” v27. There, the twenty and four elders, round about the throne of God worship and the four beasts with six wings each saying: “… Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty which was, and is, and is to come”. Revelations 4:8

 

Brethren, what a great convocation of the saints! What a glorious assembly of people of God from all nations in the tabernacle of God hereafter! If therefore, God is preparing us such a glorious place where He dwells, what manner of men and women might we to be? 2 Peter 3:11.