Some people speak of heaven itself as being God’s sanctuary. But the book of Revelation refers to a specific sanctuary/temple within the New Jerusalem, where God’s throne and the sea of glass are located (Revelation 4:2-6, Revelation 7:9-15, Revelation 15:5-8). There the great multitude of saints from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues will worship God forever (Revelation 7:9-17).
Image © Steve Creitz at Goodsalt.com
Compare Revelation 7:9-15 with Revelation 21:3, Revelation 21:22. How can we harmonize the description of the great multitude of the redeemed serving God “day and night in His temple” (Revelation 7:15, NKJV) with the statement that John “saw no temple” in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:22, NKJV)?
The heavenly sanctuary/temple has always been the place where the heavenly hosts worship God. But with the appearance of sin, that sanctuary became also the place from where salvation is offered to humanity. “When the sin problem is over, the heavenly sanctuary will once again revert to its original function. In Revelation 21:22, John the revelator reports that he no longer saw a temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. But does that mean there is no longer a house of the Lord where His creatures can come and have special fellowship with Him? By no means!” — Richard M. Davidson, “The Sanctuary: ‘To Behold the Beauty of the Lord,’” in Artur Stele, ed., The Word: Searching, Living, Teaching, vol. 1 (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, 2015), p. 31.
The book of Revelation gives special attention to the One who is being worshiped and to those who are worshiping Him. This heavenly worship is centered on God and the Lamb (Revelation 5:13, Revelation 7:10). As always, and as it should be, Christ is the focus of the worship.
The worshipers are those “who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14, NIV). They are living witnesses of God’s redeeming and transforming power. They sing praises to God for who He is and for what He did for them.
| Revelation 21:3 reads: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (NKJV). These verses reflect numerous other passages (Jeremiah 32:38, Ezekiel 37:27, Zechariah 8:8, Hebrews 8:10). What does it mean for us now, still here on earth, that God will be our God, and we will be His people? How do we live out this amazing truth now? |
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