(tm) Tabernacles, and the Habitation of God
Back to What comes after Pentecost?
A second concept common to the feast of Tabernacles and the new heaven and earth reign of Christ is that of the dwelling of God with mankind. It can be seen that the idea of the tabernacling of God with people is central to all we are saying to the reader.
God finds rest in us and we find rest in God. We abide in God and God abides in us. The main concept that stands out as we think about the new heaven and earth reign of Christ is the abiding and resting of God Almighty and the Lamb in the new Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb.
There will be nations of saved people on the new earth.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (Revelation 21:24)
God will be able to dwell among the nations of the saved because He now has a tabernacle, the Wife of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem, that is able to please God perfectly. The tabernacle of God will be placed among the nations of the saved, and God thus will be able to wipe away the tears of mankind.
The churches of today are a very imperfect form of the eternal house of God that one day will be present on the earth. The churches are a poor representation of God in the earth. In the future, God will be dwelling in His Church, the new Jerusalem, to such an extent that all saved peoples may be able to approach God in a satisfying and beneficial manner.
During the feast of Tabernacles the Israelites dwelled in booths. The Jews were commanded to build little booths of tree branches outside their houses and to live in them for seven days. The term tabernacles (temporary dwellings) is derived from the booths in which the Hebrews dwelled during the celebration.
Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:42,43)
Each year the Israelite family, no matter how rich or poor, was to put together a small booth of palm and willow branches, and other foliage, and live in it for a week. The change in their routine of living gave them the opportunity to bring to mind their history ("that your generations may know I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt"); and also to think about their special relationship to God as His chosen people.
Also, the booths pointed toward the day when the people of God become the eternal Tabernacle of God (Revelation 21:3).
Sometimes it becomes necessary for us to take a moment to remember who we are, what we are doing, where we are going, and what our relationship is to God. We continually must call to mind our individual role as a king and priest of God. Otherwise we become sidetracked and lose our purpose and direction in all we are and do. Other interests and desires capture our imagination and heart. God is jealous of these secondary issues. He desires our complete attention at all times (Exodus 34:14).
During the new heaven and earth reign of Christ the nations of the saved will pursue their own interests. They will "walk in the light" of the holy city and "bring their glory and honor into it" (Revelation 21:24). But the Wife of the Lamb will spend eternity in worship of God and in union with His Personality. Her role is priestly, and she will never forget her purpose among the nations of the earth.
The Bride cannot lose sight of her service and destiny because God Almighty and the Lamb will be tabernacling in her midst.
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 will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)
The above passage sums up the work of God, from the creation of the heaven and the earth all the way to the descending of the new Jerusalem from the new heaven to its eternal resting place on the new earth.
It always has been God’s desire to dwell among His creatures but sin has made it impossible. From the hour of Adam’s sin to the malicious treatment Jesus received at the hands of the Jewish elders and the Roman soldiers, until the present hour, most people have not been able to practice righteousness, love mercy, or walk humbly with God. It is not possible for humans to conduct themselves in this simple and good manner because of their inheritance of sin, their wicked "shape" (Psalms 51:5), and the poisonous spiritual atmosphere of the age in which they are attempting to survive.
God revealed His eternal purpose, in Exodus 25:8:
"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
Just thirteen words, but they encompass the Godhead, mankind, Heaven, earth, and thousands of years of travail, agony, triumph, and glory.
Jesus added to the revelation of Gods’s intention to dwell in people:
Jesus answered and said to him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)
From the Lord Jesus we learn that the dwelling place of God will be a living temple rather than a temple made from stone, gold, wood, or other nonhuman materials.
Paul enlarged our understanding of the living Temple of God by his teaching concerning the Church, the Body of Christ. It is Christ—Head and Body—who is the Temple of God.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:19-21)
We are being "builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." There is no statement in the Scriptures more central to the working of the Lord God.
Why, then, does God not come into the Church in His fullness and take up His residence in us now? Why all the confusion, delay, tribulation, worry, grief of mind and heart, and pain of body?
It is because we cannot dwell with Him in our present condition. The fire of His Presence would destroy us. He does not enjoy our ways and we do not enjoy His ways. He loves us and we love Him, but the lust and rebellion remaining in us are at war with God.
The Ark of God always must come to rest in a prepared place. Our entire personality must welcome the Presence of God. We must be willing to wait on God’s pleasure at every moment and in all circumstances. How many of us attempt to keep Christ in some inconspicuous place in our life so we can use Him when we get ready and yet not inconvenience ourselves to any great extent?
It may be true that many of us Christians are not ready to receive the Presence of God into our life fully and give ourselves wholly to His likes and dislikes, His ways of doing things. It is difficult for two strong-willed people to live together in harmony. God has definite ideas and He takes no pleasure in having to explain everything He does before we will act, and then be required to resist our stubbornness at every turn.
Back to What comes after Pentecost?