New Jerusalem, Eternal Tabernacle and Temple (2)
Revelation 21:3 refers to New Jerusalem as the tabernacle and 21:22 refers to the city as the temple. These are not physical buildings but living organisms portrayed by the Old Testament structures.
The tabernacle, as a sign, signifies that the processed and consummated Triune God, after traveling through the wilderness of incarnation, human living, His all-inclusive death, and His life-imparting resurrection, and entering into His surpassing ascension, has secured a redeemed people to be His dwelling in eternity….And the temple, as a sign, signifies that the processed and consummated Triune God, after being wrought into His redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified people through His death, resurrection, and ascension in humanity, has been constituted with His redeemed and glorified people to be His organism, which becomes eventually His redeemed people’s dwelling in eternity.*
The living tabernaace and temple do not suddenly appear in Revelation 21. Rather, they are the ultimate development of the Body of Christ, composed of all His believers as His many members. This Body came into being in His resurrection and has been growing and being built together since then.
The building of the Body of Christ is in 1 Corinthians 3 and 12 and often mentioned in Ephesians. In Ephesians 4 the specially gifted members (v. 11) labor to perfect all the believers (v. 12) so that all may take part in building up the Body of Christ. Then we all arrive at God’s goal for this age (v. 13) and develop further to New Jerusalem.
* This is the seventh of a series with quotes from chapter 28 of The Central Line of the Divine Revelation by Witness Lee, copyright by Living Stream Ministry.
Posted by Don on July 28, 2021
