New Jerusalem, Eternal Tabernacle and Temple
The Old Testament tabernacle was merely a picture. The New Testament tabernacle is Jesus Christ Himself, as seen in John 1:14, “the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” Through death and resurrection Christ enlarged the tabernacle by bringing us into Himself. As a result, New Jerusalem becomes the eternal tabernacle: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them” (Rev. 21:3).
The Lord Jesus as a man tabernacled among us. He also presented Himself as God’s New Testament temple in John 2:19-21. New Jerusalem is the ultimate development. Revelation 21:22, describing New Jerusalem, says “the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”
The New Jerusalem is God’s tabernacle—God’s dwelling in eternity (Rev. 21:3a). It is also God’s temple as God’s redeemed people’s living and serving place (v. 22)….We have to realize that even today in the New Testament we are living in the temple as God’s new creation. We are living in the temple because the church is the temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17). To us it is the temple; to God it is the tabernacle.*
Thus, New Jerusalem as the eternal tabernacle and temple is a mutual habitation. We dwell in the Triune God and He dwells in us. This is the consummation of John 14:20 and John 15:4-5, “Abide in Me and I in you.”
* This is the sixth 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 26, 2021
