Reading Plan:
Revelation 21

Our Thoughts:
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:3
Every time my sister and I go to a bookstore, she drifts from shelf to shelf, book to book, trying to find just the right story to read. Her method of choosing has always baffled me: she turns to the last page to see how the story will end. I always ask her, “Doesn’t that ruin the whole book?” But my sister insists that she can tell by the last few paragraphs if the story is worth reading.
At the end of the greatest story of all time, John reveals the perfect conclusion to God’s story. From His throne, God announces that He will dwell with his people, and He would be their God in the new heaven and new earth (21:3). This recalls the promises made throughout the Bible, including the new covenant in Hebrews 8:10, God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:8, and God’s instructions to the Israelites for regular offerings at the tabernacle in Exodus 29:45. God has always planned to dwell with His people as their God.
We can go back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis when Adam and Eve worked and kept the garden, and the Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). God created humanity to dwell with Him and bear his image in the world. After the Fall caused by sin in Genesis 3, God’s presence was not among His people until after the Israelites left Egypt. In the wilderness, God gave the Israelites instruction on how to build a tabernacle or “tent of meeting” for the Almighty God. The Greek work skēnē translated as dwelling place in Revelation 21:3 is the same word for tabernacle and tent. God’s presence dwelled in the “Holy of Holies” inside the tabernacle so that the priests who worked and kept the tabernacle could make sacrifices and offerings for God’s people.
Hundreds of years later, David designed the temple and Solomon built this permanent dwelling place in Jerusalem. It was a huge, beautifully ornate building at the center of the city, designated as the “home of God” and a symbol of God’s desire to live amongst His people. Eventually, Israel’s leaders rebelled against God, and as a result, the temple was destroyed, and the people were exiled from the land (Jeremiah 52:12-13).
Fast forward to Jesus. In John 2:19-21, Jesus said, “'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” Through His sacrifice, Jesus made a way for God to not only dwell with his people but for God to dwell in his people! After Jesus was resurrected, the body of believers became the temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. God sent His Spirit to dwell among us and does his work in us and through us.
In Revelation 21, John is describing the new heaven and the new earth. He describes a heavenly city, a community of God’s children—New Jerusalem. The city walls, from the foundations to the gates, are adorned with jewels and pearls; the streets are made of gold and glass—all materials to reflect God’s illuminating glory. But John notices something is different about the layout of this city—a building that would typically sit prominently in the center of a city is missing. There is no temple for worship in New Jerusalem, no priests giving sacrifices or offerings. This of course was not an oversight or mistake. God the Almighty—the Object of our Worship, and the Lamb—Our Perfect Sacrifice, dwelt among the people—they are the temple. In eternity, God himself dwells with His redeemed people as their God.
The Bible is the unified story of redemption that points us to Jesus—From Genesis to John, to Revelation. God didn’t give up on His creation even though they rebelled again and again. He made a way for redemption through Jesus, and His people will once again dwell in the presence of God himself. The ending of this story is foretold from the very beginning—and trust me, it’s a story worth reading.

More Questions:
What’s your favorite story in the Bible? What does it teach you about God’s plan of redemption?
What is your favorite way to worship? Take time to worship God now.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your story of redemption. Thank you for loving me and planning a way to dwell with me for all of eternity. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that guides me and allows me to be a part of your Kingdom work. When I get weary or lose my focus, remind me of my eternal purpose in You.

Author: Amy Fontenot