Worship External -
Revelation 21
From the heart of the
pastor:
“And I saw
no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and
the Lamb, are its temple”
(Rev.
21:22).
The Holy Spirit spirited
the Apostle John “to a great and high mountain” and
showed him “the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, having the glory of God”
(Rev. 21:10f.). John was allowed a glimpse of the
new heaven and the new earth. Though he saw the new
Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, he did
not see what he expected – the temple.
Have you ever found
yourself noticing the conspicuousness of something
by its absence? The one structure John expected in
the heaven of God was the temple of the Lord – it
was not there.
In this life, Christians
enjoy going into the Sanctuary of their Christ
Jesus. In His Sanctuary, the congregation of
Christians worship the Christ of the holy
Sanctuary. You cannot imagine failing to enter your
Lord’s house of prayer every Lord’s Day. You
cherish both the morning and evening services of
worship, and your Sabbath would be empty if you were
absent from the assemblage of saints seeking to
traffic in the matters of the Holy Spirit.
There is no temple in
heaven because when the perfect is come, the partial
shall be done away even as the manna ceased when the
Hebrews entered the Promised Land. God says, Paul
writes, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then
face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall
know fully just as I also have been fully known” (I
Cor. 13:12).
No external worship
enablements are necessary in heaven because you will
have “the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb.” In
a city where all is holy, there is no need for a
temple with walls of division. Everyone, everything
and everywhere shall be holy in heaven. God and
Christ are the heavenly temple. This is what Haggai
prophesied when he quoted the holy God, saying,
“‘The latter glory of this house will be greater
than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in
this place I shall give peace,’ declares the Lord of
hosts” (Hag. 2:9).
Many Christians even
today are trusting in their places of worship
rather than the Christ of the place (the Samaritan
woman). Scores of well-intentioned believers are
more fully wed to their earthly Sanctuaries than
they are to their heavenly Jesus. Never allow
people, place, geography, familiarity, tradition or
events that previously occurred in your church to
determine your commitment to your Christ.
In heaven, you receive
the reality rather than the shadow of a mere
building. No more symbolism – no more geography –
for as the Lord Christ says, “Believe Me, an hour is
coming when neither in this mountain, nor in
Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father” (Jn.
4:21).
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
