In the Old Testament, there was the need of the
tabernacle and the temple and their shadows of things
eternal, things that spoke not only of the Lamb as the
access into God’s presence, but also of the eternal holy
dwelling place of God. In the Old Testament the tabernacle
and temple, that which spoke of the very dwelling place of
God was the Holy of Holies. In the church age the believer
himself becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
6:19).
In the New Jerusalem there will be no need of some special
temple, some special sanctuary, because believers, the saved
of all ages, will be in the presence of the Almighty
Sovereign God and the Lamb. The Father and Son themselves
are the temple in that men will be living in the midst of
the unveiled glory of God. In the earthly tabernacle and
temple there was artificial lighting in the holy place, the
seven-branched lampstand which spoke of Christ as the Light
of the world. Yet, even in the Holy of Holies, there was no
such lighting because the Shekinah glory of God gave it its
light, the light of God’s own presence. In the New
Jerusalem, the entire city will be the temple, the dwelling
place of God with the radiance of God’s glory radiating
throughout the city in all its transparent beauty.
In verse 24, we are told, “the nations will walk by its
light.” For the first time in history, men will walk totally
by the physical and spiritual light of God’s direction. The
light of God’s divine essence, His wisdom, love, and power,
will direct our every step, thought, deed and action. There
will be no stumbling; only walking steadfastly in the
righteousness and joy of God.
Elsewhere in Revelation, the nations are pagan, rebellious
peoples of the world who trample the holy city and who have
become drunk with the wine of Babylon. However, here the
nations refer to the peoples of the earth who are the
servants of Christ, the redeemed nations who follow the Lamb
and have resisted the beast and Babylon. The kings of the
earth will bring their glory into the city. They will attach
no glory to themselves, but bring it into the city in
recognition of God and His glory as the source of theirs.
Here is the perspective of grace. He must increase, I must
decrease, and I am what I am by the grace of God.
