For the second time God’s Temple in Heaven is opened. Preceding the opening of the Heavenly Temple in Revelation 11:15-1 a song of praise is heard, in which the praises of the climax of this part of world-history is sung: “The Kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding Your servants the prophets and Your people who revere Your Name, both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” There and here the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ becomes visible and takes centre stage. This ‘Ark of the Covenant’ presents the pledge and security of the unfailing faithfulness of the Lord. And of His unchangeable Covenants He made with Israel, and to which He pledged solemn oaths. Here we see the opening of ‘the Temple of the Tent of testimony’, summed up together in one breath. Again this is also preceded by a ‘song of praise’ (verse 3-4) about the Kingdom of God that is being revealed and of His perfect righteous judgments. This is not about judgements for His people Israel as some say that the ‘great tribulation’ is especially for Israel, but about judgement upon the nations, the enemies of God and of Israel. Let us listen to the ‘Questions’ and ‘Answers’ (Q&A) in Isaiah 63:1-9. Q: “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with His garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendour, striding forward in the greatness of His strength? A: “It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.” Q: Why are Your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? A: “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with Me. I trampled them [these nations] in My anger and trod them down in My wrath; their blood spattered My garments, and I stained all My clothing. It was for Me the day of vengeance; the year for Me to redeem had come. I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so My own arm achieved salvation for Me, and My own wrath sustained Me. I trampled the nations in My anger; in My wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground.” I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us [says Israel] — yes, the many good things He has done for Israel, according to His compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are My people, children who will be true to Me”; and so He became their Saviour. In all their distress He too was distressed, and the ‘Angel of His presence’ saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”
This is why there is this emphasis upon the Tent, the Tabernacle, the Temple and the Ark of the testimony, in which the two stone tablets of the Law were kept.1 In principle these tablets of the Law of God determine the judgment of man. On the one hand there is the curse of the Law: “For all who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”2 Praise God that He has set us free from this curse by the finished work of Christ, Who as only person on earth has kept and fulfilled the requirements of the Law, and then died in our place on the cross carrying away our sins, so that Christ has redeemed us!3 On the other hand there is the wisdom of the Law as a guiding light for the nations when the Kingdom finally has come. Isaiah 2:3 “Many peoples/nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the Temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” The Law will go out from Zion, the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
The Tabernacle was called the ‘Tabernacle’ or ‘Tent’ of the ‘testimony’. KJV: ”And thou shalt put into the Ark the testimony which I shall give thee.” NIV: “Then put in the Ark the tablets of the Covenant Law, which I will give you.”4 The Tabernacle served as an example, as a model, a blueprint for the building of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was a ‘picture’, a ‘shadow’ of God’s Temple in Heaven. Hebrews 8:5 “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in Heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the Tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” That was the ‘model’ of the ‘original’ according to which Moses was to work.5 Now that ‘Temple of the Tabernacle of testimony’ is opened and the testimony of the Law—the basis for God’s righteous judgement of the nations—becomes visible. Whoever despises the grace of God in Christ comes up against judgment by the holiness of the Law.
The Ten Commandments, despised even by people who pay lip service to them, trodden underfoot by the nations in their political business and behaviour, have a threefold function.
Firstly, it should serve as the norm for public life, the guiding light for every national law passed by governments and parliaments. That is how it should be. What blessings peoples and nations would experience if they were to take this really seriously and accept the Ten Commandments as the highest standard for daily life in their communities. The ‘Golden Rule’ for mankind!
The second function of the Law’s is to make human beings as individuals, personally aware of the sinfulness of their hearts.6 The Law mercilessly lays man’s egoism bare. It was intended that he should be a source of love for God and his neighbour.7 But many times, even if we are believers, we try to get God on our side, to do according to our personal wishes and desires, instead of praying that God will do as it will be pleasing to Him. Jesus prayed in Matthew 26:42 “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” Praying is not to get God on our wavelength but to get us on His wavelength. We often do not pray: ‘Lord God, what can I do for You today?’ Or: ‘Lord, what I can do for my fellow men today?’ But most of the time we pray: ‘Lord, will You please do this or that for me!’ And we as selfish individuals see our neighbour more in the light of how he or she can be a blessing to me, than how can I to bless my neighbour. So the Law makes us aware of the fact that we are sinners. And that we need forgiveness and a Saviour. It drives us out to faith in Christ. “Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the Law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the Law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”8
The third function of that same Law is this. It serves as a basic rule for our lives to follow the ‘golden rule’ in gratitude. Not by the power of our flesh, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, producing the nine fold fruit of the Spirit by walking in the Spirit.9
• God does not act arbitrarily, like an Eastern despot, or indifferently like a Greek god or Fate, or unpredictably as a god like Allah.
• He is faithful to His Covenants, faithful to His Law, faithful to His grace in Christ, faithful to Israel, faithful to nations who want to serve Him and faithful to His Creation that He will soon renew also.
Bible References:
1.Exodus 25:16, 31:18; 1 Kings 8:6, 9 2.Galatians 3:10 3.Galatians 3:13 4.Exodus 38:21; Numbers 10–11; Acts 7:44 5.Exodus 25:40 6.Romans 3:20 7.Mark 12:28–34 8.Galatians 3:23-25 9.Romans 8:9
