Revelation 21:3; God Himself Shall Be With Them and Be Their God (2)

Posted on Posted in Devotions Tagged with , ,

Revelation 21:3 (KJV)  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 

Verse 3 proceeds to predict that “He will dwell with them”, it is highlighting a relationship that dominates the thought of the whole section on the new creation (Revelation 21:1-22:5). “He shall dwell” already used in Revelation 7:15, alludes to Ezekiel 37:27; Zechariah 2:10; 8:8. It is a metaphor for the Shekinah glory of God in old tabernacle.

Revelation 7:15 (KJV)  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 

Ezekiel 37:27 (KJV)  My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

Zechariah 2:10 (KJV)  Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. 

Zechariah 8:8 (KJV)  And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. 

The theme continues “they shall be His people”. A noticeable change from the singular to the plural “people” marks an expansion beyond the boundaries of Israel, usually referred to by the singular “people”. God promised He would make Abraham a blessing to all peoples of the earth (Galatians 3:8, 16, 26-29).

Galatians 3:8 (KJV)  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

Galatians 3:16 (KJV)  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 

Galatians 3:26-29 (KJV)  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Many nations, not just Israel, will participate in the fulfilling experience of enjoying His presence (cf. John 10:16) (Alford, Swete, Bullinger, Charles). John updates the traditional concept of a singular people to include the many peoples represented among the redeemed (Jeremiah 7:23; 30:22; Hosea 2:23; Romans 9:25).

Jeremiah 7:23 (KJV)  But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 

Jeremiah 30:22 (KJV)  And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 

Hosea 2:23 (KJV)  And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. 

Romans 9:25 (KJV)  As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 444]