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4. God in the Midst of Men (Revelation 21:3-4)
He Himself, “God With Them", Will be Their God: In a vision referring to the presence of God with persecuted martyrs of the church of Christ in Revelation 7:15-16 it was already reported that He, the holy God, “will dwell over them”. Now, however, we read that the Almighty in the completion will dwell with the chosen, wherever they will live and are found.
Already the patriarchs of the Old Testament knew of the saving and keeping mystery of the accompanying presence of God. The Lord was not afraid of calling himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 28:13.15; Exodus 3:6.15-16; 4:5; 6:3; 32:13; 1 Kings 18:36; Matthew 8:11; 22:32; Mark 12:26; Acts 3:13). The Lord, because of his familiarity with Abraham, did not want to withhold future events from him ("Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?", Genesis 18:16-18) and swore to him to multiply his descendants that are obedient to the faith as the stars of heaven and the sand on the seashore (Genesis 15:5, 22:16-18; 26:4; Exodus 32:13 and other verses).
With his stubborn people the Lord went through the desert for forty years and did not reject the stubborn people as Moses prayed for them again and again (Exodus 33:13-17; 34:9 and other verses). The presence of the Lord was their only strength and abiding blessing. Without it they could not do anything good.
Likewise as Moses, his successor Joshua received from the Lord the all-decisive promise of His presence in all circumstances, “Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed: for Yahweh, your God, is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Whether David or Elijah, whether Isaiah or Jeremiah or any other prophet and witness of the living God, they all lived on the grace and strength coming from the presence of the invisible God.
Through the birth of Christ the presence of God among men came about in a higher stage. In Christ the following promise of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us).” (Isaiah 7:14) In Jesus God lived very close to men in order to attain the purpose of his incarnation, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” (2 Corinthians 5:19). The Lord has borne the guilt of all sinners and suffered as a substitute for our chastisement and our punishment.
Already in the Old Testament the presence of God with His Covenant People could only be maintained by reconciling daily or even hourly the sinful people with the holy God by all kinds of sacrifices. Thus the self-sacrifice of the Son of God remains as the only legal basis being in effect so that God can dwell with us. Therefore the Risen Crucified One could assure his disciples, “Behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!” (Matthew 28:20)
After the ascension the Holy Spirit could come as the power of God into praying followers of Christ, because Jesus had atoned for the sins of all men on the cross. The Lamb of God makes us worthy for the presence of God. All gifts and eternal strength we do not receive from God directly, but solely through Christ. He is the only way, the sustained right and the eternal live! He is our light, our strength and our resurrection (Matthew 28:18; John 8:12; 11:25-26; 14:6; and other verses). “In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. (Colossians 2:3)
The multiple experience of the presence of God in the church of Jesus brought about by the Holy Spirit may be described by Psalm 23 or the testimonies of the apostles (Acts 12;6-17; 16:6-8; 27:1 - 28:10; 2 Corinthians 6:3-10; 12:9-10; and other verses). Over and over again the following proverb proved to be true: “Where the need is very high, there the Lord is very nigh.” Whoever wants to understand the future mode of fellowship of men with God, may read carefully what one of the elders said in front of the throne of God: And he said to me: These are they that came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:14b-17)
From this previous testimony we may surmise the perfect fellowship with God as it will be in the new creation after the return of Christ and the so-called Millennium.
It is peculiar that Muslims can read similar words in their Koran, “Be not sad, truly, Allah is with us!” (Sura al-Tawba 9:39). They reckon that the presence of Allah and his angels in the holy war will give them the victory over the enemies of the Islam and bestow on them “after” the victory forgiveness of their sins (Sura al-Fath 48:1-2) Allah commands them to take revenge on the enemies of the Islam and challenges his followers to fight a bloody battle. He curses everybody who testifies that Christ is the Son of God (Sura al-Tawba 9:29). In the paradise of the Muslims, however, Allah is not present. He lives unreachably beyond the Garden of Eden and does not long for real fellowship with his worshippers. Allah in Islam has nothing in common with the Father of Jesus Christ. The God of Islam is not a God, but an anti-divine spirit. The true God is full of holy love and transforms the followers of Christ to such people who are willing to forgive through love! (1 John 4:16). With them he will live once in a holy fellowship. Allah in Islam, however, remains far from all his Muslims.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, we worship You because You alone are the way to God and have granted us the right to remain before Him and abide in Him to experience His everlasting spiritual life. We thank You because we received these privileges only for the sake of our free justification by Your blood shed for us while we were yet sinners that we might become children of God and live with and before Him at all times. Amen.
QUESTION:
- What is the right that qualifies us to remain in the presence of God?