A Word to the “Little Flock”

The Temple of God

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament:” - Revelation 11:19. AWLF 23.1

The Temple of God in which is the ark of his testament, is in heaven. St. Paul while in vision, was caught up to the third heaven, or paradise which we believe is the New Jerusalem. The word heaven, is applied to other places beside the New Jerusalem, see Genesis 1:8 and 17; Revelation 14:6. But as they do not contain God’s Temple, I must believe that the heaven in which is the Temple of God, is the New Jerusalem. Old Jerusalem, and its Temple were types of the New Jerusalem, and God’s Temple which is in it. The ark containing the tables of stone, on which God wrote the ten commandments with his own finger, were put into the Holiest. When John had a view of the opening of the New Jerusalem Temple, he saw the ark in the same place in the antitype, that it was in the type. AWLF 23.2

Therefore it is clear that Old Jerusalem, its Temple, and the furniture of that Temple, have distinct antitypes in Paradise. That Paradise was taken up from the earth after the fall of man, is plain, as there is no such place on the earth which answers the description of it given by Moses. - Genesis 3:23, 24. Also, the prophet says: “Behold, the time shall come, that these tokens which I have told thee shall come to pass, and the Bride shall appear, and she coming forth shall be seen, that now is withdrawn from the earth. - 2Esdras,7:26. The foundations, walls, and gates, of the New Jerusalem, have certainly been formed in Paradise, since Old Jerusalem was built: if not, then the New, is older than the Old. Abraham by faith looked for this City “which hath foundations;” but he did not expect to find it, until the faithful were raised. The Temple of Old Jerusalem was built purposely for the Old Covenant worship. The Temple, or Sanctuary of New Jerusalem, of which Christ is a minister, the Lord pitched and not man, purposely for the New Covenant worship. Therefore, when Christ has finished his ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary, and has redeemed his people, there will be no more use for the New Jerusalem Temple, than there was for the Temple at Old Jerusalem, after Jesus had nailed the ceremonial law to the cross. John had a view of the Holy City when it shall come down, Revelation 21:10, at the close of the 1000 years, Revelation 20:7-9, and said, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it - Revelation 21:22. He does not tell us what had become of it; but his saying that he saw no Temple therein at that time, indicates that he had seen one there before. The Holy City is called the Tabernacle of God, Revelation 21:3; Isaiah 33:20; but it is not called so, until it is situated on the New Earth. The City is also called the Temple of God, Revelation 17:15; but not until the saints are raised, and gathered up into the City, where they will serve God “day and night.” Then the Holy City alone, will be the Tabernacle, or Temple of God. AWLF 23.3