(Luke 24:18; Acts 7:6,29; 13:17; Eph. 2:19; Heb. 11:9; 1 Pet. 1:17; 2:11).

Even though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were actually in the land of promise,

they confessed by their attitude, which is expressed in 'tent dwelling', that

they were strangers (xenos) and pilgrims (parepidemos) in the earth.  Faith

made these heirs of promise almost like the uncovenanted Gentiles who were by

nature 'strangers from the covenants of promise', and Peter calls upon his

readers 'as strangers and pilgrims' to abstain, to submit, to have before

them the example of Christ, which He left, that they should follow His steps

(1 Pet. 2:11-21).  Hebrews 11 links up with 2 Corinthians 5, in that both

passages set before the believer, 'a building of God in the heavens' or 'a

city which hath foundations whose Maker and Builder is God' (2 Cor. 5:1; Heb.

11:10).  This feature is repeated and expanded in Hebrews 11:14-16.  They who

thus live as pilgrims and strangers on the earth 'declare plainly that they

seek a country'.  They 'desire a better country, that is, an heavenly,

wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for

them a city'.  The truth emerging is that this present creation is likened to

a tabernacle, and that, in harmony with the purpose and intention behind that

likeness, the believer's body is likened to a tent or tabernacle.  Not only

so, but God Himself speaks as though He too, while the present conflict

lasts, has left His glory, and like a king whose country is attacked, He too

shares the hardship and distress of His army, and will be a tent dweller

until victory is achieved.

The truth exhibited by this figure likewise emphasizes the goal to

which this purpose presses.  The present creation will eventually give place

to the day when God will be all in all.  The tent dwellers, the pilgrims and

the sojourners who here have no continuing city but who seek one to come,

these too endure as seeing Him that is invisible.  They too have a building

of God, a heavenly city in view.  The individual believer also shares the

groan of creation, has a body which is likened to a tent and presses forward,

supported by the blessed hope of a resurrection to life and immortality.

Two other portions of this great truth await our consideration.

the birth of Christ:

'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us' (John

He had come to His own.  The world had been made by Him, but even so we read

He had not where to lay His head.  He asked to be shown a penny.  He

apparently owned no possessions, He was a Pilgrim in the world He had made,

even as in a lesser degree, Abraham was a pilgrim in the land of promise.

When we get to the end of the story, namely the closing chapters of the book

of the Revelation, we discover that when the New Jerusalem descends from

heaven, a great voice proclaims, 'Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men,

and He will dwell (skenoo as in a tabernacle or tent skene) with them' (Rev.

21:3).  While this city was the goal of Abraham's pilgrimage, it is not the

ultimate goal of the ages.  1 Corinthians 15:24 leads us to the real goal.

It would be a natural objection here to interpose, and remind oneself that

Revelation 21:1-3 not only speaks of 'The Tabernacle of God' but of a new

heaven and a new earth, which on the surface would seem to be the climax and

goal of the Scripture narrative.  It is natural, at first sight, for the

creation of Genesis 1:1 to be placed over against the creation of Revelation

21:1 as follows: