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"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" (Rev. 21: 3).
It is natural and right to read straight on the comforting words, "and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes", but we should not forget that the context is very like that
of II Cor. 6: 16 - 7: 1:--
"I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful and the unbelieving,
and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone: which is
the second death . . . . . there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth"
(Rev. 21: 7, 8, 27).
"They shall be."--Not until the fulfillment of the two preceding clauses, can it be
said, "They shall be My people". The people of God are something more than a chosen
nation. They are His people because they are bought with a price, and have been cleanse
and sanctified.
To enforce the lesson, the apostle goes over the ground again, and approaches his
subject from another angle.
"Be ye."--This clause looks back to the previous statement: "Ye are the temple of
the living God." If this is so, says the apostle, we must remember that there can be
nothing in common between the temple of God and idols. So he continues:--
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch
not the unclean thing" (II Cor. 6: 17).
Here we have a threefold exhibition of the fact that we are the temple of God. We are
to "come out", to "be separate" and to "touch not the unclean thing".
To each one of us these words have their own special appeal and application; it is not
for us in an article like this to attempt more than draw attention to facts. The real
application must be the work of the Holy Spirit interpreting to heart and conscience what
these things involve. We may at least see that any compromising connection that we may
have, even in the realm of service, comes under this scrutiny.
"I will."--In the first set of quotations, the Lord's "I will" included the thoughts of
"dwelling", "walking" and "being their God". Another aspect is presented in this
second "I will":--
"I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you" (II Cor. 6: 18).
If it is true that we are received by God, and if He is also our Father, what precious
promises we have upon which to lean and from which to work.