“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened and the ark of the covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and earthquake and heavy hail.” (Revelation 11:19 ESV)
John is granted a vision of God’s temple in heaven and the ark of the covenant as he peers into the Most Holy Place itself (Revelation 11) and is prepared to be further enlightened as to the church’s future spiritual conflict (Revelation 12)
Is this a reminder of the morning after resurrection of Jesus, when the two disciples, Peter and John, ran to the tomb (John 20:6). John stooped to look in, but it was Simon Peter who actually went into the tomb and found the burial cloths lying – folded. John followed, saw the cloths, and believed!
Does this ask us how curious we are about the things of God? There are some who seem content to peer in from the outside, not wishing to get involved, only able to see and relate from a distance, and never quite understanding what its all about – on a deeper level.
There are others like Peter and John who want to find out as much as they can and, like John (in Revelation), are willing to explore whatever God opens before them. Or, like Peter they want to explore and verify the truths of Scripture in his case the fulfillment in the resurrection of Jesus, or like John who upon entry into the tomb and seeing the empty cloths – believed– “I know that my redeemer liveth!!”
The Lord welcomes our curiosity and questions – there is much to learn, enjoy, and experience and it is His joy and purpose to teach and lead us on our journey.
Will we be content to ‘look in’ from the outside or go that step further in faith and enter into a relationship with God the Father, through Jesus the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit? As Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:16 ESV)
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (John 20:3-8 NIV)
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31 NIV)
