What’s with the exhausting serving day and night in the temple in Revelation 7?

Let’s first consider our creation. We unique, dirt-with-the-breath-of-life critters, created in the image and after the likeness of God, were made for doing things.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Garden-tenders and earth-subduers are we. God made us to have dominion. This is both ruler and caretaker. The dominus (lord) of the household is the one who is responsible for the safety and full bellies of his subjects. Even in our sinful fallenness, the earth is still organized this way.

And to Adam he said, “…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life… By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17b, 19)

Not just us, but all of creation is broken, distorted by sin, death, and the Devil. Before sin entered, the work of tending the garden didn’t break backs, tear muscles, or cause the sweaty putrescence and exhaustion that define our lives of toil under the sun. For the toil with which one toils all the vain days of this life, that breaks down and exhausts this sinful flesh.

But, dear baptized, redeemed by Christ in the resurrection all will be made new. A new heavens and a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and a new temple/garden of which we will be the tenders once more. Refreshed, renewed, resurrected in glory, we will not suffer from our labor.

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:15-17)

Even more, we will be sheltered by God as a hen gathers her chicks. Hunger, thirst, the heat of toiling under the sun, and sadness itself are all wiped away in the presence of our Savior. Serving in the temple will be an immeasurable joy to us. Quite frankly, I can’t conceive of it at all. But, Jesus puts this vision into our ears to strengthen our trust in the hope He has prepared.

Trust in Jesus, for He has prepared a place for us.

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX