Revelation 21:3
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This declaration comes as the holy city descends from heaven, announcing the fulfillment of God's covenant to dwell with His people forever.
What Does Revelation 21:3 Mean?
Revelation 21:3 announces the heart of God's promise -- He will dwell directly with His people, making His home among them as their God. A great voice declares that "the tabernacle of God is with men." The tabernacle was the tent where God's presence dwelt among Israel in the wilderness, and now that presence comes in fullness, no longer veiled but openly with His people.
The repeated language of dwelling and belonging -- "he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them" -- echoes the covenant promise sounded again and again through Scripture: that God would be with His people and they would be His. Here that promise reaches its complete fulfillment. The barrier of distance is gone; God Himself is present with those He loves. This is the deepest hope of the whole Bible, the goal toward which all of redemption has been moving: not merely a place of blessing, but the very presence of God dwelling among His people forever. For every believer who has longed to know God's nearness, this verse holds out the assurance that the day is coming when He will be with them fully and they will be His own, in unbroken fellowship that nothing can interrupt.
In the Original Language
"Tabernacle" is "skene" (σκηνή), a tent or dwelling, recalling the tabernacle of God's presence. The related verb "skenoo" means to pitch a tent and dwell.
Cross References
“And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.”
- Leviticus 26:12
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
- John 1:14
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
- Revelation 21:7
Application
This verse assures believers that their deepest longing for God's nearness will be fulfilled, for He promises to dwell with His people forever.