In the book of Revelation, the concept of the sanctuary is made evident by the occurrence of two words in the book, naos and skēnē.1 The two nouns occur together in 15:5 in the phrase, ho naos tēs skēnēs tou martyriou en tō ouranō, “the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven.” This verse indicates that naos and skēnē are in heaven, and that the two terms are closely connected. There are four possible connections indicated by the genitive construction: (1) the naos is part of the skēnē;2 (2) the naos contains the skēnē;3 (3) the naos is made of the skēnē;4 (4) the naos is the skēnē.5 Whatever the connection, the naos cannot be disassociated from the skēnē.
In the central section of Revelation (11:19–15:4),6 both nouns appear: naos (11:19; 14:17); skēnē (13:6). Naos of Revelation 11:19 is clearly a heavenly one: “the temple [naos] of God that is in the heaven.” Because this text introduces the vision of Revelation 12–14, the vision is to be seen in the context of the heavenly sanctuary. The skēnē, “sanctuary, tabernacle,” in 13:6 is an object of the blasphemy by the sea beast, who appears in the same verse: “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle [skēnē], and those who dwell in heaven” (NKJV). Thus the word indicates a heavenly skēnē.
What is happening here? How are we to understand the meaning of this text, especially in the context of the great controversy?
The worship context
For starters, the blasphemy of the sea beast against the skēnē is a crucial and central component of the great controversy theme as it appears in the book of Revelation.7 The main issue of the conflict is related to worship. This truth is indicated by the ten occurrences of the word proskyneō, “to worship, bow down, kneel,” in this section of the book (13:3, 4 [2x], 8, 12, 15; 14:7, 9, 11; 15:4). The dragon puts forth all his efforts to become the object of worship. These efforts include war against Michael (12:7–9); war against the “male child” (vv. 4, 5); war against the woman (vv. 6, 13–16); and war against the remnant of the seed of the woman (v. 17). All this brings an expected result: with the exception of the woman and the remnant of her seed (vv. 6, 14–17), the entire world “worshiped the dragon” (13:4), “and they worshiped the beast” (vv. 3, 4), and “all who dwell on the earth will worship him [the sea beast]” (v. 8, NKJV).
Although Satan may seem to dominate the conflict on the earth, in Revelation 14:6–15:4 the scene changes. The three angels proclaim the eternal gospel (14:6–13), with worship as the theme, counterattacking the false worship campaign of the dragon and its agents.8 In the messages of the three angels, the word proskyneō,“to worship,” occurs often (vv. 7, 9, 11). While in 13:7, 8, people worship the beast, in 14:6, 7 all people are called to worship the God of heaven.9
The meaning of blasphemy
During his effort to be worshiped, the sea beast “opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name [and] His tabernacle” (Rev. 13:6, NKJV). The objects of the verb blasphēmeō, “to blaspheme, slander,” include God Himself (16:11, 21), His name (13:6; 16:9), and His tabernacle (13:6). The grammatical construction of the text suggests that the target of the blasphemy is God.10 This verb could simply mean speaking evil against God, but in 13:6 the implication goes beyond this meaning. John at least knows the connotation of the word blasphemy as described in John 10:33—“ ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself [out to be] God” (NKJV). This is a statement of the Jewish leaders, in whose mind-set blasphemy puts oneself in the place of God and claims the prerogative that belongs only to God (see also Matt. 26:65; 14:64)—exactly what the dragon and the sea beast seek to do for themselves.
Because the ultimate target of the blasphemy is God, everything directly associated with God is affected. This includes the power of God, the kingdom of God, the authority of God’s Anointed One (Rev. 12:10); the commandments of God (12:17; 14:12); the name of God; and the tabernacle of God—His temple (13:6).11 All are targets of Satan’s attack. In 12:7–9, the cause and main issue of the war in heaven is not mentioned, but these verses simply say that Satan and his angels are hurled down to the earth. However, verse 10 clarifies that the power, kingdom, and authority of God are confirmed because (hoti) Satan has been cast down. This implies that the power and kingdom of God and the authority of Christ were actually the issues of the war in heaven—the target of Satan’s attack.
Blasphemy and Christ’s throne
Satan continues his battle on earth against God. To the sea beast he gives three things: his power, throne, and great authority (Rev. 13:2). This is reminiscent of how God gave Jesus the authority to sit on His throne (Rev. 3:21; Rev. 4, 5), and all the creatures praise Him saying: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (5:12, KJV; emphasis added). Jesus Himself says, “ ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’ ” (Matt. 28:18, NKJV; emphasis added). The dragon elevates the status of the sea beast to be as Christ, who receives the throne, power, and authority from God the Father. This contrasting parallel confirms the fact that the sea beast plays the role of the antichrist; he is, indeed, the antichrist himself. Behind this antichrist is the dragon that gave him power. This is blasphemy against God; in fact, on the head of the sea beast is “a blasphemous name” (Rev. 13:1, NKJV).
Jesus sat down with His Father in His throne (3:21) because He “had been slain” (5:6), and His followers will also overcome “by the blood of the Lamb” (12:11). They overcome because they are forgiven through the merit of the blood of the Lamb (7:14). By His death, Christ forgives sinners; and because He has overcome and sat on the throne, He is worthy to be worshiped (5:12). The blasphemy of the dragon and the sea beast is their claim that they have the throne, as if they also have the power and authority to forgive sins.
We see here one way how the issue of the sanctuary fits in with this attack on God’s authority. In the Old Testament, the sanctuary is the place where the priests minister for the forgiveness of sins; in the New Testament, Jesus is described as the High Priest who enters into the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood for the work of redemption (Heb. 9:12–22). Hence, the blasphemy against God’s sanctuary is seen by this attempt to usurp what belongs only to God.
Blasphemy and the Decalogue
The introduction to the vision of Revelation 12–14 is the only sanctuary scene in Revelation that mentions “the ark of the covenant” (11:19). Thus, the ark of the covenant has something to do with the controversy as revealed in Revelation 12–14. Of the three objects kept in the Old Testament ark of the covenant—the manna, Aaron’s rod, and the tables of stone (Heb. 9:4; cf. Deut. 10:3–5; 1 Kings 8:9), only one is referred to in Revelation 12–14: the Ten Commandments (12:17; cf. 14:12). This could mean that the Decalogue is the central issue of the controversy.12 This is also indicated by the fact that the dragon makes war against the remnant people, those who “keep the commandments of God” (12:17). Therefore, the blasphemy against the tabernacle and the name of God is also blasphemy against God’s Decalogue.
The activities of the dragon, sea beast, and earth beast confirm their transgression against God’s commandments. This includes, for example, claiming worship for themselves (13:4; cf. Exod. 20:3); making a statue or image to be worshiped (13:14, 15; cf. Exod. 20:4–6); and blaspheming God’s name (13:6; cf. Exod. 20:7). These are the first three commandments. The sea beast blasphemes the tabernacle of God here, too, because in it there is the ark of the covenant, and in the ark of the covenant is the Decalogue, which reveals the character of God Himself.
Blasphemy and the Sabbath
The attack of the sea beast against the Decalogue is also described in Daniel 7 in the works of the little horn.13 Daniel 7:25 highlights the activities of the little horn: (1) to speak out against the Most High, (2) to wear down the saints of the Most High, and (3) to change times and law. Because the target of the war is the Most High, this certainly refers to the “times and law” of the Most High as well.
Daniel 7:25 refers here to the effort of the little horn (the sea beast of Revelation 13) to change times related to God’s law. Gerald A. Klingbeil points out that the fourth commandment is “the only commandment which is time oriented, i.e., ‘not every day, but only every seventh day.’ ”14 This being the case, the blasphemy against the heavenly sanctuary also has something to do with the attack on God’s commandments, particularly the Sabbath commandment.
This commandment contains three fundamental aspects of God. First, it presents God as the only object of worship. Second, it gives reason why God deserves worship—He is the Creator. Third, it highlights the universal territory of God’s reign: the heaven, sea, and earth.15
Heaven’s response to the blasphemy
The proclamation of the three angels’ messages is the response of Heaven to this blasphemy against the heavenly sanctuary. The messages begin with “the everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6). The world is reminded of the good news of Jesus Christ as the way of salvation (cf. Acts 4:12). No matter how great may be the throne, power, and authority given by the dragon to the sea beast, “ ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’ ” (Rev. 7:10, NKJV), and “ ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever’ ” (5:13, NIV). No human being or human’s entity may replace the power and authority that belong only to God.
Heaven also responds to the blasphemy by reaffirming the validity of God’s commandments: “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God” (14:12, NASB). The call of God is proclaimed (v. 7), and the worship of the sea beast and its image is condemned (vv. 9–11). Particularly, the call to the observance of Sabbath is emphasized, indicated in the message of the first angel: “ ‘Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters’ ” (v. 7, NASB). Scholars have indicated the reference of this message to the Sabbath commandment.16
Conclusion
No question, the book of Revelation pulls back the curtain and gives readers a glimpse into the great controversy as it plays out in heaven and earth. In Revelation we can see that the dragon and its agents may put all their efforts into blaspheming God and His heavenly sanctuary. However, in the end, this attack will be defeated, the sanctuary will be cleansed (see Dan. 8:14), and the great controversy will be ended.
References:
1 The word naos, “temple,” in its various forms occurs 16 times (3:12; 7:15; 11:1, 2, 19 [2x]; 14:17; 15:5, 6, 8 [2x]; 16:1, 17; 21:22 [2x]). The word skēnē, “sanctuary, tabernacle,” appears 3 times (13:6; 15:5; 21:3).
2 The genitive could be considered as partitive genitive that suggests that naos is part of skēnē. See explanation about this function in Daniel B. Wallace, The Basics of New Testament Syntax: An Intermediate Grammar (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 48. This is also called “Partitive Ablative” by James A. Brooks and Carlton L. Winbery, Syntax of New Testament Greek (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1979), 28.
3 Wallace calls it “Genitive of Content” (The Basics of New Testament Syntax, 50). It means skēnē is in the naos. This, in a sense, is the opposite of partitive genitive.
4 This is called “Genitive of Material” (Wallace, The Basics of New Testament Syntax, 50). In this sense, skēnē is the substance of naos; without skēnē, there is no naos.
5 The genitive of apposition makes this possible. Ibid., 52.
6 Scholars have differences to determine the beginning and the end of the passage. Ranko Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2002), 37, for example, suggests that Revelation 11:19–13:18 is the center of the structure. This structure suggests that the two witnesses unit (11:1–13) is parallel with the end-time gospel (14:1–20). Another suggests 10:1–15:4 as the center of the structure (Elisabeth S. Fiorenza, “Composition and Structure of the Apocalypse,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 39 [1977]: 364, as alluded in Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ, 36). Some scholars, however, present the chiastic structure of Revelation without a central unit. Some representatives of this are Nils Wilhelm Lund, Studies in the Book of Revelation (Chicago, IL: Covenant Press, 1955), 27, quoted in Kenneth A. Strand, Interpreting the Book of Revelation: Hermeneutical Guidelines, With Brief Introduction to Literary Analysis, 2nd ed. (Ann Arbor, MI: Ann Arbor, 1979), 76, 77; Strand, Interpreting the Book of Revelation, 51; C. Mervyn Maxwell, God Cares: The Message of Revelation for You and Your Family, vol. 2 (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1985), 60, 61.
I would agree with those who see Revelation 11:19–15:4 as the central piece of the chiastic structure of Revelation. Revelation 11:19 mentions the opening of the temple of God to introduce the vision that begins in 12:1. Revelation 15:1–4 presents the song of victory of those who conquer the beast (chap. 13) and is a celebration after the great harvest of the earth (14:14–20).
7 Hans K. LaRondelle, How to Understand the End-Time Prophecies of the Bible: The Biblical-Contextual Approach (Sarasota, FL: First Impressions, 1997), 105.
8 See also William G. Johnsson, “The Saint’s End-Time Victory Over the Forces of Evil,” in Symposium on Revelation, bk. 2, ed. Frank B. Holbrook, Daniel and Revelation Committee Series, vol. 7 (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, 1992), 35. He says, “The first angel issues a call to worship God the Creator in the setting of the judgment hour; the second declares and exposes the system of false worship; the third issues a dire warning against the worship of the beast and its image.”
9 See also Richard Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1993), 240, 41. He argues, “The inhabitants of the earth are viewed in 14:6 not merely as worshippers of the beast, but as hearers of the eternal Gospel which calls them to repent and to worship God. They are the same people as those to whom 13:8 refers, but viewed positively rather than negatively.”
10 The phrase kai ēnoixen to stoma autou eis blasphēmias pros ton Theon, “And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God,” suggests that God is the single target of the blasphemies. The subsequent phrase presents the infinitive blasphēmēsai followed by a series of accusative nouns including God’s name, His tabernacle, and those dwelling in heaven. This phrase elaborates how God is blasphemed.
11 William Shea, “The Controversy Over the Commandments in the Central Chiasm of Revelation,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 11/1-2 (2000): 217, says, “Rev 11:19 is the fourth sanctuary scene and introduces the prophecy of Rev 12:1–15:4, the main prophecy in the center of the book.”
12 For further study on the evidences that the Decalogue is the central issue of conflict in Revelation 12–14, see Shea, “The Controversy Over the Commandments,” 217–231.
13 Richard Lehmann sees the connection between the activities of the little horn of Daniel 7 with the sea beast of Revelation 13: “As in Daniel, the action of the little horn ends in the war that it wages against the saints (Dan 7:21-22, 25), so in Revelation it is the same for the sea beast that utters blasphemies and makes war against the saints (Rev 13:1-10).” Richard Lehmann, “Relationships Between Daniel and Revelation,” in Symposium on Revelation: Introductory and Exegetical Studies, Daniel and Revelation Committee Series, bk. 1 (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, 1992), 140, 141.
14 Gerald A. Klingbeil, “The Sabbath Law in the Decalogue(s): Creation and Liberation as a Paradigm for Community,” Review Biblique 117, no. 4 (2010): 508.
15 According to Johannes Kovar, Revelation 10:6 also contains a Sabbath element in the phrase “who created heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them” (cf. Exod. 20:11). It seems that heaven, earth, and sea are the three main natural elements representing the whole universe. Johannes Kovar, “The Remnants and God’s Commandments: Revelation 12:17,” in Toward a Theology of the Remnant, Biblical Research Institute Studies in Adventist Eccesiology 1, ed. Ángel Manuel Rodríguez (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, 2009), 120.
16 Mathilde Frey, “Sabbath Theology in the Book of Revelation,” in Toward a Theology of the Remnant, 127–137, sums up scholars’ discussion on Sabbath in the book of Revelation. In page 137 she highlights the statement of one of the scholars, Jon K. Paulien, who states that “there is no direct allusion to the Old Testament in the book of Revelation that is more certain than the allusion to the fourth commandment in Revelation 14:7” (Jon Paulien, “Revisiting the Sabbath in the Book of Revelation,” JATS 9 [1998]: 183).
