Greek Key Terms:
Context: Revelation 21:22-23 describes the new Jerusalem: "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." The trajectory from localized temple to universal presence reaches consummation—no building needed because God and the Lamb fill everything. Where Deuteronomy 12 required traveling to one designated place, the new creation has God's presence pervading all reality. The entire city is holy place; God's glory illuminates directly. Access that was once restricted to one location, one day, one man becomes universal, perpetual, and immediate for all the redeemed.
Connections:
Christological Connection: Revelation 21:22-23's vision—"I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb... the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb"—consummates the trajectory from localized temple to universal presence. Deuteronomy 12:5 commanded seeking "the place that the LORD your God will choose"—one geographic location. The temple fulfilled this (1 Kings 8:29), but Solomon acknowledged the limitation: "will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and highest heaven cannot contain you" (1 Kings 8:27). The physical temple was always provisional. John 2:19-21 records Jesus declaring: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up... He was speaking about the temple of his body"—Christ replaces the building. First Corinthians 3:16 extends this: "you are God's temple"—the church corporately becomes God's dwelling. First Corinthians 6:19 applies it individually: "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit." The new creation consummates this: no building needed because God and the Lamb pervade all reality. The phrase "the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (ho kyrios ho theos ho pantokratōr kai to arnion) shows the temple's identity: not architecture but Persons—Father and Son. The entire city becomes holy place; every inhabitant accesses God directly. Revelation 22:3-4 states: "his servants will worship him. They will see his face"—unmediated vision, fulfilling humanity's ultimate longing. Where the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once annually, all the redeemed see God perpetually. Isaiah 60:19-20's prophecy finds fulfillment: "The LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." The phrase "its lamp is the Lamb" (ho lychnos autēs to arnion) shows Christ mediating God's glory. John 8:12 declared: "I am the light of the world"—fulfilled eternally. Second Corinthians 4:6 states: "God... has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"—currently by faith, ultimately by sight. The trajectory shows: one designated place (Deuteronomy 12:5) → Jerusalem temple (1 Kings 8:29) → Christ's body replaces temple (John 2:21) → church as temple (1 Corinthians 3:16) → individual believers as temples (1 Corinthians 6:19) → new creation where God and Lamb fill all (Revelation 21:22). The restriction (one place, one time, one person) gives way to universality (all places, all times, all people—for the redeemed). Access once limited becomes limitless; presence once localized becomes omnipresent; glory once hidden becomes manifest. The holy place concept reaches consummation: the entire new creation is temple because God dwells there fully and forever.
Connection Method(s): Typology (Providential, Backward-Looking), Longitudinal Theme — The consummation of the holy places trajectory: "no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb," where restricted access (one place, one time, one person) gives way to universal, unmediated, eternal presence with God.
Trajectory Table: 074 - Holy Places (Access to God's Presence)