Revelation 7:15

PLUS
Therefore (dia touto). Because of the washing described in verse 1 John 14 . They serve him (latreuousin autwi). Dative case with latreuw (present active indicative, old verb, originally to serve for hire latron, then service in general, then religious service to God, Matthew 4:10 , then in particular ritual worship of the priests, Hebrews 8:5 ). All the redeemed are priests ( Revelation 16:5 Revelation 16:10 ) in the heavenly temple ( Revelation 6:9 ) as here. But this service is that of spiritual worship, not of external rites ( Romans 12:1 ; Philippians 3:3 ). Day and night (hmera kai nukto). Genitive of time, "by day and night," as in Revelation 4:8 of the praise of the four living creatures. Shall spread his tabernacle over them (skhnwsei ep autou). Future (change of tense from present in latreuousin) active of skhnow, old verb from skhno (tent, tabernacle), used in John 1:14 of the earthly life of Christ, elsewhere in N.T. only in Rev. ( John 7:14 ; John 12:12 ; John 13:6 ; John 21:3 ). In John 12:12 ; John 13:6 of those who dwell in tents, here of God spreading his tent "over" (ep autou) the redeemed in heaven, in John 21:3 of God tabernacling "with" (met autwn) the redeemed, in both instances a picture of sacred fellowship, and "the further idea of God's Presence as a protection from all fear of evil" (Swete) like the overshadowing of Israel by the Shekinah and a possible allusion also to the tents (skhnai) of the feast of tabernacles and to the tent of meeting where God met Moses ( Exodus 33:7-11 ).