Translation
Because of this they are
before the throne of GOD
Go to footnote numberand they
serve him day and night in His temple; and the one sitting on the throne will
spread his tabernacle over them.”
Paraphrase
Because of this they are attentive and prepared to obey any command coming from THE CREATOR AND OWNER OF ALL THINGS who has complete authority, and they are serving Him day and night in His place, the place where man meets with God, and the one who has complete authority will cause them to dwell close to him in safety and security.”
Footnotes
1: Why are they before the throne?
The primary reasons one would appear before the throne would be to hear a judgment pronounced against you, or to be ready to immediately execute a command. This is obviously the latter. It shows they have proven themselves to be loyal and they are trusted by the king.
He Will “Spread His Tabernacle Over Them”
The phrase literally means to “tabernacle over them.” The tent or tabernacle both indicate intimate communion and close relationship, while a tent serves as protection. When a variety of translations are consulted one quickly sees that the translators are divided on which meaning is in mind. Whenever two meanings are so prominent I believe the original readers would likely have had both meanings come to mind. That is the power of symbolism, it can easily communicate more than one concept at a time. Thus I have repackaged this phrase in the paraphrase in such a way so as to express both ideas of dwelling close together and protection.
Both meanings fit the context well. As a reward for being willing to suffer and die for Him, they are now serving continually in God’s presence and enjoying a special relationship with Him. This is another level of encouragement for those who are suffering persecution. If they hold on a little longer, which He will help them do, they will be united with those who have emerged victorious from persecution. After that they will no longer suffer the hardships they have been suffering up till now. They can be sure that after they have proven themselves faithful to the end of their physical lives, there will be no more suffering; the time of testing will have passed and the time of reward will arrive. That reward will be continual closeness with their Creator, Savior and Lord.