Just as we previously philosophized about life’s path, there is certainly a lot of symbolism and sayings related to a door.  Doors open and doors close—life “doors” that actually signify major decisions that determine a career, residence, and circle of friends.  We often speak in this way.  I did, however, hear the other day that if you’re in a place where doors constantly open and close, you are quite possibly in prison.  Well, that’s not what we’re discussing here, but perhaps circumstances might feel like a prison of people and events over which we do not really have control.

In the Bible, the symbolism of a door is often used.  It is an important concept—open and closed doors.  Early in Genesis (4:7, OAB), God speaks of sin that is crouching at the door.  The symbolism here is the door of our heart, just like in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Noah’s ark had a door.  It was a very important closed door of protection and preservation in judgment.  It was a revelation to me to distinguish between translations of the Bible that describe God’s role in the door of the ark. (Genesis 7:1) In German and Dutch translations, God said: “Enter or go into the ark.”  In the English translation, God said: “Come into the ark.”  It makes much more sense.  God is on the inside!  It was an invitation to enter His presence.  That is where it is safe.  The psalmist knew this well when he wrote of the Shadow of the Almighty and the Secret Place of the Most High in Psalm 91—words that move my heart every time I read them or meditate on them.

Just think about the significance of the blood on the doorposts of the children of Israel when the last plague swept through Egypt, claiming the lives of the firstborn.  The door with blood—physical doors, but in our dispensation, our heart’s doors have the blood on the posts, where death can never conquer because we have risen with Jesus into a new, eternal life through our baptism. (Romans 6:3-5)

It was a discovery for me to read about the “door” of the Tabernacle, which is actually a curtain and a very important closed door. (Exodus 26:36,37) The English translations refer to it as a door, others as a curtain or the first veil.  Perhaps the concept of a curtain is not exclusive enough, as no one was allowed to pass through this partition or covering, except the priests.  This is not the veil between the Holy and the Most Holy Place, which was torn when Jesus died.  You can read about the first veil in Exodus 26:31-33.

This “door” is the partition at the entrance of the tent, which separates the Holy Place from the courtyard, where the altar and the bronze laver stood.

The curtain, the first veil, is described as meticulously as the veil deeper inside.

You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. ³⁷ And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be gold, and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them. (Exodus 26:36,37)

This curtain would exclude all natural light from the Holy Place.  The significance of this was a source of great joy for me.  The only light in the Holy Place was the light from the Lampstand.  The Lampstand is symbolic of the Church filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit, and the light it brings is the Light of the world, namely Jesus. (John 8:12)  The light that falls on the showbread, symbolic of the Word of God, the Bible, is the light of Christ.  It is only in the light of who Jesus is that we read and interpret the Bible.  We do not use natural light like current politics, modern trends, or any contemporary or historical events to understand the Word of God.  The Holy Spirit is our only guide. (John 7:38)

But then there is the door that opens when we pay attention and listen. Seven times in the first three chapters of Revelation, these words appear: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

John lies prostrate before the glorified, triumphant Jesus and writes the warning to take heed to the churches. Then he writes these wonderful words:

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” (Revelation 4:1)

The door to the Throne Room of the Most High opens.  John is invited to look upon the heavenly perspective on the history of mankind.  It is his privilege to witness the triumphal procession of Jesus after the crucifixion—the Lamb who was slain and is worthy to take the scroll, the history of mankind written on both sides, thus complete and sealed with seven seals. You can read about it in Revelation 4 and 5.

This is the door we enter through prayer when we live with an awareness of God who reigns, and our privilege to be called children of God.  This is the door of revelation.  It is a desire for the knowledge of God that lifts us to accept the invitation and see and understand the chaos and confusion we experience daily, from the perspective of the Throne Room of the Almighty.

Just like John, we are invited to transcend in the Spirit to open our minds so that we understand the events.  We can sing along with all the heroes of faith and the elders, the praise song to Jesus.

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
¹⁰ And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”  (Revelation 5:9-10)

We sing over all the circumstances in which we might feel trapped, the song of the old prophet Isaiah:

How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”  (Isaiah 52:7)

It doesn’t matter how things look around you or what your circumstances might be—hear, child of Zion, hear what the Spirit says to the church: Our God reigns.