David gave us a glimpse of how true worship should be and is going to be in heaven. He gave us this when the Ark was at Mt. Zion. David called it the Tabernacle of David. Here people worshipped God 24 hrs in a day. It was all day long, no stopping. God then told Nathan, a prophet, to tell David to built for Him a house to dwell in. "For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent and from tabernacle to tabernacle." (1 Chronicles 17:5) "Then David gave his son Solomon the plans of the vestibule its houses its treasures, its upper chambers, its inner chambers and the place of the Mercy seat." (1 Chronicles 28:11).
Then Solomon began to build the Temple. He constructed it on Mt. Moriah, north of the city of David. The Temple was built according to the plans that David received from the Lord. When the Temple was completed King Solomon instructed the Levites to bring up the Ark of the Covenant to its place, "into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim". (2 Chronicles 5:7). After this, when the trumpeters and the singers were at one, praising the Lord, thanking the Lord and when they lifted up their voices with the trumpets and cymbals and the instruments of music and praise the Lord that the House of the Lord was filled with a cloud - for the Glory of the Lord filled the House of God. The Ark was again behind a veil. The Ark was inside a house, the Temple and the Glory of God was present. (2 Chronicles 5:13) This text also shows the power of unity of praise, thanksgiving and music.
The trumpeter and the singers were at one.
To make one sound in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord "for He is good, for His mercies endures forever"
The House was filled with a cloud (the Glory of God was present) We must remember even in praise, thanksgiving and worship that "God is not the author of confusion". (1 Corinthians 14:33) Anything that draws attention to the praiser or worshipper and away from God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit must be reconsidered.
When Jesus died on the Cross at Calvary, we read that the veil was torn from the top to the bottom and the earth quaked and the rocks spilt (Matt 27:51). The veil was a thick curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The fact that it was torn from the top to the bottom indicates that this was not an act of man. The death of Jesus opened the way to the presence of the Lord. The veil was torn in two. When we worship God by our praises and thanksgiving we can enter His presence again and that is available to us now, but there will be a time when the "Tabernacle of David" will be restored. True worship will be restored in the last days and worshippers will not only experience His presence only but also His Glory.
Here are a few points that we as believers can consider regarding the Tabernacle of David. The Ark was close to David's house. For us it show God's desire for us to draw near to Him in our daily lives. (James 4:8) "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you". In 1 Corinthians 16:9 we read that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We draw near to God through our prayers, our praise and thanksgiving.
The manifest presence of God was available to all who came to the Tabernacle by His grace. It is only through grace that we can experience His presence. When the veil was torn it opened the way for us to approach the Throne of God.
The Priests gave thanks and praise to God continually. David established a place where God was worshipped for 24hrs. This means that any time is right to praise God. There is great power in praising God. We should seek to worship God continually. This means to do away with programs, legalisms, judgementalism, condemnation and all the "isms" that can be between me and God, preventing me from free entering into His presence.
He is inviting us to receive the refreshing that comes from being in His presence.