Category: The Holy Of Holies


The Tabernacle Most Holy Place Is Prophetic of Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Most Holy Place — 3 Comments
December 16, 2008

The Tabernacle Most Holy Place Is Prophetic of Jesus

In this post we continue to present our case that the Tabernacle of Moses is Prophetic of Jesus. To get a good foundational understanding of the Tabernacle go to the following posting: The-Tabernacle-Is-Prophetic-Of-Jesus. Reading this post will help us to better understand the material presented here.

We have also presented a post on the Tabernacle Courtyard and suggest that reading it may be helpful in improving our comprehension of the Most Holy Place and how it is prophetic of Jesus. This post can be found by following the following link: The-Tabernacle-Courtyard-And-Jesus.

We have also offered a post on the Tabernacle Holy Place and in like manner, we suggest that a review of it will help in the understanding of the following material. The post on the Holy Place can be viewed by following this link: The-Tabernacle-Holy-Place-Is-Prophetic-Of-Jesus

So, with that said, lets present the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle.

As we pass through the Tabernacle entrance called “the Life,” we enter into God’s Most Holy Place. It is in the Most Holly Place where we enter into God’s gift of covenant. It is here that we can talk to God directly in the presence of His holy angels. It is here where our every need is cared for. In the Most Holy place we enter into a sacred and Royal Priesthood that both understand and lives God’s commandments.

When correlating the objects found in the Most Holy Place to the actions and words of Jesus, we again find the Jesus is a far superior replacement for the old covenants’ Most Holy Place. It is Jesus who has become the ark of the New Covenant that is based on love. It is Jesus who is our high priest who enables us to enter into His Royal Priesthood. It is through Jesus that our every need is cared for. It is through Jesus that our relationship with the Father is restored, enabling things to become as they were in the beginning in the Garden of Eden.

So we have much to discover about Jesus as we initiate our investigation into His words that lead us to the Tabernacle where we will find a deeper relationship with Him. We will drill down into all of this by starting with “Jesus the Way”, in our next posting. I look forward to your comments and discussion.

For additional details on the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle please follow the following links:

Jesus-is-the-Life

Jesus-the-Most-Holy-Place

Finding-Jesus-in-the-Holy-of-Holies

Inside-the-Most-Holy-Place

Going-into-the-Ark-of-the-Covenant

Jesus-is-the-Fulfillment-of-the-Law

The-Cross-of-Jesus-is-the-Rod-of-Aaron

Jesus-is-our-Priest-Forever

Jesus-is-our-Covenant-Provision

Jesus-and-the-Covenant

Jesus-is-the-Way-to-the-Promised-Land

Jesus-is-the-Spirtual-Foundation-of-the-New-Covenant

Jesus-Prepares-us-to-Enter-into-His-Spirit

The-Spiritual-Duty-of-the-Warrior-Nation

Jesus-is-the-Reward-of-the-Spirit-Filled-Warrior-Nation

Jesus-and-the-Bride-of-Christ

Jesus-and-the-Cherubim

Jesus-is-the-Mercy-Seat-where-God-Dwells

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The Tabernacle Is Prophetic of Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, Tabernacle Courtyard, The Holy Of Holies, The Holy Place — 10 Comments
December 14, 2008

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

 The Tabernacle Is Prophetic Of Jesus

 

The Tabernacle was built to be the earthly abode of God: the place where God would dwell among His people. The following picture is an artist depiction of what the Tabernacle may have looked like.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

Moses built the Tabernacle in strict conformance to the specifications given by God. For example, in the following scripture God gives Moses a detailed list of items that are required to build the Tabernacle:

 

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” (Exodus 25:1-9)

 

Statements like this one are frequently found in the scriptures written by Moses. Many of these references emphasize the building of the Tabernacle precisely to God’s instructions. This fact suggests that the form and content of the Tabernacle is extremely important to God; that perhaps it is designed on a heavenly model, one that will enable Him to dwell among His people as He once did in the Garden. In fact, what we see in this case, is that God did dwell in the chamber of the Tabernacle called, the Holy of Holies, just above the Ark of the Covenant.

Therefore, if we believe that Jesus is God and that He came in human form to dwell with His people on Earth, then we can look to the Tabernacle, its functions and purpose to validate that Jesus is who we believe Him to be (because God does not change). In other words, we can look at the scriptures that define the specifications, processes and objects found in the Tabernacle, and then find corresponding attributes, words and actions in the life of Jesus Christ to demonstrate that in Him is a far superior fulfillment of the Tabernacle covenant. The good news is that we have already done this and have found Jesus to be a far superior fulfillment to each and every component of the Tabernacle. Even better news is that we will be presenting all of this to you in the subsequent postings.

Interestingly, when we searched for an understanding of what Jesus meant when He claimed to be “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” our discernment was that He was referring to the entryways to the three chamber of the Tabernacle. We believe that the material presented here in this body of work, strongly supports this case. A side benefit of looking at old testament scripture pertaining to the Tabernacle, from a perspective of being the subject of the claim of  Jesus of being the Way, the Truth and the Life, is that you will come away with a splendid insight into who Jesus is and why He came. This understanding, in-turn can dramatically improve your relationship with God by providing insight into how we can progress toward a closer and more intimate relationship with Him.

So this is where we are headed. We are going to do a correlative study of the Tabernacle and the life of Jesus. Doing so will support the proposition that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus is the prophetic fulfillment of the Tabernacle, and that Jesus was referring to the Tabernacle when He stated: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of Tabernacle Prophesy

Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of Tabernacle Prophesy

As a result of this we will proceed with our presentations by stating the above points as facts to be proven by supporting details that will follow. So for example, we will presenting a diagram of the Tabernacle that includes, “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” as the names of the entryways of the Tabernacle, with the understanding that we will provide scriptural support that backs up the premise as we progress through our series of postings.

Some have said that there is no scripture that directly confirms that names of the Tabernacle entryways and therefore we can not know what Jesus meant when in His statement. While it is true that these names are not provided in the Bible, I would also like to say that there is no scriptural reference where Jesus states; “I am the Christ.” Yet we know that Jesus is the Christ because we read about His life, His words and actions, that substantiate this premise. We plan to do exactly this by way of a study of scripture that will enable you will understand that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle and at the same time give you valuable insight into what being, “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” means. Once we understand that, then we will understand that Jesus was in fact referring to the Tabernacle in His proclamation.

We initiate our series of postings with a diagram of the Tabernacle upon which the names (the Way, the Truth and the Life) are used to identify the entryways into the three major compartments of the Tabernacle. 

 

The Chambers of the Tabernacle

The Way leads us into the Courtyard, the Truth leads us into the Holy Place, and the Life leads us into the Most Holy Place. It should also be noted that the Tabernacle is constructed in such a way that these passageways must be entered in order. The Way must be entered prior to entering the Truth, and the Truth must be entered prior to entering the Life. This significance will be discussed later.

Our plan is to investigate each of these three chambers in an effort to identify what it is that Jesus is leading us toward. What we will find is that Jesus is drawing us into a closer relationship with God. He is drawing us into the Father by using the model of the Tabernacle as a model of Himself. Jesus knows that if we follow this clue that we will grow and strengthen our relationship with Father and Him.

What we are about to discover is that the Tabernacle structure communicates that there are three separate and distinct levels of relationship that we can have with God. As we have stated previously, these relationships can only be obtained by passing through the doors of the Tabernacle in only one possible sequence. However, as one progress from one chamber to the next, they will develop a progressively closer relationship with God and discover the gifts that God has waiting for those who seek Him with all their heart.

While all of this may seem mysterious at this high level, we plan to provide the details in subsequent postings. For now we will present a high level overview of our journey through the Tabernacle and its correlation with the life of Jesus. With that said let us start with the Tabernacle Courtyard.

 

The Tabernacle Courtyard

Our presentation of the Tabernacle Courtyard is found in the following post:

 

The-Tabernacle-Courtyard-and-Jesus

The Tabernacle Holy Place

Our presentation of the Tabernacle Holy Place is found in the following post:

The-Tabernacle-Holy-Place-is-Prophetic-of-Jesus

The Tabernacle Most Holy Place

Our presentation of the Tabernacles Most Holy Place is found in the following post:

The-Tabernacle-Most-Holy-Place-is-Prophetic-of-Jesus

All of these links will also lead the reader toward a better understanding of the objects found inside each of the major chambers of the Tabernacle. They will also lead toward a better understanding how each object is prophetic of the coming of Jesus.

Once these concepts have been digested, then applying what has been learned is advised. The following links can help in this regard:

Striving-to-Become-like-Jesus

Jesus-is-the-Way-the-Truth-and-the-Life

The-Tabernacle-and-Jesus

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.

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The Tabernacle Courtyard And Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Altar of Burnt Offerings, Jesus the Brazen Laver, Jesus the Tabernacle, Jesus the Tabernacle Courtyard, Tabernacle, Tabernacle Courtyard, The Holy Of Holies, The Holy Place, The Meaning Of Life, The Truth — 5 Comments
December 13, 2008

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

The Tabernacle Courtyard And Jesus

To get a good foundational understanding of the Tabernacle Courtyard go to the following posting: The-Tabernacle-Is-Prophetic-Of-Jesus. Reading this post will help you to better understand the material presented here. So, with that said, lets present the Tabernacle Courtyard.

taberover


As we pass through the Tabernacle door called “the Way,” we enter the Courtyard. It is in the Courtyard where we enter into God’s gift of grace which is manifest in the forgiveness of sins. God’s grace in turn, leads us to seek to become more like Him, which in turn prepares us to enter into His ministry. Therefore, the Courtyard is a place of preparation for entry into a closer relationship with God.


When correlating the objects found in the Tabernacle Courtyard to the actions and words of Jesus, we discover Jesus to be a far superior replacement for the old covenant Courtyard. For example, Jesus gave up His body on the cross for our grace and the forgiveness of our sins.

crucifixion

In addition, He gave us the example of His life as the model of the perfection we use so that we can see ourselves for what we are, and seek His Holy Spirit to help to prepare for entry into His ministry.

Jesus Washes Disciples Feet

Jesus Washes Disciples Feet


For additional details on the Tabernacle Courtyard please follow the following links:


Jesus-is-the-Outer-Courtyard

Jesus-the-Brazen-Laver

The-Laver-and-the-Holy-Spirit-of-Jesus

Jesus-Washes-the-Feet-of-His-Disciples

Applying-the-Attributes-of-Jesus-our-Laver


Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.


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The Tabernacle Is Prophetic Of Jesus

Filed under: Christian Love, Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, Tabernacle Courtyard, The Holy Of Holies, The Holy Place, The Life, The Most Holy Place, The Truth, The Way — Leave a comment
October 2, 2008

The Tabernacle Is Prophetic Of Jesus

The Tabernacle was built to be the earthly abode of God: the place where God would dwell among His people. The following diagram will enable you to see what the Tabernacle looked like.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

Moses built the Tabernacle in strict conformance to the specifications given by God. For example, in the following scripture God gives Moses a detailed list of the items required to build the Tabernacle:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” (Exodus 25:1-9)

Statements like this one are frequently found in the scriptures of Moses. Many of these references emphasize building of the Tabernacle precisely to God’s instructions. This fact suggests that the form and content of the Tabernacle is extremely important to God; that perhaps it is designed on a heavenly model, one that will enable God to dwell among His people.

If this is the case, then the Tabernacle must also be prophetic of Christ who also came to dwell with God’s people. What this tells us is that centuries of time did not change the intention of God to dwell with His people.  Even today He continues to strive to restore the relationship man lost with Him at the fall. Therefore, the scriptures that define the specifications, the processes and the objects of the Tabernacle reflect the will of God to abide with us, and therefore, must also be apply to the attributes, words and life of Christ who was sent to fulfill God’s intention.

Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of Tabernacle Prophesy

We are going to look at the Tabernacle scriptures as they are prophetic of Christ. If Jesus is the Christ then the attributes and characteristics of the Tabernacle must be clearly demonstrated in His words and deeds. What we are about to reveal is that there is a precise correlation between the Tabernacle and Jesus. It is for this reason that we will use the scriptural specifications for each component of the Tabernacle to prove that Jesus is the Christ. In the process we will also uncover many hidden attributes of Jesus that will serve to help us better understand His nature.


Remembering that Jesus claimed to be “the Way, the Truth and the Life”, we look at the following diagram:

The Chanbers of the Tabernacle

For more information about these entrances (the Way, the Truth and the Life) being used to identify the passageways into each compartment of the Tabernacle, please go to the following website:  You ARE the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

The entrance called, “The Way,” leads us into the Courtyard (or Outer Court). The entrance named, “The Truth,” leads us into the Holy Place, and the entrance called, “The Life,” leads us into the Most Holy Place. It should also be noted that the Tabernacle is constructed in such a way that these entrances can only be entered in one sequence. The Way must be entered prior to entering The Truth, and the Truth must be entered prior to entering The Way. This significance will be discussed latter.

So, what we find here is that the words of Jesus have led us to the Tabernacle. His claim is that He is the entrance into all of the compartments of the Tabernacle, the place that God designated as the dwelling place with His people on earth. Therefore, our plan is to investigate each of these three chambers and identify what it is that He is leading us toward. What we will find is that we will be drawn into a closer relationship with God.

Jesus is drawing us into Himself by showing us that the Tabernacle was a prophetic prototype that would be fulfilled by Him in the establishment of the new covenant. What we are about to discover is that the Tabernacle structure communicates that there are three separate and distinct levels of relationship that we can have with God.

In addition, these relationships can only be obtained by passing through the doors of the Tabernacle in the prescribed sequence. In fact, we will develop a progressively deeper relationship with God as we enter each successive chamber to find the gifts that God has waiting for those who seek Him with all their heart.

While all of this is quite mysterious at a high level, we plan to present the details in subsequent postings. For now we will present a high level overview of our journey through the Tabernacle and its correlation with the life of Jesus. With that said let us start with the Tabernacle Courtyard.


The Tabernacle Courtyard


As we pass through the Tabernacle door called “the Way,” we enter the Courtyard. It is in the Courtyard where we enter into God’s gift of grace which is manifest in the forgiveness of sins. God’s grace in turn, leads us to seek to become more like Him, which in turn prepares us to enter into His ministry. Therefore, the Courtyard is a place of preparation for entry into a closer relationship with God.


When correlating the objects found in the Tabernacle Courtyard to the actions and words of Jesus, we discover Jesus to be a far superior replacement for the old covenant Courtyard. For example, Jesus gave up His body on the cross for our grace and the forgiveness of our sins. In addition, He gave us the example of His life as the model of the perfection we use so that we can see ourselves for what we are, and seek His Holy Spirit to help to prepare for entry into His ministry.


For additional details on the Tabernacle Courtyard please follow the following links:

Jesus-is-the-Outer-Courtyard

Jesus-the-Brazen-Laver

The-Laver-and-the-Holy-Spirit-of-Jesus

Jesus-Washes-the-Feet-of-His-Disciples

Applying-the-Attributes-of-Jesus-our-Laver


The Tabernacle Holy Place


As we pass through the Tabernacle entrance called “the Truth,” we enter into God’s Holy Place. It is in the Holly Place where we enter into God’s gifts of enlightenment, relationship and empowerment. It is here where we are illuminated with the information necessary to guide our steps in ministry and where we come to know the purpose of our life. It is in the Holy Place that we become a member of God’s family and enter a close personal relationship with God. Most importantly, it is here that we enter into spiritual warfare, which is the performance of Gods will on earth by way of our prayers and actions.

When correlating the objects found in the Holy Place to the actions and words of Jesus, we also find that Jesus is a far superior replacement for the old covenant Holy Place. It is only through Jesus that we are able to establish a relationship with the Father. It is Jesus who is our Light of the World, who illuminates our way, and it is the Holy Spirit of Jesus that leads us to be victorious in spiritual warfare. It is therefore through Jesus that our relationship with the Father is restored, our pathway is illuminated and the will of God is manifest.

For additional details on the Holy Place of the Tabernacle please follow the following links:

Jesus-is-the-Holy-Place

Passing-from-the-Way-and-into-the-Truth

Entering-the-Truth-of-the-Tabernacle

Jesus-the-Table-of-Showbread

Applying-the-Attributes-of-Jesus-our-Table-of-Showbread

Jesus-is-the-Light-of-the-World

Jesus-the-Golden-Altar-of-Incense

Jesus-the-Golden-Altar-of-Incense

Jesus-Heals-the-Sick-and-the-Lame

Jesus-Casts-out-Demons

Jesus-is-Victorious-over-an-Evil-Establishment

Jesus-is-Victorious-on-the-Cross

The-Victory-of-Jesus-Empowers-Us

Have-Perfect-Faith-in-Jesus

Jesus-the-Holy-Place-of-Empowerment-and-Truth


The Tabernacle Most Holy Place


As we pass through the Tabernacle entrance called “the Life,” we enter into God’s Most Holy Place. It is in the Most Holly Place where we enter into God’s gift of covenant. It is here that we can talk to God directly in the presence of His holy angels. It is here where our every need is cared for. In the Most Holy place we enter into a sacred and Royal Priesthood that understand and lives God’s commandments.

When correlating the objects found in the Most Holy Place to the actions and words of Jesus, we again find the Jesus is a far superior replacement for the old covenant Most Holy Place. It is Jesus who has become the ark of the New Covenant that is based on love. It is Jesus who is our high priest who enables us to enter into His Royal Priesthood. It is through Jesus that our every need is cared for. It is through Jesus that restored our relationship with the Father, enabling things to become as they were in the beginning, once again.

So we have much to discover about Jesus as we initiate our investigation into His words that lead us to the Tabernacle where we will find a deeper relationship with Him. We will drill down into all of this by starting with “Jesus the Way”, in our next posting. I look forward to your comments and discussion.

For additional details on the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle please follow the following links:

Jesus-is-the-Life

Jesus-the-Most-Holy-Place

Finding-Jesus-in-the-Holy-of-Holies

Inside-the-Most-Holy-Place

Going-into-the-Ark-of-the-Covenant

Jesus-is-the-Fulfillment-of-the-Law

The-Cross-of-Jesus-is-the-Rod-of-Aaron

Jesus-is-our-Priest-Forever

Jesus-is-our-Covenant-Provision

Jesus-and-the-Covenant

Jesus-is-the-Way-to-the-Promised-Land

Jesus-is-the-Spirtual-Foundation-of-the-New-Covenant

Jesus-Prepares-us-to-Enter-into-His-Spirit

The-Spiritual-Duty-of-the-Warrior-Nation

Jesus-is-the-Reward-of-the-Spirit-Filled-Warrior-Nation

Jesus-and-the-Bride-of-Christ

Jesus-and-the-Cherubim

Jesus-is-the-Mercy-Seat-where-God-Dwells


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Jesus Is The Mercy Seat Where God Dwells

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Life, The Mercy Seat, The Most Holy Place — Leave a comment
March 25, 2008

Jesus is the Mercy Seat where God Dwells

We have introduced the Mercy Seat in our description of the Cherubim. The Mercy Seat resides in the Most Holy place in the Tabernacle.

priest-and-holy-of-holiesIt is the flat gold strip of gold that connects the two Cherubs together at the base. Its significance is that the divine presence of God dwells directly over it, just below the wings of the Cherubim. It therefore, is the precise place from which God speaks to His people. It is also interesting to note that there is no figure or symbol for God in the Tabernacle and this is a testament of the invisible presence of God that requires no man made image or idol. Getting back to our proposition that Jesus is the living Tabernacle that came down from heaven, we must support the notion of Jesus being God. After all, the presence of the living God in the Most Holy place is the key aspect of the Most Holy Place and the entire Tabernacle for that matter. As we will soon find out Jesus claimed to be the Resurrection and the Life and in doing so claimed to be God. In support of this assertion we will present evidence that the Father supported Jesus in this statement with miracles that emphasize the point made. But first let’s take a look at the baptism of Jesus in the Holy Spirit to uncover what God the Father and John the Baptist had to say about Jesus.

Jesus is the Son of God

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;

Water comes from the Holy Spirit at the Baptism of Jesus

and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)

Jesus is the Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

lambofgod

This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29-36)

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life

Jesus claimed to be the Resurrection and the Life when He spoke the following statement:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)

In this statement Jesus claims that all true life is contained within Him. What He is saying is that even though we may physically die our spiritual life will continue on afterward and those who choose Him will have life forever with God. Those who reject God will die the second death by being cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone with Satan and the Beast. Jesus, as happened so often in to Him in His ministry, saw His statements reinforced with a miracle that could only come directly from God the Fahter:

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:41-44)

Lazarus had been in the tome for four days before Jesus raised him from the dead.Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave

This miracle demonstrates that Jesus has power by the Father over the life and death of our physical bodies. In addition, this miracle demonstrates the spiritual truth that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. But having power over death and life does not completely prove the point. To completely prove the point He would have to be resurrected from the dead and then be observed ascending into eternal life in heaven. This is exactly what Jesus did. He died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, was buried in a tome for three days, arose from the dead, walked the earth for forty days and then ascended into Heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. There He waits for His Bride to complete the work that He started. I submit the following scriptures for your review in an effort to walk you through the logical sequence of events.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:45-46)

crucifixion1

Jesus is Buried in a Tomb

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. (Matthew 27:57-60)

jesus is taken down from the cross

Jesus Rises from the Dead

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Jesus rises from the grave

His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you”. (Matthew 28:1-7)

Jesus Appears to His Disciples after His Resurrection

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:19-28)

Jesus shows Thomas His wounds

Jesus Ascends into Heaven

To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

The Ascension of Jesus

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:3-14)

Jesus Reigns in Power Forever

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:17-18)

jesus-lammet-og-lc3b8ven

Rev 20:13-15  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

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Jesus And The Cherubim

Filed under: Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, The Golden Cherubim, The Life, The Mercy Seat, The Most Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
March 21, 2008

Jesus And The Cherubim

We have just completed a series of postings that addressed the Ark of the Covenant, which is one of the objects found inside the Most Holy place of the Tabernacle. We have investigated this topic in a quest to understand the meaning of a statement made by Jesus claiming to be “the Life”. Since the entrance to the Most Holy Place is called, “the Life, gaining a better understanding of it will help us to better understand His claim. We now expand our investigation by taking a look at the Golden Cherubim, which are artifacts found inside the Most Holy Place as well.

Cherubim are angelic beings which live in the spiritual realm, that always surround God. There is also an object that portrays these cherubim in the Most Holy Place. The representation of these angels covers the Ark of the Covenant. They are made of pure gold that has been hammered into shape by artisans. The presence of the Golden Cherubim symbolizes the Divine Presence of God in the Most Holy place.

There are two Golden Cherubs presented in the Most Holy place and they are positioned in such that they are facing each other above the Ark of the Covenant. The two Cherubim are created as a single piece, connected together at their base by a flat strip of gold called the Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat is the precise spot over which the divine presence of God dwells.

Therefore there is a single Cherub on each side of the Mercy Seat and each is looking directly toward the place where God dwells. In addition, each Cherub has extended His wings in such a way that they completely hover over and protect the Mercy Seat and the space above it. This positioning represents the eternal watchfulness and ministry of these angels to God.

Jesus is surrounded by Angels

So if the prophesy of the Tabernacle is true, that it displays the attributes of the Christ to come, then there must be some evidence of Angels watching over and ministering to Jesus found in scripture.

What we are about to uncover is that there were angels supporting Jesus before He came to earth, while He was an infant and throughout His entire ministry. We will also find that angels will be active even at the time of His second coming. The following scriptures are used as examples to demonstrate the activity of Angles through out the life of Jesus.

Jesus is Protected by Angels at Birth

We start with the angel who announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of the Son of God:

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

We continue with another angelic scripture. In this one an angel announces the truth of Jesus and Mary to Joseph:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. (Matthew 1:18-25)

Then there is the story of the wise men that are lead to the newly born Son of God by a star that is really an angel. The gift of Gold is most likely used to fund the trip to Egypt to escape the king who sought to kill Jesus. Joseph was warned by an angel that this danger was present:

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” (Matthew 2:9-15)

Angels Minister to Jesus

Jesus was ministered to by angels several times during His ministry. One time occurred shortly after He had been tempted by the devil in the desert after fasting for 40 days:

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’“ Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’“ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’“ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. (Matthew 4:5- 11)

Another angelic visitation occurred when He was strengthened in the garden as He prayed just prior to His crucifixion:

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:41-4

Jesus’ Resurrection is Announced by Angels

Even Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is supported as an angel nullifies the army guard that was in place to ensure that the body of Jesus was not removed from the grave. In addition, they announce his resurrection and whereabouts such that there is no doubt about what happened to Him in the mind of His believers:

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:1-7)

Jesus’ Angel Testifies of His Revelation to the Church

I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17)

So, as we can see from the above scriptures that angels support Jesus’ ministry from beginning and forevermore. So it should be with us who uphold the ministry of Jesus Christ, the living tabernacle of God.

The Mercy Seat

We have introduced the Mercy Seat in our description of the Cherubim. The Mercy Seat resides in the Most Holy place in the Tabernacle. It is the flat gold strip of gold that connects the two Cherubs together at the base. Its significance is that the divine presence of God dwells directly over it, just below the wings of the Cherubim. It therefore, is the precise place from which God speaks with His people. It is also interesting to note that there is no figure or symbol for God in the Tabernacle and this is a testament of the invisible presence of God that requires no man made image or idol.

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Jesus And The Bride Of Christ

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Covenant, Jesus, New Jerusalem, Pot Of Manna, The Ark Of The Covenant — Leave a comment
March 18, 2008

Jesus And The Bride Of Christ

As we have read in our previous posting, our journey leads us toward becoming a part of the New Jerusalem, the Lambs wife. Let us look at a scripture to develop this view in greater detail:

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:2-5)

We are the Bride, the New Jerusalem adorned for her Husband. Jesus is the Tabernacle of God and will dwell with us and He will care for our every need. He will restore everything to the perfect state it was in the beginning.

The Bride

To develop the concept of the Bride a bit further let me present an experience I had at a prayer meeting several years ago. The words that follow are a reflection of my experience being a part of the Bride in the spirit. I include it hear as I believe that it provides insight into the Bride and the marriage feast. Here it is:

We were alone in a beautiful room. It was a quite time. A time of preparedness. For there was to be a great event of which none can compare. There was joy and happiness. There was anticipation. For we are the source of celebration. We are the focus of attention. There is no sound in the room. Just the song of rustling linen[i]. The quiet is good for reflection. The images of the old world. The trials, the tribulations. The threats of war. The wars. The earthquakes, the storms, the floods. The disease, the famine, the pestilence. The sin. The fouling of the earth. The war with Satan and the victory of souls. The confrontation with the beast, the final victory. The deliverance. The unity of the saved. We are a new creation! We are the culmination of saved souls[ii]. We are one being comprised of many in the perfect image and likeness of God. Assembled like the atoms of the bodies we once knew[iii]. There is great unity and power in the new creation. There is great joy in the Bride[iv]. Every soul of our existence shouts with joy. For we all know that we confessed Him, we all know that we changed our sinful ways for Him, we all obeyed His commandments, we all loved Him. We are so united when we think of Him. How many times did He forgive us? How many times did He heal us? How many times did He save us from evil or keep us from harm? How endless is His love? Truly, this is our hour. And the hour is upon us. The preparation is complete[v]. The door knocks. It is the Father. He is beaming. He holds out His arm. We take it and we walk arm and arm. We enter the great hall. The floor is as a single dark green emerald[vi]. The pews are crystal[vii]. The walls are gold. There is no ceiling but the sky. The seats are filled with the angels, all in white, all with wings. They are all singing. It is the wedding song in seven-part harmony. All gaze upon us. We look for Him but the passage is too long to see the end. We walk. We walk. We see Him! JOY!! JOY!! He is so handsome. He smiles a big smile. In His eyes we see heaven. We keep walking. We are there. The Father gives up the Bride. Jesus holds out His hand. Our heart sings. We take His hand. The angel Gabrielle conducts the ceremony. We can think of nothing but Him. I do. You may kiss the Bride. Anticipation!! He comes closer, facing us. He lifts the veil, draws closer and embraces us. Cheers and celebrations!! We turn to face the assembly. We walk down the aisle. The angels are drunk. They sing, they fly, they cause great explosions in the sky. A new larger sun rises[viii] over the altar behind us. The New World awaits.

So, the significance of the Pot of Manna placed in the Ark of the Covenant is that it represents the care, guidance and provision that God provides to His people who seek to enter into covenant with Him. While this support was provided to Israel under the first covenant, it has been perfected in Jesus under the new covenant. Israel’s walk with the Lord toward the Promised Land was prophetic of the superior covenant we would have with Jesus. Under the new covenant we receive blessings and gifts from God both on this earth but also in the spiritual realm. In addition, our spiritual destiny is to be one with Jesus as the new covenant is consummated with us, His Bride after the second coming of Jesus.

[i] Revelation 19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
[ii] Ephesians 4:15-16 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
[iii] 1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
[iv] Revelation 21:9-11 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
[v] Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
[vi] Revelation 4:3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
[vii] Revelation 4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.
[viii] Revelation 22:16-17 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. Revelation 2:26-28 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’; as I also have received from My Father; “and I will give him the morning star. The Sun that rose was the Morning Star. He rose but then stopped low in the morning sky, apparently positioned in an optimal location to provide light. Isaiah 60:19-21 The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.

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Jesus Is The Reward Of The Spirit Filled Warrior Nation

Filed under: Covenant, Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Holy Of Holies, the Holy Spirit, The Life, The Manna, The Most Holy Place — Leave a comment
March 17, 2008

Jesus Is The Reward Of The Spirit Filled Warrior Nation

The rewards promised to Israel for taking the Promised Land are prophetic of the rewards we will receive for taking down the evil strongholds in spiritual warfare under the new covenant. To understand our spiritual rewards better we must first summarize the rewards promised to Israel.

Israel’s rewards included peace, prosperity and possession of the Promised Land and everything in it:

But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, (Deuteronomy 12:10)

In addition, God would abide with them in the land such that their offerings could be made:

Then there will be the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD. (Deuteronomy 12:11)

They also received favor from the Lord that came in the form of the early rain as well as the latter rain for their crops. Through this rain they would then derive their new wine and their oil:

Then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled. (Deuteronomy 11:14 – 15)

Again, these physical rewards are prophetic of our spiritual inheritance. In place of the land of Canaan the Christian Nation will enter into the New Jerusalem that will come down from heaven. The New Jerusalem is also referred to as the Lamb’s wife in the Bible. We will cover the New Jerusalem and the Lamb’s wife in greater detail later in this document. For now, suffice it to say that each true Christian is a component of the Bride. After Christ comes again, the Bride will become one with Jesus in marriage and as a result, Jesus will love and care for us as a perfect husband loves and cares for his wife. In addition, since Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him, then we will become one with God as well.

Until the time that Jesus comes for His Bride, she is to be working preparing the way for His return. This would be a similar mission to that of John the Baptist:

Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said:I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. (John 1:22 – 24)

The work that we do as members of the bride comes with the blessings of the Holy Spirit that empowers our work. The harvest of our grain is prophetic of the spiritual seeds that we sow and in turn, the spiritual fruit that we reap. Our new wine is the new covenant which is based on the shed blood of Jesus that is effective in setting us free from sin. Finally, our oil is the anointing of the Spirit that enables us to achieve His purpose.

This is the essence of the new covenant. We enter into it symbolically by eating the body and drinking the blood of Jesus as He taught us at the last supper:

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:26 – 28)

However, this physical act of communion that we practice today is only symbolic of the transformation of our nature to that of Christ Jesus through the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is in eating His body and drinking His blood that we become like Him. In encouraging and fostering this transformation we must prepare ourselves, the bride of Christ, for the Bridegroom. We do this by carrying on the mission and the works that He did here on this earth:

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2:6)

In addition, let us not forget that gifts and blessings come from God washed with the blood of Jesus. As we have discussed previously, we have open access to the Holy Place that brings with it the blessings of becoming enlightened to know our purpose, our mission and our direction. We can commune with the Father and are empowered to be victorious in spiritual warfare, which in turn brings safety, protection salvation and peace to the loved ones that we pray for. In this regard, we take up our cross and follow in His footsteps. We cling to the promises of God with all of our being and remain steadfast to our purpose, our dream and the mission that He created us to achieve.

All of this is to say that in Jesus we have a perfected Manna in that He sustains us as we walk in our desert place toward the fulfillment of the new covenant. This covenant will be fulfilled when the bride takes possession of the spiritual Promised Land, which is in heaven, and the bride is united in Christ Jesus and the two become one.

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The Spirtual Duty Of The Warrior Nation

Filed under: Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, the Holy Spirit, The Life, The Most Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
March 12, 2008

The Spiritual Duty Of The Warrior Nation

In the section entitled: “the Duty of the Warrior Nation”, which can be found in the posting; Jesus-and-the-Covenant, we get an interesting insight into what God expects of a warrior. In this posting you will find that God communicated the nation of Israel (via Moses), to utterly destroy the evil religion and the people who inhabited the Promised Land.

This message applies to Christians today, in the sense that we are all called into the spiritual battles of Jesus. There is a huge difference between our spiritual battles and the physical battles of Israel however. Israel’s warfare was physical because it required the destruction of people and property, while our warfare is spiritual in that it addresses the spiritual defeat of the forces of evil as well as their evil intentions for mankind. Let’s look at a scripture to reinforce this idea:

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51 – 56)

In addition, Paul entices us to enter into spiritual warfare in this scripture:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints; (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Additional information may require a review of the ten postings on our web site that start with the posting named Jesus-the-Golden-Altar-of-Incense. One thing that we did not cover there however was the savagery of spiritual warfare. The warfare of Israel taking the Promised Land by force is prophetic of our requirement to take the spiritual Promised Land (heaven) in a like manner. Both call for the total elimination of evil from the land. Again, here is a supporting scripture:

For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. (Matthew 11:10 – 14)

Therefore, we are called on to utterly destroy the spiritual places where evil spirits serve their false gods. We are to destroy their Altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire: we are to cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names form those places, all in the spirit. These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things. But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. (Deuteronomy 12:1 – 5)

Please note that victory in the spirit will also bring victory here on earth as well.

We enter into spiritual battle because the Lords prayer instructs us to so as it states:

Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

It is therefore God’s will that we become spiritual warriors and dispossess all evil from our Promised Land.

In our next posting we will take a look at the rewards of being a spirit filled warrior for God. Until then, may God’s blessings be upon you.

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Jesus Prepares Us To Enter Into His Spirit

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March 11, 2008

Jesus Prepares Us To Enter Into His Spirit

Jesus came to earth to prepare the world for entry into the spiritual Promised Land. He did this by giving us His life. The words that He spoke, the miracles that He performed and His promise of a helper that came in the form of the Holy Spirit, set the foundation for our entry into the promise of God.

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Jesus that lives in us and we live in Him. His spirit empowers us. We will now present a few scriptures that support this proposition. The first scripture provides an example of Jesus preparing His disciples to continue His mission after He is gone. He leaves them the promise of the Holy Spirit who will be sent to them by the Father in His name:

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. (John 14:14-21)

The next scripture communicates the story of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the disciples:

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs; we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, Whatever could this mean? Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. (Acts 2:1-19)

From that day forward they were empowered through the Holy Spirit of God.

In addition, everything about Jesus’ preparation of the people was better that in the time of Moses. Jesus gave us a perfected law that was written on our hearts and that changed our character (see the section on Jesus-the-Brazen-Laver). We no longer blindly follow rules without understanding but rather change our hearts to become more like Jesus. He gave us a perfected priesthood that came with a perfect sacrifice and a perfect offering. Most importantly, He gave us more than a Pot of Manna to eat; He gave us His body to eat and his blood to drink in the new spiritual covenant (see Jesus-the-Table-of-Showbread and Applying-the-Attributes-of-Jesus-our-Table-of-Showbread).

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