Category: The Life


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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Jesus Is the Spirtual Foundation Of The New Covenant

Filed under: Covenant, Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Life, The Most Holy Place — Leave a comment
March 4, 2008

Jesus Is The Spiritual Foundation Of The New Covenant

In our previous postings we have presented the background on the covenant promises of God and how Moses prepared the people to enter into the Promised Land in response to them. We have introduced these subjects to help you understand the significance of the items placed inside the Ark of the Covenant and in particular, the Pot of Manna. Its significance is that it symbolized the nation’s total dependence on God. This dependence was necessary to enable them to eliminate their sin, to know only good and to eliminate the knowledge of evil. Achieving these things enabled them to once again receive the promises of God.

In essence, God provided for them even when they did not deserve it. Through the intercession of Moses, God gave the nation another chance to enter into His promise as He purged them of their sin by allowing those who refused entry to die in the desert. The result was that those that were born during the thirty eight year journey through the wilderness learned to rely on God exclusively because they knew of noting else. They knew no evil.

We will be looking at the Most Holy Place, the Ark of the Covenant, the Pot of Manna and the other artifacts located inside the Ark as being prophetic of the coming Christ. One thing that we will determine is that all the items of the Tabernacle and the covenant were physical in nature. For example, the law dealt with how the people acted in this world. The people had to physically displace the immoral people that occupied the Promised Land. The promises given were for the land, rain, favor and peace from their enemies. The reward was that God would dwell with them in the land and that His presence inside the physical Tabernacle could be entered once a year by the high priest, who could make petitions for the people.

As we will soon find out, all of these physical things are prophetic of the spiritual promises that we have in the new covenant of Jesus Christ. For example, the new law has more to do with the changing of our hearts rather than simply following misunderstood rules. Our duty is to enter into spiritual warfare rather than physical warfare in defeating and eliminating the forces of evil from our spiritual Promised Land. Our promise is to live in the spirit forever, becoming one with Jesus, where there is no pain, sickness, hunger, death, crying or strife.

In our next posting we will take a spiritual look at each of these components of the new covenant.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Jesus Is The Way To The Promised Land

Filed under: Covenant, Jesus, Tabernacle, The Life, The Most Holy Place — Leave a comment
March 3, 2008

Jesus Is The Way To The Promised Land

In our previous postings we have been discussing the Tabernacle of God and demonstrating the many ways that it is prophetic of the life and words of Jesus. One thing we have not yet discussed is how the Tabernacle came into being and what its final destination was to be. In short the Tabernacle was created in the dessert shortly after Moses and the nation of Israel left the bondage of Egypt. There destination was the Promised Land where they would be able to dwell with God in peace. This great story is communicated in the book of Deuteronomy and we will make an effort to give you the readers digest version here. In addition, our desire will be to communicate how Jesus is our way to the spiritual Promised Land of God.

The messages of Deuteronomy are the messages of a dying man who loved God and the people so much that he spent his dying days preparing their readiness to enter into the Promised Land. The book is a series of addresses designed to provide Israel with another chance to gain the lost promise of their forefathers. Moses greatest concern is that Israel would take up the idol worship and otherwise adopt the immorality of the existing culture.

Moses Prepares the People to Enter in

Now the time has come for the people to enter into the Promised Land. Moses, even though he could not enter in himself, speaks to the people on several occasions in an effort to prepare them for this mission.

He reminds them of how their forefathers refused to go into the land and of the tragic result of their disobedience. He reminds them that this disobedience resulted in their sound defeat by the Canaanites when they had decided to enter the land without God’s support:

Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!” And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD? For this will not succeed. Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah. (Numbers 14:39 44)

In addition, He reminds them of their thirty eight year desert experience. Moses reminded them of all of the times that God had supported them in the past. He testified to God’s role in delivering the nation from the bondage of Egypt:

So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, We shall all be dead. So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds; a great deal of livestock. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves. Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years; on that very same day; it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:30 – 41)

In addition, he references the victories that Israel had over nations to the east of Canaan that were also stronger than they were. He reminded them of how God had talked directly to them from the fire. Moses also reviews the Ten Commandments with them in detail and focuses on their need to love God above all else:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

He reminds them that they are a chosen people of God. He reminds them of the blessings of obedience and their being healed of all the diseases of Egypt, He tells them that God will go before them into the battle and he reminds them of how He took care of them in the desert.

He also reminds them of their past rebellions, identifying the time when the nation made to golden calf to worship:

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, Come, and make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. And Aaron said to them, Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me. So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt! So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.” (Exodus 32:1 – 5)

Reminders of this type were provided to ensure that the nation was ready to enter into the Promised Land and that all would go well with them in the battle and occupation of the land. These teachings were the foundation necessary for success because they are the foundation upon which the covenant is based.

In our next posting we will look into how all of this relates to the life and words of Jesus. In addition, we will take a look at the implications of this story on our lives as Christians.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Jesus and the Covenant

Filed under: Covenant, Jesus, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Life, The Most Holy Place — 1 Comment
February 27, 2008

Jesus and the Covenant

To date we have presented the Tabernacle of Moses including many of its components, and correlated them to the life of Jesus. In doing so we have found that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacles prophesy in each and every case. What we have not yet addressed is information about the covenant, and more importantly actions the nation planed to take as a result of the covenant.

Based on all of this we are now ready to drill down on three major principles associated with the Most Holy Place. They are the Covenant Promise, the Duty of the Warrior Nation, and the Reward for living in Covenant. The following sections address these subjects in greater detail.    

The Covenant Promise

The covenant promise was an agreement between God and the nation. If the nation lived in accord with God’s law, then God promised that they would inhabit the land that He had promised to their fathers many years prior:

See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers; to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; to give to them and their descendants after them. (Deuteronomy 1:8) 

The covenant promise of God also included the welfare of the people and their children, as well as long life:

You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time. (Deuteronomy 4:40)

The Duty of the Warrior Nation

Fundamentally, the duty of the warrior is to eliminate evil from the land. In reality, this duty is a part of the nation’s covenant responsibility. Here are the words of Moses to the people:

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. (Deuteronomy 12:2-3)

So, while the Promised Land was given to them by God, the nation of Israel had to destroy the evil religious institutions that resided there in order to fulfill the promise. God would support a people who were totally devoted to Him and would not support a people who worshiped false gods.  

In addition, Moses told the people that unity is required for them to be successful:

You shall not at all do as we are doing here today; every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes; (Deuteronomy 12:8)

In other words, individual effort was not enough. They had to work as a nation with a single cause to fulfill their destiny.

The Reward of the Warrior Nation

God’s reward for the warrior nation is rest from their enemies, safety, and most importantly, a place in the land where God will live with His people:

For as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. 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, 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 12:9-11)

And the Tabernacle of God is the place in which God resides in the midst of the nation. It is the place of burnt offerings and sacrifices.

In addition, the reward we speak of includes God’s favor and abundance:

And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 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. (Deuteronomy 11:13-15)

 

Of course all of these things are prophetic of Jesus as well. He is the fulfillment and perfection of all of these things, as we will present in more detail in our next posting.

Until then, may God bless every one of you.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

The Cross of Jesus is the Rod of Aaron

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Life, The Most Holy Place, The Rod Of Aaron — Leave a comment
February 22, 2008

The Cross of Jesus is the Rod of Aaron

The second item found in the Ark of the Covenant is Aaron’s rod, which is a symbol of God’s choice of Aaron to perform the covenant duties of the priesthood. We will now presenting a case that Jesus is God’s choice for the royal priesthood of the new covenant. Jesus, being God’s son can perfectly perform the duties of High Priest and as a result He ends the reliance on the continuous sacrifices of the previous covenant.  

In a previous posting we presented a scripture that communicated how Aaron’s rod came to be stored in the Ark of the Covenant. It was a result of Aaron being challenge by the other tribes of Israel for his right to perform priestly duties. To settle the challenge each tribe provided Moses with a wooden rod to represent their tribe. Moses then gathered them and placed them before God in the Holy of Holies. When Moses returned the next day to retrieve them he found that the rod of Aaron blossomed and produced almonds while the others did not. This was God’s sign to God’s people that He wanted Aaron to be His High priest. Eventually, Aaron’s rod was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant as a memorial to God’s selection for the priesthood.  

At this point you may be wondering how Aaron’s rod correlates to Jesus. In this case the cross of Jesus is the fulfillment of Aaron’s rod, and therefore we could say that Aaron’s rod is prophetic of the coming of Jesus. The cross that Jesus suffered and died on, bore the most perfect gift that could ever be given, which is the body and blood of God’s only begotten Son. His body and blood were given for the forgiveness of our sins and this gift has blossomed and born much fruit through out he history of Chritianity. 

To go back a bit however, the forgiveness of the sins of the people was a function of the High priest. One the one hand the priest would slaughter the lamb and offer its body to be burned upon the Brazen Laver for the forgiveness of the sins of each family. On the other hand only the High priest could enter the Holy of Holies once each year for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 

Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. (Hebrews 9:6-8)

Therefore, forgiveness of sins committed in ignorance was a duty that could only be performed by the High priest, and then only with sacrificial blood. So this is exactly what Jesus, our High priest did for us on the cross. He came as the High priest, the sacrifice and the blood, and His sacrifice was made on His cross. 

This cross then became the symbol of all Christianity. It has blossomed and has born fruit abundantly in that hundreds of millions of people all over the world have come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is in this manner that the cross of Jesus is the fulfillment of Aaron’s rod.

The fact that Jesus is God’s chosen High priest is further substantiated by the prophets foretelling that there would be a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. We plan to present this topic in our next posting. 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Jesus Is The Fulfillment Of The Law

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Covenant Stones, The Life, The Most Holy Place — 2 Comments
February 21, 2008

Jesus Is The Fulfillment Of The Law

 

The most important items in the Ark of the Covenant are the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are written. This law was presented to the people of Israel by Moses and since has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who came not to destroy the law but rather to make it perfect. The following scripture reinforces this point:

 

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Matthew 5:17-18)

 

Jesus teaches us that the law came to enable us to change our hearts based on an understanding of the things that are offensive to God. This is far superior to blindly following rules without conviction and hoping that God will see us as a righteous people because of it. God gave us the law so that we would change our nature and in doing so no longer desire evil but rather the presence of God in our lives. Paul correctly describes this condition in some of his disciples when he wrote:

 

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:2)

 

Therefore in Jesus, the law (the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets) is perfected because He extends the law to the condition of our heart. Therefore, in accepting Jesus as our Savior and earnestly seeking to be like Him through the power of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are changed, which means that we have adopted a higher standard. We have adopted a standard that not only eliminates the physical act of sinning but also eliminates the desire to do evil as well. Here is an example that demonstrates this point:

 

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:20-30)

 

Jesus fulfilled the law that was at first written on stone tablets, through the love and compassion that is instilled into the hearts of men by the power of the Holy Spirit. Through this teaching we understand that looking at a woman with lust in our hearts is also adultery. Simply refraining from the act itself is insufficient as it is our heart that must be changed. Jesus replaced blind obedience to the law with real change in the character and nature of men that no longer blindly follow rules of acceptable conduct, but rather, through the conforming of their hearts to the nature of God:

 

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them, then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:16-17)

 

In this regard, we are conformed to be like Him.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Jesus is the Ark of the New Covenant

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Covenant Stones, The Golden Cherubim, The Life, The Mercy Seat, The Most Holy Place — 10 Comments
February 20, 2008

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

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

Jesus is the Ark of the New Covenant

 

We plan in this and subsequent sections to present evidence that substantiates Jesus as the Ark of the New Covenant, replacing the old Ark and old covenant in a far superior way.

Priest Before The Ark Of The Covenant

Priest Before The Ark Of The Covenant

 

Over the course of several presentations we will demonstrate that Jesus had a very close relationship with the Father and that angels frequently ministered to Him. These things of course are the fulfillment of Tabernacle prophesy in that they reflect the relationship established with God before the Mercy Seat (directly above the Ark of the Covenant) in the presence of the Golden Cherubim (Angels).

 

We will also present information that supports the notion that all of the items found inside the Ark of the Covenant are displayed more perfectly in the life of Jesus. This means that in Him we find a perfected law, one that is based on the changing of one’s own heart rather than simply following the letter of the law. It means the in Jesus we find a perfected provision and favor in the sacrifice of His body and blood for us. In Him we find a perfected priest hood in the order of Melchizedek. This priesthood eliminates the need for continual sacrifices at the Tabernacle by providing a single but perfect sacrifice of His life on the cross.

 

A very important point in all of this is that Jesus brought perfection to the Tabernacle that was otherwise imperfect in that it was made by man. He accomplished this by demonstrating His attributes and character with His actions and words. The Tabernacle was built as place for God to dwell among His people. It was however, built based upon the design specifications provided by God and therefore represents a model of the perfect Tabernacle that was to come, Christ Jesus.

Jesus and Moses at the Transfiguration Discuss the Fulfillment of the Tabernacles Prophesy

Jesus and Moses at the Transfiguration Discuss the Fulfillment of the Tabernacles Prophesy


 

So, in support of the proposition that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle built by man we offer the following examples:

 

1. The Covenant Stones containing the commandments of God that are housed in the Ark of the Covenant are simply laws carved in stone. Jesus on the other hand is the perfected law that is written on the hearts of men. What this means is that the practice of blindly following rules is greatly inferior to a change in heart that eliminates the desire to do evil.

2. A second point of support for this proposition is that Jesus provides us with a more perfect priesthood. Jesus eliminated the need for continual animal sacrifices by replacing them with the single, but perfect sacrifice of His own body and blood on the cross.

3. We also find a more perfect Ark of the Covenant in that the Promised Land of Canaan is replaced with the more perfect New Jerusalem that came down from heaven. Therefore, Jesus is the Ark of the new covenant which is far superior to the old.

The New Jerusalem

The New Jerusalem

 

We know that Jesus is the Ark of the new covenant for two reasons. First, because He, Himself said that He was, and second, the actions of God support His claims directly. Let us start with a scripture that documents Jesus’ statement about being the new covenant:

 

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)

last-supper-window-st-giles-cathedral-edinburgh


 

These words He spoke before His suffering and death on the cross. His body and His blood were the price that God paid for the forgiveness of our sins which enable the reestablishment of our relationship with Him. His shed blood replaces the blood sacrifices that had previously covered the sins of the people in a far superior way, in that they are not just covered, they are forgiven. Therefore, the blood of Jesus became the new covenant and Jesus is the Ark of it:

Jesus on the Cross

Jesus on the Cross


 

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O God.’  Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:1 – 22)

Jesus at the Tomb

Jesus at the Tomb


 

In our next posting we will discuss Jesus as the Fulfillment of the law. Until then, may God bless you and yours!

 

Joe

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Going Into The Ark Of The Covenant

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Covenant Stones, The Golden Cherubim, The Life, The Manna, The Mercy Seat, The Most Holy Place, The Rod Of Aaron — Leave a comment
February 19, 2008

Going Into The Ark Of The Covenant

In the sections that follow we will present information pertaining to the Ark of the Covenant. This information will become supporting material for later postings that proclaim Jesus to be the Ark of the New Covenant, the manifestation of the Most Holy Place and our passage way to both.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant symbolizes the Divine Presence of God and for this reason it is the most sacred of all the objects found in the Tabernacle. Fundamentally, the Ark is a box made of wood. It was approximately 5 feet long, three feet wide and three feet high. The Ark has a lid that covered it and both were completely covered in gold. The Ark also has four golden rings, one placed near each corner. Two poles also made of gold covered wood were placed into the rings on each side of the Ark. They enabled the Ark to be transported from place to place. The Ark contained three items inside.

The Covenant Stones

First of all, the Ark contained the Covenant Stones which served as a continual reminder of the covenant between God and Israel. The Covenant Stones were engraved with the Ten Commandments[i] given by God. These commandments served as the foundation of God’s covenant with Israel. If the people obeyed God’s commandments then He promised to give them life and prosperity in the Promised Land, which is the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey:

That you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you; ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ (Deuteronomy 6:2-3)

‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, ‘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 11:13-15)

For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do; to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him; then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you. (Deuteronomy 11:22-25)

The Pot of Manna

A second item found inside the Ark is the Pot of Manna. It represented the bread of God that came down from heaven and fed the nation of Israel as they wondered through the desert:

I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.” (Exodus 16:12-16)

The Rod of Aaron

The third item found in the Ark was Aaron’s rod and it testified to God’s choice of Aaron as the royal priest. The following passages communicate that Aaron was challenged for the right to be the high priest by members of the community. God’s choice was communicated in a miraculous way:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses; twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father’s house. Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you. So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod. And the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.” (Numbers 17:1-10)

Therefore, God performed a great miracle in selecting the Rod of Aaron for the priesthood. A rod, which was a carved piece of wood, came to life, blossomed and bore fruit. So significant was this event that the rod was stored in the Ark as a testimony against those who would not believe.

The Portability of the Ark

Because the people often moved from place to place, the Ark was designed to be portable. For this reason it was created with rings attached to its sides that enabled it to be transported via golden poles.

The Position of the Ark

The Ark is positioned along the wall that is directly across from the entry way (the semi transparent veil called the Life) to the Most Holy place. This veil fills the doorway separating the Holy place from the Most Holy. The result is that the Golden Altar of Incense and the smoke that rose from it (symbolizing the spiritual warfare of the people) were visible through the veil because it is positioned directly across the doorway from the Ark. Therefore, the spiritual warfare of the people (their prayers symbolized in the smoke going up from the altar) was visible by God as he sat on the Mercy Seat. In addition, it was from this Mercy Seat that God would speak to His people and bring either blessing or cursing in reaction to their obedience or disobedience to the covenant (law).

The Priesthood and the Ark

The Most Holy place was visited by the high priest just once each year. The high priest entered the chamber on this special occasion to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the corners of the altar for the forgiveness of the sins of the people:

And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD. (Exodus 30:10)

Other Names for the Ark

The Ark is called the Ark of the Covenant because it represented the Mosaic covenant between God and Israel. It was also referred to as the Ark of the Testimony as it was a continuous testimony to the covenant law housed in the Ark. It was sometimes referred to as the Ark of Thy Strength because it represented God as both powerful and a blessing to Israel. In addition, it was often called the Holy Ark because of the sacredness and holiness it represented.

So, in summary, the Most Holy Place is the most precious of all the places found in the Tabernacle. It is so special that only the High Priest was allowed to enter into it, and then only once a year[ii]. The Most Holy Place is where God talked to Moses directly and therefore is the place where the closest of all relationships with God is established. This relationship is symbolized by covenant and the symbols of the covenant that are found inside the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark is covered by the Cherubim and the presence of God Himself, who sits directly on the Mercy Seat which is between the angels (Cherubim). This symbolizes the importance and the sacredness of the Ark and its contents.

The Ark contained the stone tablets on which were engraved the Ten Commandments, which are the foundation of the law for the people. The law reminded the nation that God’s favor would be upon them if they remained in covenant. This included the conquest and inhabitation of the Promised Land. The Ark also contained the Pot of Manna, which symbolized God’s provision of their every need as they wandered in the desert and were transformed to become totally dependent on Him. Again, the Pot of Manna is symbolic of God’s provision. The Ark also contained the Rod of Aaron which miraculously budded when the authority of Aaron’s priesthood was challenged. This symbolized Gods favor on Aaron but also is prophetic of God’s choice of Jesus as the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. We will investigate this further in future postings.

Our next posting will present the claims of Jesus that correlate to the objects found in the Most Holy place. In addition, we will look at the miraculous actions of God that support these statements of Jesus and support the notion that He is the manifestation of the Most Holy Place, a place that can be entered through the doorway called, “the Life.”

[i] Exodus 24:12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”
[ii] Exodus 30:10 And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Inside the Most Holy Place

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Golden Cherubim, The Life, The Mercy Seat, The Most Holy Place — 3 Comments
February 18, 2008

Inside the Most Holy Place

The Golden Cherubim

The Ark of the Covenant is covered with two Golden Cherubim[i], which are symbolic of the angels that surround God. Each Cherub has two of their gigantic wings overhanging and protecting the Ark[ii] and the Mercy Seat (the open space between the Cherubim, just above the Ark that is the place where God dwells[iii] – see the section on the Mercy Seat below):

And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. (Exodus 25:18 – 21)

These Golden Cherubim symbolize the protection of God’s angels over the place where God dwells and over the ark and its covenant relationship with God.

The Mercy Seat

As indicated in the above scripture the Mercy Seat was the place where the high priest would enter into true communion with the Father. God communicated His commandments and instruction to the people of Israel through His servants Moses and Aaron. It should also be noted that the Mercy Seat was a most holy place and as a result, required Aaron the high priest to make special preparations prior to entering into the presence of God:

and the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. (Leviticus 16:2 – 4)

As you might already suspect, all of this is prophetic of Christ Jesus. Jesus is our high priest whose blood has been shed so that we may enter into the place where God dwells. It is Jesus who now sits on the Mercy Seat so that we may enter into the Most Holy place as priests of the most-high God.

Grasping the overall big picture of what the Tabernacle represents is critically important. It is the place where God dwells among His people in a covenant relationship. In this relationship God leads His people out of the evil bondage of Egypt[iv], and into their desert experience where they are purged of their unbelief and sin[v]. In this regard, the people became totally dependent upon Him[vi] prior to entering into the Promised Land. This is supported by the fact that the Lord led the people and was continuously visible in the cloud by day (that protected them from the heat of the sun) and the fire by night (that illuminated there way).

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. (Exodus 13:21 – 22)

 All of this will be continued in our next posting.  May God’s blessings be upon you.  Joe 

[i] Genesis 3:24  So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
[ii] Exodus25:20  And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
[iii] Exodus 25:21 – 22  You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
[iv] Deuteronomy 7:8  but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
[v] Numbers 32:13  So the Lord’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.
[vi] Exodus 16:35  And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Finding Jesus in the Holy of Holies

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Life, The Most Holy Place — Leave a comment
February 15, 2008

Finding Jesus in the Holy of Holies

Our past four postings have been a high level review of the Tabernacle and how it is prophetic of Jesus Christ. You can review these postings by clicking on the following hyperlinks:

Jesus-is the-Life

Jesus-is-the-Most-Holy-Place

Jesus-is-the-Holy-of-Holies

Jesus-is-the-Outer-Courtyard

Today we will see the power associated with entering into a covenant relationship with God the Father.

An empowered ministry and a relationship of covenant are the benefit given to the Christian who can pass through “the Life,” and into the Holy of Holies. To draw a correlation back to the  Tabernacle let us continue to read from Exodus chapter 40 and see what happened when the people of God put the components of the Tabernacle together and entered into a covenant relationship with Him.     Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did. And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; and he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; and he lit the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; and he burned sweet incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the LORD had commanded Moses. And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. (Exodus 40:1 – 38)  

Wow! The journey of Gods people out of the land of bondage in Egypt, and into God’s Promised Land was empowered by God. God’s presence was in the Tabernacle such that Moses could not even enter the Most Holy place. The people were led through the wilderness by God. God also provided the shelter from the burning sun during the day and illuminated their pathway in the darkness.

This is the reward for those of us who seek to find a deeper relationship with God by entering through the Way, the Truth and the Life that is found in Jesus. He will lead us out of the bondage of our relationship with the devil and guide us to His Promised Land that is in heaven with Him. He will give us shelter from our enemies and guide our every step. In Jesus we have the capability to enter into a relationship of grace, a relationship of empowerment and a relationship of covenant with the Father. Truly, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment