Category: The Truth


The Holy Place of the Tabernacle

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, Tabernacle, The Holy Place, The Truth — 5 Comments
February 12, 2009

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 Holy Place Of The Tabernacle


As we are starting a new section it may be a good idea for the reader to read the review of what we have covered to date. This review can be found by clicking on this link: The-Tabernacle-Courtyard-Is-Prophetic-Of-Jesus-A-Review

We are now about to pass through the second door of the Tabernacle, the one called “the Truth”, that leads us into the Holy Place of God.

The Holy Place Inside the the Tabernacle Courtyard

The Holy Place Inside the the Tabernacle Courtyard

A diagram of the Tabernacle as found on the “http://ojgraham.com/GodsPlan.htm” web page is presented next:

Tabernacle Diagram

When we look into the structure of the Tabernacle (like in the diagram above) we find that it has three major chambers. As we pass through the door of each successive chamber we find that God is presenting us with an expanded, more intimate relationship with Him.

The Holy Place is found inside the sanctuary tent that is found in the center of the Courtyard. The door to the tent is a curtain that is called, “The Truth.” By passing through the Truth one enters a room called, “The Holy Place.”

Prior to entering into the Holy Place it is necessary to first pass through the Courtyard and the Way (reference the diagram). The reason for this is that purity must be achieved prior to entering into ministry in God’s Holy place. Entry into the Holy Place is the exclusive privilege of the priest, as no others are allowed inside. Therefore, God expects our purity to be achieved in the Courtyard. Our sins must be forgiven and our sinful nature addressed.

Like the other compartments of the Tabernacle, the sanctuary design came directly from God who passed the specifications on to His servant Moses:

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 25:8-9)

Moses And The Ten Comandments

As a result the sanctuary is both very practical and at the same time, very prophetic of the coming Christ.

The Holy Place uses the east 30 feet of the sanctuary tent and contains three significant objects. It contains the Table of Showbread on the north side;

The Table Of Showbread

The Table Of Showbread

the Golden Lampstand on the south side;

The Golden Lampstand

and the Altar of Incense on the west side.

Golden Altar Of Incense


It should also be noted that the Golden Altar of Incense is placed directly in front of the vale (or partition) to the Most Holy Place. From this location a priest ministering at the Golden Altar can view the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat by gazing through the semi-transparent vale. We will cover all of this later when we present the section called The Life. For now we will proceed to address the objects found in the Holy Place.


Inside the Holy Place of the Tabernacle


One major difference between the objects found in the Holy Place and Courtyard is that all the objects in the Holy place are made of gold, while all the objects in the Courtyard are made of brass. This is significant because one who stands in the Holy Place is in a more favored relationship with God than one who is in the Courtyard. The gold used in the Holy Place signifies the special presence of God. When we look at the uses of the word “gold” in the bible we find that gold was used to symbolize God’s Word, the wisdom of God, the knowledge that emanates from God, the living favor of God, and truth. All of these attributes are to be associated with the Holy Place and with Christ Jesus as well.



Our next posting will address the details of the Table of Showbread, the Golden Lampstand and the Alter of Burnt Offerings.

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


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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 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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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 Is The Holy Place

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, Table of Showbread, The Golden Altar, The Golden Lamp Stand, The Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
February 8, 2008

Jesus Is The Holy Place

In our last posting we presented a scripture from Exodus that helped to introduce us to the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. We also demonstrated that the components of this chamber are predictive of the life of Jesus.

We will now continue by starting where we left off in the Exodus scripture. In doing so we will present an overview of the Holy Place and then communicate how it is also predictive of the life of Jesus. We start by presenting a portion of the Exodus scripture:

You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle

The preceding passage identifies the objects found in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. This chamber is entered by passing through the doorway called “the Truth” and this is a direct correlation to Jesus’ claim to be the Truth.

The table mentioned in the above scripture is the Table of Show Bread. The loaves of bread offered by the tribes of Israel were continuously presented on this table. This bread, which is also called Show Bread, was displayed as a symbol of the familial relationship of God and His people. It represented a relationship like that of a close family that continuously shares meals together at the dinner table.

The Show Bread was presented before the Lord for an entire week before it was replaced with fresh. The priests who removed the loves would eat them as they considered it spiritual food.

The Lampstand identified in the above scripture is also known as the Golden Lampstand. Its purpose was to illuminate the Table of Show Bread and the other objects found in the Holy Place. It should be noted that the Lampstand burned olive oil and this is symbolic of Gods anointing of His people. The lamp itself is symbolic of the illumination of the things of God.

The Golden Altar is the third object found inside the Holy Place. Its placement was directly before the semi transparent veil called “the Life,” which happened to be directly before the Mercy Seat where God dwelt. Only the transparent veil separated it from the Most Holy place of God. Only sweet incense was burned on the Altar which produced smoke and a sweet aroma before the place where God dwelt. This smoke and aroma was symbolic of the prayers of the nation going up before God and into heaven where they would become effective in bringing down the forces of evil.

How Jesus becomes our Holy Place

Jesus is the fulfillment of “the Truth” because by entering into Him by way of our prayers, we find that our steps become enlightened, our ministry becomes empowered and the forces of evil are defeated.

Jesus is our Table of Show Bread in that He has become the Bread of Life for us. By eating His body and drinking His blood we become one with Him and the Father. If we have achieved this then we have achieved a very intimate relationship with God.

Jesus is our Golden Lampstand in that He has become the light of the world for us. By coming to Him in prayer our pathways are illuminated and our mission is clear. Only then can we become the light of life for others.

Jesus is our Golden Altar in that prayers in His name become sweet incense that comes before the Father and is strong in bringing down the forces of evil in the world. For a more detailed explanation of “Jesus the Truth”

If you are interested in reading more about Jesus the Way, consider reading the following postings on this subject:

http://possesosthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/entering-the-truth-of-the-tabernacle/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-the-table-of-showbread/

To find out more about the Table of Show Bread follow these links:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/applying-the-attributes-of-jesus-our-table-of-showbread/

To read about the Golden Lampstand follow these links:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-the-light-of-the-world/

To learn about the significance of the Golden Altar of Incense reference these links:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-the-golden-altar-of-incense/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-the-golden-altar-of-incense/

To learn about the significance of coming to Jesus our Golden Altar and to better understand the impact of spiritual warfare read these postings:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-heals-the-sick-and-the-lame/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-casts-out-demons/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-victorious-over-an-evil-establishment/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-victorious-on-the-cross/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/the-victory-of-jesus-empowers-us/

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Jesus The Holy Place Of Empowerment And Truth

Filed under: Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, Table of Showbread, The Golden Altar, The Golden Lamp Stand, The Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
January 23, 2008

Jesus The Holy Place Of Empowerment And Truth

We now have completed our section on Jesus “The Truth”, so let’s summarize the things that we have covered prior to moving on to the next section which is entitled, Jesus “the Life”.

Jesus proclaimed to be “the Truth” and this section was a search to find out what this actually means. It just so happens that the name, “the Truth”, is also used to identify the entrance into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. In the days of the Tabernacle only the priest could pass through the Truth and enter into the Holy Place. Even then entry into God’s house was a serious thing and required preparation to become worthy of entry (see postings on the Way). Entry was momentous as it signified the establishment of a closer relationship with the all mighty God. The Holy Place was sacred. It was the place of empowerment and bring down the forces of evil through prayer before God.

So with all of this understood, we can come to understand what Jesus meant when He said “I am the Truth”. He is saying that by coming through Him in prayer, that we can find the empowerment necessary to reach the spiritual maturity necessary to attain our mission on this earth.

In the Holy Place we find the Golden Altar which enlightens those in the Holy Place to the presence of the Table of Show Bread and the Golden Altar of Incense. We find that in Jesus we have a far better replacement of all of these things.

We find that in Jesus our Golden Altar, that we are enlightened by the “Light of the World” to understand our purpose and the steps we must take to be effective in ministry. This light was displayed at the Transfiguration on the Mount before His disciples and revealed who Jesus is. Jesus calls each of us to be a light of His Truth to others.

We find that in Jesus our Table of Show Bread, that we develop a close and personal relationship with “the Bread of Life”. This relationship helps us to understand that all of our provisions come from Him and that without Him we can do nothing. Jesus the Bread of Live was revealed when He multiplied the loaves and the fish for the five thousand who were hungry. Jesus calls us to be the bread of life for others by feeding them the truth of who He is.

We find that in Jesus our Golden Altar, that we are empowered for spiritual warfare through our prayers that go up to heaven. This empowerment comes through the examples of Jesus praying prior to taking action in ministry. His prayers in the garden for example, delivered instructions that were hard to accept and yet, were exactly what was needed to accomplish His mission on earth. Jesus demonstrated this empowerment by healing the sick, raising the dead, confronting an evil establishment and raising Himself from the dead. Jesus asks us to enter into His spiritual warfare by revealing the truth of Him to others and by taking action to support the direction He has given.

Putting it all together, Jesus is the truth about our relationship with the Father. He is our Lamp that will enlighten our mission and pathway toward God. He is our empowerment that comes to us in the form of the Holy Spirit and guides us to bring down the forces of evil in this world.

In our conversation of the Truth, we saw examples of these things in the life of Jesus. Miraculous things like the casting out of demons, healing the sick, confronting evil religious leaders and even dying on the cross for us. From all of this we can conclude that spiritual warfare requires action that is based upon our prayer life. For example, Jesus prayed in the garden prior to taking the action (He went to the cross for us). Jesus was enlightenment in the Transfiguration (the Golden Lamp Stand) with the truth about His identity (the Son of God). More importantly, Jesus had a close personal relationship with the Father (the Table of Showbread) that gave Him the perfect faith to know that the His actions would be supported by the Father in miraculous ways.

In the Holy Place of Jesus we are enlightened with spiritual truth, we receive our communion with God and we exercise our power over evil everywhere.

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Have Perfect Faith in Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, The Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
January 17, 2008

Have Perfect Faith in Jesus

 

The world is a stage in which each of us has the opportunity to choose what our life is to be. Every person has the ability to change their world and world to the others around them. No mater how insignificant, uneducated, poor, sick, imprisoned, or ashamed you may be of yourself, I tell you that with pure faith in God you can rock the world. All it takes is for you to step out in faith based on God’s leadings. Consider that Peter was able to walk on water until his faith was shaken by the circumstances around him. He lost his trust in Jesus when he felt the winds blow and saw the waves roaring around him. When Jesus reached out to save him all He could say was: “Why did you doubt”?

 

Our faith in God must be absolute; it must be without doubt and worry, especially for the consequences of our actions. One thing is sure, when we step out in faith in the direction God leads us, we will be met by sharp opposition from the spiritual realm. The winds of contrary opinion may blow around you and the waves of unforeseen obstacles will roar and crash against you. These are the forces of evil engaging in spiritual warfare. This is precisely why we must enter into the Holy Place that is in Jesus. We must pass through the passage way called the Truth, which is Jesus, into the place of empowerment. As indicated in previous postings, we must have our pathway illuminated by Jesus our Golden Lamp Stand. We must have a close personal relationship with the Father through Jesus our Table of Showbread and our Bread of Life. We must be empowered for spiritual warfare through Jesus our Golden Altar. When Jesus said He was the Truth, this is what He meant. 

 

So you want to step out into ministry? You will have to enter into spiritual warfare to be successful. Consider that even Jesus, after being baptized by the Holy Spirit in preparation for His ministry was led into the desert where He was tested by the devil. Yes, even Jesus had to be victorious over the devil prior to entering into ministry. Therefore, each of us that step out in faith can also expect that our faith and readiness will be tested. This is why it is so important to be inside of the Holy Place that is in Jesus. Only those who know that have perfect faith in Jesus and know that He will support their actions will see the immovable objects disappear at their approach. They that enter in will be the ones that see the miracles transform the circumstances around them.

 

Remember the story of Moses leading the nation of Israel to the Promised Land? He got them to the doorstep but they would not enter because their scouts had reported giants in the land. They had fear in their hearts which is the opposite of faith in God. They ignored the demonstration of God’s power that had freed them from the bondage of Egypt. They ignored God’s display of provision for them in the dessert for the previous forty years. They apparently forgot that it was God’s desire that they enter into this land. In other words they trusted more in their own ability than they did in the power of their Lord. Here is the story:

 

Then they told him, and said: We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!  (Numbers 13:27 – 14:1) 

 

Think about this for a moment: Does God give us direction because we have the natural ability to get there without Him? What would such a thing prove except that we are highly capable and do not need God. I don’t think that this is the case. He gives us direction so that we can demonstrate our faith in Him so that He can display His awesome power in our behalf. God gets the glory when others can see that His miraculous works. So, step out in faith and know that when the impossible stands before you, that your perfect faith in God will deliver a miraculous work. Here are a couple of Bible passages that support this position:

 

This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of Grace, grace to it!  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it.

 

In another example, David saw the giant Goliath and stepped out in faith knowing that he served a mighty God:

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Sam 17:40-51)

 

David had perfect faith in the Lord. He knew that the Lord would support him and that the battle was the Lords, not his. He achieved this by announcing that he came in the name of the Lord, and that the result would prove that God supported the nation of Israel. David also prophesied the result, which meant the he had received his direction from God. His steps were illuminated at the Golden Lampstand.

Walk in faith toward your God given mission. Do not trust in your own abilities but rather have the perfect faith that David displayed by announcing that the mission is being done in the name of the Lord. Tell the world that the work is His and that its accomplishment is proof that God supports the mission. Do not initiate activities without these steps. If you engage the mountain in battle without Him you will exhaust yourself. Only after you have given up and turn things back over to Him will His support be returned.

 

If you are considering entering into a ministry then it may be a good idea to ask yourself the following questions first: Ask yourself if it is possible for you to accomplish this on your own. If so where does God fit in? Also ask how your initiatives will give glory to God? The world will not change much based on the things that we do on our own, but rather, it will change when it sees what God can do through the people that have perfected faith in Him. So in this regard be like David!

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Enter Into The Spirtual Warfare Of Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, The Golden Altar, The Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
January 14, 2008

Enter Into The Spiritual Warfare Of Jesus

In our past several postings we have taken a good look at the spiritual warfare of Jesus. We did this of course in our quest to show how His words and deeds match up to the attributes and functionality of the Golden Altar of Incense. From this analysis we have verified that Jesus is victorious in spiritual warfare as the Golden Altar predicted.

This analysis was preceded by similar studies that correlated Jesus to the Golden Lamp Stand and then the Table of Showbread. What these subsequent studies reveal is that there is an exact correlation between the words and deeds of Jesus, and attributes and functionality of these two objects as well. From these studies we have verified that Jesus is the light of the world and the bread of life as He claimed.

What we have found then, is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the hidden prophesies contained in the design of the Holy Place, where these object reside. Therefore, since the entryway to the Holy Place is called the Truth, and Jesus proclaimed, “I am the Truth”, we now have insight into the identity of Jesus.

Jesus is the way of truth through which we achieve a closer relationship with the Father. He is the doorway of truth through which we must pass to find our purpose and the steps that we must take to please the Father. He is the passageway of truth that leads us into victories over the forces of evil. Finally, He is the entryway of truth through which we enter into the Fathers’ perfect love, which results in our health, prosperity and joy.

So, the benefits of entry into Jesus the Holy Place are the benefits of entering into spiritual warfare. Choosing not to enter is a very dangerous proposition because we are in a war weather we like it or not. Innocent bystanders are frequently attacked in war. Since they do not expect to be attacked they become traumatized when struck by an unknown and unseen enemy. Since they have chose not to enter into God’s provision they are not skilled or equipped for the battle. They are therefore helpless and often do not even understand that they have become a victim of war. The result is that they are often doomed to live under the domination of evil.

I can speak about being an innocent victim of spiritual warfare because I was one. The attack rocked me to the brink of death and I crossed over to the other side where I found myself on the Judgment Seat before God. I also experienced the spiritual reality of making poor choices in my life, namely Satan, Hell and the Pit of Fire. God had mercy on me and returned me to life for a second chance.

If you are interested learning more about the details of this and other spiritual experiences of my life, you can order my book which is entitled, “Posses the Vision”. I guarantee that it is not for the faint of heart. If you read this book you will without doubt understand why you must fight the forces of evil in spiritual warfare. The book can be found at Amazon by clicking on the following link: Amazon.com: Possess the Vision: Books: Joseph, W Gordon. Once there you will also be able to browse through the book as well.

That is it for today. Next time we plan to look at some more reasons to enter spiritual warfare.

May God blessings be upon you,

Joe

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The Victory Of Jesus Empowers Us

Filed under: Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, The Golden Altar, The Holy Place, The Truth — 2 Comments
January 9, 2008

The Victory Of Jesus Empowers Us

In our previous postings we have presented some of the spiritual victories Jesus had over the forces of evil. To date we have discussed Jesus being victorious over an evil establishment, healing the sick and lame, casting out demons and of course, His final victory on the cross. All of these examples support our proposition that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Golden Altar of Incense, the Holy Place and the Tabernacle of Moses. Since the entryways into the Tabernacle and the Holy Place are called; “the Way” and “the Truth” we are well on our way toward explaining what Jesus meant when He claimed to be, ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life”.

We will now look at the implications of Jesus’ victories over evil and identify there is a direct impact on us. The victory of Jesus on the cross set us free from the domination of the forces of evil. More than this however, Jesus has also empowered us to be victorious over all evil as well:

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:17-19)

You are empowered! The things that Jesus did by the power of the Holy Spirit are available to those who can enter into the Holy Place of Jesus in prayer:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)

Victory in Spiritual Warfare

Victory in spiritual warfare comes through prayer at the Golden Altar. When we look at the life of Jesus we find Him in prayer with the Father prior to taking action. Here is an example of this:

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me. He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. (Matthew 26:36-47)

Jesus was in prayer just prior to going to the cross. Therefore, He was enlightened and knew the things that were about to unfold. He knew that He would be betrayed and He that He would have to choose between His life and the salvation of all of us. He sought the guidance of the Father in prayer to ensure His steps were in the Fathers plan. In being faithful to the Father Jesus knew that He would be victorious over Satan and the powers of evil. He knew that He would set us all free by giving His life in exchange for ours.

Jesus also communicated that the way to victory in spiritual warfare is through prayer and fasting:

Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:15-21)

In still another example, we find Jesus staying behind to pray prior to entering into spiritual warfare with the demon named Legion the following day.

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me! And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. (Matthew 14:22-34)

The storm was fostered by evil spirits that attempted to sabotage Jesus victory by preventing Him and His disciples from getting to the other side. The battle with evil rages but with Jesus we have power over evil.

In this example, the passage presents strong evidence about the power of the saint’s prayers in spiritual warfare:

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Note the reference to the smoke and incense that are a reflection of the prayers at the Golden Altar. These prayers are not for enlightenment or for forgiveness of sin but rather for victory in spiritual warfare. They are effective in generating the wrath of God to be manifest upon the earth.

In the next passage, Paul calls us to prepare ourselves for spiritual battle by putting on the uniform of the spiritual solider. Again, this includes constant prayer:

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; and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:11-20)

So in summary, anyone seeking to be like Jesus should know that Jesus was victorious in a spiritual fight that we could not win for ourselves. This victory restored dominion back to us and therein empowered us to become victorious over the forces of evil. However, just because we have dominion does not mean that all of the battles are over. Satan is still deceiving the world and as a result a war rages between the forces of good and evil. The difference now is that Jesus has given us the power to be victorious in spiritual warfare.

The only problem is that we have to know that we are in a battle and we have to know how to prepare. Like soldiers that have to go through basic and advanced training to become effective in battle, we must also be adequately prepared for warfare. This comes through prayer. We must pray ourselves through the Courtyard and into the Holy Place where the Golden Altar is found. Once there, our prayers will enable us to be able to put on the whole armor of God. But it is up to us to enter into Jesus by seeking to become like Him. All of eternity in the garden with God lies in the balance.

It is up to us to choose. On the one hand we can choose to become spiritual soldiers or relax, enjoy ourselves, live the good life and ignore the evil that is all around us. After all, is this not what Jesus was talking about in the following passage:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. (Matthew 16:24-28)

Jesus wants us to take up the role of spiritual warrior and overcome evil. In our next posting we will enter into a discussion about why we should be entering into spiritual warfare.

So until then, may God bless you.

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