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The Morning Star Rising on the First Day
The Morning Star Rising on the First Day
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
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
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
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)
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
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
In our next posting we will discuss Jesus as the Fulfillment of the law. Until then, may God bless you and yours!
Joe
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.
SEEKING JESUS 
why did Jesus died for us
Thanks for your comment.
The answer is complex. I will try to give you the high level view here.
Man lived with God in the Garden of Eden. However he was defeated by the devil as he was deceived into sining. Because man chose to know evil by sinning, he could no longer dwell with God in the garden. He was therefore cast out of the garden where he had to live under the domination of the devil. But God still loved man and desired to reestablish a love relationship with him. However, God’s perfect love required that man have free will, even when that man could choose to live apart from God. Therefore, man would have to choose God of his own free will, and would have to achieve this by not falling into the traps of the devil that led him to sin.
Man did not know what things were sinful in the beginning so God used his servant Moses to deliver the ten commandments of the law. In addition, he gave man the model of the Christ to come in the form of the Tabernacle (covered extensively in this blog.) This tabernacle was designed to be a place for man to dwell with God here on earth, and was given as part of a covenant with man, in exchange for their promise to live in accord with the law. Unfortunately, there was no man who could defeat the devil by remaining free from sin.
One function of the Tabernacle was the sacrifice of a lamb for the forgiveness of sin. In it the head of the family would bring the lamb into the Tabernacle courtyard. There man would lay his hands upon the lamb as the priest cut its throat and allowed the blood to flow into the ground, thus allowing the sins of that family to flow into the earth along with the blood. But because men could not refrain from sining this process had to be done over and over. The bottom line is that there was still no man able to defeat the devil and therefore, no one to enable us to regain our relationship with the father and to restore what was lost in the Garden of Eden.
This is the reason that Jesus can to die for us. He came as the perfect lamb, devoid of any sin or blemish, who allowed himself to be killed so that the sins of us all could be forgiven through this one single act. Since he was perfect and did not sin the sacrifice of His life was acceptable to the Father for the sins of all men. Therefore, in this act he defeated the devil and thus enabled us all the ability to reestablish our relationship with God that was lost in the garden.
Well, I hope this was helpful. Perhaps I will do some posting on this subject.
God bless,
Papa Joe
If Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, how do you explain Cain and Abel being born in the Garden, and how do you explain that Cain was kicked out of the Garden after he murdered his brother Abel. I seems to appear that they were kicked out,but could it be the race of people that already lived outside of the Garden, and the hedge kept them out, or does it mean that Adam and Eve were kicked out of God’s covering?
The way I see it is that God drives Adam and Eve out of the Garden in Genesis 3:23, therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 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.
Adam knows his wife and they bare children immediately after this in Genesis 4:1, Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”
Since they are presented in this sequence I have to assume that they happened in this order. Therefore, Cain and Abel were not born in the Garden but rather outside the Garden.
In regard to your other questions I am not sure I have answers for you. By looking at the scripture it certainly seems as if there were other were other people there outside the Garden.
To me the Garden of Eden is like heaven, a perfect place where we dwell in peace with God, a place where no evil can exist. A place like the one described in Revelations 21:3, and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
I believe that the Garden was created to be the environment He wanted for all of us and He has been working to restore this environment for us ever since. Jesus was a critical component of this plan and many see Jesus as the Tree of Life.
I have found your blog to be interesting. I would like to follow it. Our church studies a chapter a day. I read Exodus 1 and how moses was placed in an ark of sorts . I considered Noah and the ark of the covenant and I knew there had to be a relationship to Jesus and the ark. Thanks for your insight.