Tag Archive: religion


The Ark of the Covenant Overview

Filed under: Jesus is the Most Holy Place, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Holy Of Holies — 5 Comments
April 14, 2009

The Book Cover

The Ark of the Covenant Overview

In an effort to better understand what Jesus meant when He claimed to be “the Way, the Truth and the Life” we have been presenting a case that proclaims that the Tabernacle is prophetic of Jesus. This case is partially based on the fact that there are three chambers in the Tabernacle and one is entered by a gate named the Way, while another is entered through a door named the Truth, and yet a third is entered by passing through a veil named the Life.

This correlation has led us to examine the objects found inside each of these chambers. To date we have presented our examination of the contents found in the first two chambers of the Tabernacle. We have contrasted their attributes, functions and characteristics to the life of Jesus. What we have found is that the attributes, functions and characteristics of these chambers precisely predict the life of Jesus. We have therefore declared Jesus to be the Way and the Truth, and now we are preparing to present the case that Jesus is the Life by presenting the third chamber, the one that is entered by passing through the Life, the Most Holy Place.

We will start our presentation by giving you an overview of the Ark of the Covenant,

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherbim

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherbim

which is one of the objects found inside the Most Holy Place. We will introduce this overview by using a scripture from the book of Exodus as a guide:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil.

The Ark of the Testimony is also called the Ark of the Covenant. While we will cover it in more detail in subsequent sections let us provide an overview of it here. The Ark was a golden box which contained inside of it the Tablets of the Ten Commandments,

Moses and the Ten Comandments

Moses and the Ten Comandments

the Pot of Manna and the Rod of Aaron. These objects demonstrate several components of our covenant relationship with God. The Ten Commandments recorded the laws that were to be followed by the people to remain in a covenant relationship with God. The Pot of Manna reminded the people of God’s provision during their journey through the wilderness in route to the Promised Land. Finally, the Rod of Aaron represented God’s selection of Aaron for the royal priesthood of the Tabernacle.

As we progress in subsequent sections we will find is that Jesus is the Ark of the new covenant, our spiritual Pot of Manna and our Rod of Aaron.

May God’s blessings be upon you and your family,

Papa Joe

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of an amazing story of spiritual warfare. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

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. They start in his youth when amazingly he has a series of dreams that warn of impending danger that come true. In a mind gripping account he tells what happened when he turned away from God and suffered demonic attacks that took him into spiritual Golgotha, the place of death. There he is confronted by Satin and is brought before the judgment seat of Christ. Fortunately, judgment is not dispensed.

He awakes in the hospital the next day disbelieving what he perceives as a very bad dream. He is then pummeled by a series of physical attacks and teeters near death for months. Out of desperation he picks up a bible and later gives his life back to God.

Immediately God responds by leading him through a series of spiritual and prophetic experiences, that when melded together, communicate God’s desire. Possess the Vision weaves these experiences into a proposal to unite Christians in a common ministry to improve the life and living standards of the world’s people — in support of the command of Jesus Christ that we love one another.

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

Jesus is the Life

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus is the Most Holy Place, Tabernacle, The Holy Of Holies, The Life — 3 Comments
April 9, 2009

The Book Cover

Jesus is The Life

Our premise is that in order to develop a closer relationship with Jesus we must first to come to a better understand who He is. One major factor in understanding Him better is being able to understanding His statement: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”


To date we have been successful in correlating this statement to the Tabernacle. This correlation is best established by looking at the Tabernacle diagram below. From it we can see that the Tabernacle is comprised of three major chambers. One chamber is called the Outer Court (or the Courtyard,) the second chamber is called the Holy Place, and the third is called the Holy of Holies (or Most Holy Place.) We also see that these chambers must be entered in order because they are contained in each other, like the layers in an onion. We can also see that each chamber has a single entrance. The correlation of all of this to Jesus’ statement is that the names of the entryways into the Tabernacle chambers are often called: “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” respectively. The gate leading into the Courtyard is often called the Way. The door leading into the Holy Place is often called the Truth, and the veil leading into the Holy of Holies is frequently called the Life. The proof of all of this comes by looking at the attributes and function of each Tabernacle object and seeing that they are perfect predictors of the life and ministry of Jesus. Therefore, the Tabernacle is prophetic of the coming of Jesus. More importantly, achieving a better understanding of the Tabernacle reveals a better understanding of who Jesus is and why He came.

tabernacle-diagram2

To date we have addressed two of these passageways. Firstly, we addressed the Courtyard which is entered through the gate called the Way (Jesus-is-the-Way). Secondly we addressed the Holy Place, which is entered through the curtain called the Truth (The-Holy-Place-of-the-Tabernacle). We now turn our attention to the Most Holy place which is entered through the veil called the Life. As in previous discussions, we will start by taking a detailed look at the structure and components of the Tabernacle.

holy-place

View of the Life from Inside of the Holy Place

Again, by looking at the chart above we can see that the Most Holy Place is separated from the Holy Place by the veil that is called “the Life”. Since there is no other entrance into the Most Holy Place it must be entered from the Holy Place (The-Holy-Place-of-the-Tabernacle.)

The Most Holy Place is the very sacred dwelling place of God. Entry was restricted to the High Priest who could enter only once each year.

As we proceed we will present all the marvelous things that we find in the Life. We will then correlate their attributes, nature and purpose to the attributes, nature and purpose of Jesus.

So when Jesus claimed to be “the Life,” He really claimed to be the passageway into the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle (the place where God would dwell with His people on earth). If this is the case, then Jesus is stating that through Him we have access to the most sacred relationship possible with the God the Father, which is a relationship of covenant. Anyone who enters into the Most Holy Place enters into God’s covenant and therefore is cared for and protected by God. Here is a supporting scripture:

And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),” (Exodus 34:10 – 14)

This preamble lays a foundation for a deeper look at the objects found in the Most Holy Place. We therefore plan to take a look at the Ark of the Covenant, which is foundational to God’s covenant relationship with man. More importantly, we will look at the objects found inside the Ark and present them in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of what this covenant is all about.

High Priest in the Most Holy Place before the Ark of the Covenant

High Priest in the Most Holy Place before the Ark of the Covenant

For example, we will investigate the covenant stones (upon which the Ten Commandments are transcribed) and find God’s law which is a part of the covenant agreement. We present the pot of manna that fed the nation during its journey through the wilderness. The pot represents God’s covenant of provision. Thirdly, we will introduce the Rod of Aaron which communicates God’s choice for a royal priesthood.

In addition, we will look at the covering of the Ark, namely the Golden Cherubim and the Mercy Seat. The Golden Cherubim represent the presence of angels to protect the covenant. The Mercy Seat is the place where God dwells and the place we man can talk to God face to face.

ark-of-the-covenant

The Ark of the Covenant

All of this will start with our next posting where we will start to build our case that the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle is prophetic of Christ Jesus.

May God’s bless and keep you always,

Papa Joe

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of an amazing story of spiritual warfare. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

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. They start in his youth when amazingly he has a series of dreams that warn of impending danger that come true. In a mind gripping account he tells what happened when he turned away from God and suffered demonic attacks that took him into spiritual Golgotha, the place of death. There he is confronted by Satin and is brought before the judgment seat of Christ. Fortunately, judgment is not dispensed.

He awakes in the hospital the next day disbelieving what he perceives as a very bad dream. He is then pummeled by a series of physical attacks and teeters near death for months. Out of desperation he picks up a bible and later gives his life back to God.

Immediately God responds by leading him through a series of spiritual and prophetic experiences, that when melded together, communicate God’s desire. Possess the Vision weaves these experiences into a proposal to unite Christians in a common ministry to improve the life and living standards of the world’s people — in support of the command of Jesus Christ that we love one another.

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

Jesus is the Holy Place of Empowerment and Truth

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 2 Comments
April 7, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

Jesus is the Holy Place of Empowerment and Truth

In this post we plan to summarize the material that we have covered in our section entitled, “Jesus is the Truth.”

Jesus proclaimed Himself to be “the Truth” when He stated: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Therefore, our goal for this series of postings has been to better understand what Jesus meant when He claimed to be the Truth.

One clue to finding understanding of this is to follow a lead that Jesus gives us in scripture:

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. (John 5: 47)

So we searched the books of Moses but found very little reference to Jesus. Then we concluded that perhaps the Tabernacle was the missing link. Perhaps Jesus was stating that He was the fulfillment of the place on earth that God could dwell with His people. This view is supported by the following words of Jesus:

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke 24:44)

Jesus, Moses and the Tabernacle

Jesus, Moses and the Tabernacle

Since the Tabernacle was the home of the Covenant stones that contained the Ten Commandments (housed in the Ark of the Covenant) it was the home for our laws. In addition, there were many laws written by Moses concerning the Tabernacle, its construction and the duties of the priests relevant to the use of its components in ministry.

Moses and the Ten Comandments

Moses and the Ten Comandments

The big “ah- ha” moment came when a deacon friend of mine told me that the entryways to the three compartments of the Tabernacle are also called the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Way is the name of the gate that leads into the Tabernacle Courtyard. The Truth is the name of the curtain that leads into the Holy Place, and the Life is the name of the veil that leads into the Most Holy Place.

Our focus for this section will be on the Holy Place since it can be entered only by passing through the passage way called the Truth. To start with, only priests could enter into the Holy Place. Even then, entering the Holy Place was not taken lightly as one would have to consider their worthiness to enter into God’s house. In addition, entry was a momentous event as it signified entering a closer relationship with all mighty God. The Holy Place was sacred. It was the place of empowerment and bringing 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 to Him in prayer that we can be empowered to reach the spiritual maturity necessary to attain our mission on this earth.

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

Perfect Faith Brings Down the Giants Before Us

Filed under: Faith, Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 2 Comments
April 3, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

Perfect Faith Brings Down the Giants before Us


In our prior post we discussed the role of faith in the spiritual warfare of Jesus. We presented an example where Moses brought the people to the brink of the Promised Land but they refused to enter it because they saw giants  and they feared for their lives. The result was that God led them back into the wilderness for forty years until all those who refused to enter the land died. God built himself a new nation from the youngsters and taught them to depend on Him totally. They depended on God for their manna to eat every morning, as well as their water that came out of pure rock. They depended on Him for the cloud that covered them from the sun during their day time travels as well as the fire that guided their night time travels. They grew up knowing only a total dependent of God.

The Light at Night from the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

The Light at Night from the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

This led us to consider our faith in Jesus as we contemplate entering into ministry. In our prior post we made the following statement:


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 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.

While the example of the people fearing the giants in the land showed what can happen when we lack faith, this story shows what can happen when we have faith that even the giants will fall before us when we know that we serve 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 and Goliath

David and Goliath

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!

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

Have Perfect Faith in Jesus

Filed under: Faith, Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, Ministry, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
April 2, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

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 leading’s. 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”?

Jesus Pulls Peter From the Water

Jesus Pulls Peter From the Water

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.

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness by the Devil

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness 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?

Moses before the Burning Bush

Moses before the Burning Bush

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 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 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.

In our future postings we plan to present some Bible passages that help to illustrate how our faith can change the course of our lives and the lives of those arround us.

Until then, may God bless you and keep you always.

Joe

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

Why We Should Enter Into the Spiritual Warfare of Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Golden Lampstand, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Table of Showbread, spirtual warfare — 6 Comments
April 1, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

Why We Should 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.

42-17214638

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 direct correlation between the words and deeds of Jesus, and attributes and functionality of these two objects. From these studies we have verified that Jesus is the light of the world and the bread of life as He claimed.

Jesus the Light of the World is Transfigured before His Disciples

Jesus the Light of the World is Transfigured before His Disciples

What we have found then, is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the hidden prophesies contained in the design of the Holy Place. Therefore, since the entryway to the Holy Place is called the Truth, and Jesus claimed to be “the Truth”, we now have a better insight into the identity of Jesus.

Jesus is the way of truth through which we must pass to achieve a closer relationship with the Father. He is the doorway of truth through which we must enter to find our purpose and the steps that we must take to please the Father. He is the passageway of truth through which we are led to 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 our entry into Jesus, (the Holy Place) are the benefits of entering into spiritual warfare.

Choosing not to enter can be a very dangerous proposition as we are in a war weather we like it or not. Innocent bystanders are frequently injured or killed in war. Often times they can become traumatized when struck unexpectedly 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 may 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. I even crossed over to the spiritual side where I found myself on the Judgment Seat before God. There I experienced what the spiritual reality of making poor choices in this life. I got to experience a confrontation with Satan, I walked through Hell and I swam in the Pit of Fire which is the second death. God had mercy on me however, withheld judgment against me and gave me 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”.

possess-the-vision-front02.jpg

I guarantee that it is not for the faint of heart. But is it the most real experience of my life and when you read it you will know that every word is true. When you read this book you will understand why you must enter into the spiritual warfare of Jesus and fight the forces of evil here on this earth. The book can be purchased 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. As a special bonus, I will send a free electronic copy of the book to anyone who asks for one by way of the comment section below.

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

May God bless and keep you always,

Joe

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

The Spiritual Warfare of Jesus Requires Unity

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 4 Comments
March 30, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Spiritual Warfare of Jesus Requires Unity

We have been presenting the analogy between the physical warfare led by the Ark of the Covenant, to the spiritual warfare led by Jesus since the time of John the Baptist.

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. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matt 11:10-12)

John the Baptist

John the Baptist

Today we address the necessity of unity in either form of warfare. In the following scripture Moses directs the nation toward unity by reminding them of the promise of the Lord:

“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes — 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. (Duet 12: 8-11)


Moses and the Ten Comandments

Moses and the Ten Comandments

The inheritance referenced here is the covenant made between God and Israel that included the reward of the Promised Land (symbolic of heaven). Crossing the Jordan (symbolic of the baptism of Jesus) is required to enter into the Lords promise.

The Baptism of Jesus

The Baptism of Jesus

Once inside the Promised Land they engage in battle to drive out the evil that is there and the Lord goes before them to ensure their victory.

The reference to the place where the Lord chooses to make His name abide (in the above scripture) is the Tabernacle, which is prophetic of Jesus (see of our prior postings on this subject The-Tabernacle-is-Prophetic-of-Jesus.)

Unity is required in spiritual warfare as well. Let us take a look at what Jesus prayed for His disciples:

But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17: 13-23)

In this prayer is an extraordinary call for spiritual unity. Jesus is stating that we can become one with Him. Oh, happy day! But then, how can this be?

The answer is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle (this s in line with our previous teachings – The-Tabernacle-is-Prophetic-of-Jesus.) Let me explain this a bit. The Tabernacle priests were able to enter into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. They therefore were one with the Holy Place by simply being inside of it. Since Jesus is the fulfillment of the Holy Place, we find that Jesus’ prayer sustains these claims. We become one with Jesus by entering into the Holy Place, which is the place relationship with the Father, of enlightenment as to who Jesus is, and of spiritual warfare through prayer.

Of course a prerequisite to entering into the Holy Place is to first wash at the Brazen Laver found in the Tabernacle courtyard. To find out more about this go to the following link and look for the section on the Brazen Laver:

Jesus-is-the-Way

The implications of this on the current state of the church is eye opening. We certainly have not reached a state of unity but rather seem to be fragmented into hundreds of pieces.

Until next time, may God bless you and keep you alway!

Joe

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

The Purpose of Spiritual Warfare

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 4 Comments
March 27, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Purpose of Spiritual Warfare

In a prior posting we provided information that demonstrated that Jesus has ascended to heaven and has prepared a place for us (the Promised Land). In addition, we quoted His words that reveal that violence (spiritual warfare) is necessary to take heaven by force. For anyone interested in reviewing this posting, please use this link: Jesus-Leads-us-To-The-Spiritual-Promised-Land

Jesus Ascends into Heaven

Jesus Ascends into Heaven

In a subsequent posting we addressed how the Tabernacle was instrumental in parting of the waters of the Jordan River, therein enabling Israel to cross over on dry land in their journey to the Promised Land. We also communicated how the walls of Jericho fell as the Ark of the Covenant (a component of the Tabernacle) led the army of Israel into battle. Again, use this link to review this post: Jesus-Our-Tabernacle-Leads-Us-To-The-Promised-Land

In our last posting we communicated how all of this was prophetic of Jesus Christ. A link to this post can be found at the very bottom of this page.

Today we address the purpose of spiritual warfare. We start by presenting the words of Moses as he prepared the nation to cross over the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land.

Moses Praying on the Mountain - by J Hartly 1922

Moses Praying on the Mountain - by J Hartly 1922

Moses came before the people on the edge of the holly land and gave them instruction to prepare them for the battle. To ensure that things would go well for them. Here are some of the statements that Moses made that help us to understand the purpose of spiritual warfare:

Do not think in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out from before you. (Deu 9:4 NKJV)

The Lord clearly states that the purpose of casting them out to eliminate their wickedness. Spiritual warfare seeks to eliminate evil. Because of this the people and their evil religion are to be completely destroyed. No one is to be allowed to live:

When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. (Deu 7:1-2)

A close up of the bronze panel depicting the story of Joshua, with the arc of the covenant and the city of Jericho. Joshua lived a righteous life in the name of God and because of this, he was able to destroy all of his enemies and reclaim the Promised Land.

A close up of the bronze panel depicting the story of Joshua, with the arc of the covenant and the city of Jericho. Joshua lived a righteous life in the name of God and because of this, he was able to destroy all of his enemies and reclaim the Promised Land.

In addition, the mission of spiritual warfare is to destroy evil:

But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire. (Deu 7:5)

As I have stated before, the war of the nation of Israel was a physical war. While it is prophetic of our spiritual warfare, one must remember that we do not engage in physical confrontations:

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. (Ephesians 6: 11-13)

Violence in Heaven

Violence in Heaven

The ministry of Jesus is devoted to spiritual warfare. He confronted the scribes and Pharisees with their hypocrisy. He healed on the Sabbath to demonstrate that the welfare of people was more important than the letter of the law. In fact, He showed us that the changing of our heart is far more important than blindly following rules or attempting to game the system.

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. (Matt 5: 27-29)

Jesu and the Adulterous Woman

Jesu and the Adulterous Woman

So Jesus once again raised the bar. He not only fulfilled the old covenant but He replaced it with a much better one. One that is pleasing to God. So now, simply refraining from the physical act falls short of the mark. Victory in the physical realm is insufficient as spiritual victory is the goal. Victory requires that we change our nature (through the leading of the Holy Spirit) and that includes even the desire for evil. Our heart must be pure so that we can put on the entire armor of God and be victorious in the spiritual warfare that rages all around us.

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to:Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

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

Jesus Leads Us To The Promised Land

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
March 23, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

Jesus Leads us to the Promised Land

To date we have demonstrated that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle Courtyard, the Holy Place and all of the artifacts that are contained inside them.

Jesus and Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of the Tabernacle

Jesus and Moses Discuss the Fulfillment of the Tabernacle

Our most recent postings have identified the Golden Altar of Incense as the place for spiritual warfare because the smoke that rose  up to heaven from it has been perceived as symbolic of the prayers of the people going up to heaven. In addition, we have concluded that Jesus is the fulfillment (a far superior replacement for the functionality and purpose) of the Golden Altar. This conclusion is demonstrated in the life actions, words and prayers of Jesus, as they have been instrumental in bringing down the strongholds of evil that had held us captive.


The Golden Altar of Incense

The Golden Altar of the Tabernacle

In a prior posting we provided information that demonstrated that Jesus has ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us (the fulfillment of the Promised Land). In addition, we quoted His words that reveal that violence (spiritual warfare) is necessary to take heaven by force. For anyone interested in reviewing this posting, please follow the following link: Jesus-Leads-us-To-The-Spiritual-Promised-Land

Our last posting addressed how the Tabernacle was instrumental in the parting of the waters of the Jordan River in enabling the nation to cross over dry land and proceed into the Promised Land. We also communicated how the walls of Jericho fell as the Ark of the Covenant (a component of the Tabernacle) was carried before the army of Israel, leading it into battle. Again, here is the link to this posting for anyone who would like to review it: Jesus-Our-Tabernacle-Leads-Us-To-The-Promised-Land


In each of these cases these historical events were predictive of the Life of Jesus and we plan to demonstrate how right here. To do this we will use the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.

John Baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River

John Baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River

In this event Jesus crossed over the Jordan River as did the Tabernacle. In addition, both also initiated the ministry of leading the people into the Promised Land. In addition, both Jesus and the Tabernacle were successful in spiritual warfare. In the case of the Tabernacle (the Ark of the Covenant) the walls of Jericho fell down allowing the nation of Israel to take the city. Jesus achieved a similar circumstance in His victory over Satan in the wilderness. His victory enabled us to enter into HIs spiritual warfare as he tore down the walls that kept us captive to sin and the domination of the devil. Lets take a look at scripture to reinforce this a bit:

And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (Mark 1:7-13)

One of the interesting correlations here is the parallel of the parting of the waters of the Jordan to the parting of the heavens as God proclaimed Jesus’ identity. This significance of this is that the Promised Land is symbolic of a much bigger promise. It is symbolic of of heaven and this is the Promised Land that Jesus leads us into.

This verse also references the temptation by Satan in the wilderness.


Jesus is Tempted on the Mountain

Jesus is Tempted on the Mountain

Here again the victory of Jesus over Satan is a parallel to the walls of Jericho falling down in that His victory (of not sinning) opened the door for us to take the Promised Land of heaven with our spiritual violence. In other words our prayers through Jesus are effective against the forces of evil because Jesus has overcome evil. Evil has no power over Jesus as He is without sin. As we enter into Him and become one with Him our actions start to become effective just as they were for Jesus when He walked the earth.


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

Jesus Our Tabernacle Leads Us To The Promised Land

Filed under: Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
March 19, 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 Book Cover

Jesus our Tabernacle Leads us to the Promised Land

To date we have demonstrated that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle Courtyard, the Holy Place and all of the artifacts that are contained inside them.

Jesus and Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of the Tabernacle

Jesus and Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of the Tabernacle

Our most recent postings have identified the Golden Altar of Incense as the place for spiritual warfare because the smoke from it goes up to heaven and is perceived as the prayers of the people going up to God. In addition, we have concluded that Jesus is the fulfillment (a far superior replacement for the functionality and purpose) of the Golden Altar. This conclusion is demonstrated in His life actions, words and prayers, as they were all instrumental in bringing down the strongholds of evil that had previously held us captive.

The Golden Altar of Incense

The Golden Altar of Incense

In our last posting we provided information that demonstrated that Jesus has gone before us up into heaven to prepare a place for us (the fulfillment of the Promised Land). In addition, we quoted His words that reveal the violence (spiritual warfare) necessary to take heaven by force. Here is the link to this section: Jesus-Leads-us-To-The-Spiritual-Promised-Land

So, by drilling down on these subjects a bit we get an appreciation for the spiritual purpose of the Tabernacle, and since the Tabernacle is prophetic of Jesus we likewise get to see what the spiritual warfare of Jesus is all about as well. What we are about to find is that the purpose of the Tabernacle was to bring us closer to God and to guide us into the Promised Land. Since Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacles’ prophesy, we will find that this is also the mission of Jesus as well. It is true for the collective body of Christians (the bride) and it is true for each of us individually.

Today I would like to present how the Ark of the Covenant was instrumental in leading the people into the Promised Land.

The Ark Leads the People to Canaan

The Ark Leads the People to Canaan

So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”


So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan. (Jos x: 9-17)

So, from this scripture we see that the Ark of the Covenant was instrumental in leading the people into the Promised Land by deploying the strong arm of the Lord. Now let us turn our attention to the violent taking the kingdom of heaven by force.

But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”


So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. (Jos xx: 15-21)

The Ark of the Covenant is Carried by Priests as the Walls of Jerico Fall

The Ark of the Covenant is Carried by Priests as the Walls of Jerico Fall

Once again, the Ark of the Covenant (an object found inside the Tabernacle) is instrumental in leading the nation into the warfare necessary to take the Promised Land by force. Please follow this link to see how this correlates to the words and actions of Jesus leading us into spiritual warfare: Jesus-Leads-us-To-The-Spiritual-Promised-Land

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