Tag Archive: The Most Holy Place


The Cross of Jesus is the Rod of Aaron

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus is the Ark of the New Covenant, Jesus is the Most Holy Place — 7 Comments
April 30, 2009

 

The Book Cover

The Cross of Jesus is the Rod of Aaron

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

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

 

 

Moses Displays the Budded Rod of Aaron

Moses Displays the Budded Rod of Aaron

 

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

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

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

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

 

crucifixion

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

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

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.

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Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Law

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus is the Most Holy Place — 1 Comment
April 27, 2009

The Book Cover

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

Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Law

One of the items found in the Ark of the Covenant is the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are written. These laws were presented to the people by Moses. Since then, Jesus has come to fulfill the law. The following scripture reinforces this point:

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

Jesus teaches that the law was given to us so that we would know the things that are offensive to God, and change our nature based on this knowledge. However, we often defaulted to blindly following these rules without conviction and without changing our nature. Paul correctly describes this condition in some of his disciples when he wrote:

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

Saint Paul Preaching

Saint Paul Preaching

Therefore in Jesus, the law (the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets) is perfected because He extends the law to the to include the nature of our heart. Therefore, in accepting Jesus as our Savior, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are changed, which means that we have adopted a higher standard. This standard eliminates the physical act of sinning while also eliminating the desire to do evil. The following scripture demonstrates this point:

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

Jesus Confronting the Scribes and Pharisees

Jesus Confronting the Scribes and Pharisees

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

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

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

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

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.

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More on the Ark of the Covenant

Filed under: Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Holy Of Holies — 4 Comments
April 21, 2009

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)

More on the Ark of the Covenant

In our previous posting we present information pertaining to the objects found inside the Ark of the Covenant. Today we plan to present some additional information about the Ark that will be used latter to support our proclamation that Jesus is our Ark of the New Covenant.

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherbim

The Portability of the Ark

Because the people often moved from place to place, the Ark was designed to be portable. For this reason it was created with rings attached to its sides that enabled it to be transported via golden poles. In fact it was also used to lead the troops into battle as they entered into the Promised Land.

The Ark Brings Down the Walls of Jerico

The Ark Brings Down the Walls of Jerico

The Placement of the Ark in the Holy Place

The Ark is positioned along the wall that is directly across from the entry way (the semi transparent veil called the Life) to the Most Holy place. In addition, this veil fills the doorway separating the Holy place from the Most Holy Place.

The result is that the Golden Altar of Incense and the smoke that rises from it (symbolizing the spiritual warfare of the people) are visible through the veil as it is positioned directly across the doorway from the Ark. Therefore, the spiritual warfare of the people (their prayers symbolized in the smoke going up from the altar) are visible to God as he sits on the Mercy Seat.

It should also be noted that it is from this Mercy Seat that God spoke to His people and bring either blessing or cursing in reaction to their obedience or disobedience to the covenant (law).

Tabernacle Priest befoe"


The Priesthood and the Ark

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

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

Other Names for the Ark

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

So, in summary, the Most Holy Place is the most precious of all the places found in the Tabernacle. It is so special that only the High Priest was allowed to enter into it, and then only once a year[ii]. The Most Holy Place is where God talked to Moses directly and therefore is the place where the closest of all relationships with God is established. This relationship is symbolized by covenant and the symbols of the covenant that are found inside the Ark of the Covenant (the Covenant Stones upon which the Ten Commandments are written, Aaron’s Rod and the Pot of Manna.)

Moses and the Ten Comandments

The Ark is covered by the Cherubim and the presence of God Himself, who sits directly on the Mercy Seat which is between the angels (Cherubim). This symbolizes the importance and the sacredness of the Ark and its contents.

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

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

[i] Exodus 24:12  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

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

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


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)

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Inside the Ark of the Covenant

Filed under: Pot Of Manna, Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Covenant Stones, The Holy Of Holies, The Life, The Manna, The Most Holy Place, The Rod Of Aaron — 12 Comments
April 19, 2009

The Book Cover

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

Inside the Ark of the Covenant

 

In today’s posting we present information pertaining to the objects found inside the Ark of the Covenant. This information will be used latter as supporting material that proclaims Jesus to be our Ark of the New Covenant, the manifestation of the Most Holy Place and our passage way to both.

 

The Ark of the Covenant

 

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

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherbim

 

Three items were stored inside the Ark. They are the covenant stones, a pot of manna, and the rod of Aaron.

 

The Covenant Stones

 

First of all, the Ark contained the Covenant Stones which served as a continual reminder of the covenant between God and Israel. The Covenant Stones were engraved with the Ten Commandments[i] given by God.

 

Moses and the Ten Comandments

These commandments served as the foundation of God’s covenant with Israel. If the people obeyed God’s commandments then He promised to give them life and prosperity in the Promised Land, which is the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey:

 

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

 

‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, ‘then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled. ‘(Deuteronomy 11:13-15)

 

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

 

The Pot of Manna

 

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

 

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

The Falling of the Manna, Moses Drawing Water from the Rock - from Túrócbéla, 1480 - 1490

The Falling of the Manna, Moses Drawing Water from the Rock - from Túrócbéla, 1480 - 1490

The Rod of Aaron

 

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

 

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

 

Moses Displays the Budded Rod of Aaron

Moses Displays the Budded Rod of Aaron

 

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

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

 

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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Above the Ark of the Covenant

Filed under: Tabernacle, The Ark Of The Covenant, The Golden Cherubim, The Holy Of Holies, The Life, The Mercy Seat, The Most Holy Place — 1 Comment
April 18, 2009


The Book Cover

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

Above the Ark of the Covenant

In our last posting we introduced the Ark of the Covenant, which is one of the objects inside the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Today we will present the objects that we placed above the Ark, namely the Golden Cherubim and the Mercy Seat.

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherbim

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherubim

The Golden Cherubim

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

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

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

The Mercy Seat

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

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

Tabernacle Priest befoe\

Tabernacle Priest befoe"

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

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

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

All of this will be continued in our next postings:

Inside-the-Ark-of-the-Covenant

More-on-the-Ark-of-the-Covenant

Jesus-is-the-Ark-of-the-New-Covenant

May God’s blessings be upon you.

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

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.

[i] Genesis 3:24  So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

[ii] Exodus25:20  And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

[iii] Exodus 25:21 – 22  You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

[iv] Deuteronomy 7:8  but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

[v] Numbers 32:13  So the Lord’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.

[vi] Exodus 16:35  And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

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Finding Jesus in the Holy of Holies

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus is the Most Holy Place, Tabernacle, The Holy Of Holies — 1 Comment
April 15, 2009

The Book Cover

Finding Jesus in the Holy of Holies

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

Jesus-is the-Life

Jesus-is-the-Most-Holy-Place

Jesus-is-the-Holy-of-Holies

Jesus-is-the-Outer-Courtyard

Today we will see what the power of entering into a covenant relationship with God looks like.

This power is available to all Christian who can pass through veil called “the Life,” (which leads into the Holy of Holies.) To provide an example of the power of Covenant we present a reading from Exodus chapter 40:

Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did. And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

The Tabernacle Courtyard

He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherbim

The Ark of the Covenant Covered by Cherbim

He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; and he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; and he lit the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; and he burned sweet incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the LORD had commanded Moses. And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. (Exodus 40:1 – 38)

The Glory Cloud Covers the Tabernacle

The Glory Cloud Covers the Tabernacle

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

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

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.

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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.

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The Tabernacle And Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, Tabernacle Courtyard, The Holy Of Holies, The Holy Place, The Most Holy Place — 4 Comments
December 26, 2008

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

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

The Tabernacle and Jesus


The Tabernacle was built to be the earthly abode of God and the place where God would dwell among His people.

The following picture depicts what the Tabernacle of Moses may have looked like:

the-tabernacle

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

 

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)

 

 

This passage also emphasizes the building of God’s Tabernacle precisely to His instructions. This is just one of several statements found in scripture regarding God’s desire to have the Tabernacle built precisely to His instruction. This fact suggests that the Tabernacle’s form and content are extremely important; that it is built on a heavenly model designed to enable God to dwell among His people. This is because He seeks to restore the relationship with man that was lost in the garden.

We must now consider that if all of this is true then should not the Son of God also possess all of the attributes and functionality of the Tabernacle? What we will demonstrate is that the Tabernacle is prophetic of Christ. Would the purpose of God have changed from the time of Moses until the time of Christ? I think not. God continues to strive to restore the relationship lost with man at the fall. Therefore, we believe that the Tabernacle is prophetic of Christ. We believe that when we look at the functions and purpose of the Tabernacle and each of its components, that we will find them predictive of the function and purpose in the life of Christ Jesus. It is for this reason that we will use the Tabernacle and it components to demonstrate that Jesus is the Christ.

For example, we believe that the Tabernacle should give us some insight into the types of relationships that man can have with God. We further believe that if the pattern of the Tabernacle provides this insight then we should expect to see these types of relationships manifest through Christ as well.

What we are about to find out is that the Tabernacle not only helps us understand the types of relationships possible with God but that these relationships were manifest through the life of Jesus.

When we look into the physical structure of the Tabernacle we will find that it is composed of three major sections. The sections can only be entered in an order that represents a deeper or closer relationship with God.

The first section is the Tabernacle Court and it presents man with a relationship of God’s grace. When Jesus claims to be the Way, He is claiming to be the passageway to the Tabernacle Court.

 

tabernacle-courtyard


The second section of the Tabernacle is called the Holy Place and it is presents man with a relationship of God’s empowerment. When Jesus claims to be the Truth, He is claiming to be the passageway to the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.

 

holy-place


The third section of the Tabernacle is called the Most Holy place and it presents man with a relationship of covenant. When Jesus claims to be the Life He is claiming to be the passageway to the Most Holy Place.

 

priest-and-holy-of-holies

 

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


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The Tabernacle Most Holy Place Is Prophetic of Jesus

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

The Tabernacle Most Holy Place Is Prophetic of Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus-is-the-Life

Jesus-the-Most-Holy-Place

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

Inside-the-Most-Holy-Place

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

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

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

Jesus-is-our-Priest-Forever

Jesus-is-our-Covenant-Provision

Jesus-and-the-Covenant

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus-and-the-Bride-of-Christ

Jesus-and-the-Cherubim

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

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The Tabernacle Is Prophetic of Jesus

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

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

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

 The Tabernacle Is Prophetic Of Jesus

 

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

The Tabernacle Courtyard

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of Tabernacle Prophesy

Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of Tabernacle Prophesy

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

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

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

 

The Chambers of the Tabernacle

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

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

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

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

 

The Tabernacle Courtyard

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

 

The-Tabernacle-Courtyard-and-Jesus

The Tabernacle Holy Place

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

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

The Tabernacle Most Holy Place

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

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

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

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

Striving-to-Become-like-Jesus

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

The-Tabernacle-and-Jesus

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

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