In this tabernacle were people in black and white from ages past, present, and future. In the seventeenth chapter of Numbers the story is told of the manner in which God demonstrated that the tribe of Levi in general, and Aaron and his descendants in particular, were chosen to lead Israel in the service of God. We do not enjoy the process; but when we are “thrown on the fire of God” the perfume that arises moves God as few things do. If we would have the buds, blossoms and almonds of resurrection life appear on our personality we must allow God to place us as He will “before the Ark of the Covenant,” before His Presence. Straight in front of the priest, just this side of the Veil that partitioned off the Most Holy Place on the western end of the building, was the gold-covered Altar of Incense. How the priest could see to trim the wicks in the morning we do not know, unless the light from the coals of the Altar of Incense gave sufficient illumination. Perhaps we should unpack and live in the Sinai desert. The Holy Spirit also is the “law of the Spirit of life,” the One who provides the wisdom and power so we are enabled to put to death the deeds of our flesh. We turn and look longingly back toward the familiar, toward Egypt, for there God wrought miracles for us—wondrous deeds the world does not understand. The believer cannot come to God in his own righteousness. Christ is the “word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” by which every person must live. The victorious saints, according to Revelation, Chapters Two and Three, are those persons in the churches who will give themselves over totally to serving the Lord Jesus. We always must keep in mind that Christ is Divine, that He is the Son of God. It is the communication of resurrection life with which we are concerned. The eternal life being created in us is communicated to other people. Rather, it is true that in the arena of Christian conflict the Lord God is demonstrating to the heavens and the earth the dreadful consequences of rebellion against the Most High, and at the same time showing that the Seed, Christ, growing in a human being, will enable him or her to overcome sin and rebellion under the most difficult circumstances. The Lord directs us to “abide in the vine.” As we keep ourselves in Christ, by the graces and practices outlined in the Scriptures, the Divine Fruit—Christ—is formed in us. Once God is offended and withdraws it is not a simple matter to persuade Him to return. The Veil hung inside the building on four gold-covered wooden posts standing on bases of silver. The new man of our heart takes of the Substance of Christ as a plant takes sunshine, water and minerals. The pattern of the Tabernacle was shown to Moses by the Lord (Hebrews 8:5). The Altar of Incense is the next step after the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Table of Showbread typifies the continual presentation of the living Word of God, Christ, the eating of whom builds up Christ in the believer; the receiving of the body and blood of the Lord in the Communion service; Christ, the Bread from Heaven; the born-again experience. The emphasis of the third day (and it is dawning on us now) will be the perfecting of the Bride of the Lamb in preparation for receiving the fullness of the Bridegroom. Christ in you not only has to grow in you but also must be beaten into shape through the multitude of pressures on you each day. It is a graceful act of ministry, balanced, harmonious, bringing glory to God. Perfection in the Christian experience is the possession of God Himself rather than any assortment of techniques, spiritual secrets, power with God, or any of the other things set forth from time to time as being goals of the Christian life. They could have cast the Mercy Seat into its form much more easily and quickly than was possible by the technique of beating it into shape with a hammer. It is the forming of Christ in the saints—the bringing of each one of us to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. How can He keep feeding the multitudes of Christians with the one body and blood? It is our Christian duty to keep ourselves pure, always remaining in an attitude of prayer so that our service to God will be acceptable. The Shekinah Glory. The life of Christ that is being formed in us must have continual contact with Christ who is at the right hand of God in Heaven. In this way He binds people together in love, for God is especially pleased when people dwell together in harmony and love. The scales of Divine equity must be balanced. The resurrection Life of Christ flows from our crucifixion with Him. But God’s promise to Abraham is that the Seed shall be as the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore. He must be faithful in the things of God (Hebrews 3:2). It is the image and likeness of Christ. Redemption can be accomplished only by means of the Divine Life that comes to us from God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Divine Substance in us has to be beaten into shape. It is death to self. The number one difference was what the centurion said, “But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. The Christian goes through the processes of death to self, and resurrection, in the power of the Holy Spirit. They may then be in line for the abundance of God: As we study the fifty-fourth chapter of Isaiah, which is written to those whom God draws aside to Himself so their fruit-bearing may be exclusively of Him, we find that we soon get into the description of the holy city, the new Jerusalem. Joseph and Daniel are Scriptural examples of devoutness toward God coupled with secular competence. Every Christian is called to be a priest of the Lord. The Altar of Incense The ornamentation suggests to us that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is attractive whereas the cross of Christ is a reproach. We “Pentecostal” people are in just such a transition today. His body and blood are eternal life (John 6:27-58 is clear on this point). By a miracle, buds, blossoms and almonds appeared on the rod of Levi, on which Aaron’s name had been written. Christ and His Gospel never change. In view of our coming total redemption, which will include the redemption of our mortal body that gives us so much trouble at the present time, we need to be sowing to the Spirit of God and not to the lusts of our flesh. Inside the Ark of the Covenant were placed the “testimony,” the two tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments. We commence in total chaos of sin and finish on the Throne of Glory—so great is the atonement (reconciliation) made by Christ. You may recall that the number five appears to symbolize entrance into the things of God. The Veil hanging between the Altar of Incense and the Ark of the Covenant portrays the third death—death to self. The incense altar and the Lampstand were especially in the charge of the high priest, although other priests helped in the service of the Lord. All the needs of the redeemed are illustrated by the various types of sacrifices. The Most Surprisingly Serendipitous Words Of The Day. But God brought them low in order to test their obedience. The saints often are difficult to work with and to shape into the desired form. It cannot sin. If any combination of evil powers could have prevented His resurrection, Jesus never would have been able to come forth with the keys of Hell and death. It is good, however, to keep our eyes fastened on the goal, which is the fullness of God’s Glory through the Lord Jesus Christ. We humans can tell others about the testimony, but the testimony itself cannot be brought into being by human wisdom or energy. Inside the Ark of the Covenant, along with Aaron’s rod and the memorial jar of manna, were placed the two stone slabs inscribed with the Ten Commandments. The absence of resurrection life is an invitation for the forces of decay and death to move in. It must be renewed frequently and regularly. Paul’s willingness to follow Christ into the fullness of death has resulted in the fullness of the Life of Jesus being brought to the nations of the earth for two thousand years. When we come to the “third day,” the Kingdom Age, we shall be in the “morning” of the Day of the Lord. The rough places (areas of sin and rebellion in God’s people) will be smoothed out, and the hearts of the parents reconciled with the children (family relationships established in the Lord). Here we have the bread and the wine, a portrayal of the Communion service—the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. Where the carcass (the slain Lamb) is, there the eagles (those who live by feeding on the slain Lamb) shall be. We notice the transition from the partial ministry, in the following verse: During “to day and to morrow,” the two “days” of the Church Age, we experience the casting out of devils and the curing of illnesses. We, more than anyone else, realize it is God who is active in every detail of our ministry. All persons have sinned and all must come to God by the blood of the righteous Jesus. The Courtyard of the Tabernacle, the location of the Altar of Burnt Offering and of the Laver, was illuminated by sunlight. The last half of the Book of Exodus describes the construction of the Tabernacle, and references to the Tabernacle and its furnishings are found at various places in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit expects faithful service in the assigned responsibilities. If we are to see the battle through to glorious victory we must do so by abiding in absolute trust, as the Holy Spirit assumes control and conquers self-love in us. The young heir turned away in sorrow (Matthew 19:22). An older Christian can share with younger Christians his experiences and the lessons he has learned throughout his life in Christ. The memorial jar of manna (daily provisions of grace from God). It is the will of God that each Christian bear much fruit, bringing forth in abundance the image and likeness of God. The will of God is ground into our will, just as the holy incense of the Tabernacle was compounded from different spices, until the two wills are indistinguishable. The incense that pleases the Father is the pouring out of our life in total consecration to His will. Human nature (wood) cannot be “hammered” into shape. The Holy Spirit has been charged with perfecting the beauty of the Bride of the Lamb. Meanwhile, Christ is resting in God, waiting patiently until every one of His enemies becomes His footstool. To eat Christ is to partake spiritually of the living Word of God. The convert must renounce completely in his heart the world, giving up all for Christ, being ready and willing to die physically for the faith if necessary. What Is An Em Dash And How Do You Use It? When God “smells” that perfume He is blessed. Chapters 25 through 40 of Exodus tell us much of what we know about the Tabernacle of the Congregation, the dwelling place of the Lord. The wooden building was divided into the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place). Scholars are of the opinion that copper or bronze was the metal used. He calls for the “alabaster box” of the perfume of our soul that it may be poured on Himself. It is not merely that we become righteous people. He who possesses the Person of the Lord Jesus possesses everything of value in Heaven and on the earth. It reveals also the character of the overcoming saint. The march toward the land of promise was directed by the priests blowing silver trumpets The fifth Levitical feast was the Blowing of Trumpets. Christ communes with an individual and gives him the living bread to bring to a person or group of people. In terms of the need of the moment, Christ looks about for a believer, a member of His Body, through whom He can meet the specific need. Our job is to bring ourselves into subjection to the Spirit of God. There is no Christian who does not have a place of ministry. It is the secret place in the bosom of the Father in which Christ dwells. We find God in the day that we seek Him with all of our heart. The family of Kohath was the branch of the Levites chosen to carry the holy furnishings. God is preparing a living temple in which He can settle down to rest. The new Jerusalem is associated with barrenness because God’s most glorious and eternal works are brought forth when every ability and opportunity has been reduced to ashes. The Holy Spirit is sent down from Heaven in order to work the works of the Kingdom of God. The redemption of the believer commences when he or she is in total chaos of spirit, soul, and body, without Christ, without hope, in the bondage of sin and death, and under the authority and power of Satan. Family relationships must be restored. The bronze Altar of Burnt Offering was five cubits square and typifies our entrance into the plan of redemption in Christ. Some of the verses in the New Testament writings teach us how the fulfillment of the Mercy Seat is formed in the life of an individual. Move cautiously. Coming to Christ on the cross is the first step in the redemption of the believer. No one has ever come to Christ for the bread of life and been turned away hungry. As we suffer, the Person of Christ is ground into us, beaten into us by the circumstances into which the Holy Spirit leads us, until the mixture is fine and uniform. But the Lampstand, the testimony of God to the earth, was pure gold. Pure Divinity. Little by little the bondages are dealt with, and little by little the fruit of Christ takes their places. The Glory of God always comes to rest in a prepared place. We are ready for the fulfillment of the Mercy Seat, God Himself, to crown our being, when we become the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant by: Carefully notice the following expressions of Christ: “He [the Christian] will keep my words.” “My Father will love him.” “We will come unto him and make our abode with him.”. Aaron’s rod that budded shows that the Christian has learned to flow with the resurrection life that proceeds from the Father—the Life of the Holy Spirit of God. Man passing through the Veil and being fashioned into the Ark of the Covenant, into the throne of the almighty God, becomes at that time the image of God. The seven lights of the Lampstand represent the gifts given by the ascended Christ during the “evening of the Day of the Lord,” that is, during the two thousand years of the Church Age. As the disciple presses into Christ each day he learns more and more to discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit and leans less and less on his own understanding. The Altar of Burnt Offering brings to our mind the Lord Jesus who was slain for us. When the priest entered the door of the Tabernacle, the Table of Showbread was on his right. Introductory Scripture The resurrection life of Jesus that flowed from Paul’s many afflictions, trials, imprisonments, sufferings, found expression in Paul’s epistles—a source of Divine Life for multiplied millions of people. The resurrection force of God works in the spirit, soul, and body of people because it is in the deepest parts of the personality that God creates eternal truth. God smells the perfume of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus. We present our body a living sacrifice. Growth to a higher development should be neither forced nor delayed or else the process may get out of harmony with God’s plan for the individual. Paul left everything that seemed to be of value to him in order to come to know Christ, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. It seems likely from the account that it was one or the other. There is a major problem with going forward and occupying the land of promise. The door to the Tabernacle building in the Courtyard also was of blue, purple, scarlet and fine twisted linen. Eating Christ means eating the living, Divine Nature. It seems from the description of the ornaments that the shaft was higher than the branches on either side. We are being brought toward perfect oneness, perfect reconciliation to the Lord God of Heaven. It is the Bread of the Presence of the Lord. God is bringing us into the death of Christ so that His resurrection life may be revealed in us. When a Christian is willing to lay down his life to the Lord, then Christ is formed in other human beings. The building was twice as high as the fence and its appearance was plain and rough on the two sides and rear. There was no wood (humanity) in the Mercy Seat. God meets man only at the cross. The Lampstand was the source of light for the Holy Place at night, and it made the Table of Showbread, the Altar of Incense, and the Lampstand itself visible to the high priest and to the other priests who were ministering. There were seven lights coming from the entire lampstand. Many Christians of deep personal consecration have demonstrated that an overcoming Christian can do a superior job in the world’s business, having the commendation of Christians and non-Christians alike. The Altar of Incense should be of particular interest to Christians of the Pentecostal experience because the Altar of Incense is a type of the aspect of redemption that follows the Pentecostal expression of speaking in tongues and other manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps Korah was envious of the special favor of God shown toward Moses and Aaron. Even though we may not understand all the details, the sixth chapter of John states we are to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ. It was constructed of wood and overlaid with gold. Christ possesses the Spirit of God without measure. He, Christ, the living Word, comes to us through the Holy Spirit. They are the Life of Christ given by the Spirit for the purpose of perfecting the Bride. The “death” that the Lord required was too prolonged. The Holy Spirit always is guiding us toward increased holiness and obedience to God. To remind them of their prolonged lesson of dependence on Him, God had them place a jar of manna inside the Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:4). We see, then, that there were three elements in the Ark of the Covenant: Although we are treating the Mercy Seat as a separate furnishing, and it was made separately, it was placed as a lid on the Ark of the Covenant and was regarded as a part of the Ark so that the whole made one unit—the Mercy Seat resting as a cover on the sacred chest, the Ark of the Covenant. The same anointing will one day rest on the Body of Christ (Isaiah, Chapter 60). He does it in the same manner in which he fed the multitude of followers with the loaves and fishes. The Holy Spirit assigns the gifts and ministries of supernatural wisdom and power and then directs their use. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and often intensified by suffering, the saint begins to cry mightily to God night and day for God to meet the needs of the hour. The significance of Jesus’ death on the cross was demonstrated under the old covenant by the constant shedding of blood at the Altar of Burnt Offering. “Sparkling Water” vs. “Seltzer” vs. “Club Soda”: What’s The Difference? But Christ remains unique, whether in Heaven or on the earth. Some are blessed immediately; others not so quickly or obviously. Our task is to be patient with God until we find rest in Him. Righteousness, holiness, and obedience of conduct run deeper than words spoken by Christians, although words are necessary in their place. If this were the case, the Laver and its base may have been placed in the cloth of blue and carried on the frame with the small golden utensils of the Tabernacle. The growth of the believer from the time he receives the blood atonement by faith until he is in Christ’s image and is in perfect, restful union with God through Christ. As our prayer and praise life grows stronger our testimony becomes more effective. It all takes place in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the power of eternal life that proves the saints are chosen of God. The transformed character is something other people can see and experience in the saint. God hears. That which is perfect is the Fullness of the Father and the Fullness of the Son through the Fullness of the Spirit dwelling in the members of the Body of Christ. The Laver may have been a small basin of bronze placed on a bronze pedestal—too small to need receptacles and carrying poles, which might have made it look ridiculous if indeed it were of small size. The water in the Laver enabled the high priest and the other priests to wash their hands and their feet before they went into the Tabernacle to minister before the Lord. Many scholars believe that wood, as used in the Old Testament typology, symbolizes humanity. The second work is the result of the first work. It speaks to us of the time when we are in the image of Christ, possessing in ourselves the discipline of the Spirit (Aaron’s rod); The body and blood of Christ (memorial jar of manna); and a pure moral character (the Ten Commandments). Also, the incense was only for the Lord to smell. The Divine edict has gone forth! The beautiful gate to the Courtyard and the higher door to the Tabernacle building gave the Israelite who came with his offering some idea of the magnificence of the gold-covered interior of the wooden Tabernacle building—the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”? The golden Altar of Incense was much smaller than the Altar of Burnt Offering, being only eighteen inches square and three feet high. Therefore we must eat His flesh and drink His blood if we wish to share in His eternal life. It was covered inside and outside with refined gold. The enormous creative energies of the Word are described in the next verse of John: There is no life apart from the Word. There is no place here for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. We overcome the world, the accuser, and our own fleshly nature every moment of every day by the blood of the Lamb. The Body of Christ is represented by the six-side branches. We Christians are priests and bear witness to that Bread: The showbread was kept fresh. But once we enter the Holy Place of the Tabernacle there is little sunlight, little “natural” light. We have seen, then, that there are two elements in the Holy of Holies: the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. He takes of His own body and blood, blesses it, and nourishes the incorruptible Seed that is in us. In place of the envy comes the contentment of Christ. But there are transitional pangs as one is crossing from the life of the soul to the life lived in the Spirit of God. While there has been a plethora of virtual classes offering fitness routines, yoga and guided exercises, there are some who are religiously committed to actually showing UP to the tabernacles of gains. We are born of the Word of God when we eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood so He Himself begins to be formed in us. Four layers of material were thrown over these upright boards, forming the roof. The cup speaks of what is poured out in death, thereby yielding to the Father the sweet perfume of Christ and of the wholly consecrated Christian life. We receive freedom from sinful practices by the second death. Lampstand—This furnishing had a central shaft and six side-branches. Or, the solution could have been to partially tie back the door to let in the daylight. Christ is alive today. Is the fruit—Christ—being formed in you? A person can accept Christ, be covered with the Passover blood by faith, be healed in his body, be baptized in water, be born again, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, prophesy, share in the Lord’s Supper—all in one evening. The Lampstand was to be kept lighted throughout the night, just as the Presence bread was to be kept on the table continually. When we are referring to the Lampstand (Pentecostal) experience of receiving the Spirit, with the accompanying speaking in tongues, as being a midpoint in Christian growth, we are speaking of a certain amount of experience at this stage of the life in the Spirit. For some Christians a long period of time passes before the desired fruit is forthcoming. We are not claiming that good moral behavior alone on the part of the Church will save the unregenerate. It is a picture of the Communion service. On the fifth day animal life first appeared in the creation—fish in the waters, and birds in the firmament. In the second death the bondage of Satan is poured out of the cup of the Christian and righteous and holy freedom in the Spirit of Christ is poured back into his cup. Acacia wood is thorny, hard, and durable. It is those who eat His flesh and drink His blood who dwell in Him and He in them. Any person who, knowing of the sacrifice made on Calvary, attempts to come to God in his or her own righteousness is doomed already. Our “Isaac,” that which God Himself has given to us, must be returned to God as an offering. During this period we see through a glass dimly. Everything else is an imitation. The end result of the three deaths is that the Christian comes into the image of Christ; he receives the fullness of fruitfulness and dominion promised to mankind; and he becomes a blessing to the nations of the earth in that he is able to bring the liberty of the glory of the children of God to all who will believe. The Ark contained also a memorial jar of manna and Aaron’s rod that budded. The Altar of Incense is the fifth of the seven furnishings. The Laver was located “between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar,” which seems to indicate that the Laver was placed directly in front of the door of the Tabernacle, between the Altar of Burnt Offering and the door of the Tabernacle. He is the living fulfillment of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The Lampstand proper, not counting the six side-branches, consisted of a shaft proceeding up from a base. The Lord Jesus was a “root out of a dry ground” when He hung on the cross. When the promise was fulfilled, the gift of God far exceeded in glory and abundance anything Abraham and Sarah possibly could have imagined. The preaching of the cross of Christ is God’s provision for the unsaved. As soon as the redemptive processes have been completed, or rather as they are being completed (for this is no simple one-two-three procedure, it is a complicated hammering out of one’s life on the anvil of human experience), the Godhead will indwell the Christian and absorb the Christian into the Divine Life. God has commanded us to preach, to teach, and to exhort other people in the Word of Christ. The remainder of the building was called the Holy. The fruit (knop, knob) hammered into shape in the Lampstand and in its six side-branches represents Christ, who is the Fruit of God. It must be fresh. This mixture was the only incense allowed in the Tabernacle, and if any person made perfume like it for his own use he was to be cut off from Israel. He is able to perform all the operations and tasks of the Kingdom of God. As far as our individual redemption is concerned, both the River Jordan and the Veil of the Tabernacle symbolize the same thing—death to self. Every Sabbath day hot loaves were placed on the table in two rows of six each, and the past week’s bread was eaten by the priests in a place set aside as holy.