16.2 Understanding Hebrews 10:19-22

As you can see, these four verses are all one long and very complicated sentence, so complicated that it becomes difficult to see how the parts all fit together. Having now in mind some understanding of the meanings of the Greek words used, we will attempt to discover what the sentence means.

First, we begin with the actual subject/verb of the sentence. Let us draw near. Here is the problem that we face. Other parts of this sentence take us much further than “drawing near.” Yet “drawing near” is the first thing we must know.

What about Tabernacles?
The writers of the New Testament understood fully the meaning of the sacrifice of Jesus, including Paul’s placing us inside of Jesus and Jesus inside of us. That means that they knew fully the truths found in the outer court of the tabernacle of Moses, and that they lived by the fulfillment of the Feast of Passover in the life of the church. The writers of the New Testament also lived in and wrote out from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. That means that they knew fully the truths found in the holy place of the tabernacle, and that they lived by the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost in the life of the church.

But what about Tabernacles?

Not Yet Released
Even though the veil separating the Holiest from the Holy Place had been torn by Jesus, opening the way into all the fullness of Christ, opening the way back to the tree of life, yet the experience of the Holiest was not yet released to the church. No part of the Feast of Tabernacles was fulfilled in the life of the church during the first century, and not until 1948.

This is why Peter’s prophecy of a grace and a salvation yet to come upon us is so important. He was speaking of the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles in the life of the church. He was speaking, not of our “drawing near,” but of our turning around in the Day of Atonement, seated now upon the throne of heaven.

We Have Entered
Thus the writers of the New Testament saw into the truths of the Holiest, they foresaw the fulfillment of Tabernacles in the life of the Church, they prophesied concerning living out from the Holiest, but they themselves had no experience of it. Paul expected with all expectation to be a part of the fulfillment of Tabernacles, but a sword took off his head instead. Jesus was the only one who foresaw 2000 years of an in-part church.

We, however, have passed through the experience of the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, the first part of Tabernacles, and we have entered fully into the meaning and experience of the Day of Atonement.

Church by Father
We are now waiting with bated breath, in eager anticipation, with the hair on the back of our necks all a-tingle, for the outpouring of the Father in the wondrous fulfillment of the first Day of the Feast of Tabernacles in the life of the Church: Church by Father.

And because we live now entirely inside the Holiest, we look again at the words penned by the writer of Hebrews. And in looking at these words, we see how they support fully in all ways “drawing near,” as we have known and as our brethren must know. But we also see that they support fully two other actions: turning around and going forth as the revelation of Father.

From Drawing Near to Going Forth
The Feast of Tabernacles and entering into the Holiest of All are the same thing. The Feast of Trumpets, the first part of Tabernacles, is drawing near, corresponding to the Altar of Incense that goes with the High Priest into the Holiest. The Day of Atonement, the second part of Tabernacles, is turning around, corresponding to the purpose of the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies.

But by the fulfillment of Tabernacles itself, we now go forth out through all the avenues of the old creation, revealing Father to all and showing each individual person beginning with our brethren, that they also are loved and are free to draw near.

Turning Around
Drawing near is hearing and believing that Christ is our only life. Drawing near is what Adam was doing first in the garden.

Turning around is knowing that we are utterly inside of Christ inside the Father and that we cannot ever fall short of His glory. It is eating of the tree of life, as Adam could have done. Turning around is never again considering ourselves to be in any way separate from the Father and His actions in all things together with us.

And going forth as the revelation of the Father is our calling, our ministry, our glorious liberty, as we set creation free.

AND!!! Every element found in these words supporting drawing near also supports turning around and going forth.

Our Possessions
Then, let us draw near/let us turn around/let us go forth as Father revealed are all supported by something essential: With a true heart in full assurance of faith. We can do that because we possess four things. These “we possess” verbs – “having” – are all present perfect and passive. That means that they are all four continuous actions initiated every moment by Jesus acting upon us, actions which we continuously receive. Having boldness to enter – Having a High Priest – Having our hearts sprinkled – Having our bodies washed. And all four, then, create in us a true heart that moves in full assurance of faith!

Boldness to Enter
Now here is where the complication of this sentence gets tricky. The main point of this sentence is not the subject/verb – let us draw near, but rather having boldness to enter the Holiest. But the writer of Hebrews knows that the fulfillment of Tabernacles has not yet been released to the church; nevertheless, the apostles of Christ speak and write as if they will be a part of that fulfillment in their lifetimes.

Thus here is the core of what is being said. BECAUSE we have boldness to enter the Holiest – let us draw near. But even “entering” the Holiest is not really our goal. Our goal is to live in the Holiest; we begin by drawing near.

Applications
This verse illustrates for us how the Word God speaks, the Lord Jesus Christ, operates at all levels all the time. Jesus comes to each one where they are and entirely as them. Thus a believer who has rejected the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and lives only in an intellectual knowledge about God, can find Jesus in these words as the One who allows him or her to bring all the needs of life to the Father for help and grace. And a believer who lives in the light and bread of the Holy Place, but has no interest in drawing near to the Altar of Incense, also finds the same, only at a deeper level. Even those who draw near, but do not enter in, can find life and help from a “separated” God for the needs of life.

Who Can Teach Us?
We must understand this truth, however. Even though Jesus speaks to each one at their level, this verse is NOT about drawing back; it is about entering in.

Here is a fundamental fact of reality. Only those who HAVE entered in can tell you what entering in really is. Only those who ARE eating of life can tell you what eating of the tree of life really is. And only those who have turned around and live every moment inside the Father as the Mercy Seat, His very Heart, bearing the griefs and sorrow of all, can tell you what living inside the Holiest of All really is.

We Await
And only those who are going forth as the revelation of the Father can tell you what going forth as the revelation of the Father really is.

Thus all teaching we have ever heard up until now concerning how this verse allows us to “approach” God, although it was life to us when we lived separately from Jesus, yet it cannot tell us anything about what this verse really means.

I can honestly teach you what living in the Holiest really means, because that is the only place where I dwell. I go no more out. But I CANNOT teach you anything about going forth as the revelation of the Father. The fulfillment of Tabernacles is upon us; we await Church by Father with the highest of expectations.

Finally Getting a Handle
I have taught out from the truth in this verse, Hebrews 10:19-22, for years, imagining I knew what it said. Writing the previous lesson, 16.1, brought me to the point where I had no idea what this verse really means. Writing this methodical and grammatical approach to taking apart this sentence inside the patterns of God, the tabernacle of Moses and the Feast of Tabernacles, has given me the joy of finally having a handle on these words.

Yet the sentence remains very complicated, even as I now attempt to approach it. Let me simply spell out for you (and me) the upcoming lessons.

Upcoming Lessons
We will divide the teaching on this verse into six more lessons. The next lesson, 16.3, must cover the blood of Jesus and sprinkled from an evil conscience. Then 17.1 will treat with having a High Priest, a new and living way, and having our bodes washed; 17.2 will explore a true heart in full assurance of faith; 17.3 will take us boldly into the Holiest; and 17.4 will share what living in the Holiest really is, including the full meaning of hearts sprinkled. The most mysterious part of this verse, however, through the veil, that is, His flesh, we will attempt to understand in 18.2.

As you can see, we should add another entire session, but this remains only an introductory course.

Next Lesson: 16.3 The Blood of Jesus