2. Tabernacle Places & Furnishings
Audio Only2. Tabernacle Places and Furnishings for Notes
We must always position everything; that is, everything fits into its place and is known by its functions in that place. A spark plug cannot be complete by itself, but it is known only as it fits into its place and as power flows into it from other parts and out from it into the working of the engine.
Obviously, the Gate and the Altar come first as they together are the ENTRANCE. The big question is – the entrance into what?
The primary belief in Christendom is that they are the entrance to “heaven.” The Gate – the Altar – go to heaven after you die.
Life Is Knowing God. We must know where we are going before we can know the Way. – “I am the Way – Come to the Father through Me.”
To put it simply, the goal of our journey (that is, our rescue) is LIFE, age-unfolding life. “This is age-unfolding life, that they might know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
The goal of our journey is knowing Father through Jesus Sent into us. Knowing Father happens only by heart. Knowing Father means living inside of God and God inside of us, sharing each other’s life and lives, that is, the Holiest.
The Way into the Holiest.
Three Entrances. Everything found in this journey is there for one reason only, because it is a required step for any human to live inside of the knowledge of a Salvation already complete. Gate, Door, and Veil are the same – the Person of the Lord Jesus. He is always the initiator of each entrance. Jesus alone carries us through.
The entrances are the most important part of the journey. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes into the Father except through Me (John 14).
The entrances clearly show us Jesus and our way forward, but what is their definition and how do they become us?
The Importance of ‘Blasphemy.’ Why did Jesus require ‘blasphemy’ of His disciples (eat My flesh and drink My blood)? And why was He executed for ‘blasphemy?’ – The Father and I are one.
The serpent as the image of God RULES all, Christian and non-Christian alike. God is NOT known as He IS. To know God at each step requires a deliberate and personal rejection of a “God” through the highest of angels. To know Father is to be one with Him; lowly humans ARE what God looks like. Our definition of God must change.
True blasphemy – Whatever you do to the least of these…
Four Places. In this aspect of the pattern, the “camp” means the lost. And you, being once dead in your own falling short (Ephesians 2:1).
Outer Court – Holy Place – Holy of Holies. Each entrance brings the traveler, the one carried, into each next place. Each entrance creates a massive separation of “kind” from those who will not go on to know the Lord.
The Tabernacle gives us a visual representation of what we discover in our experience. – Three places of knowing God – found represented everywhere in the Bible by many words and pictures.
Seeing the Four Places. [The tabernacle again]
The Gate and the Outer Court. A place of transfer. He was made sin that we might be made just.
The gate and the altar of sacrifice are synonymous in experience. A place of cleansing. – Only true hearts will live inside the Holiest.
A place of natural understanding, lit by the natural sun.
And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste (Exodus 12:10). A place for quickly passing through.
The Altar of Sacrifice. Defining: Three OT pictures define Jesus’ sacrifice – this
altar, the Passover Lamb, & the goats of the atonement.
Describing Jesus: By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.
Our Way: The passage from death into life is a way we cannot go ourselves. We must be carried inside of Another. Jesus must win our hearts.
Describing Us: And we also are committed to laying down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16).
The Bronze Laver. Defining: Laver made from bronze mirrors. – The washing of water
of the word.
Describing Jesus: A spotless Lamb – without sin – proven true.
Our Way: The Bible by the Spirit versus the Bible by the natural mind. Baptism in water – Baptism in Spirit. Revealing Christ not sin!
Describing Us: Reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). As He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4). Cleanse yourself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness… (2 Corinthians 7:1).
The Door & The Holy Place. I am the door; if anyone enters in through Me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out and will find pasture [or increase]. – one not entering through the door… but ascending up by another way (John 10:8 & 1).
Jesus alone immerses us into the Spirit. Inside of Christ – found over 100 times in the gospel.
I am the truth – the Spirit will lead you into all truth (Me) (John 14 & 16).
The Holy Place is meant to transition the believer from knowing only the physical to knowing the realms of spirit, that is “heaven.” BUT – it is not where we remain.
The Table of Showbread. Defining: Bread is sustenance – Sustaining all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). “Show” means set forth or appointed.
Describing Jesus: I am the bread of life.
Our Way: Consider water – bread – Manna. Two are transitional (on the way into full understanding), only one is permanent – manna is the Word made flesh.
Describing Us: We have been given the capacity to know God (1 John 5). Eat My flesh and drink My blood. We become what we eat – transubstantiation.
The Lampstand. Defining: Light upon our path – seeing the way to go. Also – the Church.
Describing Jesus: I am the light of the world. – If any man follow me, he shall not see darkness, but have the light of life (Matthew and John).
Our Way: Consider again – natural light – oil light – pillar of fire – a progression into real. The natural man does not know the things of God (1 Corinthians 2). We are still “seeking to be led” in the Holy Place.
Describing Us: You are the light of the world (Matthew 6). But you have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2).
The Altar of Incense. Defining: A transformation through fire and joy. The “pearl” verses.
Describing Jesus: Offered Himself to God, a sweet-smelling aroma (Hebrews).
Our Way: - through the Veil. Letting go of being responsible for ourselves. There is something of Adam that cannot continue here.
Describing Us: Christ also loved us and gave Himself to us for our sakes, an offering and a sacrifice to God, into a sweet-smelling aroma (Ephesians 5). You are an aroma of Christ in every place (2 Corinthians 2).
The Veil & the Holiest. Through the veil, that is, His flesh (Hebrews 10:19). Flesh of His flesh – one flesh with Him (Ephesians 5). No sufficiency in ourselves – You are responsible for me. The Holiest is the normal Christian life. You are already here; you have never been anywhere else.
The imagination of the natural mind REFUSES to believe God with us here and now. Every purpose of the path IN is simply to change our minds, to change how we think about everything. We KNOW because we know God’s salvation.
Absolute confidence is the one thing required to remain always in the knowledge of God. For here are things beyond natural human acceptance, things now become us.
The Ark of the Covenant. Defining: Symmorphy – God and the human (us) together as one.
Describing Jesus: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Our Way: Abide in Me and I in you (John 15). Walk just as He walked (1 John 2).
Describing Us: Clearly you are epistles of Christ written with Spirit ink upon hearts of flesh (2 Corinthians 3:3). Know that I am inside of the Father and you inside of Me and I inside of you (John 14:20).
The bottom of the Jordan – until all the people passed.
The Mercy Seat. Defining: The seat of God’s authority. – And there I will meet with you (Exodus).
Describing Jesus: For He is the propitiation (the Mercy Seat) all around our sins (1 John 2).
Our Way: He who overcomes will sit with Me in My throne (Revelation 3:21).
Describing Us: And we also are committed to setting forth our souls for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16). And the increase of His kingdom will never cease (Isaiah).
Knowing God In Us. Living inside of Father and Father inside of us. Knowing Father by heart – Sharing Hheart with God.
Father entering into His creation as part of His creation that He might share joy with all. Father showing Himself as He IS through us as we ARE.
No more imaginary separation of self – all things are now of God (2 Corinthians 5).
Father being Himself through us His church being, as we are, humans, loving one another with pure hearts fervently.