Many Christians look forward to the day when they will be able
to spend eternity forever with Jesus in heaven. However,
virtually all Christians have no idea what heaven will be like
when they get there. They just know that it will be something
better than they ever imagined. Heaven WILL be better than we can
ever imagine but most Christians don't realize that God told us
in EXPLICIT DETAIL what heaven will be like in the Bible. In this
chapter, we will examine what heaven will be like and what
believers in Jesus as Messiah will be doing for all eternity when
they get to heaven.
HEAVEN IS A HOUSE
As we learned earlier in this book, God created man so that He
could someday dwell forever with those who would accept the
Messiah and be the Bride of Christ. God created man and the earth
so that God could dwell forever with man. This truth is revealed
to us in the very first verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:1. In fact,
this truth is communicated to us in the very first LETTER in the
Bible. The first word in the Bible in Hebrew is
"Bereishit" which means "In the beginning."
The first letter of the Hebrew word, "Bereishit" is the
Hebrew letter, "Bet". The letter "Bet" in Hebrew
means "house." Since Hebrew is the ONLY spiritual
language in the world, this communicates to us that the reason
why God created man and the earth is that He wanted to have a
"house" of people who would be called by His name. In
Hebrews 3:6, believers in Jesus as Messiah are called the
"House of God" as it is written:
- "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house we are ..."
The people of God are called the "house of God." In
Ephesians 2:19 it is written:
- "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the
household of God. "
HEAVEN IS A TABERNACLE
In Exodus 25:8-9, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle so that God could dwell with His people as it is written:
- "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after
the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the
instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it."
In the book of Hebrews, the Word of God tells us that the
tabernacle that God had Moses build was MADE ACCORDING TO
THE PATTERN OF THE TABERNACLE IN HEAVEN. In Hebrews 8:5
it is written:
- "Who serve unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was
about to make the tabernacle; for, See, saith he, that thou
make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in
the mount."
Therefore, from this scripture, we can understand that the
tabernacle that God had Moses build was a SHADOW OF
HEAVEN built ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN of heaven. By
understanding this truth, we can examine and study the layout and
building of the tabernacle as given in Exodus chapters 25-40 to
get a DETAILED description of heaven.
We can understand with even greater evidence that heaven is
patterned after the tabernacle that God gave Moses when we examine Revelation 21:1-3 as it is written:
- "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth ... And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, and be their God."
In Exodus 25:8-9, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle so that God could "dwell with men." In Revelation
21:1-3, we see the new heaven and the new earth and the new
Jerusalem being described as a tabernacle and God "dwelling
with His people."
JESUS CAME TO EARTH TO DWELL (Tabernacle) WITH HIS PEOPLE
Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. In 1 Timothy 3:16 it is written:
- "... great is the mystery of godliness: God
(Jesus) was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in
the world, received up into glory."
Jesus came to the earth at His first coming because God
desired to dwell with His people. In John 1:14 it is written:
- "And the Word was made flesh, and DWELT
(Tabernacled) among us ..."
The word, "dwelt" is the Greek word, "skaynoo." It is the Strong's word 4637. The Greek word, "skaynoo"
is analogous to the tabernacle that God had Moses build in the
wilderness.
In Revelation 13:6, heaven is referred to as a tabernacle and those who are in heaven are seen as "dwelling" in heaven
as it is written:
- "And he (the Anti-Christ) opened his mouth in
blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his
tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven."
Therefore, by understanding the above passages, we can
understand that heaven is called a tabernacle and those who are
in heaven are seen as "dwelling" in heaven. From this,
we can see why God told Moses, "build me a tabernacle so
that I may dwell among my people" (Exodus 25:8-9)
because the tabernacle that God had Moses make was built after the true
tabernacle in heaven (Hebrews 8:5, Revelation 21:13).
Furthermore, we can understand why Jesus came and
"dwelt" among us (John 1:14).
HEAVEN IS A TEMPLE
The temple was patterned after the tabernacle of Moses in the
wilderness. The Temple of Solomon was built after the pattern
given to David by God from the Holy Spirit. In 1 Chronicles
28:11-13 it is written:
- "Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the
treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of
the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy
seat, And the pattern of all that he had by the SPIRIT, of
the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers
round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of
the treasuries of the dedicated things: Also for the courses
of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the
service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of
service in the house of the Lord. "
From this passage of scripture we can understand the following
things:
The temple was made after the pattern given by God through the Holy Spirit
The temple is called the house of the Lord
The courses of the priest and Levites were given by God
From our studies earlier in this book, we know that it is the
duty of the priests and the Levites to teach God's people the
Torah. Spiritually, believers in Jesus as Messiah are called a
"spiritual house" and a "royal priesthood"
(I Peter 2:5,9). Because the tabernacle, the temple and the
priesthood are a blueprint of heaven and because the duty of the
priests is to teach the Torah to God's people, we can understand
that the Bride of Christ will be teaching the Torah forever to
the people of God for all eternity.
The temple was built so that God could dwell with His people.
In Ezekiel 41:1, 43:5, 7 it is written:
- "And he brought me to the temple ... So the
spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and
behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house ... And he
said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the
place of the soles of my feet, WHERE I WILL
DWELL IN THE MIDST OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FOREVER. "
In Ezekiel 40-48, Ezekiel is shown the pattern of a FUTURE
temple. In Ezekiel 43:10-12, the temple of God is called the
house of God. Furthermore in these verses, God told Ezekiel that
the TORAH of the house of God was to show (teach) the house (the
temple of God which represents the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven)
to the house (God's people). In Ezekiel 43:10-12 it is written:
- "Thou son of man, show the house (the temple of God which represents the ways of the Kingdom of heaven) to
the house of Israel (God's people are called the house
of God), that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and
let them MEASURE THE PATTERN, And if they be ashamed of all
they have done, show them the form of the house, and the
fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings
in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances
thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the TORAH
thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the
whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do
them. THIS IS THE TORAH OF THE HOUSE; Upon
the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about
shall be most holy. Behold, THIS IS THE
TORAH OF THE HOUSE. "
From this scripture passage, we can see that God said the
following things:
Show the
house (the temple of God which is a pattern of heaven) to the
house (God's people)
Show the
house to the house according to the pattern given by God
This is
the TORAH of the house
Therefore, God calls the tabernacle and the temple the house
of God. Both the tabernacle and temple were built according to
the PATTERN given by God. God gave instructions to build the
tabernacle and the temple in explicit detail. God desired to
dwell with His people in the tabernacle and the temple. Both the
tabernacle and the temple are a blueprint of heaven and a
blueprint of God dwelling with His people.
THE EARTHLY BODY OF EACH BELIEVER IS A TABERNACLE
The bodies of all believers in Jesus as Messiah are called by
God our tabernacle. In 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 it is written:
- "For we know that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we
groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house
which is from heaven."
In these verses, we can see that our bodies are called a
"earthly house of this tabernacle." Spiritually, since
our bodies are seen by God as being a tabernacle and God desires
to have a tabernacle to dwell among His people, we can
understand that God desires to dwell with (inside) His people.
This is accomplished through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
THE EARTHLY BODY OF EACH BELIEVER IS A TEMPLE
The earthly body of each believer in Jesus as Messiah is seen
as the temple of God. In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 it is written:
- "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the
temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God
is holy, which temple ye are."
We can also see this truth in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 as it is written:
- "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth
against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which
are God's."
Therefore, our bodies are seen by God as a tabernacle and a
temple. Just as God judged the children of Israel for defiling
the earthly tabernacle and temple because of sin, God will also
judge our earthly lives if we defile our bodies by sin. Those who
defile their earthly bodies which is seen by God as a tabernacle
and a temple will not be the Bride of Christ. Those who keep
clean our earthly lives by living holy unto God will be the Bride
of Christ.
THE THREE SECTIONS OF THE TABERNACLE
The tabernacle of Moses was divided into three main sections.
These three sections were the outer court, the Holy Place and the
Holy of Holies. Because the tabernacle is a blueprint of heaven,
these three sections represent a type and a shadow of heaven. In
the explanations following, we will discover that the three
sections of the tabernacle represent three main groups of
believers who will be in heaven. The first group is the outer
court Christians. The second group is the Holy Place Christians.
The third group is the Holy of Holies Christians. The Holy of
Holies Christians are the Bride of Christ. Let's examine the
characteristics of each group of believers and understand how the
three sections represent levels of growth and spiritual maturity
in the life of each believer.
THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE
The court of the tabernacle was encompassed with hangings made of fine linen. The only means to go inside the tabernacle was
through the door of the eastern gate. Spiritually, this was given
by God to teach us that there is only one way to get to heaven
and that is through the door of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the
door to heaven. In John 10:9, it is written:
- "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he
shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture. "
In Revelation 3:20, it is written:
- "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any
man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with me."
Therefore, every person who puts their faith in the redemptive
work of Jesus the Messiah will be in heaven because they have
entered through the spiritual door of heaven, Jesus Christ. Jesus
is God's door of salvation. Believers are saved by grace
through faith and not by the works of the law. Salvation is a
free gift given by God to all those who believe (Ephesians
2:8-9).
THE OUTER COURT OF THE TABERNACLE
The largest area of the tabernacle was the outer court. From
this, we can understand that the majority of Christians in heaven
will be outer court Christians. There were two pieces of
furniture in the outer court. These pieces of furniture were the
brazen altar and the laver.
THE BRAZEN ALTAR
The brazen altar represents the cross. All believers in heaven
will have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior
by putting their faith in His shed blood on the cross for the
forgiveness of their sins. In Ephesians 1:7 it is written:
- "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his
grace."
THE BRAZEN LAVER
The second piece of furniture in the outer court was the
brazen laver. The water in the laver is a spiritual picture of
the believers being cleansed from the sin in their lives after
they become saved by accepting the atoning work of Jesus when He
died on the cross to forgive us of our sins. The cleansing agent
of the laver, the water, is a spiritual picture of the Word of
God. By submitting our lives in obedience to the Word of God, our
lives become cleansed as we stop practicing and doing the sinful
things in our lives. David expressed this truth in Psalm 119:9, 11 as
it is written:
- "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word ... Thy word
have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against
thee."
Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified (made clean) by the
Word of God. In John 17:17 it is written:
- "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth."
In John 15:3, Jesus said that we are made clean through the Word as it is written:
- "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
The priests who ministered in the outer court did so in bare
feet walking on the ground of the earth. Because believers are
priests before God (I Peter 2:5, 9), this is a spiritual picture
of a carnal Christian who is saved by the blood of Jesus and has
been cleansed by the Word of God but is still walking (living his
life) according to the ways of the natural (the earth).
The natural man follows after the ways of God according to
natural reasoning. Just like the children of Israel, carnal
Chrisitans only know the mighty ACTS of God, they do not know the
WAYS of God (Psalm 103:7). Carnal Christians are still babes in
Christ and only can feed on the milk of God's Word and not the
meat of God's Word because they have not overcome the desires of
the flesh (I Corinthians 3:1- 3, Hebrews 5:12-13). The carnal
Christian is blinded to the deep things of God's Word and walks
in the vanity of his mind. In Ephesians 4:17-18, 20 it is
written:
- "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord,
that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the
vanity of their mind. Having the understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart ...
but you have not so learned Christ."
In this scripture passage, the Apostle Paul is encouraging
Christians in Ephesus to not walk in the vanity of their minds
(their own understanding separate from the wisdom of God).
Furthermore, the outer court of the tabernacle was lit by natural
sunlight. Once again, this is a spiritual picture of the life of
a carnal Christian who walks according to natural eyesight and
not through spiritual eyes.
In summary, outer court Christians are saved by the blood of
Jesus, forgiven of their sins and are cleansed by the Word of
God. They live their lives according to their natural eyes and not
according to the spiritual eyes of the Kingdom of Heaven. They
know the ACTS of God but do not know the WAYS of God (Psalm
103:7). They have stony hearts and when affliction and
persecution arises for the Word's sake, they are offended and
become bitter toward God. After they become bitter toward God, they
desire to return living according to the ways of the world (Mark 4:14-17).
THE HOLY PLACE OF THE TABERNACLE
There were three main pieces of furniture in the Holy Place of
the tabernacle. These three pieces of furniture were the golden
lampstand, the table of shewbread, and the altar of incense.
These three pieces of furniture typify a deeper walk in the lives
of each believer.
THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND
The first piece of furniture is the golden lampstand which is
also known as the candlestick or the seven branch menorah. The
golden lampstand was lit by oil. The light of the lampstand was
given to illuminate the entire Holy Place so that the priest
could minister unto the Lord. The lampstand represents the Holy
Spirit. The oil which lit the Holy Place represents the light
that the Holy Spirit gives to illuminate the Christian walk of
every believer. The seven branches of the candlestick represent
the seven major aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit. These
seven characteristics of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives
of every believer are given in Isaiah 11:1-2. Jesus manifested
these seven characteristics of the work of the Holy Spirit in His
life and in His ministry. In Isaiah 11:1-2 it is written:
- "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the
spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and of the the fear of the Lord."
The seven characteristics of the Spirit of God are mentioned
in Revelation 1:4, 4:5 as it is written:
- "John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which
was, and which is to come: and from the seven Spirits which
are before His throne ... And out of the throne proceeded
lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
Spirits of God."
THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD
The second piece of furniture in the Holy Place was the table
of shewbread. The table of shewbread is a spiritual picture of a
deeper understanding of God's Word. God's Word is the daily bread
of every believer to sustain him in his deeper walk with God. In
the Lord's prayer, Jesus told His disciples to pray that God
would give them His daily bread. In Matthew 6:11 it is written:
- "Give us this day our daily bread.
"
God's daily provision for His people was seen when God brought
the children of Israel out of Egypt and they were in the
wilderness for 40 years. During this time, God fed the people
with supernatural heavenly food called manna. The children of
Israel were to eat of this manna on a daily basis. In Exodus
16:11-12, 15 it is written:
- "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto
them, saying, At evening ye shall eat flesh, and in the
morning ye shalt be filled with bread; and ye shall know that
I am the Lord your God ... And when the children of Israel
saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist
not what is was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread
which the Lord hath given you to eat."
Jesus is the believer's heavenly manna. In John 6:33, 48 it is written:
- "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world ...I am that
bread of life."
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
The third and final piece of furniture in the Holy Place is
the altar of incense. Spiritually, the altar of incense
represents the prayers and intercessory prayers of God's people.
In order for a Christian to walk in the Holy Place, he must have
a dedicated and devoted prayer life unto God. Through a dedicated
and devoted prayer life, the Holy Place believer will be led by
the Holy Spirit and will know the Word of God. Therefore, the
altar of incense represents the prayers of God's people. In Psalm
141:1-2 it is written:
- "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as
incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice."
In Revelation 8:3-4 it is written:
- "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much
incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all
saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And
the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the
saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. "
Therefore, by believing and trusting in the words of God and
daily living by the Word of God, the believer can have a deeper
Christian walk. The deeper understanding and knowledge of God's
Word only comes through the revelation given by the Holy Spirit
of God. The Holy Place believer is not only saved by the blood of
Jesus, is forgiven of his sins, is cleansed by the Word of God but
is also led by the Holy Spirit, has a developed prayer life and
has a deeper understanding of the Word of God through the
revelation of the Holy Spirit of God's Word. In Psalm 119:105 it
is written:
- "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light
unto my path. "
THE HOLY OF HOLIES
The Holy of Holies should be the goal of every believer in
Jesus as Messiah. The Holy of Holies is the living presence of
God and the presence of His glory. There were two main pieces of
furniture in the Holy of Holies. These two pieces of furniture
were the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat of God. The ark
of the covenant represented the presence of God among His people.
The reason why God had Moses build a tabernacle was so that God
could dwell with His people (Exodus 25:8-9). The dwelling place
of God was His throne. The throne of God was the place where His
glory dwelt. The mercy seat is the throne of God. Therefore, the
Holy of Holies was the dwelling place of God among His people.
The Holy of Holies was lit by the glory of God. It needed no
natural light. The Holy of Holies Christian is the Bride of
Christ.
THE MERCY SEAT: THE THRONE OF GOD
Earlier in this book, we explained how God's Bride will be a
glorified bride. God's glory was present in the Holy of Holies. The throne of God was where the glory of God dwelt. In Ezekiel 43:7 it is written:
- "And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will
dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever
..."
In Exodus 25:8-9, God told Moses to build Him a
"Mishkan" which means "a sanctuary" so that
He could dwell with His people. The "Mishkan" is the
place of the throne of God. In Jeremiah 17:12 it is written:
- "A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary."
The mercy seat is the throne of God. It was from the mercy
seat that God communed with His people. In Exodus 25:21-22 it is
written:
- "And thou shalt put the mercy seat above the ark: and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give
thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune
with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two
cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all
things which I will give thee in commandment unto the
children of Israel."
God spoke to His people from the mercy seat. In Numbers 7:89 , it is written:
- "And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice
of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was
upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims:
and he spoke unto him."
In the Old Testament, only the High Priest could go into the
Holy of Holies. Furthermore, the High Priest could only go into
the Holy of Holies once a year on the day of atonement to
sprinkle blood on the mercy seat and thus atone for the sins of
the people (Leviticus 16:2, 14-16, 29-30). Spiritually, becauseJesus is our High Priest, we as believers have access to the
throne of God and the Holy of Holies on a daily basis. ln Hebrews
4:14-16, it is written:
- "Seeing then that we have a great high priest
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which
cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but
was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of
need."
Spiritually, by the blood of Jesus, we can have full access to
the throne and mercy seat of God. In Hebrews 10:19-22, it is
written:
- "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
While every believer has ACCESS to the heavenly Holy of Holies
and the throne of God on a daily basis, the Bride of Christ ABIDES in the Holy of Holies. We can understand this truth in Psalm 91. In Psalm 91:1, it is written:
- "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall ABIDE under the shadow of the Almighty."
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
Along with the mercy seat, the ark of the covenant presided in
the Holy of Holies. The ark was a symbol of the presence of God
among His people. When Israel fought against the Philistines, the
ark was the symbol that God was with His people (I Samuel 4:1-8).
When the ark of God was taken in the battle against the
Philistines, it was a sign that God was no longer with His people
because of their sin (I Samuel 4:17-18). During this time, the wife of
Phinehas, who was the son of Eli was giving birth to a child. The
wife of Phinehas named the child, "Ichabod" which
means, "Where is the glory?" because the ark of God was
taken and the glory of God was departed from Israel. In I Samuel
4:21-22, it is written:
- "And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was
taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And
she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of
God is taken."
In fact, the tabernacle was built especially to house the ark
so God could dwell among His people (Exodus 25:8-16). From this
story, we can understand that God will not dwell among His people
showing forth His glory through them when God's people are living
in sin. Therefore, God will only marry a GLORIOUS Bride without
spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:26-27).
THE CONTENTS OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
The ark of the covenant contained three items. They were the
golden pot of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the unbroken tablets of the TORAH.
THE TABLETS OF THE TORAH OF TESTIMONY
In the holiest place of all, the Holy of Holies, was the piece
of furniture, the ark of the covenant, which symbolized the presence
of God with His people. The ark of the covenant contained the
TORAH!! This truth is VERY SIGNIFICANT. This shows the GREAT VALUE
and the HIGHEST PRAISES that God has for His TORAH !! For this
reason, we can begin to understand why God views His TORAH as
GREAT and why He is deeply saddened that Christianity views His
Torah as "a strange thing." In Hosea 8:12, it is
written:
- "I have written to him the GREAT things of my
TORAH, but they were counted as a strange thing."
As we studied earlier in this book, David was a man after
God's own heart because David LOVED the Torah of God. In Psalm
119:18, David wrote:
- "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy TORAH."
The tablets of the TORAH within the ark is called by God, THE
TABLETS OF TESTIMONY (Exodus 25:16, 31:18). The Torah of God will
be a testimony to the whole world and to many Christians who have
called God's Torah, "a strange thing" that God is holy
and just and merciful and righteous. God will judge the world and
judge His people according to the words in His Torah because
God's Torah is God's testimony. Earlier in this book, we saw that
the "Tree of Life" is the Torah. Because the Bride of
Christ is an overcoming Bride, she is promised that she will eat
of the tree of life. In Revelation 2:7, it is written:
- "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God."
THE GOLDEN POT OF MANNA
The golden pot of manna is a reminder of the SUPERNATURAL
provision of God for His people in the wilderness (Psalm
78:23-24). When God's people are living and dwelling in His
presence and doing His Will, God provides SUPERNATURAL provision
for His people to sustain them during tough times. The Bride of
Christ walks in this supernatural provision of God. God promises
that those who overcome and become His Bride will be given this
supernatural and hidden manna from heaven. In Revelation 2:17 it
is written:
- "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the hidden manna ..."
AARON'S ROD THAT BUDDED
The greatest persecution toward the Bride of Christ will not
come from the world but from carnal Christians who rebel against
the Bride of Christ because of a lack of knowledge and
understanding of God's Word and God's ways even though the Bride
of Christ does the perfect Will of God within the Kingdom of God.
In Numbers 16, Korah and his assembly rose up against God's
authority that He granted to Moses and Aaron by murmuring against
them and seeking to overthrow their authority (Numbers 16).
In order to deal with this problem, God asked Moses to take a
rod (symbolizing authority) and make twelve rods for each tribe.
God instructed Moses to tell the people that the rod which buds
is God's chosen authority among the people (Numbers 17:1-7). The
rod that budded was Aaron's rod from the house of Levi. (Numbers
17:8-10). The house of Levi, was the priestly tribe. Spiritually,
the house of Levi represents the Bride of Christ. Aaron's rod
that budded was placed in the ark of the covenant as a testimony
against the murmurings and rebellion of God's people against
God's chosen authority within His kingdom. The Bride of Christ
will be given authority by God to rule and reign with Christ over
other believers and nations of people. In Revelation 2:26-27, it
is written:
- "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And
he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a
potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of
my Father."
HEAVEN IS A TABERNACLE
At this point, we should understand that heaven is a
tabernacle. The three parts of the tabernacle represent the three
levels of Christians who will be in heaven. The baby Christian
will be an outer court Christian. They will be saved and their
sins will be forgiven but they failed to grow to greater
spiritual maturity. They walk according to their natural
understanding and the ways of the natural world. The Holy Place
Christian has a deeper knowledge of God's Word and God's ways
than the carnal Christian. Holy Place Christians know the Word of
God, are led by the Spirit, have a developed prayer life but fall
short of God's perfect Will for their lives by failing to
COMPLETELY submit to the perfect Will of God. The Holy of Holies
Christian knows the Word of God, is led by the Spirit of God, has
a developed prayer life and forsakes all worldly things to do the
perfect Will of God. The Holy of Holies Christian will walk in
the SUPERNATURAL provision of God and will be given authority by
God to accomplish the task within the Kingdom of God that God
desires to accomplish through them. They will know the heart and
mind of God by having an intimate, personal relationship with
God. The Holy of Holies Christian knows the Torah/Word of God, is
led by the Spirit of God and hears and obeys the voice of God.
The Holy of Holies Christian is the Bride of Christ.
THE THREE AREAS OF THE TABERNACLE PERTAINING TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH
In this section, I would like to talk about the three main
levels of spiritual growth that is mentioned in the Bible that
relates to the spiritual application to the three areas in the
tabernacle.
LITTLE CHILDREN, YOUNG MEN, AND FATHERS
In I John 2:12,14 it describes little children, young men and fathers as it is written:
- "I write unto you, little children, because your
sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. ... I have written
unto you, fathers, because you have known him that is from
the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because you
are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have
overcome the wicked one."
These three levels of people represent three progressive
levels of spiritual growth. The little children whose sins are
forgiven relates to the outer court Christian. The young men who
know the Word of God relates to the Holy Place. The father who
knows God relates to the Holy of Holies Christian.
THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE
In John 14:6 it is written:
- "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. "
Spiritually, Jesus is our tabernacle (John 1:14, Hebrews
8:1-2, 9:11). As believers, we may know Him as the way, the truth or the life. The outer court Christian knows that Jesus is the way.
They know that He died for their sins and they have asked Him
into their heart and lives and they are saved and will be in heaven. The Holy Place Christian knows the Word of God and knows that Jesus is the Way and the Truth. The Holy of Holies Christian knows that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As we
studied earlier in this book, the word, "Life" is the Greek
word, "Zoe," which means, "the plateau of life, the most abundant life."
GOD REVEALS HIMSELF
TO YOU, IN YOU, AND THROUGH YOU
When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, God
revealed Himself TO His people. When God brought the children of
Israel to Mount Sinai and gave them His Torah, God desired to
reveal Himself IN the hearts of His people. When God was with the
children of Israel and conquered the enemies of the children of
Israel in the promised land, God revealed Himself THROUGH His
people. These different levels of manifestation of God toward His
people relates to the three areas of the tabernacle. God reveals
Himself TO the outer court Christian. God reveals Himself IN the
Holy Place Christian. God reveals Himself THROUGH the Holy of
Holies Christian.
THE THIRTY, SIXTY, AND HUNDREDFOLD INCREASE
In Mark 4:13-20, Jesus tells the story about the parable of the sower who sows God's Word in his heart and the soil where it
was grown and the harvest of those who allowed the Word of God to
bear fruit in their lives. In Mark 4:13, 30-32 Jesus tells us
that if we understand this parable that we can understand how the
ENTIRE Kingdom of God operates.
In the parable of the sower who hears the Word of God and the
Word of God brings forth fruit in his life, it brings forth three
levels of fruit. These three levels of fruit are the thirtyfold
increase, the sixtyfold increase and the hundredfold increase.
The thirtyfold increase relates to the outer court Christians who
are saved, their sins are forgiven and they will be in heaven.
The sixtyfold increase relates to Holy Place Christians who know
the Word of God and walk by the Spirit of God. The hundredfold
increase relates to the Holy of Holies Christians who know the
Word of God, walk by the Spirit of God, hear the voice of God and
do the perfect Will of God in their lives.
THE GOOD, THE ACCEPTABLE AND THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD
In Romans 12:1-2, God describes three levels of doing His Will. These three levels are the good Will of God, the acceptable
Will of God and the perfect Will of God. In Romans 12:1-2 it is
written:
- "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of
God."
By presenting our bodies (our lives) as a living sacrifice to
God and by renewing our minds from the ways of the world unto the
ways of God, God allows us to know His good, acceptable and
perfect Will. The good Will of God relates to outer court
Christians who are saved, their sins are forgiven and will be in
heaven. The acceptable Will of God relates to Holy Place
Christians who know the Word of God and walk by the Spirit of
God. The Holy of Holies Christians have their sins forgiven, know
the Word of God, walk by the Spirit of God, hear and obey the
voice of God and do the perfect Will of God in their lives.
PASSOVER, PENTECOST AND TABERNACLES
God commanded that three times a year His people are to go to
Jerusalem to celebrate His Feast days (Deuteronomy 16:16). These
three festival seasons relate to the three levels of spiritual growth and spiritual maturity in the life of each believer.
Passover relates to the outer court Christian. The children of
Israel were redeemed from Egypt (a type of the world and world's system which is ruled by Pharaoh (Satan and his kingdom) by killing the lamb and placing the blood of the Lamb over the doorpost of their houses. In the same way, we are saved and have
our sins forgiven and will be in heaven by accepting our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, (John 1:29) and receiving Him into our hearts and lives by trusting in His shed blood on the doorpost of our hearts.
Pentecost in Hebrew is called the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot
(Leviticus 23:15-22). On the day of Pentecost (Shavuot), God gave
the Torah to the children of Israel. The Torah is called the Word
of God. The giving of the Torah is known by the Jewish people as
the "Revelation of God at Mount Sinai." What God
revealed to His people was His Torah or His Word. Even so, Holy
Place Christians have a revelation of God's Torah/Word as
revealed by the candlestick of God, the Holy Spirit.
The Feast of Tabernacles is known by the Jewish people as
"The Season of our Joy." Spiritually, the Feast of
Tabernacles, the season of our joy, relates to the children of
Israel going into the promised land of God. The Holy of Holies
Christian walks in the promised land of God.
The promised land of God for the Holy of Holies Christian is
doing the perfect Will of God in their lives. The challenges are
great and just like there were many giants in the promised land,
there are many giants (obstacles) to do the perfect Will of God
in our lives. The only way that we are able to defeat our enemies
in the promised land is to be battle trained by God by coming out
of Egypt (the world) and growing from a child in the Kingdom of
God (Passover) to a deeper knowledge of the Word of God by being
supernaturally sustained by God's heavenly manna (His Word) in
the wilderness of life. By being willing and obedient, the Holy
of Holies Christian can eat the good of the promised land
(perfect Will) of God (Isaiah 1:19). It is only by being battle
trained, by hearing the voice of God, and by being willing and
obedient to do the perfect Will of God and relying on the
SUPERNATURAL ability of God to defeat our enemies in the
promised land are Holy of Holies Christians able to walk in the
perfect Will of God and eat of the good of the promises of God in
that promised land. The Bride of Christ does the perfect Will of
God and overcomes the giants (obstacles in the natural) of the
promised land (the perfect Will of God) by hearing the voice of
God, by being obedient to the voice of God, and by overcoming the
giants in the promised land through the SUPERNATURAL provision
and ability of God.
THE PATTERN OF THE TABERNACLE
As we are learning from our studies, heaven is a tabernacle.
The three major components of the tabernacle correspond to the three main levels of our Christian spiritual growth. At this time, I would like to represent this truth and the
characteristics that we have discussed in the chapter with a pictorial understanding.
THE TABERNACLE
| OUTER COURT |
THE HOLY PLACE |
HOLY OF HOLIES |
| Little Children |
Young Men |
Fathers |
| Way |
Truth |
Life |
| Passover |
Pentecost | Tabernacles |
| 30 Fold |
60 Fold |
100 Fold |
| To You |
In You |
Through You |
| Sins Forgiven |
Know Word |
Know Him |
| Good Will |
Acceptable Will |
Perfect Will |
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
There is a governmental structure in the kingdom of heaven.
Heaven is ruled by God the Father. God the Father is the King of
heaven. Heaven is a theocracy. A theocracy is a government ruled
and reigned by God and He is the King. God is one and God is a
compound unity (Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29). So, Jesus is also the
King of kings (Zechariah 14:4, 9, Revelation 19:11-16). The
government of God is upon the shoulders of Jesus. In Isaiah 9:6
it is written:
- "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is
given: AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."
FIVE ATTRIBUTES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD
In order to have a government, you need five basic things.
These five characteristics are as follows:
You need
a king - The King of the universe is God the Father
You need
a rule of law or a constitution - The constitution of God is
the Torah
You need
a people - The body of believers in Jesus as Messiah are
described as being nations unto God. This is a fulfillment of
the promise that God made to Abraham that he would be a
father of many nations (Genesis 17:5-6, Galations 3:16, 29,
Revelation 21:9-10, 24)
You need
judges to rule according to the constitution (the Torah) -The Bride of Christ will rule and reign as kings and priests and
make judgments according to the Torah of God (Isaiah 2:2-4,
Revelation l:5-6, 5:10)
You need
a dwelling place - The eternal dwelling place of God the
Father will be with His people when He creates a new heaven
and a new earth (Revelation 21:1-3)
JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS
The King of the universe is God the Father. Because God is one
and God is a compound unity (Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29), Jesus
is also seen as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. After
Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives at His second coming, He
will rule and reign as the King over all the earth. In Zechariah
14:4, 9 it is written:
- "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the
Mount of Olives ... And the Lord shall be king over all the
earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name
one."
In that day, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to
the glory of God the Father. In Philippians 2:8-11 it is written:
- "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name: That at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
of God the Father."
Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. In
Revelation 19:16 it is written:
- "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a
name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS. "
THE TORAH IS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD
When God gave the Torah at Mount Sinai, He desired that the
nation of Israel would be governed by the structure of the
government that God gave them at Mount Sinai. Even as the
Tabernacle is a blueprint of heaven, God gave the structure of
the government of the nation of Israel in the form of the Torah
as a blueprint of the pattern of heavenly things as well. When
God gave the structure of government to the children of Israel,
the government was divided into a civil form of government and a
religious form of government. The KING was to be the leader over
the civil form of government and the PRIEST was to be the leader
over the religious form of the government. This is God's Torah
based structure of His Kingdom.
THE ROLE OF THE KING AND THE PRIEST IN THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD
Spiritually, the civil and religious structure of the
government which God gave to the nation of Israel according to
the Torah is a blueprint of the government of God in heaven. Even
as the KING and PRIEST were leaders over the civil and religious
forms of government, Jesus is described as being the King of
kings and our great HIGH PRIEST. The Bride of Christ is described
as being kings and priests before God. In the last section, we
saw that Jesus is the King of kings. Now, we will see that Jesus
is also our great High Priest. In Hebrews 3:1 it is written:
- "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and HIGH PRIEST of our
profession, Christ Jesus."
In Hebrews 4:14 it is written:
- "Seeing then that we have a great HIGH PRIEST, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession."
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST IS KINGS AND PRIESTS BEFORE GOD
The king and the priest had the HIGHEST position in the
structure of government that God gave to His people in the Torah.
Even so, the Bride of Christ will have the highest position of
status and authority in the kingdom of heaven. Outer Court and
Holy Place Christians will have a lesser status of authority in
heaven. The Bride of Christ is kings and priests before God. In
Revelation 1:5-6 it is written:
- "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince
of the kings of the earth, Unto him that loved us, and washed
us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and
priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen."
In Revelation 5:10 it is written:
- "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
The duration of the Messianic Age and the Bride of Christ
ruling with Jesus on the earth is 1,000 years. In Revelation 20:6
it is written:
- "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection: ... but they shall be priests of God and
of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL TEACH
THE NATIONS THE TORAH
As we studied earlier in this book, Zion is a term for God's
people (Isaiah 51:16). Zion is also a term for the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Bride of Christ. (Hebrews 12:22, Revelation 21:1-3). During the 1,000 year Messianic age, the Bride of Christ will fulfill the great commission of Jesus by
making disciples (students) of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) and
by teaching the nations of the world the Torah of God from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3).
AN ASSEMBLY OF NATIONS OF PEOPLE ON THE EARTH
When God made His covenant with Abraham, God promised Abraham that he would be a father of many nations (plural) and kings and
priests would come forth from him. Spiritually, the kings and
priests are the Bride of Christ. The outer court Christians are a
nation of people. The Holy Place Christians are a nation of
people. The Holy of Holies Christians, the Bride, are a ROYAL
PRIESTHOOD (I Peter 2:5,9). In Genesis 17:5-6 it is written:
- "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many NATIONS
have I made thee. And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful,
and I will make NATIONS of thee, and KINGS shall come out of
thee."
Spiritually, Abraham is the father of our faith (Romans 4:16). When God made this covenant with Abraham, God made this covenant
with Jesus at the same time. In Galations 3:16 it is written:
- " Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one,
And to thy seed, which is Christ."
By accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we
are heirs of the promise that God made with Abraham through
Jesus. In Galations 3:29 it is written:
- "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's
seed, and heirs according to the promise."
In Revelation 21, God describes the city of the Bride, the
heavenly Jerusalem. Revelation 21 DOES NOT describe the entirety
of heaven. It only describes one city in heaven, the city of
Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is the city of the Bride. God
does not want His people to settle for anything but the best. For
this reason, He tells us about the most special place in heaven,
the heavenly city of Jerusalem. God tells us about the glory of
His Bride in the city of Jerusalem. Even though the Bride of
Christ is only a REMNANT of the church, it is the perfect Will of
God that ALL believers be the Bride of Christ. Those who fail to
walk in this high calling of God, will be outer court Christians
and Holy Place Christians and will constitute the rest of the
nations of the new heaven and new earth during the period of
eternity. Revelation 21:9-10, 23-24 describes the New Jerusalem,
the city of the Bride, as it is written:
- "... Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the
Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great
and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God ... And the city
had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the
light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall
walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring
their glory and honor into it."
Even as the glory of God was the light of the Holy of Holies,
the glory of God is the light of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city
of the Bride. Other nations shall walk in the light of the city
of Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24). These other nations are outer
court Christians and Holy Place Christians.
THE BRIDE WILL JUDGE THE NATIONS ACCORDING TO THE TORAH
As studied earlier in this book, it is the priests who made
rulings and judgments according to the Torah of God (Deuteronomy
17:8-11). Those matters which are too complex for the Bride to
rule will be given over to the great HIGH PRIEST, the LIVING
TORAH of God, even Jesus Christ, who will give the formal ruling
of matters of controversy regarding the observance of the Torah
to the nations of the earth. The Bride of Christ will be God's
priests on earth and will teach the Torah of God to the nations
of the earth (Isaiah 2:2-3, Malachi 2:1, 6-7) and will be the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19). Those outer
court Christians and Holy Place Christians who reject the Torah
of God (Hosea 4:6) and who have called the Torah of God a
"strange thing" (Hosea 8:12) will NOT be priests before
God and be the Bride of Christ but will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven (Hosea 4:6, Matthew 5:19).
GOD WILL LIVE FOREVER WITH MAN ON THE EARTH
God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle so that God could
dwell with His people (Exodus 25:8-9). Jesus came to this earth
as God manifested in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16) and dwelt among
men (John 1:14). Even so, God will create a new heaven and a new
earth so that He can dwell with man forever ON THE EARTH
(Revelation 21:1-3). The word Tabernacle means "a temporary
dwelling place." The present heaven is a "temporary
dwelling place" until God creates the new heaven and new
earth. When He does, God will dwell with man on the earth. In
Revelation 21:1-3 it is written:
- "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away: and there
was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and
he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and
God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
THE FESTIVALS, NEW MOON AND SABBATH ARE A BLUEPRINT OF HEAVEN
The festivals of the Lord found in Leviticus 23 were given by
God so His people could understand the coming of Jesus, the
Messiah, and the role that Jesus would play in redeeming and
restoring both man and the earth back to God following the fall
of man in the Garden of Eden. Although most Christians have heard
of the feasts, their deep meaning and importance are almost
universally not understood.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Colossae
that the feasts of the Lord, the new moon, and the Sabbath are a
SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME (a blueprint of heaven) to teach us
about the role of Jesus the Messiah in the redemptive work of
God. In Colossians 2:16-17 it is written:
- "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in
drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of
the Sabbath days, Which ARE A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME; but
the body is of Christ."
Many Christians often quote these verses to justify NOT
celebrating the Biblical festivals. In reality, these verses
should be used as a scriptural basis for understanding why
Christians SHOULD celebrate the Biblical festivals. Colossians
2:16-17 tells us that the new moon, the feast days and the
Sabbath teach about Jesus the Messiah. How many Christians do you
know understand how the new moon, the feast days and the Sabbath
teach about Jesus as Messiah? To many Christians, the new moon,
the feast days and the Sabbath are "under the law" and
not valid for us today. However, as we are understanding in this
chapter, the Torah that God gave to His people is ETERNAL and the
TORAH IS A BLUEPRINT OF HEAVEN!
Therefore, the new moon, the feast days and the Sabbath are a blueprint of
heaven. We will conclude this chapter by understanding that the
new moon, the feast days and the Sabbath are a blueprint of
heaven and will be celebrated for all ETERNITY!
THE APPOINTED FEASTS
The festivals described in Leviticus 23 are a blueprint of
heaven. In Leviticus 23:1-2, 4, these festivals are described as
the "Festivals of the LORD." Jesus is Lord (Philippians
2:11, 1 Corinthians 12:3). Since Jesus is Lord, the festivals of
the Lord, are festivals of Jesus. If these festivals are the
festivals of Jesus, every Christian should understand them and
celebrate them. These are the festivals which God gave to His
people to celebrate. They are a blueprint of heaven and will be
celebrated for ALL ETERNITY!
Jesus will fulfill all the Biblical festivals mentioned in
Leviticus 23. The seven Biblical festivals mentioned in Leviticus
23 are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, the
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom
Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).
The first four festivals teach about the first coming of
Jesus. Jesus died on Passover, was in the ground the next day
during the feast of Unleavened Bread and was resurrected three
days later on the feast of First Fruits. Fifty days later, the
Holy Spirit was outpoured upon the believers who assembled at the
city of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
The fall festivals teach about the second coming of Jesus. The
resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah. Jesus
will set His foot on the Mount of Olives on the day of Atonement
or Yom Kippur and the Feast of Tabernacles teach about how things
will be during the 1,000-year Messianic Age.
Therefore, the festivals of the Lord will give GREAT INSIGHT
regarding the first and second coming of Jesus. They will teach
about his death, burial, and resurrection, the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, the resurrection of the dead, the coronation of
Jesus as King over all the earth, the wedding of Jesus to His
Bride, the seven year tribulation, the second coming of Jesus and
the 1,000-year Messianic Age!!!
In addition, the festivals of the Lord will teach about our
personal relationship with God and how we are to grow from being
a baby Christian to a spiritually mature Christian so that we can
become the Bride of Christ. Egypt is a type of the world. The
ruler in Egypt was Pharaoh. Even so, the ruler of this world is
Satan. Just as the children of Israel fled Egypt by putting the
blood of the Passover Lamb upon their houses, every time a person
receives Jesus as His own personal Lord and Savior, he
spiritually experiences Passover and is to flee Egypt (the ways
of the world) and trust in Jesus the Messiah who is the Lamb of
God (John 1:29) and apply His shed blood to our doorpost which is
our heart.
Leaven in the Bible is symbolic of sin. The feast of
Unleavened Bread speaks of being unleavened or without sin. After
we become believers by accepting Jesus into our hearts and lives,
we must seek to live holy lives before God and spiritually
experience the feast of Unleavened Bread. Next, just as the
children of Israel left Egypt by slaying the Passover Lamb and
went through the Red Sea, believers in Jesus as Messiah need to
be baptized in the Holy Spirit after they become saved. Even as
the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea and entered into the
wilderness, after we accept Jesus into our hearts and lives, we
still must live through the wilderness of life.
Even as the children of Israel were sustained by God in the
wilderness when He fed them manna from Heaven, we as believers in
Jesus as Messiah are sustained through this life by feeding on
Jesus, the bread from heaven. (John 6:33, 48). When God gave the
Torah to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai, this is known to
the Jewish people as "The REVELATION of God at Mount
Sinai."
Spiritually, believers who go to Mount Sinai will begin to
know and understand God and His ways in a deeper way through the
revelation of His Torah/Word as revealed by the Holy Spirit. By
being faithful in the wilderness of life and by being sustained
through the revelation of the Torah/Word of God during the trying
and difficult times of life, God will take us to our spiritual
promised land. Our spiritual promised land is doing the perfect
Will of God in our lives for the glory of the Kingdom of God.
This is the message and application in understanding the fall
festivals!
For a greater teaching and understanding regarding the
spiritual significance and importance of the Biblical Festivals
in the life of ALL believers, please purchase my book,
"The
Seven Festivals of the Messiah."
Therefore, the festivals of the Lord not only reveal the
redemptive plan of Jesus as revealed in His first and second
coming but they also teach believers about their personal
relationship with God and how we grow from being baby believers
to spiritual maturity so that we can become the Bride of Christ.
THREE TIMES A YEAR THEY
WERE TO ASSEMBLE AT JERUSALEM
God instructed the children of Israel that they were to
assemble three times a year at the city of Jerusalem to celebrate
the Biblical festivals In Deuteronomy 16:16 it is written:
- "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose;
in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks,
and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear
before the Lord empty."
Traditionally, Christians view the Biblical festivals to be
exclusively Jewish feasts which are "under the law."
However, Leviticus 23:1-2, 4 tells us very clearly that these are
FESTIVALS OF THE LORD. Since Jesus is Lord, these are the feasts
of Jesus. God in His divine wisdom ordained that these festivals
were to be celebrated by BOTH the Jew and the non-Jew on a joint
basis (Deuteronomy 16:10- 11,14-16). In Deuteronomy 16:11 it is
written:
- "And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and
thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and
the STRANGER, and the fatherless, and the widow; that are
among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to
place his name there."
In this verse, the word translated as "stranger" is
the Hebrew word, "ger." It is the Strong's word 1616.
The Hebrew word, "ger" means the non-Jew (Bible
believing Gentile or Christian) who has joined himself to the
Jewish people. Therefore, the Lord is the host of the festivals
and all Bible believers are His invited guests.
THE BIBLICAL FESTIVALS ARE TO BE KEPT FOREVER
In Leviticus 23:14, 21, 31 and 41, God commands that the
feasts are to be kept FOREVER. Concerning the feast of tabernacles, in
Leviticus 23:39, 41 it is written:
- "Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (the feast of tabernacles), when you have gathered in the
fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven
days; on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth
day shall be a Sabbath ... And you shall keep it a feast unto
the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a STATUTE
FOREVER IN YOUR GENERATIONS: ye shall celebrate it in the
seventh month."
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES WILL BE CELEBRATED DURING THE MESSIANIC AGE
God has not done away with the Biblical festivals because He
commanded that they are to be kept for all eternity. God does not
change (Malachi 3:6) and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and
forever (Hebrews 13:8). When Jesus returns to the earth at His
second coming, He will require ALL NATIONS to keep the Feast of
Tabernacles during the 1,000-year Messianic Age. In Zechariah 14,
we have the following sequence of events:
Jesus
sets His feet on the Mount of Olives during His second coming
(Zechariah 14:4)
Jesus
will be King over all the earth (Zechariah 14:9)
The nations of the world
will celebrate the feast of Tabernacles during the 1,000-year
Messianic Age (Zechariah 14:16-17)
Zechariah 14:16-17 describes the nations of the world who will be celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles during the Messianic Age
as it is written:
- "And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall
even go up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of
hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be,
that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth
unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even
upon them shall be no rain."
THE SABBATH AND NEW MOON WILL BE KEPT FOR ALL ETERNITY
In Colossians 2:16-17, it tells us that the Sabbath and the new moon is a SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME which teach us about Jesus
the Messiah. Revelation 21:1 speaks about the time when God will
create the new heavens and the new earth as it is written:
- "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea."
In Isaiah 66:22-23, we can see that during the time of the "new heaven and new earth" (which speaks of eternity
Revelation 21:1) God will require ALL FLESH to keep the Sabbath
and the new moon. In Isaiah 66:22-23 it is written:
- "For as the new heaven and the new earth , which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall
your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass,
that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to
another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the
Lord."
Ezekiel 40-48 describes the Temple that will be built during
the 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth during the Messianic
Age. It is also a prophetic picture of how things will be after
the Messianic Age during the time of the new heaven and the new
earth and for all eternity. In these chapters, we can see that
the Sabbath, new moon and festivals are being kept and celebrated
by the nations. Also, the priests of the Lord will be teaching
the Torah of God to the nations. In Ezekiel 44:15, 23-24 the
priests of God who are a spiritual picture of the Bride of Christ
will be teaching the Torah to the nations as it is written:
- "But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok,
that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of
Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to
minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer
unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: ... And
they shall teach my people the difference between the holy
and the profane, and cause them to discern between the
unclean and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in
judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments:
and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine
assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths."
In Ezekiel 45:21, the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread
are being kept. In Ezekiel 45:25, the feast of Tabernacles is
being kept. In Ezekiel 46:3, the Sabbath and the new moon is
being kept. In Ezekiel 47:1, waters are coming from the throne of
the temple. This can also be seen in Revelation 22:1. The water
became a river and this river became the water for the healing of
the nations (Ezekiel 47:12, Revelation 22:2). In the midst of the
river was the tree of life (Revelations 22:2). The tree of life
is the Torah and the Torah will be taught to all nations during
the Messianic Age by the Bride of Christ (Isaiah 2:2-3).
THE TORAH IS A BLUEPRINT OF HEAVEN
In this chapter, we examined that the Torah is a blueprint of
heaven. Heaven is described as being both a tabernacle and a
temple. Spiritually, the believers in Jesus as Messiah are also
described as being a tabernacle and a temple. Even as God
required that the earthly tabernacle and temple not be defiled
with sin, even so, God demands that our physical bodies and our
earthly lives not be defiled with sin also. Just as God judged
the nation of Israel when they defiled the earthly tabernacle and
temple, so will God judge all believers who defile their bodies
and their lives with the sins of the world and the desires of the
flesh. Those who defile their bodies and lives with sin will not
be the Bride of Christ. Those who preserve their bodies and lives
from a lifestyle of sin will grow to spiritual maturity and
become the Bride of Christ.
The three components of the tabernacle describe the three
major levels of spiritual growth in the lives of all believers.
The outer court corresponds to being a baby Christian. The Holy
Place describes being an adolescent Christian. The Holy of Holies
describes being an adult Christian. Believers in heaven will
include baby, adolescent and adult Christians. The adult
Christians are those believers who have grown to spiritual
maturity and who will be the Bride of Christ.
God gave the Torah to the children of Israel as a blueprint of
heaven. The government of the Kingdom of Heaven is a theocracy.
God is the King of the Universe. The constitution of the Kingdom
of Heaven is the Torah. When God gave the Torah at Mount Sinai,
He gave both a civil form of government and a religious form of
government. The civil form of government was headed by a king.
The religious form of government was headed by the high priest.
Jesus is the fulfillment of both of these offices. He is both the
King and Priest of God. Spiritually, this was to teach the
believers that in the Kingdom of God, God desires for all
believers to be kings and priests before Him. Not all believers
will be kings and priests before God, only the Bride of Christ
who has grown to spiritual maturity will be the kings and
priests.
God gave the Sabbath, new moon and festivals to be kept for
all eternity. Jesus will fulfill all the Biblical festivals. The
first four Biblical festivals, Passover, Unleavened Bread, First
Fruits and Pentecost were fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus.
The feast of Trumpets, the day of Atonement and the feast of
Tabaacles will be fulfilled at the second coming of Jesus. Jesus
is the believer's Sabbath rest and He is the living Torah. The
Sabbath, new moon, and festivals were given by God to teach about
the redemptive plan of God through the Messiah and to teach
believers about the ways of the kingdom of heaven. The Sabbath,
new moon and festivals will be celebrated during the 1,000-year
Messianic Age when Jesus will rule and reign from Jerusalem. The
Sabbath, new moon and festivals will also be celebrated for all
eternity.
In conclusion, God gave the Torah to be a blueprint of heaven.
The priesthood is a spiritual picture of the Bride of Christ. The
tabernacle is a blueprint of heaven. The Sabbath, new moon and
festivals teach in explicit detail about the redemptive plan of
God as revealed through Jesus the Messiah and gives us explicit
detail about what heaven will be like for all eternity. For this
reason, God is able to say, "I have written to him the GREAT
THINGS OF MY TORAH, but they were counted (prophetically by
Christianity) as a strange thing" (Hosea 8:12). Therefore,
God's people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge because of the
rejection of His Torah (Hosea 4:6).
Praise be to God for giving us His Torah as a blueprint of
heaven! Because of this, we can understand the role of the Bride
of Christ and understand what the Kingdom of heaven will be like
for all eternity. In Isaiah 42:21 it is written:
- "The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness
sake: HE WILL MAGNIFY THE TORAH, AND MAKE IT HONORABLE.
"
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