The Color Blue – Part 2

Blue is peculiar to the priesthood

[Study Aired November 23, 2025]

Up to this point we have seen blue only in conjunction with the colors purple and scarlet. In this study we will see blue where it is alone as well as sometimes with other colors.

We concluded our last study in chapter 35 of Exodus with the description of the men whom God uses to build His tabernacle. We saw that those who build God’s tabernacle are the same as those who are the tabernacle.  Those whom God uses in the construction of His Tabernacle are “filled… with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”

Exo 35:31  And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exo 35:32  And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
Exo 35:33  And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

These are gifts which God gives to those He uses to build His spiritual Tabernacle. God is not working only with physical materials these days. All of these materials are now spiritual. We will see today that blue is associated with the things of God’s spirit and is therefore peculiar to God’s priesthood.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

In the shadows of the Old Testament, we were told that those who were selected by God to build His Tabernacle were also gifted in working with ‘blue, purple and scarlet’ and in being capable of weaving these colors into the veil which we are told is Christ’s body:

Exo 35:35  Them hath he [God] filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work

Blue is associated with those who teach others

We saw last week that the men God chose to build His tabernacle were gifted in the ability to teach and to show to others how to do the things that were needed to accomplish the task of building God’s tabernacle:

Exo 35:30  And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
Exo 35:31  And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exo 35:32  And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
Exo 35:33  And in the cutting of stones, to set [them], and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
Exo 35:34  And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
Exo 35:35  Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Here is the anti-type which all these qualities of Bezeleel and Aholiab signify:

1Ti 3:1  This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1Ti 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1Ti 3:4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of [Build up and edify] the church of God?)
1Ti 3:6  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

What is the tabernacle?

Those who are building the Lord’s tabernacle today are building with the spiritual words and works of Jesus Christ. Is not Christ the very foundation of God’s temple? Of course, He is:

1Co 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

“We are God’s husbandry” laboring to build for Him a house in which He can dwell. At the same time “ye are God’s building” (1Co 3:9). In the same way Christ, too, is both the foundation of His Father’s Tabernacle, and He is that Tabernacle.

Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, [after] the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Christ is ‘the pattern, which was shown you in the mount.’

Heb 8:5  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 shewed to thee in the mount.

The word translated ‘pattern’ in this verse, quoted out of Exodus, is the Greek word ‘tupos.’

Here is Strong’s definition of this word:

“G5179
τυπος
tupos
too’- pos++++, a model (for imitation) or instance (for warning): – en- (ex-) ample, fashion, figure, form, manner, pattern, print.”

This is what we are told of Christ:

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

What do we do as we follow in His steps? We show these things to others:

Rev 19:9  And he [the angel who is instructing John] saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Who has “the testimony of Jesus Christ?” That would be John himself:

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

Who does John symbolize? Again:

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

John is symbolic of those who comprise God’s “true tabernacle:”

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the [blue] heavens;
Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
Heb 8:5  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 shewed to thee in the mount.

Blue is peculiar to “the heavenly things”

Christ has entered into the heavens, and yet the world does not know where He is because the world does not know where or what ‘heaven’ is even though the scriptures make both very clear to those who are given eyes that see and ears that hear:

Heb 9:19  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Heb 9:20  Saying, This [is] the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Heb 9:21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves [you and I and “all in Adam”, (1Co 15:22)] with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself [“Christ in you”, (Col 1:27)], now to appear in the presence of God for us:

So, where did Christ go when he was resurrected and ascended to His Father? Where is His Father? Where is Christ? Where is “heaven itself?”

Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Apparently it is possible to both “come down from heaven” and to “be in heaven” at the same time.

Luk 21:27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Act 2:34  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Christ is in “the clouds of the heavens.” So, where is He? This is “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints”:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

That is right! Christ is even now in “the true tabernacle… which is… in you, the hope of glory.”

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

So, the tabernacle must be “according to the pattern” we have been given and according to the instructions we have been given. The words we have been given “are spirit and are life.” Spirit and life are not the words that come out of the hearts of false prophets who prophecy from their own hearts and say that they have matured beyond the words spoken by Christ in His Word, the Bible.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

“The words that I speak” are “that which is written” and anything which contradicts “that which is written” is a lie:

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other. (ACV)

Rom 3:4  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

As we learned in our last study, the tabernacle of God is composed of ten curtains held together by blue loops and gold taches, both symbolizing the function of the spirit which brings us together as God’s church, which is His body:

Exo 36:11  And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of [another] curtain, in the coupling of the second.
Exo 36:12  Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which [was] in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
Exo 36:13  And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.

1Co 12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is [the] Christ. [“One tabernacle”]

So what is “the body?” What is “the tabernacle?” What is “the temple of God?” They are all one and the same thing. They are all where Christ and His Father dwell within each of His elect.  What tells us the significance of the color blue is that when we see it in scripture, it is prominent. Blue comes first. When we see where blue is located and what is done by the things that are blue, then we know what its function is. Blue loops and gold taches hold together the tabernacle of God. Where else do we see the color blue?

The bindings of the gold rings of the ephod are with a lace of blue

Exo 28:28  And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses

The robe of the ephod is all of blue

Exo 28:31  And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
Exo 28:32  And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
Exo 28:33  And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
Exo 28:34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
Exo 28:35  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy [place] before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.

The gold plate of the mitre is to be on a blue lace

Exo 28:36  And thou shalt make a plate [of] pure gold, and grave upon it, [like] the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exo 28:37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
Exo 28:38  And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

Where blue is used, no expense is spared

Look at the details and the expense taken in the construction of the ephod. This ephod is part of the “cloths of service” of those who serve in the temple of God.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Clothing is works. Filthy clothing is filthy works. “Fine linen, clean and white” is the righteousness of Christ in His elect. The intricacies of the priestly “cloths of service” testify to how true is the fact that every hair of our heads is numbered, “specially of those that believe.”

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy [place], and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod [of] gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut [it into] wires, to work [it] in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, [with] cunning work.
Exo 39:4  They made shoulder pieces for it, to couple [it] together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that [was] upon it, [was] of the same, according to the work thereof; [of] gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, [that they should be] stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; [of] gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span [was] the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, [being] doubled.
Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this [was] the first row.
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: [they were] inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones [were] according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, [like] the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, [of] wreathen work [of] pure gold.
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches [of] gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put [them] on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which [was] on the side of the ephod inward.
Exo 39:20  And they made two [other] golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the [other] coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod [of] woven work, all [of] blue.

Let’s go back to the blue lace holding the rings of the blue-robed ephod.

Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod [of] woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon [Definition: a coat or corslet of linen], with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, [and] twined [linen].
Exo 39:25  And they made bells [of] pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister [in]; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:27  And they made coats [of] fine linen [of] woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
Exo 39:29  And a girdle [of] fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, [of] needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown [of] pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, [like to] the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

Everything inside the tabernacle is to be covered with “a cloth of blue”

Num 4:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:2  Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,
Num 4:3  From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:4  This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
Num 4:5  And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:
Num 4:6  And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over [it] a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Num 4:7  And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:
Num 4:8  And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Num 4:9  And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:
Num 4:10  And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put [it] upon a bar.
Num 4:11  And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue , and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
Num 4:12  And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put [them] in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put [them] on a bar:
Num 4:13  And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Num 4:14  And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, [even] the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it.
Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear [it]: but they shall not touch [any] holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Moses and Aaron were both of the family of the Kohathites. So Korah and all of those working closest to Moses and Aaron were to be those of their own family who were closest to them. And yet they were not allowed to even touch the holy things.

This is all concerned with and signifies how close to the truth our brothers in Babylon are and yet how few are given eyes that see and ears that hear and keep the doctrines of Christ:

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein .
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Blue is the color of rulership

Est 8:15  And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

The negative application of blue

The blue of Egypt is not the blue which represents the rulership of the spirit over the flesh. The blue of Egypt is the rulership of the flesh in those who claim to be God’s rulers but are not:

Jer 10:8  But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Jer 10:9  Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

Eze 27:7  Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.

So blue has a negative application and is, as with all things pertaining to God and righteousness, counterfeited by the Adversary.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

We have seen that the color blue is used many times in conjunction with the colors purple and scarlet, and this combination of colors covers all of the curtains of the tabernacle. When this is the case, blue is almost always mentioned first, followed by purple and scarlet is last. We have seen that blue signifies the things of the spirit and is peculiar to the tabernacle and to the priestly garments. We saw that it is blue which is used to hold the tabernacle together and to make it “one tabernacle.” We have seen that blue is used time and time again to “bind together” God’s tabernacle, the gold plate on the mitre, the breastplate to the ephod, etc. We have seen that blue is peculiar to the vessels of service and the implements of service of the tabernacle, which are all stored on blue cloths while in transit. We saw that those who work with blue are teachers, and finally we have been shown that blue has to do with the priesthood and rulership.

Knowing what is the true tabernacle and the true priesthood tells those with eyes to see and ears to hear, that when we see the color blue, we are talking about the things of the spirit and of heavenly things, of “the heavens themselves.” Blue signfies what is in the hearts and minds of God’s elect.

[Here is the next study in this series.]

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/ezekiel-431-27-the-glory-of-the-lord-fills-the-temple/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ezekiel-431-27-the-glory-of-the-lord-fills-the-temple Mon, 13 Jan 2025 05:34:58 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=31815 Audio Download

Ezekiel 43:1–27 The Glory of the Lord Fills the Temple

[Study Aired January 13, 2025]

INTRODUCTION

Today’s study is about the Lord coming with His glory to fill His temple. As we already know, our bodies are the temple of the Lord and therefore today’s review shows us how the Lord comes to take residence in our hearts and minds.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1Co 6:19  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?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

If we are to understand today’s study, then we need to know what the glory of the Lord means. The first time the glory of the Lord appeared in the Bible was in Exodus chapter 16, when the people of Israel thought that Moses and Aaron had brought them into the wilderness to kill them because of the lack of food and water. They forgot about the Lord’s mighty deliverance from their captivity in Egypt and therefore grumbled against Moses and Aaron who represent the Lord’s elect. It is against this background that the Lord appeared to the people of Israel in the cloud as follows:

Exo 16:10  And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
Exo 16:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

We know from the word of the Lord that the cloud represents the Lord’s elect.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We can therefore say that the glory of the Lord appears in His elect.

Exo 40:34  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Exo 24:16  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

The fact that the cloud covered mount Sinai for six days is to show us that the cloud represent the Lord’s elect since the number six is the number of man. What we also need to understand is that anytime there is the glory of the Lord in the cloud, there is the speaking of the Lord. This glory of the Lord is therefore being able to hear the voice of the true shepherd or our Lord Jesus Christ from the midst of the fire.

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

From the midst of the fire signifies that seeing the glory of the Lord also means being judged. At the end of the day, this is what the glory of the Lord does to us, His elect:

1Sa 2:8  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

The glory of the Lord is therefore His works in us His elect, first, and later, in another age, the rest of all humanity.

Psa 104:31  The glory of the LORD shall endure forever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

Isa 4:5  And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.

Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The works of the Lord is preparing His temple, which is our bodies for Him to dwell in. The study for today which deals with the glory of the Lord filling the temple is therefore about the works of the Lord in making His elect’s hearts and minds habitable for Him to dwell in.

In the Book of Isaiah, the Lord filling His temple is preparing the way of the Lord in the wilderness. It is also the same as making straight in the desert a highway for our God. The way in the wilderness and the highway in the desert are His judgement as He comes with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to us in our spiritual poverty (wilderness or desert). This way in the wilderness or a highway in the desert that the Lord prepares in our hearts and minds for Him to live in, is what the glory of the Lord is about. The glory is therefore His works of preparing us for a place to live in.

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2Th 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s study is therefore about how the Lord comes to take residence in our hearts and minds. Specifically, it is about the glory of the Lord as He comes to fill His temple, the measurement of the altar and the offerings.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

The Glory of the Lord Fills the Temple

Eze 43:1  Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 
Eze 43:2  And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 
Eze 43:3  And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 
Eze 43:4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 

Verses 1 and 2 show us that the glory of the Lord came from the way of the east. The east is where the sun rises in our lives. This implies the beginning of our walk with the Lord as the sun represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Our walk with the Lord starts with our lives in Babylon or the physical churches of this world before the Lord comes with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to drag us to Himself. It is instructive to note that the first time the word “east” is used in the Bible, it has to do with the river that flows east towards Assyria (Babylon) with the river becoming the Euphrates. The next use of the word “east” has to do with the judgement we must go through because of our sins in order to assess the tree of life which represents Christ.

Gen 2:14  And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

As indicated in the introduction portion of this study, the glory of the Lord is His work towards making us His habitation. It is while we are in Babylon that the Lord comes to us with His words and His judgement to cause the rising of the sun, or Christ, in our lives. The Lord’s coming with His brightness is His illumination of His words so that we can unmistakenly hear His voice as the noise of many waters. That is when our earthen vessels shines with His glory (verse 2).

In verse 3, we are reminded that the appearance of this vision is similar to the one Ezekiel had when the Lord came to destroy the city, when he had the vision by the river Chebar. This is to let us know that the vision of the glory of the Lord coming from the way of the east is for the Lord to destroy, in this case, our old man or flesh through His judgement. This destruction also includes the false doctrines, symbolized by the river Chebar, which we believed in when we were in Babylon.

Again, we are prompted to know in verse 4 that the glory of the Lord coming into the house is by way of the east. That is to say that the Lord’s work of coming to dwell in us entails the judgement of our flesh.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Eze 43:5  So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. 
Eze 43:6  And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. 
Eze 43:7  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, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. 

The glory of the Lord filling the house in verse 5 is to show us the end result of the works of the Lord in our lives, which is, Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

When the temple was built by king Solomon and was dedicated, the temple was filled with a cloud as the glory of the Lord occupied the building. As a result, the priests could not minister.

1Ki 8:10  And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
1Ki 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

As we have shown earlier, the glory of the Lord comes in a cloud. The cloud filling the temple is the glory of the Lord filling the temple. The fact that the priests could not minister when the Lord takes residence in our hearts and minds, means that we do no work. That is to say that we rest in Him, or cease from our own strivings, as the Lord does His works in us.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The man standing beside Ezekiel while he hears someone speaking to Him from inside the temple in verse 6 is our Lord Jesus Christ. It is His voice that comes out of the temple to assure Ezekiel in verse 7 that it is within the temple, or our hearts and minds that His throne is, and the resting place for His feet. The Lord also assured Ezekiel that no longer will the people of Israel and their kings dishonor His holy name by acting like prostitutes, nor will they dishonor it with the dead bodies of their kings.  The people of Israel here represent the Lord’s elect. No longer acting like a harlot means that we shall not be under the sway of the harlot woman who signifies Babylon or the physical churches of this world. The Lord cleansing and establishing His throne in our hearts and minds is the same as we dwelling in the sacred place of the most high and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psa 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psa 91:3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Psa 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psa 91:5  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Psa 91:6  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Psa 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

In verse 7, we are also told that when the Lord establishes His throne within the people of Israel, they shall not dishonor it with the dead bodies of their kings in their high places. The high places represent the place of worship of their gods. The kings here are the kings of the earth or the leaders of Babylon who had led us astray during our sojourn in Babylon with their false doctrines. When the Lord opens our eyes to see and ears to hear, we come to see these messengers as spiritually dead. Adhering to any doctrine of these false messengers means defiling our temple with the dead bodies or carcasses of these kings.

Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her (the harlot) fornication.

Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Eze 43:8  In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. 
Eze 43:9  Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever. 
Eze 43:10  Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. 

Putting their doorway by the Lord’s doorway and their doorpost by the Lord’s doorpost such that there is only a wall that separates the Lord from our brothers and sisters in Babylon in verse 8 means that the entry to serving the Lord is similar for Jerusalem which is above and that which is in bondage. The only difference between them is a wall. This wall or difference is that the worship of the Lord leads to bondage for those who serve under Jerusalem which is in bondage, while that of Jerusalem which is above leads to liberty in Christ.

Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

As stated in verse 8, the worship which leads to bondage incurs the wrath of the Lord as He comes with His judgement to consume our flesh. We, His elect, start our walk with the Lord incurring the wrath of the Lord and therefore are judged, before we are given the liberty in Christ which serves as a wall separating us from our adulterous way of worship.

Here in verse 9, we are shown that the work of the Lord is to take away our whoredom far from Him and also put away the carcasses of our kings. As we have shown earlier, the carcasses of the kings represent the false doctrines propagated by the false messengers of Christ parading as angels of light. The putting away of these is the requirement for the indwelling of Christ in us.

In verse 10, the Lord told Ezekiel, a symbol of the elect to show the temple to the people of Israel for them to be ashamed of their iniquities. Showing the temple to the Lord’s elect means measuring the temple pattern. It is therefore imperative that we come to see the pattern that was shown Moses on the mount so that we can know how the Lord builds His temple within us.

Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Eze 43:11  And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew 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 laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. 
Eze 43:12 This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. 

Verse 11 is saying that we have to be ashamed of what we have done in terms of our whorish behavior to our husband Christ before we are given to know how the Lord builds His temple within us. According to verse 11, coming to know how the Lord builds His temple within us entails understanding the design of the temple, its arrangements, its exits and entrances – its entire design. It also means knowing about all its rules and regulations. We come to know the rules and regulations of the temple through studying the word of the Lord.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

In verse 12, we are told that the law of the house is that the whole area on the top of the mountain all around must be holy. This whole area on the top of the mountain all around refers to our hearts and minds which must be cleansed to become holy.

1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The Altar of Sacrifice

Eze 43:13  And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar. 
Eze 43:14  And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit. 
Eze 43:15  So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns. 
Eze 43:16  And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof. 
Eze 43:17  And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east. 

The altar is where our sacrifices are burnt. Spiritually, the altar represents our hearts and minds which are purified through the Lord’s judgement such that we can offer our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 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.

We are told that the measurements of the altar are in cubits and that the cubit used in the sanctuary is different from the normal cubit used for everyday measurements. The cubits in the sanctuary is the normal cubit plus a handbreadth. The handbreadth is approximately 4 inches. This is to show us that the standard applied by the Lord to His elect, who represent His temple are higher than the standard applied to Babylon and the world. The verses below show us that the Lord’s standards for us are far higher than that of the world including Babylon.

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

The base of the altar was a cubit and a cubit wide. All around the edge of the altar was a rim measuring about one span. The number one signifies unity. Thus, the Lord is enjoining all His elect, to have the mind of Christ.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

The height of the altar is as follows: from the base on the ground to the lower ledge was two cubits high, and from the lower ledge to the upper ledge was four cubits high and a cubit wide.

The two cubits height from the base on the ground to the lower ledge signifies that the Lord is preparing us to serve as His witnesses.

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

The height from the lower ledge to the upper ledge being four cubits and one cubit in width means that it is the whole of the Lord’s elect (the significance of the number four) that the Lord is requiring us to have one mind and therefore serve as His witnesses.

The place where the sacrifices were to be burnt shall be four cubits and there were four horns above it. As indicated the four cubits show us that what is being discussed here pertains to the whole of the Lord’s elect. Horns signify strength as shown in the following verse:

1Sa 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

The four horns therefore means that the whole of the strength of the Lord’s elect is in our oneness or unity. That is when we can serve as witnesses of Christ.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

In verse 16, we are told that the altar hearth or fireplace shall be twelve cubits long by twelve cubits wide. This implies that it is a square. The number twelve is the number of Christ. The fireplace represents our judgement and therefore what we are being told is that the judgement of the Lord is to make us like Christ. The fact that the altar fireplace is a square is to let us know that no matter where we are coming from in terms of our background, we must all go through the Lord’s judgement to makes us like Christ. In verse 17, the upper ledge being a square affirms to us that we all go through the same experience to become like Christ.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

The upper ledge was fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide. The number fourteen means spiritual progression. The judgement we face is all to help us progress spiritually. It is instructive to note that the steps to the altar faced east. This is to let us know that the rising of the sun or the Lord in our lives is through the Lord’s judgement.

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

The Offerings

Eze 43:18  And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon. 
Eze 43:19  And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering. 
Eze 43:20  And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it. 
Eze 43:21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.
Eze 43:22  And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock. 

These verses deal with the cleansing of the altar. As indicated earlier, the altar is our hearts and minds and so these verses show us what the Lord has done for the cleansing of our hearts and minds. In verse 18, we are informed that the altar is for the offering of burnt offerings and the sprinkling of blood. The burnt offerings signifies the destruction of the flesh through fire, and the sprinkling of blood is the blood of Christ which was shed for our sins. The priests from the seed of Zadok, which symbolize the Lord’s elect, are the only ones permitted to approach the Lord and minister to Him. The young bullock for our sin offering represents our Lord Jesus Christ who was offered for our sins. The bullock being young is in reference to our Lord Jesus Christ who was offered at a very young age for our sins.

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

2 Corinthians 5:21: For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

In Verse 20, Ezekiel was to take some of the bull’s blood, and put it on the altar’s four horns, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim all the way around the altar. This is to cleanse and purge the altar of sin. The spiritual reality of this verse is shown in the following:

Heb 9:21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

In other words, the purification of our hearts and minds is the heavenly things themselves in Hebrew 11:23 and it is there that the Lord is cleansing us with His blood.

The body of the bullock for the sin offering must be burnt outside the sanctuary. This shows us how our Lord died outside the gate of Jerusalem to sanctify us with His blood. As Christ is, so are we. We must also go forth outside the camp of Babylon to suffer or be judged for the destruction of our flesh, for the sake of Christ.

Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
Heb 13:11  For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Verse 22 tells us of the sacrifice of a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering. Again, the kid of the goats without blemish is our Lord Jesus Christ whose blood cleanses our hearts and minds.

Eze 43:23  When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. 
Eze 43:24  And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD. 
Eze 43:25  Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. 
Eze 43:26  Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves. 
Eze 43:27  And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD. 

Verses 23 to 26 show us the repetitive nature of the sacrifice as part of the law of Moses. Seven days of these sacrifice means the complete period of our walk in the churches of this world or Babylon, when we were under the law of Moses.

Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

The eighth day represents new beginnings where we had left behind the law of Moses and are now operating under the law of the spirit of life which sets us free from the law of sin and death (law of Moses). During this period as priests of the Lord, we are to make burnt offerings upon the altar and peace offerings. As stated earlier, the burnt offering results in the destruction of the flesh. However, the peace offering is the only offering in which all three parties partake of the offering; God gets His share, the priest gets his part, and the offerer gets his part to share with “anyone who is clean”. In verse 27, we are informed that it is through the burnt offerings and the peace offerings that we are accepted by the Lord. It is as our flesh proceeds to die through the judgement of the Lord (burnt offering) and we are partaking of the word of the Lord (peace offering) that we are accepted by the Lord.

We thank the Lord for His mercy towards us, to be accepted by the Lord in this age. Amen!!

The Book of Joshua – Part 18, Chapters 21-22

The children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God. – Jos 22:34

Study Aired July 1, 2023

The division of the Promised Land and the formation of its cities are in the final stages, and for brevity’s sake, any seemingly routine items the Lord hasn’t sparked with His spirit to expose will be excluded.

Cities and Pasturelands Allotted to Levi

Jos 21:1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar [el-aw-zawr’ = God has helped. 1. the high priest son of Aaron 2. Abinadab’s son who cared for the ark 3. the priest who rebuilt and dedicated the restored walls of Jerusalem in time of Ezra] the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; 
Jos 21:2 And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs [Common, common land, open land] thereof for our cattle.
Jos 21:3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs. 
Jos 21:4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.

The number thirteen denotes rebellion which always attracts the Lord’s wrath. We are well versed in Israel’s rebellion, which mirrors our natural inclination to challenge our Lord’s word with strange fire or, like children, rebelliously dig in our heels to His commands.

Exo 32:11  And Moses prayed to Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, why does Your wrath become hot against Your people whom You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Our Lord’s wrath against our old Adam is a vital element pointing the Israel of God toward Christ. We are by “nature the children of wrath, even as is the entire world.“

Eleazar represents Christ, our high priest, who speaks to His endtime Elect, “the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel.” They, being a priestly tribe, have more extensive dwelling places that parallel Christ’s wife’s soon-coming inheritance of the entire composition of humanity, her children. “Suburbs” are open and extensive lands depicting the world’s vastness.

Joh 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

Notice in verse 3 that “the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance.” The world, particularly Babylonian Christianity, represents Esau and the Kohathites, the rejected wife of God who serves the younger Jacob, Christ’s Elected wife. That fact is affirmed in the next verse.

Jos 21:5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. 

The ten tribes of Jacob by Rachel’s handmaids represent Babylonian Christianity. Ephraim and Manasseh, the Elect of God’s nearest kin, have hugely rich lands to the north of Israel. They, and we in our time, glory in the deluded richness of being Jews who are not spiritual Jews and lead the Christian world quite willingly astray, particularly by their misunderstanding that “salvation is of the Jews”. By our Lord’s chastising grace, he has anointed our eyes with His spirit to discern spiritual intelligence.

Rev 3:17 Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 
Rev 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see.

Jos 21:6 And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities [rebellion].
Jos 21:7 The children of Merari [bitter] by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben [to see; look at; inspect], and out of the tribe of Gad [troop; invade; attack], and out of the tribe of Zebulun [exalted], twelve cities [Christ and his Body; foundations].

Once again, and by the maturing Saint’s growing knowledge, experience and endurance through trials, he pieces together the meanings of those names of peoples and places for his spiritual-educational prosperity.

Jos 21:8 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses. 
Jos 21:9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name, 
Jos 21:10 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. 
Jos 21:11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak [meaning 4. H704 – 1. the father of Anak and the greatest of the giants (Anakim)], which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. 

Jos 21:12 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. 

Of significance is Caleb, who is similar to Joshua and represents the Lord’s Elect, and inherits the fields of the cities and villages just as the Lord’s Wife inherits her children, the world of humanity. The children of Aaron, who again represents the priestly Elect, have a refuge for their desperate and mentally tortured brothers and sisters in the Lake of Fire.

Jos 21:13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron [= light bringer 1. brother of Moses], a Levite and the first high priest the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

Elder and study presenter Ato Barnes has extensively rendered the Gershonites,  Kohathites, Levites and the families of Merari (mer-aw-ree’) and other tribe’s exploits and the meanings of their names in his series studies in the book of Numbers. Attached is a link regarding the Gershonites:  https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/numbers-421-49-the-duties-of-the-levites-part-3/

Jos 21:14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes. 
Jos 21:17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
Jos 21:18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities. 
Jos 21:19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 
Jos 21:20 And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. 
Jos 21:21  For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities. 
Jos 21:23 And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,
Jos 21:24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities. 
Jos 21:25 And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities. 
Jos 21:26 All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained. 
Jos 21:27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities. 
Jos 21:28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs; four cities. 
Jos 21:30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities. 
Jos 21:32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities. 
Jos 21:33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 
Jos 21:34 And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities. 
Jos 21:36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities. 
Jos 21:38  And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 
Jos 21:39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all. 
Jos 21:40 So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities. 
Jos 21:41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs. 
Jos 21:42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities. 
Jos 21:43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. 
Jos 21:44  round about [round about – on account of; string; harp], according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. 
Jos 21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. 

How beautiful! For the Elect’s sake, those experiences of the Israelites taking possession of their land is another stringed musical case of “all things are yours.” I feel a bit emotional for our Lord’s goodness when His purpose is to give His ravishing Bride “rest” from her labours when one of the keystones of her understanding is to “only acknowledge your iniquity” ~ how simple is that requirement?! (Jer 3:13) … and yet, I, being a ‘chief of sinners’, am somewhat perplexed by performing sins of yesteryear. Yet, I am certain that in the Lord’s good timing, ‘not a man of my enemies will stand before me as He delivers them all into His hand for my rest’ (abridged).

Pro 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 
Pro 23:18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 

The Eastern Tribes Return Home

Jos 22:1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 
Jos 22:2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 
Jos 22:3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 
Jos 22:4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan. 
Jos 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 
Jos 22:6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. 

For the Elect, ‘wow!’  What wonderful impending rest, yet, and for the Israelites, for the Bride’s sake, we know that their coming historical and torturous trials will be for our benefit if we serve Him with all our heart and soul.

Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. 
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Jos 22:7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them, 

Jos 22:8  And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. 
Jos 22:9  And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 

The Eastern Tribes’ Altar of Witness

Jos 22:10 And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. 
Jos 22:11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. 
Jos 22:12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them. 
Jos 22:13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas [pee-nekh-aws’- = mouth of brass] the son of Eleazar the priest, 
Jos 22:14 And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel. 
Jos 22:15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying, 
Jos 22:16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD? 
Jos 22:17 Is the iniquity of Peor [= cleft; 1. to open wide, gape] too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD, 
Jos 22:18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. 
Jos 22:19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean [making the whole land unclean], then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’S tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. 
Jos 22:20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. 
Jos 22:21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel, 
Jos 22:22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) 
Jos 22:23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it; 
Jos 22:24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel? 

The children of Israel west of the Jordan remain a little edgy in remembrance of the very first instance of them entering the Promised Land and with Achan’s sin. Now, near the conclusion of taking possession of the land, that rawness of rebelling against their Lord has positive effects. The Lord’s wrath is the last thing they need as they settle into their new life.

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Our old man turns to the idols of our hearts, and in doing so, we become guilty of the sins of witchcraft and idolatry. At that time, we are comfortable with our bondage to the traditions of men. We like paying tithes on our gross income and dearly love keeping days, months, times and years, for just two examples. [Abridged quote, Mike].

The sin of rebellion, if not swiftly dealt with as the Lord often lets us be slothful for our excruciating benefit, will rebound on our children’s children. That seemingly vindictive plot will later be recognised as immensely beneficial for everyone’s chastised learning.

Exo 34:5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 
Exo 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 
Exo 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 
Exo 34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 
Exo 34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance. 

Stiff-neckedness is an early condition of the Lord’s Elect that must be burned out. It’s a good thing when our brothers are watchful over us through a ‘multitude of counsels’ ensuring fidelity, as do the western tribes for their eastern kin.

Jos 22:25 For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. 

Notice in Joshua 22:14 that the greater portion of Israel, led by the ‘brass-like harshness of Phinehas [pee-nekh-aws’- = mouth of brass] the son of Eleazar, the priest, confronts the north-eastern tribe’s perceived rebellion: ~ And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

These ten western tribes depict greater Israel, our brothers and sisters who, much later with us, go into Babylon. Egypt, Assyria, and every other evil nation are collectively represented as Babylon, but for now, Israel is stepping out with righteous intent to follow all the Lord’s commands in challenging the north-western tribe’s seeming dubious intentions. In type, the perceived division portrays our Babylonian Christian brothers’ and sisters’ gulf between them and the Lord’s Elect. The altar that is Christ certainly will be a future demarcation ‘witness between us and them’.

Jos 22:26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: 
Jos 22:27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. 
Jos 22:28 Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.
Jos 22:29 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. 
Jos 22:30 And when Phinehas [pee-nekh-aws’] the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them. 
Jos 22:31 And Phinehas  [pee-nekh-aws’] the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. 
Jos 22:32 And Phinehas [pee-nekh-aws’] the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. 
Jos 22:33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt. 
Jos 22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God. 

No greater gulf exists than between the Lord’s rejected wife and His Elected Bride. His Elect is coming out of Babylon and has almost finished her exit, leaving behind the woman from Mt. Sinai revelling in her God-given strong delusions. The Reubenite’s and Gadite’s stone edifice is a profound witness between those women and ‘the’ Christ.

For the Elect’s sake, our most honoured brothers and sisters of old Israel were oblivious to their coming descent into lukewarmness and witnessed by the Reubenite’s and Gadite’s stone marker and one of the significant ‘beginnings of the creation of God.’

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Even though the Seven Churches of Asia during the Apostle’s time represent every stage of the creation of God, probably Laodicea’s lukewarmness is the broad representation of Israel’s soon weariness for her Lord’s light bread.

Not by my design, however, next week will be a relatively short conclusion to this series in Joshua, and probably representative of our Lord’s short work in His Body.

Rom 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 

Numbers 7:1-89  Offerings at the Tabernacle’s Consecration

[Study Aired June 12, 2023]

Introduction

Today’s study focuses on the setting up of the tabernacle of the congregation and the offerings of the people of Israel. Therefore, it continues with the requirements needed to become a strong formidable army of the Lord such that we are victorious in every endeavor. Spiritually, today’s study touches on three key aspects needed as the Lord’s elect – the coming of the Lord to dwell in us, our offerings to the Lord and our communication with the Lord (prayer). Throughout the Old Testament, the habitation of the Lord was not with men, although they have the presence of the Lord in the physical tabernacle of the congregation. It was after the sacrificial offering of Christ’s life that He paved the way for God to dwell in man.

Hag 1:9  You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.
Hag 1:10  Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 
Hag 1:11  And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” (ESV)

The verses above (Haggai 1:9-11) describe the sorrowful state we found ourselves in, just like the Old Testament period before Christ came to dwell in us. If the headquarters of an army lies in ruin, as the verses in Haggai describe, the army does not have any form of communication to guide those in the frontline of battle to know what to do to defeat the enemy. In addition, they do not have the support from headquarters in terms of food supplies, ammunition, and personnel reinforcement to engage the enemy they are fighting. The army’s ultimate defeat is therefore imminent. The story of the High Priest Eli’s sons who died in battle with several Israelites is a typical example of how we get defeated by the flesh when Christ’s habitation within us is in ruin or defiled.

1Sa 4:1  And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 
1Sa 4:2  The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 
1Sa 4:3  And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 
1Sa 4:4  So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 
1Sa 4:5  As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 
1Sa 4:6  And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, 
1Sa 4:7  the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
1Sa 4:8  Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 
1Sa 4:9  Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” 
1Sa 4:10  So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 
1Sa 4:11  And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. 

The defeat of the Israelites was long overdue as a result of the sons of Eli’s sons who defiled the habitation of the Lord. 

1Sa 2:22  Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

The Philistines here refer to our flesh. Our lives in Babylon were characterized by defeat upon defeat as a result of the defilement of the Lord’s habitation within us.

1Co 3:16  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 
1Co 3:17  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (ESV)

It is when Christ comes to us to make our bodies His dwelling place, that is when we can offer a sacrifice pleasing to Him.  As indicated, today’s study focuses on the setting up of the tabernacle of the congregation and the subsequent offerings by the people of Israel. The sacrifices were offered by the twelve tribes of Israel in twelve days. Since the sacrifice for each day is the same, today’s study will highlight the sacrifice for only the first day. 

Num 7:1  And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them; 

The setting up of the tabernacle typifies Christ coming to us to set up His dwelling place within us – our bodies. This is not a one-time event in our lives, but a process that takes place during our stay here on earth beginning from Christ coming to us. 

1Co 3:16  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 
1Co 3:17  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (ESV)

1Co 6:19  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 
1Co 6:20  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

The setting up of the tabernacle or the temple of God within us is the beginning of the process of the Lord gathering together in one all things in Christ, both that which are in heaven and on earth.

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

It is significant to note that it was Moses who set up the tabernacle. What this implies is that it is only within the elect, signified by Moses, that the Lord is setting up His dwelling place in this age. 

Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 

In another perspective, Moses represents the Lord Jesus Christ. In this regard, we can say that it is the Lord alone who can set up our bodies as the temple of God. It is not of man’s will or what we can do, but it is God’s election. In other words, coming to serve the Lord does not originate from man. 

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Moses anointing the tabernacle in verse 1 is the sending of the Holy Spirit within us as a deposit guarantee. As we are aware, the promise of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into the truth of the word of the Lord. In other words, the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the manual (the word of the Lord) for maintaining the tabernacle or the temple of the Lord within us. 

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

In verse 1, Moses also sanctified the tabernacle and all the instruments and vessels within it. Sanctification means to be set apart for special use or purpose. It also means declaring something holy, and being holy implies the process of being freed from sin or purified. What this means is that those in whom Christ is setting up the temple of God within are being purified or freed from sin. As we have learned in all our studies, being purified or freed from sin is through the judgment of our old man by the Lord.  Christ coming to us to set up His tabernacle within us is through judgment so that we can learn righteousness.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 
2Th 2:8  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

Isa 26:8  In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. 
Isa 26:9  My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Num 7:2  That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered:

The princes of Israel and the heads of the house of their fathers, who were princes of the tribes, represent the elect. Remember that we are a royal priesthood and therefore princes of the Lord our King.

1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (ESV) 

It is after the Lord comes to us to establish His tabernacle within us that we are judged, and it is by the judgment process that we become sanctified for the Lord. It is through this process of sanctification that we can offer sacrifice pleasing to the Lord. The sequence of events ordered by the Lord is as follows: First the Lord comes to us to set up His temple. This is followed by the process of sanctification, which involves judgment of our old man. It is then that we can offer ourselves as a sacrifice pleasing to the Lord. This is demonstrated clearly in the following verses of Malachi.

Mal 3:1  “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:2  But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 
Mal 3:3  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. 
Mal 3:4  Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 
Mal 3:5  “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Num 7:3  And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle. 

The offering the leaders of Israel brought included six covered wagons and the twelve oxen were for the transportation of the tabernacle and the altar in the wilderness.  Spiritually, the six covered wagons represent the Lord’s elect, as the number six signifies mankind. As His elect, we are the ones carrying Christ with us wherever we go here on earth. We can therefore see that without the tabernacle or Christ dwelling in us, we do not have anything to carry as wagons to others. The wagons being covered means that many people will not recognize that we are carrying Christ with us unless the wagons are uncovered. This is because we do not carry ourselves as ordained ministers of Christ as our brothers and sisters in Babylon do. We shall be revealed or uncovered in the fullness of time when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. This is Paul’s view of the Lord’s messengers in this age who are covered:

1Co 4:9  For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 
1Co 4:10  We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 
1Co 4:11  To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 
1Co 4:12  and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 
1Co 4:13  when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.(ESV) 

The fact that every two princes donated a wagon is to show us that we are to serve as witnesses of Christ wherever we go. 

Act 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

The twelve oxen which were offered by each leader represent Christ, who was offered for our sake and for the whole of mankind to serve as the foundation for the building of the temple of God within us.  

1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 
1Co 3:11  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

Num 7:4  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 7:5  Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service. 
Num 7:6  And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites. 
Num 7:7  Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service: 
Num 7:8  And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 
Num 7:9  But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders. 
Num 7:10  And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. 

The fact that the Lord told Moses to accept the offering is to let us know that as we offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord, it is acceptable and pleasing to Him. 

Rom 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 
Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

The giving of the offerings to the Levites is to show us the Lord’s intent in taking care of us who work in His vineyard to make our work easier. It is significant to note that the Kohath were not given any of the offerings for the simple reason that they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on their shoulders. The Holy things cannot be borne by oxen-driven wagons as shown by the Lord in the example of David bringing the ark to Jerusalem. 

2Sa 6:1  David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 
2Sa 6:2  And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 
2Sa 6:3  And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 
2Sa 6:4  with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.
2Sa 6:5  And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
2Sa 6:6  And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 
2Sa 6:7  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.

We know that oxen are beasts. What the Lord is teaching us is that as long as the beast within us is dominating or driving us, there is no way that we can carry Christ and His words. It is when Christ comes to us that the beast in us is dealt with and therefore, we can bear the Holy things of God. 

Ecc 3:18  I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts.

It is insightful to note that all the Levites except the Kohath were given wagons to transport the tabernacle. The things that are transported by the wagons are not the Holy things. These Levites who are given wagons and oxen represent Babylon who carry Christ (the gospel) on beast-dominated bodies. Since they do not carry the Holy things, there is no way that what they preach will make one holy. We, the elect, in this case represent the Kohath who bear the Holy things on our shoulders – not on oxen-driven wagons.

Part 2

The rest of the chapter deals with the offering by the twelve leaders – an offering by a leader each day. The offering by each leader is the same. The only difference is the day on which it was offered. The different days of offerings by the leaders of Israel show us that some of us become mature early, while others mature later to offer their sacrifice. It also shows us how each generation of elect is offering their bodies as a sacrifice to the Lord. Although the Lord has given us various talents or gifts, what we all offer to the Lord, in view of His mercies towards us, is our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord. Offering our bodies as living sacrifices entails not conforming to the standards of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds to know what the Lord requires of us. Since our offerings are the same, the reward by the Lord is also the same for every elect. 

Num 7:11  And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar. 
Num 7:12  And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah: 
Num 7:13  And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:14  One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense: 
Num 7:15  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: 
Num 7:16  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:17  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

The first two items offered were a silver plate weighing 130 shekels and a silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels. These silver vessels were filled full of the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. Silver is a desired precious commodity. Since these vessels are to be used in the house of God, they represent the elect whom the Lord has redeemed with His precious blood. These vessels must be filled full of fine flour mingled with oil. This means that as the Lord’s chosen vessels, we must be filled full of His words which are spirit. In other words, we must understand the spiritual interpretation of the word of the Lord. 

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Gen 45:22  To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

The fact that the silver plate weighs 130 shekels signifies that we must pass through the process of judgment to mature (significance of the number 3) as vessels worthy to be used in the house of God. As the Lord’s redeemed vessels, we must all be united with one in mind and speaking the same thing (significance the number 1).

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

The second item offered was a gold dish weighing 10 shekels which was filled with incense. The 10 shekels means that it is the fullness of our flesh that brings the Lord to drag us to judgment so we can become vessels of gold in the house of the Lord. That is when we can offer prayers as incense to the Lord. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Rev 8:3  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.
Rev 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

The third items offered were a young bull, one ram and one male lamb for a burnt offering. Jesus is the young bull, the ram and the male lamb who was offered for the sins of the elect and the rest of the world. 

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

The fourth item was one male goat for a sin offering. We, His elect, are the male goat that was set free in the wilderness as part of our sin offering.

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

The last set of items mentioned were the two oxen, five male goats and five male lambs of the first year. These are to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering to the Lord. As the Lord has sacrificed His life for us, we must also be prepared to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice to the Lord. The number five of the goats and lambs is to suggest that it is with grace through faith that we can offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. The two oxen imply that we are witnesses of Christ in this world.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The rest of the chapter narrates the offerings from the second day to the end of the twelfth day. Since the offerings are the same each day, and we have explained the significance of the various items offered, we shall only provide the Bible verses here.

Num 7:18  On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer: 
Num 7:19  He offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:20  One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:21  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:22  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:23  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
Num 7:24  On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer: 
Num 7:25  His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:26  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:27  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:28  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:29  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
Num 7:30  On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer: 
Num 7:31  His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
Num 7:32  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:33  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:34  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:35  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Num 7:36  On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, did offer:
Num 7:37  His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:38  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:39  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:40  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:41  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
Num 7:42  On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered:
Num 7:43  His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
Num 7:44  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:45  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:46  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:47  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
Num 7:48  On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered:
Num 7:49  His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
Num 7:50  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:51  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:52  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:53  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud. 
Num 7:54  On the eighth day offered Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh: 
Num 7:55  His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:56  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:57  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:58  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:59  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
Num 7:60  On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered:
Num 7:61  His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:62  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:63  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:64  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:65  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Num 7:66  On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered:
Num 7:67  His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:68  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:69  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: 
Num 7:70  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:71  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 
Num 7:72  On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, offered:
Num 7:73  His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:74  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:75  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:76  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:77  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.
Num 7:78  On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered:
Num 7:79  His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 
Num 7:80  One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: 
Num 7:81  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Num 7:82  One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 
Num 7:83  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
Num 7:84  This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold: 
Num 7:85  Each charger of silver weighing an hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
Num 7:86  The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary: all the gold of the spoons was an hundred and twenty shekels.
Num 7:87  All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat offering: and the kids of the goats for sin offering twelve. 
Num 7:88  And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed.  
Num 7:89  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 spake unto him. 

Verse 89 says that Moses heard the voice of the Lord within the veil, specifically, between the two cherubims. As we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord, we shall hear the voice of the Lord clearly as we walk with Him. Amen!!

[Study Aired May 15, 2023]

Num 4:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:2  Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 
Num 4:3  From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 4:4  This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
Num 4:5  And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: 
Num 4:6  And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Num 4:7  And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: 
Num 4:8  And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof. 
Num 4:9  And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: 
Num 4:10  And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar. 
Num 4:11  And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof: 
Num 4:12  And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put them on a bar: 
Num 4:13  And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: 
Num 4:14  And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it. 
Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 4:16  And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof. 
Num 4:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:18  Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: 
Num 4:19  But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden: 
Num 4:20  But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. 

This session covers the work of Moses, Aaron and his sons as priests, when they were to set out from one place to another in the wilderness. The priests had the privilege of packing the vessels within the tabernacle of the congregation. In everyday life, it is those who are very close to you who can pack your belongings. He who packs another person’s belongings sees all his mysteries and secrets. We are therefore privileged to become part of the Lord’s royal priesthood to be able to know the mysteries of His kingdom!!

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Num 4:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 
Num 4:2  Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 
Num 4:3  From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:4  This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:

We can see from these verses that there is an age requirement for one to do the work of the Lord regarding the tabernacle of the Congregation. To serve as a Kohath or a Levite, one has to be between the ages of thirty and fifty. In other words, one has to be spiritually mature to do the work of the Lord as the ages specified refer to the “golden years” of our lives where we are mature and have the necessary strength to do all kinds of work. The number 30 signifies the time we are spiritually mature, as we have our senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Our spiritual maturity involves going through fiery trials as we see Joseph go through trials to become Prime Minister of Egypt at the age 30. The number fifty refers to the liberty we have in Christ as we become spiritually mature. This liberty is about our freedom from bondage to sin.

Gen 41:46  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

As we recall from the Bible, our Lord Jesus Christ waited until He was thirty years old before He began His ministry or work of service to God. Although He was a son, He learned obedience by the things He suffered and became the author of salvation, to the elect first and then to the rest of the world.

Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 
Heb 5:10  Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

What we need to understand is that becoming a servant of Christ is not a job for babies or children in Christ. We need to be spiritually thirty years old and above to serve the Lord. The Bible has a lot to warn us about children who try to serve as they assume leadership of the Lord’s people. This is what happens:

Isa 3:4  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 
Isa 3:5  And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

Isa 3:12  As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

In Isaiah 3:12, it is insightful to note that children ruling is equivalent to women ruling. In the physical churches of this world, or Babylon, it is children who are ruling, and it is the same as the church (the harlot woman) dominating the lives of the Lord’s people instead of Christ.

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Num 4:5  And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: 
Num 4:6  And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

The services slated for Aaron and his sons relate to when the camp is setting out, that is, when the Israelites were moving from one place to another. The first item to be moved was the ark of the testimony. As we indicated in the studies in Exodus, the ark represents Christ or the word of the Lord.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Numbers 4:5-6 spiritually refer to the duties of the elect (represented by Aaron and his sons) as it relates to the spreading or the movement of the gospel of Christ. What we need to realize is that the ark, or the word of the Lord, must be covered with a veil, a badgers’ skin and a cloth of blue color when Israel was on the move. The veil that is taken from the tabernacle to cover the ark signifies the flesh of Christ as shown in the following: 

Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

The badger skin refers to the skin of an animal, probably a goat or sheep or dolphin, etc. It symbolizes the sacrificial death of Christ while the cloth with the color blue refers to the resurrected Lord in our hearts and mind or heavens.

In summary, all the coverings represent Christ, and as long as we see Christ in the flesh in terms of His life and death, the word of the Lord (the ark) is veiled. It is when we begin to see Christ in the spirit that the veil is taken away. That is when we begin to know Christ or His words (the ark). This is what Paul said about knowing Christ after the spirit:

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Verses 5 and 6 refer to the duties of the elect as they relate to the way the gospel of Christ must be sent. The gospel we are carrying is veiled or shrouded in a mystery. It is only those who know Christ in the spirit who can understand the Christ whom we present.

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 
1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 
1Co 2:11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 
1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 
1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The staves, or the poles, in verse 6 are the elect who carry the veiled message of the gospel. It is the Levites (Babylonians) who carry us on their shoulders as we propagate our veiled message. In other words, our brothers and sisters in Babylon are the ones who do the heavy work of using the law as our schoolmaster to lead people to Christ. It is when they come to Christ that we take over by unwrapping the word of the Lord for them to see the ark clearly as priests.

Joh 4:37  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 
Joh 4:38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Num 4:7  And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:
Num 4:8  And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

The table of showbread together with the bread and its accessories symbolize the altar where the elect share the word of the Lord. The covering of the table of the showbread and its accessories means that our brothers and sisters in Babylon, representing the Levites, are not allowed to partake with us the word of truth, which is Christ. The reason they cannot partake with us the truth of the word of the Lord is that they have been swept away by divers and strange doctrines.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

It is very instructive to note that the cloth used to initially cover the table of the showbread was scarlet, which is red and refers to Adam whose name means red, that is earthy. What we are being told therefore is that we, the Lord’s elect, are the treasure in earthen vessels. After the table and its accessories were covered with the scarlet cloth, they are again wrapped in badgers’ skin. This signifies that being given to eat in the presence of the Lord is associated with the process of dying to the old man through suffering as our Lord Jesus Christ took the lead to offer His life for our sake. This is what the word of the Lord has to say about this:

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 
2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 
2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 
2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11  For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Num 4:9  And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: 
Num 4:10  And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar.

The candlesticks symbolize the church of the firstborn or the elect. The lamps refer to the word of the Lord and the oil stands for the Holy Spirit. The church of the elect is not visible to the world. It is hidden from the sight of Babylon and the people of the world. It is only when the veil is taken away that the church becomes visible. In this age, it is only those whose names have been written before the foundations of the world who become part of the elect who are those from whom the Lord is removing the veil to see the church of the elect. The rest of the world, including our brothers and sisters in Babylon, will see this glorious church when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. The veil being removed means we are given to understand or know Christ in the spirit and not in the flesh. It is when we understand His words in the spirit that we can know the church of the elect or Jerusalem which is above. 

Rev 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Num 4:11  And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:

The golden altar is a symbol of the sacrificial death of Christ for the sake of all humanity. The elect represent the staves which are used to carry the golden altar. We are therefore always carrying in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus so that the life of Christ might be made manifest in our lives. The fact that the world, or our brothers and sisters in Babylon, do not see us bearing in our body the dying of Christ means that the golden altar is hidden from the Levites (Babylonians) as it is covered by a cloth of blue and the badgers’ skin. 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11  For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

As indicated earlier, the blue cloth represents Christ in our heavens, and the badger skin represents the dying of Christ. What this means is that it is when we begin to know or worship Christ in the spirit and in truth that the veil is taken away to see the dying of Christ in our bodies. This dying of Christ in our bodies symbolizes the suffering we must endure to manifest Christ in our lives.

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Num 4:12  And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put them on a bar: 
Num 4:13  And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: 
Num 4:14  And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it. 

All the instruments of ministry are covered with cloth of blue and the badger skin. We, the Lord’s elect, are the instruments of ministry. In other words, we are used for honorable purposes. 

2Ti 2:20  Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 
2Ti 2:21  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

What verses 12 to 14 imply is that as vessels of ministry, we the elect, are not visible to the world. including our brothers and sisters in Babylon. We are covered with a cloth of blue and a badger skin. We are only visible when the Lord removes the veil covering us. That is why our Lord Jesus, when He was getting to the end of His life, told the Pharisees that all those in Jerusalem (Babylon) will not see Him again until the time comes they acknowledge the elect by saying that blessed is he (the elect) who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 
Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ 

It is when the veil is taken away that we see who the Lord’s children really are. Since the Lord’s children represent Jesus of Nazareth, being given the power to see the Lord’s elect means seeing our Lord Jesus Christ!! As the Lord said, it is a blessing to see those who come in the name of the Lord!!

Act 9:4  And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 
Act 9:5  And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

The sons of Kohath who were part of the Levites were required to bear all the vessels of the sanctuary as the people of Israel journeyed through the desert. It must have been a very difficult task to carry all the vessels in the heat of the desert. That is what is happening today as we see our brothers and sisters from Babylon do all the taxing duties to make it easier for the Lord’s elect to reap the harvest. The parable of the hired laborers illustrates this point clearly.

Mat 20:1  “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
Mat 20:2  After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3  And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 
Mat 20:4  and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 
Mat 20:5  So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 
Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
Mat 20:7  They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 
Mat 20:8  And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 
Mat 20:9  And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 
Mat 20:10  Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 
Mat 20:11  And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,
Mat 20:12  saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
Mat 20:13  But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 
Mat 20:14  Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.
Mat 20:15  Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’
Mat 20:16  So the last will be first, and the first last.”

All the earlier laborers had worked more hours than the laborers who came in last, and these laborers who came in last were the first to receive the prize. It is indeed a privilege to be called and chosen in this age!!

Joh 4:37  For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’
Joh 4:38  I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.

It is also important to note that the sons of Kohath were forbidden to touch any holy thing lest they die. As we are aware, you can only give what you have. If you are not required to touch holy things, there is no way that you can make someone holy, since you are not holy. Being forbidden to touch holy things is another way of saying that in spite of the hard work of our brothers and sisters in Babylon, the fruits of their labors do not result in people becoming holy. As a matter of fact, they become worse off or twice the children of hell. That is where we all came from. Before we exited Babylon, we were all twice the children of hell before we received the mercies of the Lord. 

Mat 23:13  “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 

Mat 23:15  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” 

The Kohathites, or the Babylonians, being forbidden to touch any holy thing is the same as what our Lord Jesus said about the multitude who came to listen to Him.

Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them (the multitude) in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Num 4:16  And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

As priests of the Lord, the elect are the only ones who are anointed by the Lord to offer sweet incense (prayers), meat offering (offering their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord) and oil for the light (are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God).

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you (the priests) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (the Levites or Babylonians) it is not given.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  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.

Num 4:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:18  Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
Num 4:19  But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:
Num 4:20  But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

The Lord’s admonition to Moses and Aaron was very appropriate. Because the Kohathites’ work in carrying the important vessels of the temple was extremely significant compared with the other Levites, who were to carry superficial things like boards, sockets, pillars, etc., there was the tendency on the part of Moses and Aaron to regard them as more important than the other Levites and therefore cut them off from the Levites. However, since the Kohathites were restricted from touching the holy things, they were not different from the other Levites. In other words, they represent Babylon.

As we are aware, there are many brothers and sisters whose work is so important and sometimes what they say borders on the truth of the Lord’s words. There is therefore this tendency to regard them as different from Babylon. However, since they have not left Babylon, they are still part of Babylon and share in their sins. What we are to do is not to disregard the role our brothers and sisters in Babylon (Kohathites) play in the grand scheme of the Lord in bringing people to Christ. Inasmuch as we are to appreciate the work our brothers and sisters do in Babylon, we are not to cast our pearls before them.

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Luk 9:49  And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
Luk 9:50  And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

We thank God for His mercies towards us by calling and choosing us to be part of His priesthood in this life. What a blessing our Lord has bestowed on us!! May His name be praised forever, Amen!!!

2 Kings 23:10-18 “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” – (Joh 3:5)

[Study Aired April 20, 2023]

2Ki 23:10  And he [Josiah] defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
2Ki 23:11  And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 
2Ki 23:12  And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. 
2Ki 23:13  And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. 
2Ki 23:14  And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. 
2Ki 23:15  Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. 
2Ki 23:16  And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. 
2Ki 23:17  Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
2Ki 23:18  And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria. 

As we discussed last week, the Lord is going to use the elect of God to clean up the land of idolatry, which defiled lands represent our bodies that must be cleansed. Clearing the land of all idols and false worship in this chapter of Kings (Joh 3:5-6) can represent the first baptism of the world with water during the thousand-year reign of the saints. Josiah’s rule over Judah was accomplished with great zeal and diligence, but the end result of all his efforts did not prevent Judah from going back to idol worship, hence it was really just a water baptism in that sense. Josiah’s actions represent an outward cleansing of the cup but no conversion was, or could be, granted to this dispensation, any more than it could be during the thousand-year reign of the saints. This period of time in Judah’s history can also represent our first baptism as God’s elect who, Lord willing, are permitted to go beyond that baptism, that clearing of the idols of our land, unto perfection on the third day, which brings these verses in Hebrews to mind:

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works , and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. [“That which is born of the flesh is flesh.“]
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit. [“That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.“]

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 

Every action we read of here in chapter 23 that discusses Josiah’s zeal for the Lord is indicative of what the body of Christ will do throughout the thousand-year reign. The resulting way in which the nation of Judah was affected by the corrupt kings that came after Josiah is also symbolic of how mankind can only wash the outside of the cup, just as the old covenant blood of bulls and goats did not change the heart (Heb 10:4) [“That which is born of the flesh is flesh.“] and will only be permitted to do this much physical restoration until Christ’s spirit is given (Rom 8:8-9) at the great white throne judgment so that the inner man can be renewed and become a new creation (Rev 20:6, 2Co 5:17-18). [“That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.“]

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

The inward application of this cleansing of the temple is an arduous and life-long process (Act 14:22) that is given to only a few to be able to endure until the end (Mat 22:14, Mar 13:13). The powerful strides Josiah took to rid the land of false worship is exactly what those destined for the first resurrection will experience inwardly in this present age (Col 1:24, Col 1:27) so they can be made ready to demonstrate that same zeal outwardly during the thousand-year reign (Oba 1:21). With those principles in mind, we can now jump into this second part of chapter 23 of 2 Kings.

2Ki 23:10  And he defiled Topheth^H8612, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. 
2Ki 23:11  And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 

God has to smite (tôpheth^{H8608; a} smiting) the earth with a curse (Mal 4:6) in order to bring it to a point where they and we no longer make our sons or daughters pass “through the fire to Molech“, which symbolizes our teaching our children to obey and keep the lies of Mystery Babylon. Our sons and daughters represent our doctrine which is tainted with heresy and connected with the traditions of man (days, months, times and years – 2Ki 23:5) which is vain worship in God’s eyes (Mat 15:8-9). Josiah “took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun” which represents how the elect will take away the power [horses] of mankind to worship Baal, the sun god, whose proximity is “at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.” This is telling us there was pagan doctrinal influence that was perverting the nation of Judah which was supposed to be preserving the oracles of the law of God that typify the law of Christ which preserves His life in us (Act 7:38).

2Ki 23:5  And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. 

Mat 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 
Mat 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

H8612 tôpheth to’-feth

The same as H8611; Topheth, a place near Jerusalem: – Tophet, Topheth.

Total KJV occurrences: 9

H8611 tôpheth to’-feth

From the base of H8608; a smiting, that is, (figuratively) contempt: – tabret.

Total KJV occurrences: 1

2Ki 23:12  And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. 

This beating down of these altars “on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz” reminds us that it takes powerful forces in our heavens to bring our lives into submission to Christ (1Co 9:27). Therefore we should not think it strange concerning the fiery trials that come our way (1Pe 4:12) which make it possible for us to cease from sinning (1Pe 4:1) gaining dominion over those powers and principalities against which we are wrestling (Eph 6:12).

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The upper positioning of the altars represents our pride, which is the hardest of these three to destroy and beat down within us, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1Jn 2:16). 

The altars Manasseh made were in the two courts of the house of the Lord as a negative witness of how we just naturally defile the temple of God (Rom 7:24) with our own wisdom which produces actions that must be destroyed as a result of the defiled way we think that seems right in our own eyes (1Co 3:16-18):  “The altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron^H6939.”

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 
1Co 3:18  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 

H6939 Kidron From H6937; dusky place

H6937 A primitive root; to be ashy that is dark colored; by implication to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments): – be black (-ish) be (make) dark (-en) X heavily (cause to) mourn.

1Ki 2:37  For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

2Ki 23:13  And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. 

God leaves us no doubt as to how He feels about these areas of worship. They are a corrupt abomination to Him that represents our false gods and high places in our heavens that are “before Jerusalem” or before the house of the Lord, making all the land a cursed and defiled place. The proximity to Jerusalem reminds us that evil communications corrupt good manners (1Co 15:33), and so we must ‘come out of her my people’ in order to be received, which is what we are doing when we tear down the idols in our own heavens represented by all these different abominations before Jerusalem (Rev 18:4).

1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

Josiah [our type of Christ our hope of glory within] is going to destroy it all and take away the negative power that masquerades as God’s power “on the right hand of the mount of corruption” [“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Pro 14:12)]. Solomon’s compromising spirit as a king left the land of Judah polluted with all of these abominable practices. “Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon” that only waxed worse and worse after his death. 

2Ki 23:14  And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. 

Breaking something in pieces and cutting down the groves symbolizes how God must thoroughly destroy everything that breathes within our own land, leaving neither root nor branch (Mal 4:1). Once those things are done, the “bones of men” fill up the areas that were demolished as a reminder of the only thing all this false worship could produce; dead men’s bones that need to be buried, resurrected (Eze 37:7-8) and then sanctified (Eze 37:28)

Mal 4:1  For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Eze 37:7  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 
Eze 37:8  And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.  

Eze 37:28  And the heathen [within me] shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. 

2Ki 23:15  Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. 

This verse adds credence to the fact that king Josiah represents the elect during the thousand-year reign by virtue of the truth that he was the only king who took these next actions of cleansing the land of Judah to this degree. Tearing down the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat had erected is symbolic of putting an end to days, months, times and years. Then to further go on and burn “the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove” makes us think of “having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience” after “the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat” was torn down, so that the little leaven “stamped it small to powder” of our life is being constantly put out of our lives as we die daily. The destroying of these idols represents the process God is accomplishing in the life of each of the elect of God. The fiery trials of our life that cause us to cease from sinning is what the burning of the grove represents, and it is the only way sin can be conquered (1Pe 4:12, Heb 12:6, 1Pe 4:1). God is humbling the elect to learn that this process is impossible to do without Christ, but if we are granted to overcome, the experience of overcoming by the grace and faith of Christ will prepare us to rule over the nations during the thousand-year reign (2Co 10:6, Rev 19:7).

2Co 10:6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

2Ki 23:16  And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. 

Josiah turning himself is a symbolic action just as John who turned and looked backed in the temple in Revelation 1:12. John’s experience was the positive expression of turning back and seeing where he had progressed in his walk in the temple of God which we are by the grace of God (1Co 3:16), whereas Josiah turning and spying the sepulchers is akin to looking narrowly on Satan (Isa 14:12-17) who becomes our rejected father in this life (2Co 4:4, Joh 8:44). In order to witness against these ties to our former conversation (Eph 2:2), we must take those dead man’s bones out of the sepulchers “and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.” It is according to the word of the LORD because it is only the LORD within us Who can take these actions that purify the temple of God which we are.  When we do this through Christ, we experience the positive use of the word “polluted” as we testify against our past through those actions of polluting these sepulchers that represent our former conversation (Eph 2:2) of which we become sickened (Mat 23:27, Rom 3:13).

Isa 14:11  Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee [Act 12:23, Luk 13:32].
Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations [Mal 4:1]! 
Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north [all happening within us as the man of perdition is destroyed by the brightness of his coming (2Th 2:8)]:
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Isa 14:16  They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 
Isa 14:17  That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 

Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

Rom 3:13  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 

2Ki 23:17  Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. 
2Ki 23:18  And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.

When Josiah asks “What title is that that I see?” it is akin to Christ asking (Mat 16:13) “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” I say that because the man in question is a type of Christ who was “the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.” That man is not named as a shadow of the fact that we are hidden in Christ and not known of the world, just like Christ who is the true bread from heaven that is hidden (Joh 6:32, Col 3:3).

Mat 16:13  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

Joh 6:31  Our fathers did eat manna^G3131 in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 
Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

G3131 manna
Thayer Definition: manna = “what is it”

1) the food that nourished the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness

2) of the manna was kept in the ark of the covenant

3) symbolically, that which is kept in the heavenly temple for the food of angels and the blessed

This story also reminds us of Paul who, when addressing king Agrippa, made a point to speak of the unknown God who was in the midst of all the pagan idols, as this man of God “from Judah” was in the midst of “the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria” who was a false prophet.

What we do with the bones of the prophet of God is we leave them alone as they represent the unchanging foundation of God’s government which has the words of eternal life (Mal 3:6, 1Jn 4:17).

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

This last verse of the study encourages us that nothing shall separate us from the love of God. No power or principality will separate us from God, no angel, nothing in the past and nothing in the future, life or death included (Rom 8:35-39), all expressed with this one verse: “Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.“

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That other prophet who came out of Samaria represents our old man who cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and whose ways led to death, unlike the prophet of God who symbolizes those who, whether they live or die, are the Lord’s (Rom 14:8).

Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 

The Lord reminds us that both these men are baptized into death; both the man of God from Judah and the prophet that came out of Samaria, and symbolize for us the baptism of water that does not convert [the prophet from Samaria] and the baptism by fire into the life of Christ [typified by the man of God from Judah] that changes us. Both these baptisms are summarized for us by Christ with this verse in John 3:5 telling us we have to have this experience of evil in our flesh where we are baptized in Babylon to then ‘come out of her my people’ to be baptized in Christ (Rom 6:3).

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Exo 38:1-31 The Making of the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Bronze Basin and the Court

[Study Aired February 20, 2023]

Exo 38:1  And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
Exo 38:2  And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass. 
Exo 38:3  And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
Exo 38:4  And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.
Exo 38:5  And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves. 
Exo 38:6  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass. 
Exo 38:7  And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards. 
Exo 38:8  And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Exo 38:9  And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
Exo 38:10  Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
Exo 38:11  And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:12  And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:13  And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
Exo 38:14  The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 
Exo 38:15  And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 
Exo 38:16  All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. 
Exo 38:17  And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 
Exo 38:18  And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
Exo 38:19  And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:20  And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
Exo 38:21  This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. 
Exo 38:22  And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 38:23  And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.
Exo 38:24  All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
Exo 38:25  And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
Exo 38:26  A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
Exo 38:27  And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 
Exo 38:28  And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them. 
Exo 38:29  And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels. 
Exo 38:30  And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar, 
Exo 38:31  And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

Today’s study focuses on the making of the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Bronze Basin and the Court. It also centers on the materials needed for the building of the Lord’s tabernacle.  As we can see, the Lord starts His work of making us His temple for His habitation by focusing within us first before our outward righteousness becomes evident. The Holy of Holies and the Holy place and their items were all made first before the outer court with its items were made. This is in contrast to our life in Babylon or the churches of this world where we put emphasis on the outward at the detriment of inner cleansing. 

Mat 23:25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 

Mat 23:26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Exo 38:1  And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof. 
Exo 38:2  And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass. 

Placed in the outer court of the wilderness tabernacle, the brazen altar was the most prominent and imposing object in the court, and no worshiper could avoid seeing it upon entering. The fact that the altar was to be a square in shape is to let us know that from whatever angle we are looking, sin is a problem that has to be dealt with in order for us to appear before the Lord. The natural laws of various countries, the laws of various religions (Babylon) all point to one thing – that is, sin must be dealt with. That is why our Lord Jesus came to atone for our sins.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

The fact that the altar was made of acacia wood is to indicate that even our sins and the remission of sins is all the work of the Lord. Without Him, nothing functions!!

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The altar is to be measured. The standard of measurement is Christ. Those whose sins have reached the heavens in this life are therefore judged to conform to the standard of Christ. The fullness of the sins of humanity will later follow them to be dealt with in the lake of fire. They are those who are not measured as they belong to the Gentiles!!

1Ti 5:24  Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

The horns at the four corners of the altar symbolize the strength of the Lord to deal with the sins of the whole world. The four corners of the table represent the whole world. 

Exo 13:3  And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
Exo 13:14  And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

What is insightful about verse 2 is that the altar must be coated with brass. All the instruments in the Holy place and the Holy of Holies were overlaid with gold, signifying that it is through the refining work of the Lord that we can gain access to His presence. This refining work is the judgment of our old man. The coating of the altar with brass is to signify our frail bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.  It is through this corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord Jesus made atonement for our sins and appeared before God. As He is, so are we in this life. It is through our corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord will save the world from their sins.

Exo 38:3  And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
Exo 38:4  And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.

The various utensils to be used at the altar refer to various categories of humanity who are all utilized by the Lord to accomplish His purpose of making us aware of the problem of sin, the atoning work of Christ and the need for our sins to be judged.

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

A grating of brass was to be inserted into the hollow center of the altar to hold the firewood and sacrifice as it was being burned, allowing the ash to fall below. The grating is a symbol of the judgment we must go through to deliver us from our sins so that we become a sweet savor to Christ our Lord.

Exo 38:5  And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
Exo 38:6  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
Exo 38:7  And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.

The altar is portable. It was therefore carried using the poles which were required to pass through the rings so that the Levites who carried the altar did not touch the altar. The portability of the altar means that the redemptive work of Christ is still applicable to us as we journey in this life. It also means that we bear in our bodies the mark of His suffering, that is, we, too, are going through suffering in this life to complete the suffering of Christ.

Gal 6:17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Exo 38:8  And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

A simpler rendition of verse 8 is as follows:

Exo 38:8  He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting. (ESV)

This verse clearly shows us the role of the churches of this world, which are represented here by the ministering women. They provide mirrors for the making of the basin of brass for washing before one enters the tabernacle. In other words, the function of the churches of this world is to make us see who we are as sinners, and therefore we need to be washed of our sins before we come to worship the Lord. The mirror is the word of the Lord, whether it is the letter of the word which is emphasized in Babylon or the Spirit, which is for the elect.

Jas 1:23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
Jas 1:24  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Jas 1:25  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Exo 38:9  And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits: 
Exo 38:10  Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 
Exo 38:11  And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:12  And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:13  And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.

Hangings of fine twined linen marked the boundaries of this court, and its dimensions were 100 cubits on the north and south sides and 50 cubits on the west and east. The fine twined linen hangings were fixed to twenty pillars on the north and south, ten on the west, but only six on the east as this was the side where the gate was situated. Each of the pillars sat on a brass socket, and the hangings were attached to the pillars by means of silver hooks.

Spiritually, the court represents our lives in Babylon where we only see our Lord Jesus Christ come to die for our sins. It is a period of our lives where we have our own doctrines and follow our own ways thinking that we have our own will to choose what we want. 

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

The fact that the north and the south sides should be 100 cubits in measurement is significant. The number 100 (10×10) signifies the fullness of the flesh. What this means is that during our walk in the court of the tabernacle, the deeds of the flesh become evident before we are given to wash ourselves in the word of the Lord in preparation to enter the presence of the Lord.

The use of twenty pillars and the bases emphasizes the point that those whom the Lord is using to build His temple are those who are mature enough to wage war with the flesh to overcome it. During the time of the elect in the court of the tabernacle or Babylon, we are defeated seven times (completely) by the flesh as part of the preparation to learn how to war against the flesh.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:24  Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The use of brass to coat the twenty pillars and bases signifies that it is through this corruptible flesh and blood of the elect that the Lord is building His house or dwelling place. This is the same as having treasure in earthen vessels.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The fact that the west and the east sides of the tabernacle must be fifty cubits in length is to suggest to us that a prerequisite to become the dwelling place of the Lord is through the liberty we have in Christ. This liberty is freedom from the bondage of sin.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Exo 38:14  The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 
Exo 38:15  And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
Exo 38:16  All the hangings of the court roundabout were of fine twined linen.

In total there were six hangings at the east end of the tabernacle where the gate was. The number six is the number of mankind. So, this is to emphasize the point that it is through us, in our corruptible flesh and blood, that the Lord is using to admit all those predestined to come to His presence. In an age to come (the lake of fire age), the Lord will also use us to bring all humanity into His presence.

The fact that the hangings on each side of the gate were three is to let us know that becoming the conduit for humanity to enter into the presence of the Lord entails being spiritually mature, which is brought about through the Lord’s judgment of our old man.

Rev 15:8  and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

That the hangings must be of fifteen cubits (15 = 3×5) is to serve as a witness to the fact that it is grace through faith by which we become mature enough to enter the temple to worship the Lord. This grace is the chastening work of the Lord.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching (Chastening) us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Exo 38:17  And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

We are both the pillars and its sockets which were coated with brass. As indicated, brass signifies our frail bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.  It is through this corruptible flesh and blood the Lord is using to build His temple. It is through our corruptible flesh and blood that all humanity will be admitted into the temple of God. The silver, which was used to overlay the pillars of the court, and the chapiters represent the strong desire for the things of the spirit, which signifies the very foundation upon which the boards and pillars of the tabernacle stand.

Job 14:14  If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15  Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire [Hebrew: kasaph – the root from which comes ‘keseph‘ – silver] to the work of thine hands.

Exo 38:18  And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
Exo 38:19  And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
Exo 38:20  And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.

The hanging for the gate of the court was of fine linen and colored blue, purple and scarlet. We, the elect, are the hanging through which humanity must pass to enter the Lord’s temple. The colors blue, purple and scarlet mean that we are those who are being changed from our Adamic nature to that of Christ. As indicated earlier, we are both the sockets and the pillars. The fact that there were four pillars and four sockets means that the pillars and the sockets represent the whole of the elect of every generation. The pins used for the tabernacle and the court being made of brass means that it is through our corruptible flesh and blood that the Lord is using to build His temple.

Exo 38:22  And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 38:23  And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

As indicated in previous studies, Bezaleel represents our Lord Jesus Christ who is building our earthly tent. Building our earthly tent means the Lord is the one who is cleansing our hearts and mind to make it His dwelling place. Aholiab means ‘tent of his father.’ Our bodies are the earthly tent of our Father, Jesus. Aholiab, therefore, represents the body of Christ, or the Lord’s elect, as we are given to work with the Lord, who is represented here as Bezaleel in the building of the New Jerusalem for our Lord to dwell. The wise-hearted are also the elect.

2Co 5:1  Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. (CEV)

We are therefore co-workers with the Lord as we work together as a unit to achieve what God desires. That is, by building the church of God which is the Lord’s body.

1Co 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Exo 38:24  All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
Exo 38:25  And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

The rest of the chapter deals with the inputs needed for the building of the tabernacle.  Verses 24 and 25 mentions gold and silver as key ingredients needed for the building of the Lord’s church.

2Ch 5:1  Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

The gold and the silver refer to the truth of the word of the Lord that fits our every circumstance.

Pro 25:11  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Exo 38:26  A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.

Another key input needed for the building of the Lord’s tabernacle is men who are twenty years old and above. As we have studied in previous lessons, the number twenty refers to those who are mature and are able to wage war against the flesh.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:22  Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

According to verse 26, the men who were numbered as mature enough to war was 603,550. The number six refers to mankind. The number three means the process of spiritual maturity through judgment, and the number five signifies grace through faith. What we are therefore being told as referring to the sum of mature men ready to battle the flesh is that it is through the process of judgment that we mature spiritually enough to wage a war against the flesh. It is our faith or belief in this process of judgment, which is the grace that we have received from the Lord, that enables us to become spiritually mature as we deny ungodliness and worldly lust to become righteous in this present world.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching (Chastening) us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Exo 38:27  And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
Exo 38:28  And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.

The hundred talents of silver needed for the casting of the sockets of the sanctuary is to make us aware that we never offer anything to God for which we have made no payment or atonement. Jesus paid the price for our redemption.

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1Co 7:23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

What this means is that the foundation upon which Christ comes to live within our temple has already been laid by the price Jesus paid for our sins.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

The 1,775 shekels is the measure of the silver according to the standard of shekels of the sanctuary. This is what is needed for the making of the hooks of the pillars, which signifies that it is by grace through faith we become complete in Christ and therefore become worthy of being part of the pillars of the temple of the Lord.

Gal 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Exo 38:29  And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
Exo 38:30  And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,
Exo 38:31  And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

According to these verses, we need seventy talents of brass, which measure about 2,400 shekels according to the standard of shekels of the sanctuary, to make sockets for the door of the tabernacle and also the court gate. As indicated in our studies, brass represents our frail bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.  It is through this corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord Jesus made atonement for our sins and appeared before God. As He is, so are we in this life. It is through our corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord will save the world from their sins. It should be noted that when the Lord appeared to Apostle John to unveil Himself to him, His feet were like fine brass. This is to show us that Christ does everything through His saints who are still in these bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Being sockets of brass at the door of the tabernacle and at the court gate is to let us know that it is through us the Lord will save the world, as all humanity will have to pass through us as the door of the tabernacle in order to worship the Lord. We are therefore the saviors of the world!!

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

May the Lord continue to prepare us to become a habitation for the Lord to dwell. Amen!!

Exo 37:1-29  The Making of the Ark, the Table, the Lampstand and the Altar of Incense

[Study Aired February 13, 2023]

Exo 37:1  And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
Exo 37:2  And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
Exo 37:3  And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it. 
Exo 37:4  And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. 
Exo 37:5  And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 
Exo 37:6  And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 
Exo 37:7  And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat; 
Exo 37:8  One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 
Exo 37:9  And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims. 
Exo 37:10  And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof: 
Exo 37:11  And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about. 
Exo 37:12  Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about. 
Exo 37:13  And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof. 
Exo 37:14  Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table. 
Exo 37:15  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table. 
Exo 37:16  And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold. 
Exo 37:17  And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same: 
Exo 37:18  And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof: 
Exo 37:19  Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick. 
Exo 37:20  And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers: 
Exo 37:21  And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it. 
Exo 37:22  Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold. 
Exo 37:23  And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold. 
Exo 37:24  Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof. 
Exo 37:25  And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same. 
Exo 37:26  And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about. 
Exo 37:27  And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
Exo 37:28  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. 
Exo 37:29  And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

Today’s study focuses on the construction of the Ark, the Table, the Candlestick and the Altar of incense.  A closer look of the making of these items will give us insight into how to become like our Lord Jesus Christ who is our standard of measurement. As indicated in previous studies, Bezaleel represents our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through Him that all the items to be constructed within us are made.  

Exo 37:1  And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it: 

The ark represents our Lord Jesus Christ. When we are in Him, we are delivered from the flood waters of false doctrines, carnality, traditions, human wisdom, etc. The ark was to be made of shittim wood from shittah tree, probably from acacia. They were found growing wild in the Sinai desert and the Jordan River valley. Growing wild means that it is not planted and taken care of by man. In other words, it is not the work of man. If we are to become like Christ, then we need to know that from the beginning to our maturity is all the work of Jesus Christ – not man. Even our sins are all part of the work of God. All we do to become like Christ is to believe in Him.

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The ark had the following dimensions: Two and half cubits in length and a cubit and half in breadth and height. What is significant about the measurements is that they are all in halves. This means that we cannot obtain the stature of Christ in this life. It is in resurrection that we become perfected like Jesus Christ.

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Another significant point to note in verse 1 is that to become like Christ means we are constantly being measured to see if we have obtained the standards of Christ. This means that we are constantly being judged to conform to the standard of Christ. All those who are not measured are not part of the commonwealth of Israel or His elect. They belong to the Gentiles!!

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Exo 37:2  And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

Overlaying the ark with gold means that to become like Christ, we must be refined just like gold refined in the fire. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness.

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Exo 37:3  And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it. 
Exo 37:4  And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. 
Exo 37:5  And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

In Ezekiel chapter 1, the living creatures who represent the elect have wheels, which are rings full of eyes. These living creatures represent the elect. The four cast rings of gold are therefore the elect who are placed in every corner of the earth even as the Lord fills the earth. The number four means the whole of all the elect scattered over the four corners of the earth. The fact that two are placed on one side and two on another is to let us know that we serve as witnesses of Christ on this earth.

Eze 1:15  Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 
Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 
Eze 1:18  As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

The staves are long rods of wood which pass through the rings to make it easier to carry the ark so that the ark is not touched. The function of the staves suggests that spiritually, they represent the spirit of the Lord which helps us bear Christ wherever we go. These staves are made from shittim wood and therefore are not of man’s origin, but by the Lord. In verse 5, the staves being in the rings means the promise of the comforter being within us to lead us into all truth so we can have the mind of Christ and therefore “carry” Christ wherever we go.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Exo 37:6  And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
Exo 37:7  And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

One of the significant aspects of the ark is the mercy seat. This is to make us aware that the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ is to show mercy to humanity.

Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Psa 147:11  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Mat 9:13  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

If we are to be like Christ (the ark), then the mercy we have received from the Lord should translate into us being merciful in all our dealings. This is what the Lord requires of us.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

The scriptures above show us that we have a significant role to play in showing mercy to humanity during the lake of fire age. The measurement of the mercy seat is to let us know that as His elect, we are being measured regarding our mercy attribute. What this means is that as we fall short of this measure, we are being disciplined to conform to our Lord’s mercy attribute. The fact that the measurement of the length and breadth of the mercy seat are given as two and half cubits and a cubit and half are to remind us that we cannot grasp the fullness of our Lord’s mercy in this age until we are perfected.

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

We need to know what the Cherubims represent in order to understand what is being said here. The Cherubims are living creatures and it is in the midst of these Cherubims that the Lord dwells and speaks to His people.

Eze 10:20  This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

1Sa 4:4  So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

2Sa 6:2  And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

This is what we know of where the dwelling place of God is – among His people. This means that the cherubims represent His people or His elect.

Exo 29:46  And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

Rev 21:3  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. 

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

What verse 7 is therefore telling us is that in order to become like Christ, we  must be like the beaten work of gold. Gold can be beaten to assume any shape only when it is melted through heat. It is through our fiery trials (heat) that the Lord can make us become like Him.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

The fact that Moses was required to make two Cherubims suggests that, through the beaten work of gold, we become witnesses of Christ.

Exo 37:8  One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 
Exo 37:9  And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims. 

What these verses tell us is that the mercy seat is between the two Cherubims who cover it with their wings as they behold each other. The mercy seat is where the Lord dwells. Wings in the scriptures serve as a hiding place and also a place of protection.  

Psa 17:8  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Psa 57:1  To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

The wings of the Cherubims hide the mercy seat where the Lord dwells. This means that the Lord is hidden in the elect in this age. As we are aware, Christ is the word of God. The mercy seat sandwiched between the two Cherubims means that the two Cherubims protect the mercy seat. This means that the role of the elect is to protect the truth of the word of the Lord in this age. This role was made clear to us when the Lord was laying the foundations of the earth. We are the ones who are keeping the way of the tree of life, which is Christ and His words, through a flaming sword which turns in every way.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Exo 37:10  And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof: 
Exo 37:11  And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
Exo 37:12  Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.

A Table is used often in the Bible to indicate where people gather to eat as shown by the following verses: 

2Sa 9:11  Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.

1Ki 2:7  But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

The Table of the Showbread is not different – it is where the priests eat the Showbread in the presence of the Lord. Aaron and his sons, representing the priesthood, were only those privileged to eat the bread in the presence of the Lord in a holy place every Sabbath day. Aaron and his sons symbolize the elect who are privileged to eat the bread of heaven, that is, the words of the Lord in the presence of the Lord. So, the making of the Table for Showbread is to show us how the Lord prepares us to be given eyes to see and ears to hear. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

The Lord dining with His disciples (called the Lord’s supper) when He was about to die, is a foreshadow of our being fed with the word of the Lord in His presence. The measurement given of the Table is to make us aware that to be given eyes to see and ears to hear entails being constantly measured to see if we have obtained the standards of Christ. This means that we are constantly being judged to conform to the standard of Christ. All those who are not measured are not part of the commonwealth of Israel or His elect. They belong to the Gentiles!!

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Overlaying the Table with gold means that to be privileged to eat at the Lord’s Table requires us to be refined just like gold refined in the fire. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

The molding of gold together with the rim round about the table was to support it so that nothing that is placed on the table would fall down. What was placed on the Table were the showbread and the vessels for frankincense and offering, which spiritually represent the word of the Lord and the elect. As our understanding is being enlightened and our eyes are seeing, we are kept by the word of His power through our fiery trials which are represented here by the gold molding and the rim roundabout the table.

Heb 1:3  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Exo 37:13  And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof. 
Exo 37:14  Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table. 
Exo 37:15  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table. 
Exo 37:16  And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold. 

The four cast rings of gold represent the elect which are placed in every corner of the earth even as the Lord fills the earth. The number four means the whole of all the elect scattered over the four corners of the earth. 

Eze 1:18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

The staves are long rods of wood which pass through the rings to make it easier to carry the table so that it is preserved. The function of the staves suggests that spiritually, they represent the spirit of the Lord which helps us bear Christ wherever we go. These staves are made from shittim wood and therefore are not of man’s origin but the Lord. The staves placed in the rings means the promise of the comforter being within us to lead us into all truth so that we, His elect, can have the mind of Christ (showbread) and therefore continue the feasting wherever we go.

As indicated earlier, the dishes, spoons, covers, and bowls all represent the elect.

2Ti 2:20  Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
2Ti 2:21  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

The utensils were to be made of gold which means that they have to be refined as gold through the fire. This is the judgment of our old man.

Rev 3:18  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

These utensils are used for holding frankincense and for offering. As we are aware, we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord. The prayers of the elect are signified by the frankincense. 

Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne,
Rev 8:4  and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 

Rom 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Exo 37:17  And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same: 
Exo 37:18  And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof: 
Exo 37:19  Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

The candlestick must be made of pure gold and of beaten work. What this is telling us is that the church of Christ consists of those who are like gold beaten to assume any shape through the process of melting through heat. This means that it is through our fiery trials (heat) that the Lord can make us become part of the church of the firstborn like Him.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

The shaft represents Christ, and the branches symbolize the elect, and they are all beaten works of gold. There are three branches on each side of the shaft, and for each branch there are three decorative almond blossoms (bowls). Where each pair of branches come out from the shaft or stem, there must also be a decorative almond blossom. 

The fact that there must be three decorative almond blossoms on each branch is to make us aware that it is through judgment that we blossom or mature to produce fruits (almond). In other words, being given to partake of the Lord’s words (showbread) is through our fiery trials, which cause us to produce fruits (almond). That is when our light will shine before men so that they see our good works and therefore glorify our Father in Heaven.  

Num 17:8  And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Exo 37:20  And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
Exo 37:21  And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it. 
Exo 37:22  Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

As we have indicated, the shaft or the stem is Christ who has four of the decorative almond blossoms. This is to demonstrate that it is through Christ that the whole (the meaning of the number four) of the elect becomes mature. The pairing of the branches together with a blossom on each pair is to show us that we become witnesses of Christ as we mature. The lampstand, its branches and the decorative flowers being all made from one beaten work of pure gold is to bring to our attention that even as our Jesus Christ matured through the things He suffered, we are also to mature through our fiery trials in order to become the light of the world.

Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee.
Heb 5:6  As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 
Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 
Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 
Heb 5:10  Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Exo 37:23  And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold. 
Exo 37:24  Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

The seven lamps refer to the complete number of the elect from every generation. The candlestick is to give light to the space in front of it in the Holy place. What is insightful to note is the fact that the light given by the candlestick is not seen outside the Holy place. It is to give light for the priest to perform his duty. In this dispensation, although we are the light of the world, we are not seen that way by many (the world). It is only the elect who see our light and use it to perform their duty – that is, live a life worthy of the Lord. This light is the word of the Lord, which is the light for our path. Paul sums up our being beaten like the work of gold in order to give light as follows:

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 
2Co 4:8  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 
2Co 4:9  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 
2Co 4:10  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies (providing light for the priest to function).
2Co 4:11  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Exo 37:25  And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same. 

The altar of incense then, can be seen as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people. Our prayers ascend to God as the smoke of the incense ascends to God in the sanctuary.

Psa 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 

Rev 8:3  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.

Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
Luk 1:10  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

So, the making of an altar of incense is basically to show us how we can communicate with the Lord. The altar of incense is required to be made of shittim wood, which comes from acacia. What this means is that to be effective in communicating with the Lord, we must know that it is all the work of the Lord and that we do not contribute anything to this. Since we do not bring anything to the table, our prayers before the Lord must be accompanied with a heart that is humble and grateful for being counted worthy to come before His presence. That is what the story of the two gentlemen who went to pray teaches us.

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

The shape of the altar of incense is to be a square. This implies that from whatever situation we find ourselves as priests of the Lord, we must offer prayers to the Lord. That is another way of saying that men must always pray and not faint.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

There is a horn at each of the four corners of the square-shaped altar of incense. Horns symbolize strength. This is to let us know that our strength to resist the devil is through prayers. As He is, so are we. Jesus was strengthened when He prayed. In the same way, we are also strengthened to overcome temptation when we pray.

Luk 22:40  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 
Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Exo 37:26  And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about. 
Exo 37:27  And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
Exo 37:28  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. 
Exo 37:29  And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

The fact that the altar of incense must be overlaid means that to become a house of prayer, we must be refined just like gold refined in the fire. As we are aware, if we are to become a house of prayer, then Jesus has to come into our temple to drive away all that offends with a scourge of small cords. The scourging signifies our fiery trials or the refining process of gold which cleanses us to become a house of prayer. 

Mat 21:12  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Rings of gold were attached to the altar so that it could be carried about with acacia wood poles which were slipped through the rings. The altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. As indicated earlier, the two rings of gold are the elect who serve as witness of Christ. The staves being in the rings means the promise of the comforter being within us to lead us into all truth so that we can have the mind of Christ and therefore “carry” Christ wherever we go.  The anointing oil also represents the Holy Spirit. The work of the apothecary is the work of Christ in sending us the Holy Spirit and to make us become the sweet fragrance of Him. Amen!!

Exodus 30:1-16  The Making of the Incense Altar and the Atonement Offering

[Study Aired December 19, 2022]

Exo 30:1  And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 
Exo 30:2  A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 
Exo 30:3  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 
Exo 30:4  And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 
Exo 30:5  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exo 30:6  And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
Exo 30:7  And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 
Exo 30:8  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 
Exo 30:9  Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 
Exo 30:10  And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. 
Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 30:12  When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 
Exo 30:13  This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. 
Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. 
Exo 30:15  The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
Exo 30:16  And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

Today’s study focuses on the altar of incense and the atonement offering. In order to understand the spiritual significance of the altar of incense, we will trace our steps from the entrance of the tabernacle to the Holy of Holies. We start our journey into the Holy of Holies as we enter the tabernacle courtyard to offer sacrifice to the Lord for our sins. It is worth noting that it was only Israelites who could enter the courtyard of the tabernacle. These Israelites represent our lives in Babylon. We enter the courtyard to offer sacrifice to the Lord at the altar in the courtyard. This sacrifice is Christ whose blood cleanses us from our sins. However, we go back to become worse off as a result of the false doctrines we receive in Babylon or the physical churches of this world. 

Heb 9:13  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
Heb 9:14  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

However, if we are granted to become priests in this life, then we are given to know our spiritual poverty which grants us access to the laver in the courtyard which holds water for our ceremonial cleansing. As we are aware, water represents the word of God and so at this stage of our lives, we are given to begin to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. This is accompanied by our trials and tribulations because of the word we have received. These fiery trials cause us to learn righteousness.

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Learning righteousness through our trials and tribulations is what grants us the grace to be able to put on our priestly garments which reflect the righteousness of the saints. Putting on these priestly garments is the same as putting on Christ. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Once we have put on the priestly garments, we have access to the holy place of the Tent of Meeting to commune with the Lord which is symbolized by the offering of incense at the incense altar in the Holy Place. 

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

As we know, the temple is our bodies where the Lord dwells. As we are cleansed through the words of the Lord which bring about our fiery trials, our hearts and mind becomes a holy place for the Lord to dwell in. It is within our hearts and minds that we are building this altar of incense before the Lord. We, therefore, have this treasure in the earthen vessel of our flesh.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Today’s study will show us how we can build this altar of incense within us.

Exo 30:1  And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.

In Scripture, incense is often associated with prayer. David prayed, “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” In his vision of heaven, John saw that the elders around the throne “were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” In the Gospel according to Luke, as Zechariah the priest was offering incense in the temple, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. The altar of incense then, can be seen as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people. Our prayers ascend to God as the smoke of the incense ascending to God in the sanctuary.

Psa 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Rev 8:5 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Rev 8:3  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. 

Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 
Luk 1:10  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

So, the instructions about the making of an altar of incense are basically to show us how we can communicate with the Lord. The altar of incense is required to be made of shittim wood which comes from acacia. Apart from the fact that acacia wood grows wild in the desert, it is considered incorruptible. It is very dense and resistant both to disease and insects, just like cedar. What this means is that to be effective in communicating with the Lord, we must know that it is all the work of the Lord and that we do not contribute anything to this just as the Lord cares for acacia wood in the desert. Since we do not bring anything to the table, our prayers before the Lord must be accompanied with a heart that is humble and grateful for being counted worthy to come before His presence. That is what the story of the two gentlemen who went to pray teaches us.

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 
Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

Exo 30:2  A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 
Exo 30:3  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 

The shape of the altar of incense was to be a square. This implies that from whatever situation we find ourselves as a priest of the Lord, we must offer prayers to the Lord. That is another way of saying that men must always pray and not faint.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

There is a horn at each of the four corners of the square-shaped altar of incense. Horns symbolize strength. This is to let us know that our strength to resist the devil is through prayers. As He is, so are we. Jesus was strengthened when He prayed. In the same way, we are also strengthened to overcome temptation when we pray.

Luk 22:40  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

The fact that the altar of incense must be overlaid means that to become a house of prayer, we must be refined just like gold refined in the fire. As we are aware, if we are to become a house of prayer, then Jesus has to come into our temple to drive away all that offends with a scourge of small cords. The scourging signifies our fiery trials or the refining process of gold which cleanses us to become a house of prayer. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  

Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 

Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Exo 30:4  And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 
Exo 30:5  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

Rings of gold were attached to the altar so that it could be carried about with acacia wood poles that were slipped through the rings. The altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. In Ezekiel chapter 1, the living creatures who represent the elect, have wheels which are rings full of eyes. These living creatures represent the elect. The two rings of gold are therefore the elect who serve as witness of Christ. 

Eze 1:15  Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 
Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 
Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 
Eze 1:18  As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

The staves are long rods of wood which pass through the rings to make it easier to carry the altar. The function of the staves suggests that spiritually, they represent the spirit of the Lord which helps us bear Christ wherever we go. These staves are made from shittim wood and therefore are not of man’s origin but of the Lord. The staves being in the rings means the promise of the comforter being within us to lead us into all truth so we can have the mind of Christ and therefore “carry” Christ wherever we go.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Exo 30:6  And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

As we indicated, the altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony was placed. It is in the Holy of Holies that the Lord meets with us before the mercy seat. The veil represents the flesh of Christ and therefore represents our flesh as well. It is when our flesh is done away with that we can meet and commune with the Lord in our hearts and mind.

Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

It is through being wounded by our fiery trials that this veil of the flesh is gradually taken away from us. In the Song of Solomon, it is the watchmen that took away the veil from us. These watchmen, or the keepers of the walls, are the Lord’s elect, and it is the words of the Lord that come out from us that wounds us. What this means is that through what every joint supplies, our veils are removed. 

Son 5:7  The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

Exo 30:7  And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 
Exo 30:8  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 

Aaron was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight, every day, as a regular offering to the Lord. The fire used to burn the incense was always taken from the altar of burnt offering outside the sanctuary.

Lev 16:12  And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:

As we have indicated, sweet incense represents our prayers. The lamps symbolize the word of the Lord.

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Burning incense in the morning and evening means that we should always pray and not faint and that our prayers and the word of the Lord must go together.  It also means that the basis of our prayers must be in line with the word of the Lord.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Exo 30:9  Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

If our prayers are not guided by the word of the Lord, then we are offering strange incense before the Lord. When we are given to false doctrines, our offering of incense, burnt offering, meat offering or drink offering become an abomination to the Lord. These instructions were not heeded by Aaron’s sons as they performed their priestly duty before the Lord. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord and as a result, died before Him.

Lev 10:1  And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 
Lev 10:2  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

This was written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. We must therefore not be carried away by divers and strange doctrines.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Exo 30:10  And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. 

Aaron here represents the Lord Jesus Christ who atoned for our sins with His own blood.

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

As we are aware, our bodies are the temple of the living God which is being purged by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 30:12  When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
Exo 30:13  This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
Exo 30:15  The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
Exo 30:16  And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

A simpler rendition of these verses is as follows:

Exo 30:11  And the Lord said to Moses, 
Exo 30:12  When you are taking the number of the children of Israel, let every man who is numbered give to the Lord a price for his life, so that no disease may come on them when they are numbered. 
Exo 30:13  And this is what they are to give; let every man who is numbered give half a shekel, by the scale of the holy place: the shekel being valued at twenty gerahs: this money is an offering to the Lord. 
Exo 30:14  Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, is to give an offering to the Lord. 
Exo 30:15  The man of wealth is to give no more and the poor man no less than the half-shekel of silver, when the offering is made to the Lord as the price for your lives.
Exo 30:16  And you are to take this money from the children of Israel to be used for the work of the Tent of meeting, to keep the memory of the children of Israel before the Lord and to be the price of your lives. (BBE)

The question is, “Who were those being counted?” They were male Israelites who were twenty years old and above as stated in verse 14. Being twenty years is a symbol of being ready to go to war in our heavens. This means that those who are being counted represent the elect who are ready to war or are warring against the flesh. We must remember that women in Israel were not counted. The reason is simple: In the sight of the Lord, there is only one woman (one church) who is the bride of Christ. That is why women are not counted. In Babylon, however, there are several women who are not part of the commonwealth of Israel. All these, show us the privilege we have received of being part of the bride of Christ.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:22  Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Another question to ask is, “Why would Moses count the Israelites?” It is because the Lord wants to demonstrate to us His ability to keep us safe in this life irrespective of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. This is alluded to in verse 12 when the Lord asked Moses to let those counted give back to the Lord for keeping them safe.

Exo 30:12  Find out how many grown men there are in Israel and require each of them to pay me to keep him safe from danger while you are counting them. (CEV)

In numbers, after the men of war were counted, none was found missing!! Indeed, the Lord is able to keep us from falling and to preserve us faultless until that day!!

Num 31:49 and said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us.”

In view of the Lord’s preservation, which is because of His mercies, what shall we render unto Him? That is the import of Verse 13. We are to give back to the Lord for His mercies toward us. In verse 13 and 15, everybody, irrespective of whether one is rich or poor, offers the same amount of money – half shekels to the Lord.  The giving of the shekels here represents the giving of our lives to the Lord. Remember that both Jesus and Joseph were exchanged for money. What this means is that we are to offer ourselves wholly to the Lord as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord in view of His mercies towards us.

Psa 116:12  What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Psa 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 
Psa 116:14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 
Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 
Psa 116:16  O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. 
Psa 116:17  I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  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.

Gen 37:28  Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Mat 26:15  And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him [Jesus] unto you? And they covenanted with him [Judas] for thirty pieces of silver.

It is insightful to note that Psalm 116:15 shows us that the death of the Lord’s saints is precious in His eyes. The death here refers to being dead to the flesh. It is when we are dying to the flesh that we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord. That is the sacrifice of thanksgiving mentioned here in Psalm 116:17 which is pleasing to the Lord.

In the sight of the Lord, every elect offers the same thing – our bodies as a living sacrifice. That is why in the body of Christ, there is no hierarchy. That is why the Lord hates the Nicolaitan doctrine of Babylon. Of course, we do have leaders, but they are there to serve, instead of being served.  Because we all offer the same thing, that is why the reward we are to receive is also the same for every elect!! We need to also note that the atonement offering collected was used for services of the tabernacle. As we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we are able to be part of what every joint supplies in the church.

May the Lord grant us the grace to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him in view of His mercies towards us!! Amen!!

Exo 27:1-21  Instructions About the Bronze Altar, the Courts of the Tabernacle and the Oil for the Lamp

[Study Aired November 7, 2022]

Exo 27:1  “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 
Exo 27:2  And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 
Exo 27:3  You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 
Exo 27:4  You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 
Exo 27:5  And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. 
Exo 27:6  And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 
Exo 27:7  And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 
Exo 27:8  You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. 
Exo 27:9  “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 
Exo 27:10  Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 
Exo 27:11  And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 
Exo 27:12  And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 
Exo 27:13  The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 
Exo 27:14  The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 
Exo 27:15  On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 
Exo 27:16  For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 
Exo 27:17  All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 
Exo 27:18  The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 
Exo 27:19  All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze. 
Exo 27:20  “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 
Exo 27:21  In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. 

Exodus chapter 27 focuses on three items of the tabernacle – the bronze altar, the court of the tabernacle and the olive oil for the lamp. When a person entered through the court gate of the tabernacle, the first thing they would see was the bronze altar, which is also called the brazen altar. The altar points to the fact that it is our sins which separate us from the presence of the Lord. It is therefore imperative that to have fellowship with God, sin must be dealt with. 

Isa 59:1  Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 
Isa 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

The altar therefore reminds us that we were not worthy to approach the holy God without first offering a blood sacrifice for our sins. It unveils God’s plan for the salvation of humanity which called for a spotless, sinless sacrifice. It is only our Lord Jesus who met that requirement, that is, to atone for the sins of the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ was therefore sacrificed on the altar of the cross just as the lambs and sheep had died on the bronze or brazen altar.

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

The next item of importance in this review is the outer court of the tabernacle where there is the place of sacrifice. It is where we recognize we are sinners and are without hope except the Lord intervenes. Spiritually, it signifies our walk in Babylon. We were first Levites who were permitted in the outer court but were not allowed in the Holy place and the Holy of Holies. It is as we leave Babylon after washing ourselves in the laver of the word of the Lord that we are permitted to enter the Holy place and subsequently, the Holy of Holies. 

Num 1:50  But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
Num 1:51  And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

The final item mentioned in this review is the oil for the lamp, which was situated at the Holy place. It shows us that we must move from Babylon (the outer court) to the Holy place. It is only as we move that we see the significance of the oil for the lamp. This is the work of the Lord as it is only those who have been predestinated that are given the grace to move to the Holy place. What this means is that we are to move on to spiritual maturity! We must progress past the point of “Jesus saves” and know Him more intimately. Worshiping the Lord is all about relationship! This means that our walk with the Lord must progress from the outer court of the tabernacle into the Holy place and finally, the Holy of Holies. The oil represents the Holy spirit or the Comforter whom the Lord promised us as follows:

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 
Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 
Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 

Our review of chapter 27 today gives us details of how these items – the altar, the court of the tabernacle and the oil for the lamp – were made or constructed. It will give us more insight into our walk with the Lord as we journey from the outer courts into the Holy of Holies in this age.

Exo 27:1  “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 

The altar to be constructed was a portable one and was the largest of the tabernacle’s seven pieces of furniture. Placed in the outer court of the wilderness tabernacle, the brazen altar was the most prominent and imposing object in the court, and no worshiper could avoid seeing it upon entering. The fact that the altar was to be a square in shape is to let us know that from whatever angle we are looking at, sin is a problem that has to be dealt with in order to appear before the Lord. The natural laws of various countries, the laws of various religions (Babylon) all point to one thing – that is, sin must be dealt with. That is why our Lord Jesus came to atone for our sins.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The fact that the altar was made of acacia wood is to indicate that even our sins and the remission of sins is all the work of the Lord. Without Him, nothing functions!!

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The altar is to be measured. The standard of measurement is Christ. Those whose sins have reached the heavens in this life are therefore judged to conform to the standard of Christ. The fullness of the sins of humanity will later follow them to be dealt with in the lake of fire. They are those who are not measured as they belong to the Gentiles!! 

1Ti 5:24  Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 

Exo 27:2  And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 

The horns at the four corners of the altar symbolize the strength of the Lord to deal with the sins of the whole world. The four corners of the table represent the whole world. 

Exo 13:3  And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
Exo 13:14  And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 

What is insightful about verse 2 is that the altar must be coated with bronze. All the instruments in the Holy place and the Holy of Holies were overlaid with gold, signifying that it is through the refining work of the Lord that we can gain access to His presence. This refining work is the judgment of our old man. The coating of the altar with brass is to signify our frail bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.  It is through this corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord Jesus made atonement for our sins and appeared before God. As He is, so are we in this life. It is through our corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord will save the world from their sins. It should be noted that when the Lord appeared to Apostle John to unveil Himself to him, His feet were like fine brass. This is to show us that Christ does everything through His saints who are still in these bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 

Exo 27:3  You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 

The various utensils to be used at the altar refer to various categories of humanity who are all utilized by the Lord to accomplish His purpose of making us aware of the problem of sin, the atoning work of Christ and the need for our sins to be judged.

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 
2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Exo 27:4  You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 
Exo 27:5  And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. 

A grating of bronze was to be inserted into the hollow center of the altar to hold the firewood and sacrifice as it was being burned, allowing the ash to fall below. The grating is a symbol of the judgment we must go through to deliver us from our sins such that we become a sweet savor to Christ our Lord.

Lev 1:7  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: 
Lev 1:8  And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 
Lev 1:9  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Exo 27:6  And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 
Exo 27:7  And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 

The altar is a portable one. It was therefore carried using the poles which are required to pass through the rings such that the Levites who carry the altar did not touch the altar. The portability of the altar means that the redemptive work of Christ is still applicable to us as we journey in this life. It means that we bear in our bodies the mark of His suffering, that is, we, too, are going through suffering in this life to complete the suffering of Christ.

Gal 6:17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Exo 27:8  You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. 

As His elect, we must measure up to the standard of Christ. Achieving this standard is a life-long process. We are constantly being measured and judged in this life to conform to the standard of Christ. 

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

In the above verse (Rom 8:30), it is shown that whom the Lord calls, He also justifies. This justification process includes the fiery trials we go through to achieve the standard of Christ.

Exo 27:9  “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 
Exo 27:10  Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 
Exo 27:11  And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 
Exo 27:12  And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 
Exo 27:13  The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 

At the court of the tabernacle stood the Brazen Altar and the Laver. Hangings of fine twined linen marked the boundaries of this court and its dimensions were 100 cubits on the north and south sides and 50 cubits on the west and east. The fine twined linen hangings were fixed to twenty pillars on the north and south, ten on the west, but only six on the east as this was the side where the gate was situated. Each of the pillars sat on a brass socket and the hangings were attached to the pillars by means of silver hooks. 

Spiritually, the court represents our lives in Babylon where we only see our Lord Jesus Christ come to die for our sins. It is a period of our lives where we have our own doctrines and follow our own ways thinking we have our own will to choose what we want. 

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. 

The fact that the north and the south sides should be 100 cubits in measurement is significant. The number 100 (10×10) signifies the fullness of the flesh. What this means is that during our walk in the court of the tabernacle, the deeds of the flesh have to be complete before we are given to wash ourselves in the word of the Lord in preparation to enter the presence of the Lord.

The use of twenty pillars and the bases emphasizes the point that those whom the Lord is using to build His temple are those who are mature enough to wage war with the flesh to overcome it. During the time of the elect in the court of the tabernacle or Babylon, we are defeated seven times (completely) by the flesh as part of the preparation to learn how to war against the flesh.

Jdg 3:1  Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 
Jdg 3:2  Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:24  Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The use of bronze to coat the twenty pillars and bases signifies that it is through this corruptible flesh and blood of the elect that the Lord is building His house or dwelling place. This is the same as having treasure in earthen vessels.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

The fact that the west and the east sides of the tabernacle must be fifty cubits in length is to suggest to us that a pre-requisite to become the dwelling place of the Lord is through the liberty we have in Christ. This liberty is being free from the bondage of sin.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

Exo 27:14  The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 
Exo 27:15  On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.

In total, there were six hangings at the east end of the tabernacle where the gate was. The number six is the number of mankind. This is to emphasize the point that it is through us, in our corruptible flesh and blood, that the Lord is using to admit all those predestinated to come to His presence. In an age to come (the lake of fire age), the Lord will also use us to bring all humanity into His presence.

The fact that the hangings on each side of the gate were three in number is to let us know that becoming the conduit for humanity to enter into the presence of the Lord is through spiritual maturity which is brought about through the Lord’s judgment of our old man.

Exo 27:16  For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 

The measurement of twenty cubits long for the gate of the court is to let us know that to become the means through whom humanity will enter into the Lord’s presence requires us to be able to go to war against the flesh and overcome it. This waging of the war against the flesh is all part of the Lord’s work. All we have to do is to believe that He will bring us to an expected end.

The screen for the gate must be of fine linen and colored blue, purple and scarlet. The color red or scarlet, symbolizes the first Adam being of the earth, while the color blue symbolizes the last Adam – Jesus Christ coming to be in our heavens. The colors purple and scarlet remind us of our sojourn in Babylon where our adamic nature became obvious while living under the law as shown in the following verses:

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

What this means is that the process of becoming the screen for the gate, through whom salvation will come to the world, starts with us recognizing our spiritual poverty (purple and scarlet linen) while in Babylon before we are turned into blue linen, that is, Christ coming to us. All humanity must pass through the same process to become a habitation for the Lord to dwell.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 

Exo 27:17  All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 
Exo 27:18  The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 

The pillars being filleted with silver and the hooks also being of silver is to let us know that the redemptive work of the Lord is what makes it possible for us to become the dwelling place of the Lord. As indicated, the bases being of bronze signifies the Lord’s use of corruptible flesh and blood like us to become His dwelling place.

Exo 27:19  All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze. 

This is another way of saying the following:

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Exo 27:20  “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.

The pure olive oil represents the Holy spirit who will lead us into all truth so that we become the light of the world.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 

Exo 27:21  In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. 

Aaron and his sons represent the elect of every generation who are required to keep the lamp in the Holy place burning every night. This lamp is the word of the Lord. What this means is that this verse is the same as the admonition given to Joshua when Moses died, as he took over the leadership mantle.

Jos 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

As His elect, we are required, just like Aaron and his sons and Joshua, to ensure that the Lord’s words do not depart from our mouth as we meditate on it daily. This is what will make us the light of the world.

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

May the Lord be merciful to us to cause us to desire to know Him more through His word which is able to give us an inheritance among them who are sanctified. Amen!!