JESUS IN THE TABERNACLE - THE HOLY OF HOLIES

 

 

JESUS CHRIST IN THE TABERNACLE – THE HOLY OF HOLIES

Tuesday Morning Bible Study

October 16, 2018, the Year of Our Lord

Pastor Carolyn Sissom

 

Through the blood of Christ, we are now seated in Christ Jesus in the Holiest of all.  Through this study of Jesus in the Tabernacle, we cross the Golden Altar, and go beyond the Veil into the Holy of Holies,  the realm in the Spirit of the fullness of God’s Presence at the Ark of the Covenant (the throne of God).  The Holy of Holies is the realm of full maturity of the Sons of God who have come to Jesus Christ’s full stature and image. 

 

The Glory Fire is not just for Pentecost (The Holy Place).  It is for Tabernacles (The Holy of Holies).  Tabernacles is the ultimate communion, the sustained rest in God, the state of being separate from the things of earth.  Tabernacles symbolizes the finished work and the realm of total freedom to be as He is and filled with His Kingdom Glory (In Christ).

 

Chris in us is the “Hope of Glory”; when we are in Him, we are seated with Him in Glory on this side of the grave.

 

Hebrews said that Jesus entered the Holiest of Holies, with His own blood, to the place of the altar where the fire falls.  In the fire of acceptance comes the power of the Spirit and the manifestation of Glory.

 

Heb. 10:19-21:  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God.

 

Heb. 9: 2-16:  A tabernacle was prepared; the first part, in which was the lamp stand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.  Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.  Now when these things had been prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.  But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing.  It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to conscience---concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands,  that, not of this creation.  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.  For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

 

Through the death of Jesus Christ, you and I, as well as those who died under the Old Covenant have received an ETERNAL INHERITANCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION, SONSHIP, AND MATURITY.  The fullness of our inheritance is all things in Christ Jesus.

 

Eph. 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 

 

John G. Lake:  “When a man is grown up in God, there is never a question in his mind concerning the will of God.  His will has become the will of God because his mind has been renewed to the Word of God.  His lips speak only the Word of God, his heart desires only to do the will of God.  When one has reached this, his desires are God’s desires.”

 

The Most Holy Place is the realm of God’s Presence; Throne; Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is risen, exalted, seated and resting in His VICTORY over all enemies.

 

The Holy of Holies represents the OPEN HEAVEN OF John 1:51: Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

 

This inmost place is also referred to prophetically as the ZION of God, for David placed his tabernacle and the Ark on Mt. Zion.

 

This realm is the dimension out of which an enthroned Jesus Christ ministers and is the realm of no limitations, failures, sickness, or death, for it is the realm of NO CURSE. 

 

According to Hebrews 6:19-20, we know that Jesus opened this third dimension,  or Third Heaven as a forerunner, and as the firstborn Son.  He suffered and died to bring many sons into this glory through His death as the Testator of the New Testament.

 

Heb. 6: 19-20:  This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the PRESENCE behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.   The Ark of the Covenant represents the presence of Christ, by the Spirit in the midst of the Redeemed. 

 

Heb. 9:17:  For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

 

Heb. 2: 9-13: We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.  For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.  

 

Like our Head, Jesus Christ, a glorious Church company will receive the Spirit without measure.  We have not yet come into that place, but there are those who have experienced a great outpouring of His Spirit, as have we.

 

The Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy-Seat are considered as one piece of furniture.   The Ark was the first piece of furniture made, thus the most important.  It was the only piece of furniture in the Holy of Holies.  It was upon the Mercy-Seat that the Atonement blood was sprinkled.  The Ark and all it contains represent the HOLINESS of God.  The Ark represents the glory of God revealed in divine order, worship, and ministry.

 

I was going through some old sermons and found one on The Mercy Seat from June 3, 2007: 

 

THE MERCY SEAT – JUNE 3, 2007:

Last week we had a visitation of the Lord at the evening service.  Jamar McClanahan had a vision of the Ark of the Covenant before the altar.  A prophetic song came forth from Jo Ann Carpenter.    Virginia Bell  put the song to music and we sang it this morning.

 

The song was a vision of “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”(Rev. 11:12)

 

By Monday morning, we were experiencing lightnings, thunderings and great hail in Houston, Texas.

 

Last week, one of our visitors Julie Chenn had a dream about this church.  She and her husband, Steve, had been praying about where to go to church.   The Lord gave her a dream.  He showed her this church.  The Lord spoke to her saying, “I am in this church”.  She said she walked out the back of the church through a gate.  She was declaring in song of who Jesus is.  The people in the church were declaring back to her in song who Jesus is. She said Ginny Bell whom she knew prior to coming to Eastgate was distinctly in the dream.  (End of Dream)

 

Hebrews 3:12:  “Saying, I will declare Your name to My Brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise to You.”

 

The Mercy Seat is the place where God sat, on His Throne.

 

Psalm 99:  “The Lord reigns; let the people tremble:  He sits between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.  The Lord is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people.  Let them praise Your great and terrible name; for it is holy.  The king’s strength also loves judgment; You do establish equity, You execute judgment and righteousness in Jacob.  Exalt you the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy.”

(vs. 9) Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His Holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.

 

THE MEANING OF THE MERCY-SEAT:

 

  1. A place of holiness, justice, and righteousness.
  2. A place of atonement and propitiation
  3. A place of mercy and reconciliation
  4. A place of communion of God with redeemed man.
  5. A place of the Glory of God.
  6. A place where God recorded His Name (11 Sam. 6: 1-2) “whose name is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts that dwells between the cherubims.”
  7. NOTE:  that the MERCY-SEAT was especially a place of:
    1. MEETING – where God meets man in Christ. (Ps. 85:9-10) (Ex. 25:22).

COMMUNION - The appearance of God in a cloud.  And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, then he heard the voice of One speaking to him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony from between  the two cherubims: and He spoke to him. (Num. 7:89)

 

  1.  
    1. REST – (Heb. 3& 4; The Father and the firstborn Son have entered

       into rest.  Hebrews 4:10: “For he that is entered into His rest, he also  has ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”

  1.  
    1. MERCY – (Heb. 4:16) – the BLOOD of Jesus Christ has transformed the Throne of Judgment into a Thorne of Grace.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE MERCY-SEAT (Ex. 25: 17-22)

 

  1. It was the lid of the Ark of the Covenant:  it completed the Ark.
  2. It acted as a covering for the contents of the Ark.
  3. It was a slab of pure gold that measured 2-1/2 cu. (3’9” x 1-1/2 cu. (2’3”)
  4. There were two cherubim of gold in union with it.

 

TYPOLOGY OF THE DESCRIPTION:

 

  1. Where God sat = His Throne = Zion (11 Sam 6:2; Ps. 99:1; 80:1).

2.        Where God met, communed, and manifested Himself to Moses.

3.        Where the Father and Son sit and rest after their finished work.  The Lord Jesus Christ sat down on the right hand of God. (Heb. 4: 1-11; 8:1-3).

4.        Where there was made a complete, once for all atonement by the Blood of the Lord Jesus – note that the blood of bulls and goats was:

                       a. sprinkled upon the Mercy-Seat once.

                       b. Sprinkled before the Mercy-Seat seven times (completeness)

 

The blood-stained Mercy-Seat covered the two tables of the Law – the exposing of the Law as seen in 1 Sam. 6:19-20 without the blood covering brought into operation a ministration of Death.  And He smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even He smote of the people 50,310 men.”  However through the Blood of Jesus, Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

 

The Hebrew word for “Mercy Seat” means to ATONE, COVERING, PROPITIATION” (for sin); the Mercy-Seat covered Israel’s sins of idolatry, murmuring, and rebellion (compare the notes on the contents of the Ark):  this covering fitted perfectly - the perfect, complete, and immovable Atonement of Jesus Christ.

 

The Mercy-Seat was a pure slab- the Lord was Pure, being tried by fire, that he might provide a pure Atonement made possible by pure grace. (Pure means no alloy-nothing human); it was also made of Gold.  Christ’s Atonement was made valid by His Resurrection:  The height was 1-/12 cut. Feet- the same height as the Brazen Altar and the Table of Shewbread.

 

PROPITIATION:

 

  1.  
    1. The term “Propitiation” means to appease, make satisfaction, placate, or render favorable.
    2. Jesus Christ appeased the righteous wrath of a holy God by offering His atoning sacrifice at Calvary;  the death of Christ appeased Divine justice and affected reconciliation between God and man.
    3. Jesus becomes man’s propitiation through Faith in His Blood (Rom 3:25)
    4. The Greek word for “Propitiation” in Rom 3:25 and the Greek word for “Mercy-Seat in Heb. 9:5 are the same word (also 1 Jn.2:2; 41:10)
    5. In the Tabernacle we see a blending of the Judgment Seat (Brazen Altar) and the Mercy Seat (Ps. 101:1; 85:10; 86:5, 13, 15)
    6. The Throne of Judgment has become a Throne of Grace (Heb. 4: 14-16)

 

CHERUBIM: I will give you my thoughts about the Cherubims of Glory.  There are Glory Angels in the Glory realm.  I have seen them more than once.  Those who go into the Glory and walk in the Glory have an Angel of Glory who walks with them.

 

  1. The traditional concept of the cherubim is that they are an order of Angels which cover and guard the Throne of God.  But to which of the angels said He at any time, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.  Are they not ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” (Heb. 1:13-14)

 

The Word says that the Father is seated on the Throne and the Son at his right hand.  They both entered into the Holy of Holies.  There are two Glory Cherubim which I think could represent the Glory of the Angel of His Presence.

 

Paul didn’t tell us.

 

  But, he did tell us 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.”

 

Come running to the Mercy Seat.  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the Veil, that is to say, His Flesh.”

 

The contents of the Ark of The Covenant:

 

  1. The Tables of the Law --- The Father, the powerful lawgiver – The Way
  2. Golden Pot of Manna – The Son, the Bread of Life. – The Truth
  3. The Rod that Budded – The Holy Spirit, bearing fruit and life – The Life.

 

The inside of the Ark represents the Bosom and Heart of God.  Jesus came from the bosom of God.

 

Jn. 1:18:  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

I entered into the labors of The Tabernacle of Moses by: Kelly Varner and Sermon Notes by: Carolyn Sissom 6/3/07.  Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors.

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