Chapter 4
The
Pattern of The Tabernacle
I have already
used the terms "foreshadowing" and "pattern",
so I should probably bring some clarity to those terms.
A shadow is
created by an object standing in light. When God created
the earth, the first thing that He did on the first day was bring
forth light. The light that God brought forth the first day
was not the light from the sun. The sun was not created
until the fourth day.
Genesis 1:16
Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars
also.
The light that
was produced the first day was the illumination of the presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was the Word who spoke
things into existence in the creation story.
John 1:3
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was
made that was made.
John 1:4
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:5
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it.
All things
were created through Jesus, and He is the spiritual light of the
world that produces a shadow when an object is illuminated.
The shadow produced by the object (pattern or type) in the light
of revelation becomes the spiritual reality of that which is in
the natural.
Colossians
2:17 A shadow of things to come, but the substance is
of Christ.
The natural is
first and then the spiritual. This is why Peter's shadow
had healing power in it. Peter was the object in the
natural, his body, but the illumination of Christ (the substance
of life) within Peter produced spiritual power. In like
manner, illumination of the natural events of the Old Testament
by way of revelation produced the spiritual realities of the New
Testament. These Old Testament foreshadowings point forward
to the spiritual realities of the New Testament.
In 1
Corinthians 10:11 the apostle, Paul, validates this truth
when he says, "Now all of these things (Old Testament
events) happened to them as examples, and they are written for
our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come."
Moses'
tabernacle is a foreshadowing that establishes a spiritual
pattern that reveals New Testament truth, which is presently
coming forth. The Tabernacle of Moses was a copy of the
heavenly tabernacle and was made according to the pattern of the
heavenly one.
Hebrews 8:5
Who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses
was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle.
For He said, "See that you make all things according to the
pattern shown you on the mountain."
This pattern
of the tabernacle revealed in the Old Testament has cast its
shadow into the New Testament, which is symbolic of this present
time.
Hebrews 9:9
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 the conscience.
The tabernacle
pattern shows three distinct sections that identify the
redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The three sections are the Outer
Court where the brazen altar and laver are located, the Holy
Place where the table of showbread, the golden candlestick and
the altar of incense are located, and the Holy of Holies in which
the Ark of the Covenant is situated.
There are many
types and shadows revealed in the tabernacle pattern, which I
will not go into at this time. My purpose is to use the
pattern of the tabernacle to establish the Third Day concept.
The pattern of the tabernacle reveals a prophetic progression,
which leads to the third section, the Holy of Holies,
representing the destiny of the Third Day Church.
Let us examine
this prophetic progression. In the Outer Court we find two
symbols of Christ's redemptive work. The brazen altar is
the place of sacrifice where the blood is shed. It
represents the cross on which our Lord was sacrificed. It
represents the place where we are born again or justified.
The next
object that is found in the Outer Court is the laver. The
laver holds the water where the priests wash their hands and feet.
The laver is where re-generation begins. Being washed by
the water of the Word and the Spirit. This is where we are
prepared to enter into the Holy Place as priests to serve our God.
As we enter
the Holy Place, we see three objects--the table of showbread, the
golden candlestick, and the altar of incense. The Holy
Place is the second section of the tabernacle, which represents
service to the Lord and the place of sanctification.
The golden
candlestick with its seven lamps symbolizes the fullness of the
Holy Spirit. The candlestick is the place of illumination
or revelation. The illumination or light of the Spirit
shines on the table of showbread, which is symbolic of the
written word of God. The written word becomes revelation
knowledge because the Spirit of Truth, the candlestick,
illuminates the word.
The altar of
incense represents the priest's position as an intercessor before
God who resides in the Holy of Holies.
Revelation
8:3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and
stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should
offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden
altar, which was before the throne.
The Holy Place
is the place of service to the Lord as we are busy putting new
bread on the table of showbread daily. We also keep fresh
oil in the candlestick so the light doesn't go out. And, we
keep incense on the golden altar.
The Holy Place
is a place of the activity of men and women serving God and being
about the Father's business. The service produces busyness.
The table of showbread represents the written word and our
reading of it, witnessing to it and the preaching of it.
The altar of
incense is the place we spend time in prayer and prophetic
proclamation. The golden candlestick is where we keep our
lights shining as we learn to live and walk in the Spirit. It
is where we learn to exercise spiritual gifts.
This is what
the ministry of the Second Day Church has looked like. The
Holy Place is representative of the Second Day, but the three
objects of service are point-ing us to the third section and
preparing us for it.
The Holy of
Holies is where the Ark of the Covenant is located and is where
the glory of God is made manifest. The Holy of Holies is
the third section of the tabernacle, and it represents the
destination of the Third Day Church. As we enter into the
Third Day, the church will begin to abide in the glory of God and
in His continual presence.
The ministry
works of the Second Day will cease, and the church will learn to
rest in the glory of God. Ministry will then be God
saturated and God directed. Man's ministry will stop, and
God's ministry will go forth in His power and at His direction. Ministry
will no longer be born out of man's good ideas. Instead
they will be God ideas.
This concept
of resting in God's presence in the Holy of Holies relates to
God's Seventh Day, the Sabbath Rest. Remember that the
Third Day of Christ and the Seventh Day of God are the same day.
Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and
He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
Genesis 2:3
Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it
He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
The Seventh
Day or the Sabbath rest, has been blessed by God. Sanctification
becomes complete, for it is the day of glorification. The
church will become a glorious church without spot or wrinkle!
The writer to
the Hebrews identifies this day of rest.
Hebrews 4:1
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us
fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
Hebrews 4:2
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but
the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith in those who heard it.
Hebrews 4:3
For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
"So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My
rest,' " although the works were finished from the
foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:4
For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this
way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";
Hebrews 4:5
and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."
Hebrews 4:6
Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to
whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
Hebrews 4:7
again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today,"
after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you
will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."
This certain
day has been designated in David.
Acts 15:16
'After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of
David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I
will set it up;
Acts 15:17
So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the
Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all
these things.'
One might ask
what the Tabernacle of David has to do with the Seventh Day?
The Tabernacle of David con-tained only one of the objects found
in the Tabernacle of Moses, and that was the Ark of the Covenant.
David's tabernacle represents the Holy of Holies, which is the
day designated in David where the glory of God rests upon those
who choose to enter into the rest of God.
This certain
day is the seventh millennium from creation, and it is also the
Third Day of Christ, the third thousand years from His birth.
When Jesus was born, He rested in a manger. In the same way
the Third Day Church will rest in the Ark of the Covenant, in the
glory of God and in the fullness of Christ.
The book of
Revelation declares that the temple in heaven is about to be
opened. This is the temple that Moses patterned the
tabernacle after.
Revelation
11:19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the
ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were
lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
The temple
revealed only one object, the Ark of the Covenant. The
following is a prophetic word that the Lord gave me:
"Shout it
from the mountain tops; tell it in the streets; proclaim it to
the nations, THE GLORY OF THE LORD HAS COME. The temple of
your God in the heavenlies has been opened, and the ark of My
covenant shall now be seen. It shall be seen resting upon a
covenant people, a people who have sought Me, a people who have
loved Me with all of their hearts. Behold, a people come,
the likes of which have never been seen before, a covenant people
who will not break their ranks. They will run like the
mighty men. Yes, like David's men, men mighty in war. The
enemy shall fall before them, the giants shall fall as My mighty
ones go forth, for I have called them, and with the horn of oil
Samuel has anointed them. These are the sons of fresh oil,
those called to rebuild the Tabernacle of David. These are
My two witnesses, My sons and daughters of glory, those who have
been anointed with the golden oil. Is it not written that I
saved the best for last? In Cana of Galilee the water was
turned to wine, and was served last. Again, it shall be so,
the best oil, the sweetest oil, the purest oil, the golden oil
comes at the last...yes, in the last days."
"It is
the Third Day, you saints of the Most High. The Holy of
Holies is now open. Is not the Ark of the Covenant My
throne? For, I sit upon the seat of My mercy, and I say
come boldly before the throne. Come, My people, for the
veil has been rent, a new man child has been birthed. The
first man child was birthed in Bethlehem even as David was.
Is it not written that My Son would rule from the throne of
David? Yes, the One who holds the key of David shall rule
over the new man child. He will open the Holy of Holies to
them and He shall lead them into His rest, and He shall lead them
out to war. Wherever the Lamb goes, they shall follow."
"Come, My
people, for it is the Third Day, and I will raise you up that you
now live within My sight, and you shall see Me and know Me as
never before. I am now coming to you like the rain, like
the former and latter rain, and the glory of this latter temple
shall exceed the former. It has been written, and the
scriptures cannot be broken."
Isaiah 62:2
The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your
glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the
LORD will name.
Isaiah 62:3
You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a
royal diadem In the hand of your God.
Isaiah 62:4
You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any
more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and
your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land
shall be married.
Faith Tabernacle