By Dick Reuben
The reverence of His presence is crucial – The Tabernacle of God did not have the instruments and worship. In the beginning, it was a very solemn atmosphere because God was setting in order the pattern for the church. Acts 7: Speaks of the Tabernacle of Moses as the church in the wilderness, which should alert our senses to something that happened in this setting.
This is not about history – it is about pattern. If we get the pattern right, His glory will come down.
What happened in the 1995 revival is that the whole revival was about an outer court experience – there was repentance. Baptisms = the laver.
There is another level and a breakthrough of what God wants to do. God is a patterning God – he uses patterns. He never changes His pattern. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Matthew 1:1 – We have to remove the biggest obstacle – the O.T. and the N.T. are not separate.
There is a little piece of paper that says – New Testament – we have divided the old verses from the new – Denominations all have different patterns – does not matter – If we climb out of our pattern and into God’s pattern, His glory will come. If it is God’s pattern we operate through, His glory will fall; if it is not, it will not. PATTERN is the biggest issue in the churches today – it must be God’s pattern, not man’s pattern. This happened in Brownsville.
The Outer Court will be discussed tonight. We are going to climb out of the outer court and get into the Holy Place. The Holy Place has significance and understanding of what the Ark is, and the Ark of the Covenant is what will give us understanding of the Tabernacle of David. There is another level of worship of which we have no concept. The church does not understand the relevance of the O.T and the church needs to understand that the patterns are relevant to the last days. The Old and New Testaments are ONE – remove the page that divides the two! This is ALL one word from Genesis to Revelation.
Something is getting ready to happen. God is up to something. Now that we have one bible…
We need to establish some things first:
We cannot pull things out of context and say that is what it is. I prefer to prove things by Scripture.
We need to change the nonsense of the things that are going on in the church.
We need to bring order to the church.
God is up to something!
Go to John 5:46 – “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you believe not his writings, how will you believe My words?” You have to make the evaluation as to whether this is a history lesson of life or reality. What did Moses write about – all about the tabernacle, the sacrifices, how to offer the sacrifices, and how to trim the lamps.
The lampstand – As the priest is ministering at the lampstand, He puts oil in it every morning and evening. Aaron had to trim the wicks – they were trimmed so they could be bright in their burning. When the wicks are trimmed, the residue that comes from the wicks is put into a snuff dish and thrown outside the camp. Yesterday’s fire is not good for today; we have got to have the fresh fire of the Glory of God. You have to stay loose in God. 1995 is over with, but tonight is a new, fresh fire – the wicks have to be trimmed and discarded – Don’t keep looking back – that is discarded glory – God says He gives us fresh glory – fresh and new and every day! We need his fresh glory EVERY DAY! Do not keep looking back! Because Jesus said, ‘Don’t look back once you put your hand to the plow. “You who look back are not fit for the Kingdom.” You cannot look back from where you came from, this is a new day. This is a new dawning.
The Ark of the Covenant – It took 8 men to bear that Ark on their shoulders. God has one pattern and one plan – and it is not by divisional issues about denominations. Jesus said, “If you believe not the writings of Moses, how can you believe my word?” We have to come back to that pattern.
The Outer court – the perimeter – it is all white linen – it was 5 cubits high – down one side of the court was 100 cubits long – across the back and rear was 50 cubits – across the front 50 cubits, which makes 300. Take that 300 and multiply it by 5 cubits (the height), it is 1500 – all the way around. When you come to the inside, the Holy Place – this corresponds to Acts 2:42 – They worshiped together – but we are going to find out that something happened when the veil was rent. It all had to do with where God is going – the resurrection of the Tabernacle of David.
Something else – if we miss the little things that mean a lot. See Mark 6 – 5000 men were fed with 5 loaves and 2 fishes – vs 38 – They sat down in ranks of 100s and 50s. Why were they set down in 50s by 100s – the reality of what is going on here – he is supernaturally feeding the multitudes – and in the Tabernacle, he supernaturally feeds us the manna when you are on the wrong side of the fence. God separates us from the world – we are a separate people – when we come into the Tabernacle, we have been separated – we are God’s people.
If you multiply the outer court, 300 cubits multiplied by 5 cubits you get 1500 cubits – when you come to the inner part it was 20 cubits deep, by 10 cubits wide and 10 cubits high = 2000 cubits – we have an outer court which is 1500 cubits, and we have an inner court which is 2000 cubits. Then we have the Holy Place – the Holy of Holies – 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000. In the foundation of the Tabernacle, we have 1500 cubits – The Outer Court is the age of the law = 1500 years. When we come to the Holy Place – 2000 cubits, which represents the church age – we are at the point where God is up to something. He is collecting His saints.
God uses five areas in which He revealed Himself to the Nation of Israel and his patterns:
- Through the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
- Through the priesthood and the garments.
- Through The Law of Moses –
- The sacrificial system – this whole setting is without the Levites and sacrifices, etc.
- And through His feasts and festivals – Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Blowing of the Shofar, Yom Kippur, and Feast of Tabernacles – this is God’s calendar.
Unto them were committed the truths of God. In Mark, it is hidden, but when Jesus fed the multitudes, he sat them down – he supernaturally feeds us. Once you learn the basics of the Tabernacle, you will know how to fish, and nobody can fool you. Jesus gave us food for a lifetime, not to be dependent upon the church from week to week to week.
I Corinthians 10:1 – It is relevant for us today! The leadership does not know the system or pattern of God. Therefore, the people are ignorant. Vs 6 – these were examples… vs 11 is the purpose – happened unto them for examples and for OUR admonition upon whom the ends of the world have come – It is the pattern of God – everything dealing with the Sacrificial system tells us a story, so we do not get it mixed up. The Tabernacle is God’s vision, God’s picture for the church. God has a system!
There are many scriptures that indicate the church is out of pattern. God never does something for nothing. It is what is right, not who is right. It is not whether man is right or issues, it is God’s pattern that is right. We are not to mimic someone else – we are to mimic God!
As students (Levites). We need to:
- Walk by the altar and realize that I present my body as a holy and living sacrifice unto you.
- To be renewed in our minds.
God reveals to Moses the tabernacle – it is a pattern for our lives, and God desires this for the church so that we can all go together in the Tabernacle of God.
The furniture of the Outer court – there is a way to reach the heart of God. Man has to start in the Outer Court to reach God. There was only one door to the Tabernacle – it was on the East side. Why? Because during the time of the giving of the pattern of the Tabernacle, they were surrounded by the Chaldeans – The Chaldeans were sun worshipers – the sun rises in the East. And so, because they were sun worshipers, God set the entrance on the East – Why? Because you have to turn your back on every other god in order to walk into the glory and presence of God. We have got to turn our backs on the world system.
The priest does not have shoes – This goes back to Ex 3 – Moses with the encounter of the burning bush – No shoes – why? Moses was raised in the courts of Pharaoh for 40 years. He fled to the wilderness and was there for 40 years – then he got this call to the burning bush. The first thing God told him to do was to take the shoes off his feet. Why? This goes back to the history of the courts of Pharaoh… God’s people were in slavery – 430 years. Whenever a lowly Jewish slave came into the house of an Egyptian, he had to take off the shoes on his feet before entering. The Lord wore shoes – when Moses was told to remove the shoes from his feet, he knew he was being called to be a servant of God. As a servant, you are no longer your own – you were bought for a price.
Brazen Altar – It was made of copper – a pure metal (brass is not a pure metal – it is an alloy – not a pure mixture). God works in purity, holiness, and integrity. The only way you could get to the presence of God was to go by the altar of sacrifice – You have to go by the altar and the next thing is the laver – the place of sanctification – filled with water – a reminder we are to be washed in His word – every day the priest had to come and wash at the laver. Every day, you need to be washed in the water of the word of God. It was also the place where the utensils were washed. No size is provided on the laver – why? Because it is not limited in how it can wash you. As we wash ourselves in the Word, we are to grow.
8 priests bore the Ark – 8 equals the number of new beginnings.
We have the Outer Court, the Inner Court, and the Holy of Holies. Represented of the age of the Law, the age of the church, and the age of his millennial reign (the Glory Room). Each court and each piece of furniture spoke of a different experience in God. Hebrews 6 talks about how these are the foundational doctrines – let us go on – God does not want us to hang out with one piece of furniture – this is the problem with the church today. We get to a piece of furniture we want to hang out on. Like Peter, when he wanted to construct 3 tabernacles at the transfiguration, he wanted to stay there; he wanted to hang out. He wanted to camp out.
The gate is the starting point – the problem is, people get hung up – they want to stay at the altar and preach about salvation – but you have to go on – you do not discount it, but you have to go on. People want to camp out at the golden altar or at the lampstand – the place of intercession – but that is only part of it. There is more! Yes, it is important to be at the laver – read His word, read His word, BUT we have to bring balance to the system that God has created!
When we preach or give a message, or even a teaching, we need to ask ourselves, “Would a Jewish person understand that?” Everything we teach about the Word touches the Tabernacle – EVERYTHING!
Jot this down – there are 4 kinds of appearances:
- Things either are as they appear to be
- or they neither are nor appear to be,
- Or they are, but do not appear to be
- Or they are not and yet appear to be.
This is the very talk of religion-ese!
The Tabernacle appears to be one thing, but really it is something else. These four appearances can be related to bible colleges and teachers. God wants those who turn aside to see His glory to know that He has something special. We got the religious stuff, but not the God stuff.
Acts 3:19 – refreshing Greek means revival – it was a time of refreshing that came from time with the Lord. There has got to be a restoration of what God has spoken to the prophets. The glorious church that we are to have is still coming.
Every part of the Tabernacle has meaning – the curtains, the hangings, the coverings, the furniture, the courts – all have a story.
The Brazen Altar – It is not an altar of blessing – it is an altar of death and judgment – The life of Moses is the life of the believer – Every time we come to bitter waters in our life – it is God wanting to purge Egypt out of us on the way to the promised land. Do not despise the bitter waters – so you can become more conformed to the image of Christ and not the flesh.
You cannot forget that the focus of the Tabernacle is Jesus!
When we look at the Brazen Altar we have to think about His (Jesus’) sacrifice – we cannot get to God without making Jesus our Lord and Savior – He has got to be Lord of your life! We want more than an outer court experience – God wants us to experience His Holy of Holies! Religion will kill you. Programs are the support mechanism for religion. We need God’s anointing, not religion.
Hebrews – He believes it was written by Barnabas – He was a Levite – Chap 7:11 – There was a priesthood after the order of Melchizedek – Aaron – Everything has a purpose in the Tabernacle – Order of Melchizedek – The only ones who could be priests were the Levites – but only the family of Aaron could be high priest successors – and yet Jesus – how could Yeshua be high priest if something does not happen – Yeshua is from the tribe of Judah. There were 3 levels of priests in the Tabernacle;
- The Levites
- The Cohens and the priests
- Gogol Cohens – the high priest
This corresponds to the 3 levels in the church
- Those that bring forth 30-fold.
- Those that bring forth 60-fold.
- And those that bring forth 100-fold.
Melchizedek came to Abram – Abram was a gentile – not a Jew.
From the Altar to the Laver:
- Made out of the woman’s looking glass. The Word should reflect what we want in our lives. It was a place of reflection – It is also a point of sanctification which sets us apart.
- If Jesus is going to fulfill the Law – he has to fulfill the Law by every jot and tittle – Jesus said He would lay himself down on the altar – but to serve as a priest, he was not a Levite – Only a priest can lay down his life.
- Laver also talks of baptism – Matthew 3:13 – the baptism of Yeshua – why was He baptized? Luke 7 – Jesus makes a statement about John the Immerser – around vs 20 – 24 – Why was John much more than a prophet? Go to Luke 1 – He was the son of Zechariah, who was a priest! Zechariah is of the household of Aaron. John was of the lineage of the high priest – the last one that had the blood lineage behind him – John had to die so a new order of priesthood could rise.
Yeshua came to John to be baptized at the Jordan River rather than the Temple. Why John? When John saw Jesus come to the shores of the Jordan, John proclaimed him as the sacrifice – “Behold, the Lamb of God”. And when Yeshua steps into the water, what is Jesus’ position in the K of G – his position – he is born King of the Jews. He went to the Jordan – the Jordan is a place of change – you leave the old and embrace the new. You cross the Jordan – you leave behind, and you cross over to the new. Jordan was the place of change.
John holds the rightful blood lineage of the high priest. When a high priest moved out of his office (John), he always officiated over the immersion of the next priest in line. John passed on his priesthood – when Yeshua walked into the water his position was King, but when he comes out of the water, he is now King of Righteousness – This is what Melchizedek means – King of Righteousness. That is where the birthing of the priesthood of Jesus was – it was at the Jordan River that day.
Jesus was baptized so he could receive the office of Priest. He was not after the office of Aaron, but the office of Melchizedek. This is a priesthood FOREVER. That is us. We are part of the order of Melchizedek – an order that will never go away.
From the Outer Court, man runs after God, but God wants to run after man, but He cannot do anything until man comes to certain points of the Tabernacle. The Laver is between me and the Inner Court. The altar is between me and the glory. You cannot get into the Inner Court until you have washed yourself. Water Baptism is essential – If you are going to go on to God, you need 2 things that are all revealed in the Tabernacle:
#1. You need to be saved – the brazen altar.
#2. You need to be baptized in water – the laver – Baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – yes this was commissioned by Jesus – but not one disciple in the book of Acts was ever baptized in the name of the Father, name of the Son and name of the Holy Spirit – Why? Because they were Jewish Men!
What is the name of the Father? – Consistently in the O.T., it is Adonai or Lord. The name of the Father is LORD.
What is the name of the Son? JESUS
LORD JESUS is a revelation of the Name of the Father and of the Son.
CHRISTOS is the revelation of the name of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit.
LORD JESUS CHRIST is the name of the fullness of the Godhead bodily – Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Go to the Book of Acts- Made Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Jesus Christ.
Jesus walks in the Priesthood of Melchizedek – Exodus 28:31 – We are dealing with the death of Jesus; it is about the robe of the ephod that was on the priest. This garment was the only garment that had a reinforcement around the neck. Go to Leviticus 10:2 – there was a penalty for carrying that garment. Nadab and Abihu died – vs 6 – the penalty for carrying the garment was death – custom: When Jewish men go through bereavement or are hurt or a tragedy they tear their garments – the natural place they tear is the collar area. God had that reinforced so there would be no accidental tearing of that garment. To tear that garment, that collar, meant death.
Matthew 26: Death of Jesus – vs 57 – The scribes (170 people) and elders (70) were assembled at the cross – plus the council was 120 people – there was a multiple of people that knew the law – and they knew the law said that if you rent the garment the priest has to die. vs 62 –
John 11:47 – Caiaphas prophesied that Jesus would not only die for the Jews but the whole world.
John 10:17 – “I lay down my life that I have the power to pick up again.” You do not pick up the cross unless you plan to die. When you touch the altar, you gotta die to self – the flesh has to die. Present yourself as a living sacrifice – you have to choose to serve God and leave the world. When you die, you come to life. Jesus said, “No man takes my life, but I lay it down.” Look at the sacrifice itself – the priest offered one sacrifice for sin – he is referring to Jesus.
John 19:1 – Crucifixion of Jesus – They took his garments and divided it into 4 parts – also his coat – 4 garments plus the coat- this makes 5 garments – on the altar of sacrifice when the burnt offering is laid up there it is laid up with a right front shoulder, left front shoulder, right rear hind quarter, left rear hind quarter and the head – all is laid up on the alter – 5 pieces on the altar. Notice that the one garment – it is cut off between the shoulder and goes about knee length – they cast lots – coat is really Tunic – it is the exact configuration of the tunic the high priest wears. It was one piece – it represented the priesthood – one piece, not intended to be torn. To tear his garment would have nullified Jesus’ priesthood – it is intact – it was the signature that he was a priest FOREVER after the order of Melchizedek.
After receiving the vinegar, he bowed his head and gave up the ghost – he died.
Go back to Ex 29:38 – two lambs had to die every day. One in the morning and one in the evening – 9am and 3pm – every time Caiaphas, the high priest, went to that altar he had to check with the priests to make sure the pieces were laid properly and that it was totally consumed. When the lamb was totally consumed by fire, the high priest would proclaim it “negmarr”.
When Yeshua said “it is finished,” – he really spoke “negamar” – just like the priest. On that altar of sacrifice on the cross, he said, “It is finished – negamar”.
Mark 15:25- It was the 3rd hour and they crucified him – 9 am – The sacrifice was killed on the north side of the altar – Jesus was crucified on Golgotha which was located on the north side of the city – it was on Golgotha – they were nailing him on the cross and the lamb is being laid on the altar. When the 6th hour (noon) came, it got dark – the 9th hour was 3 pm – because it was Passover – lambs have to die. It got totally dark at 12 noon. 3 lambs died – the 3 pm sacrifice was done earlier in the day – so you have the morning sacrifice, the noonday sacrifice, and then you have Jesus – the 3rd sacrifice.
2 people died on the hill with Jesus – the first lamb that died – the same time Jesus was nailed on the cross – the lamb died in the light of the day – in the light of Jesus’ salvation – There was a lamb that died in the dark – this represents the man who died in his sins – and the 3rd lamb died – the lamb that takes away the sin of the world – Jesus.
When the priest walked through the first veil, he would be reminded that God’s ministering angels would be about him. The Tabernacle is the whole story about the church. God had seven feast days – they are reminders that every time the priest walked into the presence of God, his ministering angels are there.
The Holy Spirit leads us in all things, not man.
Hebrews 1 – Spoke in time past, by the prophets, after these last days spoken….” Jesus – his name is the word of God – if a prophecy is true and we are to be led by the spirit, and we are hearing things that God is already saying to you, it is probably true.
Jesus is the WORD – the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.