Exodus 25:3-9 The Tabernacle: A Picture of Jesus Christ Part 5

Exodus 25:3-9

And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

Fine Linen’ (Purity)

The linen was most interesting. Made from Egyptian flax, it was finely woven, brilliantly white, and bore a special name, “byssus”. This material was used for garments for royalty and persons of rank and has been found in the tombs of the Pharaohs. Linen in one tomb was found to have 152 threads per inch in the warp and 72 threads per inch in the woof. White linen always speaks of purity and righteousness:

Rev 15:6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.

Rev 3:5 “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

Rev 19:14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

The fine-twined, white linen speaks of righteousness and typifies Jesus, the Son of Man, spotless, pure, and sinless.

I Jn 3:3-5 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure…and you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

‘Goats Hair’ (Cursed sin offering)

Goats were common in those days for their milk, their meat, their skin which was used for many things such as water bottles, etc., and their hair, which was very long, dark and course, was spun and woven into cloth. The goat was a sacrificial animal. The Goat’s Hair covering was the first above the tabernacle curtain. This drab color tells us of Jesus in His humility and poverty. Goatskins were worn by the poor and throughout the Bible represented extreme poverty.

Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented–

Lk 9:58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

And the hair speaks of Christ as the separated One, just as the hair must be separated from the goat, so Christ had to sacrifice His own covering in order to provide a covering for others.

Another interesting point about the goat is that it was used on the Day of Atonement. After the high priest completed the blood sprinkling in the holy of holies he would go into the court of the tabernacle and lay his hands on the head of the scapegoat, confessing over it all the sins of the people. The goat was then led away, by a man standing ready, into the wilderness, and there let free, to signify the carrying away of Israel’s sins which God had forgiven. This reminds us of Jesus, humble and poor, becoming a curse for us, that we might have our sins carried away into the land of forgetfulness.

2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

‘Rams skins dyed red’ (Substitutionary sacrifice)

A ram is a grown male sheep and the head of the flock. A shepherd may have one or two rams in a flock of ewes to promote uniformity. The ram is forever in the eyes of the Jew as the substitute animal, faithful unto death. This is of course because God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac on that day when Abraham’s faith was revealed.

Gen 22:12-13 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

The ram’s skins were dyed red to represent the sacrifice of a substitute. So Jesus as the head of the human race, the last Adam, sacrificed His own life as a substitute for all who would put their trust in Him.

Heb 2:9 But 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.

Heb 2:17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Jn 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

‘Badger skins’ (Outward appearance-unattractive)

Badger skins were the final covering, the outer covering that everyone saw. They were tough and course and very plain in their appearance. But how does this speak of Christ? It speaks of what Christ was to man. There was no outward beauty to the tabernacle proper, so it was with Christ when He came to earth when He pitched His tabernacle among men. As the prophet foretold:

Is 53:1-2 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

What was Jesus to the Jews? nothing but a course, hard badger skin. What is Jesus to the world today? nothing but a course, hard badger skin. But to those of us who have opened up our hearts to Him He is much much more. He is the “altogether lovely One”, He is the “Rose of Sharon”, the “Lily of the Valley”, and the “Fairest among 10,000” to our souls. If anyone desired to look beyond the outer flesh covering they would see the transfiguration of Christ’s glory. “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Jesus says, “Come and see”.

Jn 1:10-14 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Acacia Wood’ (Incorruptible humanity) also called Shittim Wood

The Shittah tree grew in the deserts of Sinai, and the deserts around the Dead Sea. The wood is hard, very heavy, indestructible by insects, and has a fine, beautiful grain. It was remarkably luxuriant in dry places, sometimes attaining a height of twenty feet. It had lovely yellow flowers and its insect-resisting Acacia wood was used in making mummy cases. This Acacia wood undoubtedly speaks of the incorruptible humanity of Christ, for we are told that His humanity would never see corruption.

Ps 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

He was the truly human One, “the man Christ Jesus”. The Bible calls Him, “the son of Mary”, and the “son of man”. A body was prepared for Him:

Heb 10:5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.

And that body He still possesses in a glorified form. “This same Jesus” is in heaven right now and one day will return for us and glorify us also:

1 Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Rom 8:18-21 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Oil’ (The Spirits anointing)

The oil was obtained by crushing the olive berries of the land. Oil, as we know, was the liquid used when the prophet, priest, and king were anointed in Old Testament times. And because of passages like:

1 Jn 2:20-21 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

1 Sam 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

Is 32:15 Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted as a forest.

We have scriptural authority for seeing the oil as a type of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible the olive tree is symbolic of many things:

a) Beauty

Hos 14:6 His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon.

b) Fertility

Ps 52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

c) Richness

Judg 9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

The Holy Spirit, then, as olive oil, is the One who possesses all that man needs for life and godliness. Richness, fertility, and beauty are all His in an abundant measure. Jesus was anointed by God as prophet, priest, and king. Everything Christ did was filled with richness, fertility, and beauty because He was the temple of the Holy Spirit and filled with all fulness:

Jn 3:34 “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

It is interesting that the olives weren’t beaten or pressed but crushed. So Jesus was crushed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Heb. Oil Press) and then by the very wrath of God on a Roman cross, as the Scriptures say:

Is 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

The anointing oil was restricted for tabernacle use only, anyone violating the command was put to death. The olive oil was to be pure and nothing but pure because it represents the HOLY Spirit of Christ. The word “Christ” is the Greek word for the Hebrew “Mashiach” (Messiah) which means “the anointed One”. It literally means “to smear” as with oil. The oil was also used to anoint the Holy Tabernacle and its furniture, and to light the golden lampstand.

Spices for the oil and incense’ (Sweet smelling fragrance to God)

There were three spices to be added to the frankincense and oil:

Ex 30:34 And the LORD said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.

a) Stacte

A powder from the hardened drops of the fragrant resin found in the bark of the Myrrh bush. The word means “a drop”.

b) Onycha

A powder from the horny shell cover of a clam-like mollusk found in the Red Sea. When burnt, this powder emits a penetrating aroma. The Hebrew word means- “aromatic shell”. The Red Sea is an isolated warm water pocket of the Indian ocean and is known for its peculiar subspecies of mollusks.

c) Galbanum

A brownish pungent resin that exudes from the lower part of the stem of a Ferula plant. This herb plant is found at the Mediterranean Sea and has thick stalks, yellow flowers, and fern-like green foliage. It has a musky, pungent smell and is valuable because it preserves the scent of a mixed perfume, and allows of its distribution over a long period of time.

In these spices or perfumes we see Jesus as the sweet smelling aroma bringing joy to the Father’s heart. When mixed with the olive oil we see the sweet illuminating work of the Spirit of Christ, and when mixed with frank-incense we see the sweetness of prayer as a “sweet smelling aroma in God’s nostrils”. How fitting that these perfumes would point to Christ.

Jn 8:29 “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

2 Cor 2:15-16 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

https://www.bible-history.com/tabernacle/TAB4Overview.htm

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Exodus 25:3-9 The Tabernacle: A Picture of Jesus Christ Part 4

Exodus 25:3-9

And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

Blue – (Heaven)

Woven into or embroidered on the linen were blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

The Hebrew Word for blue is “Tekhelet,” and May mean “Shellfish.”

According to the Talmud and Oral teachings this dye is exclusively produced from a marine creature known as the “Hillazon,” also spelled “Chilazon.”

Blue was used in the clothing of the High Priest, The tapestries in the Tabernacle, and the tassels affixed to the corners of ceremonial garments.

This bright color represents the sky or Heaven and is always mentioned first.

It suggests the idea of Heaven as the place where God reveals Himself to man. It is also a reminder of man’s destination.

It speaks of Jesus, our Redeemer, Who came down from above, making the way for us to be destined to dwell in the presence of God.

John 3:31

He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

Purple – (Royalty)

This color came from mixing blue and scarlet together and depicts the color of royalty.

This color typifies Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The mixing of the colors gives us another important truth.

Blue speaks of Heaven, that which comes from above. Scarlet, as we are about to see, speaks of sacrifice, blood and death.

Purple, the combination of both, speaks of our King, Who came down from Heaven as fully God and fully man, to die in our place for our sin.

Isaiah 33:17

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;

They will see the land that is very far off.

‘Scarlet thread’ (Sacrifice)

Scarlet was derived from an Eastern insect, or worm, that infests certain trees. It was gathered, crushed, dried, and ground to a powder that produced a brilliant crimson hue.

Scarlet speaks of sacrifice and typifies Christ in His sufferings.

Psalm 22 quotes Jesus as saying – “I am a worm”.

Psalms 22:6

But I am a worm, and no man;

A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

God took upon Himself flesh and blood then died giving Himself as a ransom for us all.

The Hebrew word for our English word worm is “rimmah,”  which is defined as a maggot or a worm.  But the word for “worm” in Psalm 22:6 is  towla’, or tola’ath, and it derives from the root words:  yala’, which means: to blurt or utter inconsiderately:—devour, and shaniy, which is defined as: crimson, prop. the insect or its color, also stuff dyed with it:–crimson, scarlet (thread).

So the word “tola’ath” used in Psalm 22:6 denotes not only a worm, but also a crimson, or scarlet, worm that is common to the Middle East, predominantly in Israel.  It’s well known that both crimson and scarlet are the colors of blood – a very deep, blackish red — and in this crimson worm is a hidden meaning of biblical significance.

The Crimson Worm

The Crimson Worm (scientific name: coccus ilicis or kermes ilicis) looks more like a grub than a worm. Its lifecycle reveals a remez (hidden meaning) that “points” us to the work of Jesus on the cross.

When the female worm is ready to lay her eggs (which happens only once in her life), she climbs up a tree or fence and attaches herself to it.  She particularly likes a specific type of oak tree. With the worm’s body attached to the word, a hard crimson shell forms — a shell so hard and so secured to the wood that it can only be removed by tearing apart the body which would kill the worm.

The female Crimson Worm, under the protective shell, lays her eggs under her body and when the larvae hatch (the baby worms are born) they remain under the protective shell and feed on the living body of the mother worm for three days.  Then the mother worm dies and her body excretes a crimson or scarlet dye that stains the wood to which she is attached and also her baby worms.  They remain crimson colored for their entire life.  On day four, the tail of the mother worm pulls up into her head, forming a heart-shaped body that is no longer crimson but has turned into a snow-white wax, looking like a patch of wool on the tree or fence.  It then begins to flake off and drop to the ground looking like snow (or manna?).

https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/psalm-22-crimson-scarlet-worm/

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool.

Ephesians 5:2

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Hebrews 9:26

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Exodus 25:3-9 The Tabernacle: A Picture of Jesus Christ Part 3

Exodus 25:3-9

And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

Materials required to build the Tabernacle as ordered by God.

The Bible is a wonderful testimony of the work of the Holy Spirit in the message of God.

Jesus told us this about the Spirit:

John 14:15-18

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John tells us the work of the Spirit:

1 John 2:20-21

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

It’s through the Spirit that we see the witness of Jesus Christ:

Luke 24:44-45

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

This section of Scripture is no different.

Every word, every sentence, every account speaks of Jesus.

Why wouldn’t the very place of God among the people be a physical representation of Jesus.

Why wouldn’t the place that contained the glory of God teach us about the One Who is the very manifestation of His glory.

We see His glory in everything even in the materials used to build the Tabernacle.

Gold – (Diety)

According to Ex 38 they gave 2,800 lbs. of gold.

Exodus 38:24

All the gold that was used in all the work of the holy place, that is, the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

Pure gold in scripture speaks of divinity. It speaks of that which cannot be reproduced by man. Something that can only come from God.

God designed gold to be intrinsically valuable and beautiful, for gold does not tarnish nor corrode. It can be hammered so thin that a single ounce can spread over a 100 sq. ft. area.

Gold here tells us of the deity of Jesus Christ.

It tells us of His glory as The Son of God and most importantly as God the Son.

Silver – (Redemption)

Silver came to 9,600 lbs.

Exodus 38:25-28

And the silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary: a bekah for each man (that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone included in the numbering from twenty years old and above, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. And from the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil: one hundred sockets from the hundred talents, one talent for each socket. Then from the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made bands for them.

Silver is representative of redemption. It was always used as redemption money.

Exodus 30:16

And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”

The Tabernacle stood on sockets of silver. Both Joseph and Jesus were sold for silver.

Silver is the best conductor of heat and electricity. It reflects light better than any other metal and when fully refined it looks like a mirror.

In Scripture silver is symbolic of the redemption that comes through Jesus and represents His preciousness of Jesus as the Only ransom for sin. Our Only redemption from sin.

Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Bronze – (Judgment)

6,700 lbs. of bronze was given for use in the bronze altar and it’s utensils. It was also used for the sockets and pegs for the court, the bases for the court gate, and all the pegs for the tabernacle.

Exodus 38:29-31

The offering of bronze was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils for the altar, the sockets for the court all around, the bases for the court gate, all the pegs for the tabernacle, and all the pegs for the court all around.

Bronze represents judgement in Scripture.

The bronze serpent raised by Moses was a teaching tool used by God so that Israel would learn about faith. The people had wandered and griped about God for a while. He was about to teach them about sin.

Numbers 21:4-9

The Bronze Serpent

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

No one would expect to be healed by looking at a snake on a pole but that is just what God told them to do. It took a leap of faith to believe God in this way this was the way they would be healed.

This was a reminder of their sin that brought about this suffering.

Bronze typifies the divine character of Jesus Christ Who took upon Himself the fire of God’s wrath, holiness, and justice by becoming the sin offering for mankind.

John 3:14-17

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Galatians 3:13-14

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Exodus 25:1-2 The Tabernacle: A Picture of Jesus Christ Part 2

Exodus 25:1-2

Offerings for the Sanctuary

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.

The first thing we learn about God here is that He doesn’t want what we want to give.

the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.

Some would take this opportunity to beat you over the head about tithes but I won’t.

Tithing is right when it comes to taking care of the meeting place and others the Lord has brought you too but in this case it means so much more than just money.

God doesn’t need anything from us.

Our participation in any aspect of what He is doing does not really matter. He can sustain whatever He has considered to do.

What he wants is for us to contribute in His work because of our love for Him and what He has done for us.

Whatever we do in any kind of service towards Him and those He has brought us into fellowship with, in secular work, in ministry, in service, in the smallest aspect, must be done without our doing so begrudgingly.

Don’t tithe because you fear God will hurt you financially in some way.

Don’t go to church because you are worried He will not protect you and your family.

Psalms 50:9-12

I will not take a bull from your house,

Nor goats out of your folds.

For every beast of the forest is Mine,

And the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know all the birds of the mountains,

And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you;

For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

Israel was sacrificing bulls and goats to God just as they should but they were not truly following God.

Rather they did so in order to make God do something for them.

God doesn’t work that way

Hosea 6:6

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

God wants you.

He wants your all in everything that you do for Him.

He wants you to give what you have cheerfully in love the things that He has already given you.

2 Corinthians 9:7

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Our example is Jesus Christ

Philippians 2:5-11

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He Himself took on the likeness of man.

He is the Form of God. He is equal with God. He is God in flesh.

Yet He didn’t consider this something that needed to be held onto. Something to grasp at and not let go.

He became flesh. He emptied Himself, not of deity, but of the outward expression of the glory of God.

He looked like a man.

He had all the same needs and aches.

Yet He was not quite like us.

He is sinless yet he chose to become a servant for the world and He gave Himself to die for us.

The King of Kings, the Son of the Living God, died a terrible demeaning death so we might be reconciled.

We didn’t choose to be born in sin. We didn’t choose to be lost and separated from God.

Yet if He had not freely given of Himself a sacrifice for us we would be hopeless.

We owe Him to freely, thankfully, and cheerfully give to our Lord our all in every aspect.

Revelation 1:10-11 The Problem We Face Part 3: Who is Jesus Christ?

Revelation 1:10-11

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”

When Moses wrote the Pentateuch he prescribed some preconceived notions about his readership.

They already had an idea of Who God was

They also had been familiar with the oral tradition of creation.

It seems John has done the same in the book of Revelation.

His readers knew Who God was.

They knew Scripture.

They knew Jesus Christ and could see Him in Scripture.

One thing is for sure, Revelation is both from and about Jesus Christ.

Almost immediately John tells us of being in the Spirit and we know that he is about to see some interesting and amazing things.

Things I believe we tend to forget or overlook at times

Just Who is Jesus Christ to the world and too us personally?

Is He your friend?

I don’t hear that one as much as I used too?

Then this would be the second part:

“If He’s not your friend then you are going to hell!”

“Come to Jesus ask Him into your heart and say this prayer after me.

This was the mindset at the time. It was a scare tactic to get people in the pews and up the weekly numbers.

At least that’s how I saw it.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that many well meaning people were preaching and using this to get people to Jesus and into church.

The problem was attention span.

People would get in the Church after such a, for the lack of a better phrase, come to Jesus moment ready to go on a religious rush of feelings.

Some would stay but many would disappear after the rush went away.

Some would focus on the one who led them to Jesus too much, then be let down for one reason or another by that person and leave.

It just seemed to focus way too much about getting out of Hell first, then making Jesus a buddy.

I know it’s not easy. I’ve been there and seen it in person.

It’s not easy to pastor a church or group. It’s not easy to explain Jesus to those that, up until a few minutes or days ago, didn’t think about it or care.

The Spirit moves and they answer. Now you have a babe in Christ who doesn’t know what is going on.

Most don’t even understand their relationship with Jesus and just Who and what He means.

So now we either a church goer or someone who is a part of the real church.

I suppose this gives way to the wheat and the tares parable.

Maybe the “Jesus as your friend or you go to hell” idea gets the people in the door but it always gave me this impression:

You better be His friend or you are in trouble

Like Jesus is this spoiled brat who gets his way or he’ll throw a tantrum.

It’s on us to explain the truth when new believers are brought into our sphere of influence.

It’s on us to explain Who He is.

The first issue is in relation to the Godhead.

1. His Eternal Nature

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, yet not a man like us.

Arianism is a doctrine first attributed to a Christian presbyter in Alexandria named Arius (AD 256-336)

This doctrine asserts the idea that Jesus did not always exist and was begotten by God at a point in time.

This idea is still believed today by non-trinitarian groups.

Some claim He was the first created being

Some claim He is actually Michael the Arch Angel.

Who is our Lord Jesus Christ?

Was He a lesser created being?

An angel?

A lesser God?

A spirit filled man?

A spirit?

Just another prophet?

We must understand just Who Jesus is!

Fully God

and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”

This is a repeat of verse 8, as well as in chapter 22

Revelation 1:8

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 22:13

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Here we see Christ’s eternal nature as He replicated the description of God the Father

Isaiah 44:6

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,

And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:

I am the First and I am the Last;

Besides Me there is no God.

Isaiah 48:12

“Listen to Me, O Jacob,

And Israel, My called:

I am He, I am the First,

I am also the Last.

Revelation 21:6

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

Fully man

He took part in flesh and blood

Hebrews 2:14

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

He made Himself a servant

Philippians 2:6-8

who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

He is equal to God in every sense of the word but He made Himself into the likeness of man.

He emptied Himself

He did not empty Himself of deity. This would have made Him simply a Jewish man.

What did He empty Himself of?

The outward expression of His glory

John 17:5

And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus did not hold onto His existence as equal with God, not in person or essence, but in outward manifestation of position, authority, privilege, and glory.

Jesus is in the form of God. The Greek Word for “form” is “Morphe.” Here it means “Outward expression”

He did not regard His equality with God in all its attributes as something to be grasped onto or held tightly.

He laid aside this outward expression of the majesty and splendor of God, the divine privilege , position, authority, honor, and glory.

They were veiled along with His unapproachable Light while not emptying His glory, His nature as God.

He took upon Himself the form of a bondservant, the likeness of man.

This means that He became an exact representation of something else (mankind) in its appearance.

He didn’t look any different from any other man.

He had the same attributes as a man.

He was an exact and perfect likeness of man.

Judas had to kiss Him in order to point Him out.

Matthew 26:47-50

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Why did Jesus choose to do this?

Why become the likeness of man?

Why choose to die on the cross in our stead?

Because He loves us.

Because God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit love us.

Because He regarded man more important to Himself than He was to Himself.

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death,

And He was numbered with the transgressors,

And He bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.

He is not just our Friend.

He is our Lord

He is our Savior

Exodus 25:1-9 The Tabernacle: A Picture of Jesus Christ Part 1

Exodus 25:1-9

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

In chapters 20-24, the Law of God was given to Israel. The rules, regulations, and expectations of how to live in a Godly society.

Israel was just as pagan and hedonistic as any other group alive during this time but God had chosen them through Abraham and He was going to set them apart from the world as His own.

Now, as we will see in chapters 25-40, God is presenting the “life” in Him. He will be teaching the people how to approach Him in order to prolong this society.

The Tabernacle will be set forth as a vivid object lesson. A lesson for Israel then as well as for us today.

The Tabernacle

1. It’s importance

These are the words of God. We need to listen today as they listened then.

2. It’s inclusion

There are more chapters devoted to the Tabernacle than too creation.

3. It’s instruction

This will be a way for God to reveal Himself to man by grace as well as a way for man to approach God in faith.

4. It’s intention

God gives instruction to Moses in minute detail. Israel was to build it exactly by the pattern God had set forth.

The earthly Tabernacle was based on the Heavenly Tabernacle.

It is real.

Hebrews 8:1-2

The New Priestly Service

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

Hebrews 9:11

The Heavenly Sanctuary

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

It is necessary for the pattern

Hebrews 10:1

Animal Sacrifices Insufficient

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

It is a figure

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—

It is a shadow or type

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.”

It was visible

It was in the midst of Israel, right in the middle of the camp. It spoke of their pilgrimage.

It was moveable

The Tabernacle was for the wilderness. It was to be taken down when they moved to their designated locations in the wilderness.

It was available

It was physically approachable

It was for worship

God desired to meet with His people and dwell among them.

It was a witness

It spoke of the majesty of God

Exodus 40:33-35

And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

The Cloud and the Glory

Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

It spoke of the ministry of Jesus

John 1:14

The Word Becomes Flesh

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

“Dwelt” in Greek means “Tabernacled, or Sojourned,” and tells us that Jesus is the visible divine presence of God among man.

He is our Mediator, our Great High Priest

Hebrews 9:23-28

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

It speaks to the Mystery of the Church.

The Church was concealed in the Old Testament

Colossians 1:27

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

It speaks to the makeup of the Christian

2 Corinthians 6:16-17

And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

Therefore

“Come out from among them

And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean,

And I will receive you.”

Revelation 1:10 The Problem We Face Part 2: The Spirit and The Word

Revelation 1:10

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

I don’t think we, as modern Christians, understand just how lucky we are. This book was supposedly written around 95 or 96 AD and is considered probably one of the last books written of what we know of as canon (depending on your view).

The Apostle John is considered the writer of this book by First Century writers, as well as many modern scholars (again, depending on their views).

John had managed to outlive the other Apostles but not before he had lived through much suffering for Jesus.

Now he is on the Isle of Patmos, in the Spirit, writing down this wonderful message from Jesus.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

I was in the Spirit

This is a wonderful “place” to be. I firmly believe that John was in the same place as many prophets who had gone before him. Through the Spirit he was about to transcend time, space, and the physical dimensions that we know much like Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Phillip.

I have had the blessed opportunity and I have also been able to witness my wife’s encounters in the Spirit. It’s not something that makes you feel important though.

It is a reminder of just how much we need our Lord and Savior. It’s a reminder of how much bigger and more complex our universe is.

It’s a reminder of just how much more is going on in this world than we can see physically.

Being in the Spirit is extremely important. It is more than Godly dreams and visions backed up by Scripture.

It is having God’s guidance.

It is simply being lead by our Savior in everything we do. It is in every aspect of our lives.

I believe this is what helped the First Century Christians.

They had word of mouth, first hand accounts, Epistles, and letters but, unlike us today, they didn’t have them bound together to examine at any time.

Today, we have so many kinds of Bibles:

Study, parallel, commentary Bibles and much more.

Yet with so many options I don’t think we appreciate our blessings.

Some Christians back then would have probably given anything to be able to carry Scripture around with easy access.

They did have the Torah but not the New Covenant all together at the same time.

Many died before seeing many of the books of the Bible especially this one.

Scripture was complete after Revelation but writing continued for about 100 to 200 years after. These Christians had to deal with all of this and as far as we know, no original autographs exist from the reading, passing around, And re-reading that occurred.

They also had to contend with the rise of Gnosticism at the same time.

What kept them going?

What kept them in Christ?

The Holy Spirit!

They had the Spirit. They were in the Spirit. Not necessarily in dreams and visions but they walked with the Lord, guided by His Spirit.

We are in the same boat today in much the same way.

We have the Word readily available. We can pick it up any time we choose and we are blessed beyond belief for this.

Yet so many of us have become pampered and lazy because of this very benefit.

Some only pick the Bible up when they are leaving the house to go to Church and when they get home, it goes back on the bookshelf or the coffee table until the next service.

There are groups who call themselves Christians but who believe that the Holy Spirit has ceased to work.

Some groups think the lay person could never study the Word without a member of their clergy properly explaining it to them.

Some believe that the Spirit is only in the text.

All the while, we have various translations, some good and many bad, liberal dictionaries that change the meanings of words, and pastoral teachers who either don’t believe in the inerrancy of God’s Word, see everything as allegory, or water down the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a bunch of self-help garbage.

At the same time, we have the same Gnostic garbage re-spun, better developed, much more varied, and more inclusive than ever before.

These groups will come to you and they will use the same words as you. They will talk about God, Jesus Christ, and the Spirit but they will truly be speaking of something completely and totally different.

We must know the Word.

We must have an understanding of Who God is.

We must have an understanding of the work of the Spirit.

We must know Who Jesus Christ is in order to be saved and how we view Scripture has an effect on that.

Either every letter, every word is God-breathed, placed in there for our edification by the Holy Spirit or it is just another of many holy books that we can learn how to be a good person from.

We either are in dwelled by the living Holy Spirit of God Who teaches us His Word and how to abide in Him.

Or the Spirit has ceased to work and we must rely on an “expert” to explain everything to us.

Jesus Christ is King of King!

Lord of Lords!

Our Savior, Who died in our place, Who was raised from the dead, and Who now sets at the right hand of the Father so that we might have a place with Him.

Or Jesus is just another good teacher, example, prophet and nothing else.

Which is it for you?