Ken Garrison

The first thing that God commanded Israel once the covenant had been consummated was:

And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them… (Exodus 25:8)

Later He declared that He had brought Israel out of Egypt for this purpose (Exodus 29:45-46). Moses was given the specifications for God’s house. A free-will offering was taken to assemble the construction materials and Moses chose skilled workers to construct it. Finally, after several months of work, the house was completed. It was erected and dedicated on the first day of the first month of the second year of Israel’s journey. When it was dedicated, God’s Glory filled the tabernacle.

[Read more…] about Bible Study: Exodus 35-40

This section of the Bible continues the specifications for the tabernacle, its furnishings and the High Priest’s garments.  Last week I emphasized that the tabernacle is the first prophetic type of the church in the Bible.  This pattern is continued throughout history.  Following the tabernacle was the First Temple in Jerusalem.  That was followed by what I call the Living Temple.  The Living Temple is made up of Jesus and His church.  Finally, there is the city of New Jerusalem revealed in the book of Revelation.  In each case, these provide the place for God’s dwelling.

When we consider the reason why God chose to deliver Israel out of Egypt, there are many responses.  Some would say that God did it simply to demonstrate His power and dominance over mankind and man’s environment.  Of course, this is true.  Others might add that God did this for humanitarian reasons because Israel was suffering under the Egyptian tyranny.  This would be true also.  But what did God say was the reason?  God declared:

And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God.  “And they shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.”  (Exodus 29:45-46)

The Genesis account portrays a picture of God communing directly with man in the Garden.  Evidently, the process of redemption is God’s plan to restore this open communion with the human community.  God is preparing to come to planet earth and to dwell in the midst of mankind.  Much of Christian theology is focused on the concept that Christians, after death, go to heaven or as I call it, the “happy place where dead people go”.  This concept was introduced into early Christianity by the Gnostics.  After the death experience, a person steps out of the “space-time continuum” and stands in the presence of God.  Paul declared,

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight – we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”  (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

At the Lord return, He will step back into the “space-time continuum” and bring those who belong to Him.  As He returns the Living Temple will be established in Jerusalem in the midst of modern Israel.  We might say that God is sending Jesus and His Church back in order for God to dwell in the midst of His people just as He did when He brought Israel out of Egypt.

Rather than attempting to describe the Priest’s garments in detail, I will focus on the shoulder pieces and the breast piece.  The names of the tribes of Israel were written on these parts of the garment.  On the turban was inscribed, “Holy to the Lord”.  We would maintain that Messiah Jesus is the High Priest today.   His mind is focused on the Holiness of God.  He bears the burden of Israel on His shoulders and the tribes of Israel are always on His heart.

In the breast piece was two mysterious items called “Urim and Thummim”.  We do not know what these items were or how they were used.  However, the High Priest discerned the will of God concerning any matter by use of the “Urim and Thummim”. 

We do know that the tabernacle was highly symbolic and served as types of future things. 

The word “Urim” means lights.  “Thummim” is defined as integrity or wholeness.  In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (translation dating about 200 years before the ministry of Messiah Jesus) the Greek word “aletheia” is used for “Thummim”.   “Aletheia” means truth.  So we could say that through these two objects and their use, the High Priest received “light and truth”.   Messiah Jesus declared that,

But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  (John 4:23-24)

Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit who would lead believers into all truth (John 16:13).

Jesus could have said that “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Urim and Thummim”.

Is the Holy Spirit actively reigning in your heart?  Are you making Jesus Lord in this way?  Paul declared that,

…no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”  (1 Corinthians 12:3b)

As soon as the covenant between God and Israel was consummated, God immediately instructed Israel to build a special house that He could dwell in.

“And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them”. (Exodus 25:8)

Later God declared that He had brought Israel out of Egypt for this very purpose.

“And they shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.” (Exodus 29:46)

There are many explanations for God bringing Israel out of Egypt, but this is His explicitly stated reason. He desires to dwell in the midst of the human community on planet earth. That plan has not changed throughout the ages.  This fact has been ignored by institutional (gnostic influenced) Christianity.

The plans for the tabernacle and its implements are the first revelation of the church that we find in the Bible. Certainly, there had already been patterns revealed concerning the Messiah, but the special house foreshadows the real church (in contrast to the institutional Christianity). God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle according to the plan shown to him on the mountain.

“And you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain”. (Exodus 26:30)

How did God show a pattern to Moses? Of course, I am speculating at this point, but I believe we get a glimpse of the process by which prophecy comes about. I believe God showed Moses a vision of a future event or situation. In this case I believe that God showed him the New Creation which would be described by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 48:30-35) and later by the Apostle John (Revelation 21-22). The Most Holy Place of the tabernacle has the same configuration and purpose as the city, New Jerusalem. According to John, the city of New Jerusalem and the redeemed Church are one and the same.

“And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,…” (Revelation 21:9-10)

The city, New Jerusalem, is the dwelling place of the Holy One and the Lamb (Revelation 22:3b). In the original tabernacle, the Most Holy Place was the throne of God. The outer chamber, the Holy Place, was the throne (ministry) of the Messiah. After the death and resurrection of Messiah Jesus, the Lamb’s throne is also located within the Most Holy Place. This is the reason the veil was torn from top to bottom at the death of Messiah Jesus.

The Ark of the Covenant that was constructed for the tabernacle represents the throne of God. The Ark was a relatively small box made of wood and overlaid with gold. The top of the box was similarly constructed. As a part of the top were two golden “cherubim” (angelic figures). The top was the place of covering. Blood would be sprinkled there for the covering of sin. The Hebrew name for the top is “Hakaporet”, or the covering.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11)

One final thought from this section, the Cherubim on the either side of God’s throne were facing one another and looking downward toward (pointing to) the throne of God. The previous reference to the Cherubim was in the “garden account”.

“So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life”. (Genesis 3:24)

The former ministry of the Cherubim was to declare that man cannot approach God on his own. Now the Cherubim are declaring the one approach to God. When the tabernacle was completed, the singular approach to God would be: (a) through the camp of Israel, (b) in the Eastern Gate of the tabernacle, (c) past the bronze altar (covering for sin), (d) past the laver (cleansing), (e) in the Holy Place (ministry of Messiah) and finally, (f) into the Most Holy Place to the presence of God (the Tree of Life). This is what Jesus was declaring when He said:

“Jesus said to him, “”I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

Today the institutional church separates Jesus the Messiah from the camp of Israel. However, Messiah is an office in Israel. To fruitfully follow the Messiah today, we still need to enter through the camp of Israel. This is the significance of “Hebraic Roots”.

God spoke what we call the “Ten Commandments” in the hearing of all of Israel. The people were terrified and requested that Moses hear from God on their behalf. So, God gave the more detailed commandments to Moses who then relayed them to Israel. According to Rabbinical reckoning, there are 613 commandments. These commandments define what I will call a “Biblical lifestyle” for God’s people. 

When we consider the commandments, I propose that they fall into two basic categories: the first has to do with commandments defining relationship between God and man, the second category has to do with commandments defining relationship between man and his neighbor. In other words, the first has to do with vertical relationships while the second has to do with horizontal relationships. In a similar manner, we can consider the first five of the “Ten Commandments” are vertical while the last five are horizontal. Jesus recognized these two categories. When asked concerning the most important commandment, He answered:

“The foremost is, “HEAR O ISRAEL  THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.” “The second is this, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” There is no other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31)

It is obvious that Jesus divided the Law into vertical and horizontal components. I won’t go into detail here but only give reference the Torah II study at the Tzemach Institute for a detailed listing of the commandments and their relationship to the “Ten Commandments”.

Many Christians today have been taught that these commandments are not applicable to the Church. Their teachers maintain that Israel received the “Law” and the Church received “Grace”. The truth is that God has always set forth Law which is always moderated by Grace. There is never Law without Grace and there is never Grace without Law. The Church’s position on this subject allows itself to pick and choose which of the commandments are to be observed and which are to be ignored. For example, the pattern of tithing set forth in the Torah is maintained while Biblical festivals have been replaced by alternate ones. Certainly, there are commandments that pertain to Israel in the Land and specifically to the priesthood in the Temple. Even these commandments reveal spiritual patterns that are relevant for the Christian believer. 

Let me quickly add that neither Israel nor the Church was ever justified by their observance of the Law. Justification for Israel is by Grace as it is for Christians. When an Israeli sinned and repented, there was a revealed pattern in the Torah for atonement for the sin. He was forgiven in order to resume a fruitful life of obedience. The same is true for the Christian. 

Christian leaders by the second century began to reject the Law in order to establish an identity separate from Israel. Eventually a catholic (universal, non-national) identity was embraced which was distinct from Israel. This is almost universally accepted in Christianity today. This was never God’s plan. The Church was designed to be an anointed subgroup of Israel with a specific purpose both within Israel and in the world but with a common identity with Israel. Paul warned the early Church that if they became arrogant and envisioned themselves separate from Israel that God would cut them off. (Romans 11:17-24) 

We are living in the days of the fulfillment of more Biblical prophecy than any preceding generation. Are you, as a Christian, stubbornly holding onto a distinct catholic identity? Jesus is calling a people today who will see what He is doing in the midst of His people Israel and join Him in that work. John Kennedy once declared in Germany “Ich bin ein Berliner” in an effort to identify with the citizens there. Today, I declare that “I am an Israeli” not by birth, not even by religion but by following my Lord, even Messiah Jesus. This is one “cross” that Jesus is asking you to bear today. 

A very important revelation is included in this section of the Bible. Moses and the elders of Israel saw a manifestation of God and recorded what I will call “the God of Israel on His throne” although the throne is not specifically mentioned here.

“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:9-11)

This Scripture should be compared to the revelations recorded in Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, and Revelation 4 and 5. These Scriptures record the very rare visions of God on His throne. Whenever we approach God in worship, these visions alone provide the basis for us to envision the setting for our worship experience.