Excerpts from the Preaching of the Word of God | Senior Pastor Lucie Peralta | June 26, 2021
1. Review of the Parts of the Tabernacle
God commanded Moses to build Him a Tabernacle according to the pattern shown to him from heaven and he built it following all details and measurements according to God’s instructions.
The real sanctuary of the Lord is the covered part – the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.
2. The parts of the Tabernacle may correspond to the categories of Christians enumerated in 1 John 2:12-14
“I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one… Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you…” 1 John 2:12-14 NKJV
These categories are not necessarily according to physical age but connote the level of spiritual maturity of a person. This is a parallelism of what apostle John said in chapter 2 of 1 John.
a. Little children: know their sins are forgiven. They are depicted in the Outer Court - experiencing salvation, water baptism, baptism in the Holy Spirit.
b. Young men: the ones who have overcome the wicked one and is strong in his relationship with the Lord, and in whom the Word of God abides. These believers enter into and abide in the Holy Place. This is a greater level of maturity.
c. Fathers: a father’s heart is produced within them, and they know the Lord in a very intimate way. They have progressed on into the Holy of Holies. They know the Lord and His ways and they recognize His voice.
3. Physical Parts of the main Tabernacle or Sanctuary
This is for illustration purposes only; this should not be open but completely covered by the curtain
a. Consisted of two sections: The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies
b. Measurement: combined, 45ft long, 15ft wide, 15ft high
c. The framework consisted of 48 boards of shittim or acacia wood overlaid with gold, placed in 96 sockets of silver. These boards serve as braces to hold up the whole structure of the Tabernacle. In the Holy Place gold symbolizes divinity. Notice that in the Outer Court there is no gold, only brass or bronze, which speaks of the judgment of sin.
There were also total of 15 bars that were placed through gold rings and were attached to the boards. These were used in transporting the tabernacle from one place to another.
Most of the materials in the Holy Place are made of wood, representing the humanity of Jesus Christ, and overlaid with gold which represents God’s glory, or the deity of Jesus Christ. These show the fulfillment of the Tabernacle through Jesus Christ.
d. The roof (Ex 26:1-14)
Two kinds of curtains: (1) ten curtains of fine linen colored blue, purple and scarlet, with cherubims inwrought into the linen fabric. Cherubims are the living creatures that surround the throne of God crying out continuously, “holy, holy holy Lord God Almighty” (Rev4:8). Therefore, they speak of the literal presence of God and His holiness; (2) 11 curtains of goats’ hair.
Coverings of ram skins dyed red, which is the third layer.
Coverings of badger skins - final covering to protect the tabernacle from storms. Badgers are burrowing (making a hole or excavation in the ground) mammals
Above shows the layers of curtain covering the sanctuary
e. The door of the Holy Place. Ex 26:36-37https
- Only one entrance. A curtain hanging made of blue, purple and scarlet fine linens with embroideries. These were hung upon five pillars made of acacia wood overlaid with gold.
f. The veil Ex 26:31-33
-There was a veil hung upon four pillars that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. It is made of blue, purple and scarlet fine linen with cherubims inwrought in the linen. The four pillars are made of acacia wood overlaid with gold.
-(We will discuss more about this veil later)
4. Who can enter The Holy Place
a. God called upon the tribe of Levi (Numbers 3, Numbers 8:18-26) to assist the priests in the work in the tabernacle at the Outer Court only. They cannot enter the Holy Place. These are from the families of Gershom, Kohath, Merari. Aside from their daily tasks of assisting the priests in the Outer Court, they have also their respective assignments as regards the dismantling, transporting and re-installing of the different parts of the tabernacle when the whole camp moved from one place to another, as the cloud directed them.
b. Out of the tribe of Levi, the family of Aaron was chosen as priests with Aaron as the first High Priest. The priests, assisted by the Levites, attend to the offerings or sacrifices at the Outer Court, and they are the only ones who can enter the Holy Place, and once a year, the High Priest only can enter the Holy of Holies. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. After the death of Nadab and Abihu (due to the strange fire offered to God) only three of them were initially left to minister in the Holy Place.
c. In the New Testament, because of the death of the Lord Jesus, the tabernacle has become accessible to the followers of Jesus Christ. We have become a “royal priesthood” according to 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 20:6. But it is up to us if we want to stay at the Outer Court, or move on to a higher level of maturity and ministry into the Holy Place and even to the Holy of Holies. Refer again to 1 John 2:12-14 5.
5. The Holy Place There are three pieces of furniture inside
Lampstand or Candlestick (Lalagyan ng Ilaw)
Table of Shewbread (Mesa ng Tinapay na Handog sa Diyos)
Golden Altar of Incense (Altar na Sunugan ng Insenso)
a. The Lampstand or the Candlestick (Lalagyan ng Ilaw) Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24; 39:37
1. Location: south side of the Holy Place, opposite the Table of Shewbread
2. The Jews call this the Menora, and has become the national symbol of the Jewish state of Israel. It was a lampstand that consisted of seven olive-oil- burning lamps.
3. The lamps burned from evening to morning everyday; they were lighted by the priests at the time of the evening sacrifices, and in the morning the wicks were being trimmed.
4. The lampstand was made of one piece of solid gold, beaten into its form and shape.
"You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.” Exodus 25:31 NKJV
5. Gold speaks of divinity; this corresponds to the fact that the lampstand represents the person of the Holy Spirit Who is God, the third Person of the Godhead.
6. The lampstand had an upright shaft in the center, with three branches extending from each side, making it having seven branches in all, including the center shaft. Each branch was composed of three sets of ornamental almond buds, flowers and the fruit. The almond tree is noted as the first tree that blooms in the year.
This can speak of the progression and growth of the believer from being born again by the Spirit of God, to being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and ultimately to being anointed with the seven Spirits of the Lord.
The lampstand was made of beaten (or hammered) gold which symbolizes the necessity for Christians to be molded and beaten into the shape of the image of Christ, in order for us to be partakers of the virtues, attributes and power of the Holy Spirit.
7. The seven lamps speak of the seven Spirits of the Lord. Rev 4:5 states
“And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Revelation 4:5 NKJV
The names of the seven Spirits of the Lord which are an extension of the Holy Spirit as seen in Isaiah 11:2 are:
The first is the Spirit of the Lord typified by the middle shaft
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” Isaiah 61:1 NKJV
Seven Spirits
Spirit of the Lord (Espiritu ng Panginoong Yahweh)
Spirit of Wisdom (karunungan) - ability to make right choices
Spirit of Understanding (pang-unawa) - ability to interpret dreams and visions
Spirit of Counsel (mabuting payo) - ability to counsel people regarding directions for their life
Spirit of Might (kalakasan) - releases God’s power in the realm of the miraculous
Spirit of Knowledge (kaalaman) - reveals the past, present or future
Spirit of the Fear of the Lord (pagsunod at paggalang kay Yahweh) - conviction of the Holy Spirit and a fear of displeasing the Lord.
These are higher spiritual experiences that come as we enter the Holy Place. As we mature from the Outer Court, we encounter the seven-fold Spirit of God. 7
8. The oil for the candlestick The light of the lamp came from pure olive oil taken from beaten olives. There should be continuous supply and inflow of oil to make the lamp burn continuously.
“And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.” Exodus 27:20 NKJV
Christians should continually be anointed with fresh oil of the Spirit.
9. The lampstand provided the only light in the Holy Place. Its primary function was to illuminate the Holy Place. It shined light upon the Table of Shewbread and the Golden Altar of Incense. The Holy Spirit is very much needed in our study and meditation of the Word of God, our communion with God, our prayers, praise and worship. It is in the Holy Place where the HolySpirit will reveal more of Jesus to us, more than just our Savior and baptizer in the Spirit that we have learned at the Outer Court.
The activities in the Outer Court can be done using the natural light, but nothing can be done in the Holy Place without the light of the Lampstand, meaning the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
To summarize what we have learned today:
We have three stages in our Christian walk with God. Let us aim to move to a higher level, and not just be contented with being in the Outer Court and just doing ministry to people.
The detailed description of The Holy Place has spiritual meaning throughout.
In Christ, we are like the Levites who work for the Kingdom of God. We are like the lineage of Aaron whose priestly duties are available to us. We can enter The Holy Place and minister to the Lord there by receiving the anointing of the seven Spirits of God and move under the unction of the Spirit, knowing His ways, receiving His power etc.
Let the oil of the Spirit be afresh upon us daily, changing us unto the image of the Son of God. The Lord refines us through His Word as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.
These are the last days. We need to continue to strengthen ourselves in the Lord and what better way can we do it than by being filled and led at all times with the Holy Spirit. Let us learn how to live and move with the Spirit of God.
Acting on God’s Word
Meditate on 1John 2:12-14 and go through the categories of Christians given in No. 2. Which category do you think you belong? Pray in the spirit and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can move to a greater level of spiritual maturity.
Prayerfully go through the detailed description of the Holy Place and the furniture in No. 5. Allow the Lord to speak to you personally through its spiritual meaning and how you may apply them in your spiritual walk.
Knowing through this message that we can now enter the Holy Place to minister to the Lord there and receive the anointing that comes from the His Spirit, what must you do? How can you respond to this truth? How can you keep the oil of the Spirit afresh upon you daily? Receive your instructions from the Lord and act on it.