Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Exodus 25:8-9
Tuesday, June 10, 2014 |
And let them make me a sanctuary;
that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the
pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even
so shall ye make it.
For our extended reading today we have selected
more verses than usual. However, I think you will benefit by reading all forty
verses of Exodus 25.
This chapter is God's instruction to Moses and the
Jewish people on how to build a "dwelling place" so that he could
"dwell among His people."
Exodus 26 actually
gives details on the "tabernacle" itself. Chapter 25 gives
the details of three pieces of furniture that will be in the Tabernacle, a
"transportable worship center," and later in the "permanent
worship center," the Temple.
These implements are the "ark," the
"table of shewbread" and the "menorah," the golden
candlestick. I hasten to remind you that each implement in the Tabernacle
and/or the Temple, the sacrificial system performed at the Temple and all the
activities of the Temple were all prophecies of the coming Messiah, Jesus
Christ.
Let me take these three implements found here in Exodus 25 and
explain that indeed they did look forward to the coming Messiah.
First, the "table of shewbread", this
implement was to hold the twelve loaves of bread, a special type of bread, that
would be made every sabbath and then this new bread would replace the week-old
bread.
By the way the priests on duty that day were
allowed to eat the older bread, that week-old bread, which they said was still
fresh. This "table of shewbread" is a picture of Jesus who said
in John 6:35 that
He was the "bread of life".
The second item, the "menorah", the
golden candlestick, would stand in the "Holy Place" in the Temple and
give light for the priestly activities inside the "Holy Place".
This “seven-branched candelabra” was fueled by
"virgin olive oil" which the priest would use to refuel the
"menorah" each day. Remember Jesus said in John 8:12, 9:5,
and 11:9 that
He was the "Light of the world".
The third implement is the most sacred of these
three implements, the "ark of the covenant". It was a rectangular box
made out of "shittim wood" and covered with pure gold.
It had four rings, one at each corner by which the
priest would transport the "ark". Inside the "ark" would be
the "tablets of the Ten Commandments," a "container of
manna" and the "budding almond rod." The "ark of the
covenant" was indeed the "mercy seat" where on Yom Kippur the
High Priest, once a year, would pour the “sacrificial blood”.
The "ark" represented the person of Jesus
Christ and His redemptive work, the shedding of His blood. It was a model of
Him to come. By the way, when you have the "real thing" you no longer
need the "model."
The Temple that Jesus Christ will build at His
Second Coming, Zechariah 6:12, will no
longer need any of these implements, because He is the Messiah, the one these
implements foreshadowed.
The Temple that will stand on the Temple Mount
during the coming Tribulation Period (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 11:1) will
have all three of these implements in it because it is a "false
temple" for a "false messiah", Antichrist.
That Tribulation Temple is ready to be built, all
preparations have been made for that Temple. The only thing that must happen
before the Tribulation Temple is erected is the Rapture of the Church, which
could happen at any moment.
Thus in light of the "any moment" Rapture
of the Church, which includes me and you, if your saved, let me say, let's keep
looking up...........it could happen today.
PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, help
me to live in light of the "any moment" Rapture of the Church, which
includes me.