The subject we are looking at now - the tavnith of the heavenly Mishkan or Tabernacle as reflected in its shadow, the earthly Mishkan (Tabernacle) given through Moses -- is so huge that a discussion could fill a whole book and take us a year at least to get through. My task is to present a very condensed overview for the short period that is left to us this Sukkot which is all about the First Resurrection Millennial world of the 100'ers (or 144,000 families) to come. What I have done today is constructed a table for you (which you received some hours ago to give you time to look over them) with about 30 items which themselves have had to be condensed. My purpose is to pick out just a few of these for discussion today. So if you would like to get your sheets out we shall be running through some of the items.

One of the consistent experiences I have had in preparing these studies for you has been related to my illness which, though it has improved over the days of Conference, has been painfully slow. After yesterday's sermon I had to go back to my bed, as you know. I have noticed that each time I have turned to the Davar (Word), which is Emet (Truth) and Chayim (Life), I have experienced a strengthening and enablement to prepare just what I needed for you, and no more. This is a part of my growing testimony of the power of Yah's Davar (Word). One of the disciplines the Firstborn must learn is moment-by-moment submission to our Heavenly Father which also requires moment-by-moment listening. To do this requires attunement to the higher spiritual dimension, something I have to admit I do not find easy always. One thing this illness has done for me has forced the flesh to be quiet (of necessity, for recovery's sake) so that I can acquire more of this heavenly habit.

So without further ado, let's plunge into our study.

Today we are seeking to understand the meaning behind scriptural facts, that soft spiritual inner core of Emet (Truth) discerned only by emunah (faith). On the first day of Sukkot I challenged you to discover what you could from the layout of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and one of our readers wrote back and said:

"I read your devotional and your challenge to all about describing the tabernacle and what each component represents. The description is quite lengthy covering Exodus chapters 25, 26 & 27. Chapter 25 is basically the Holy of Holies where God is made visible above the Mercy Seat (Throne of God) which contain God's testimony (God's laws) which is what mankind shall be judged by and should live by. Chapter 26 would be the Holy Place outside the Holy of Holies followed by Chapter 27 the courtyard. In essence the 3 orders of resurrections: i.e. Sun, Moon & Stars. The full description of every component within these 3 places would take up far more space than can be alloted. I hope I haven't condensed this too much and missed the point. But this is what I got out of it."

The fact that the courtyard is uncovered ought to be the first clue as to what it symbolises (#16). Here the Brazen Laver (#17) was stationed which symbolised the refining fires of hell as expounded in a three-part series of key sermons entited: The Fire of Yahweh. Also in this area was the Brazen Alter of Sacrifice. This is the third degree of Yahweh's Kingdom, the outermost part, if you like, requiring entrance though a narrow gate marked green in the diagram. Those who occupy this final 'space' in the Kingdom are those who were uncovered by Yahweh's Sukkah because they rejected Messiah when in mortality. Therefore they are exposed to the fiery heat of the noon day, which is, in this instance, a type of hell. But just as the sun does not remain overhead but sinks beneath the horizon, so is the state of those who belong to this place. It is a double symbolism for it both represents the fact that hell is not eternal (since the sun sets) as well as symbolising the cycles and rhythms of constant change belonging to mortality. They remain in this remote area for eternity after they have been redeemed by grace from hell because of Yahweh's Cosmic Jubilee principle. You will also find this explained in depth in The Fire of Yahweh.

The world inside the Mishkan is an entitely different reality to the one in the courtyard. It is covered, for one thing. It is a Sukkah, the covering which is the Blood of Messiah for those willing to trust Him and enter into Kis Kingdom. Passing through the Tabernacle Door, marked blue (#15), you come inside the Holy Place where there is a constantly burning Menorah or seven-armed candlearbre (#12). This is the Light of Messiah Yah'shua (Jesus) as this is His Set-Apart Chamber. The Menorah symbolises the Seven Ruachim (Spirits) which we don't have time to go into today - there are volumes of writings on this subject on our website. Also in the Holy Place was the Table of Shewbread (#13) to represent Yah'shua (Jesus) as the Bread of Life. That is the diet of those who live in this Chamber. Also in the Holy Place was an Altar of Incense (#14) representing the prayers and worship of blood-covered believers.

The dimensions of the Holy Place, 10x10x20 cubits or 2,000 cubic cubits is a code telling us that the Messianic Age lasts 2,000 years (#23). We are nearly at the end of it right now. Likewise, the dimensions of the Holy of Holies, 10x10x10 cubits or 1,000 cubic cubits is another code telling us the length of the Millennium, namely, 1,000 years (#24). The Holy of Holies is a perfect cube and is also lit like the Holy Place, only this light is entirely supernatural, coming from the Mercy Seat directly from Yahweh Himself (#10). In this room there is only the Higher Dimension, the Higher Reality, the Higher Chayim (Life). This is where the Ultimate Reality and our Shadow world meet and unite. It is the source of all Power, Glory and Resurrection.

After yesterday's meeting we had an interesting discussion about the City of Elohim (God), the New Jerusalem, and noted that it too is a cube, just like the Holy of Holies in the Mishkan. It's dimensions are so vast that were it to be a physical representation the top of it would project into outer space like some giant flattened nose and make the earth 'top heavy', as it were. Those who try to visualise the New Jeruslalem as it shall be on the Millennial Earth make the fundamental mistake of assuming that Heavenly Dimensions are the same as earthly ones.

I tried to explain to you a couple of days ago that the Ultimate Reality or spiritual world above is considerably 'larger' than our own physical one, and that our own spirit is considerably larger than the physical body it inhabits. It may take a bit of getting used to that kind of mind-wrap but it's a reality that we must understand. Likewise, the spiritual New Jerusalem is much larger than its physical dimensions. By what order of magnitude I cannot say, other than to state that it will fit quite comfortably in the Holy Land, with its centre being where the the soon-to-be wiped out dirt city of Hagar (Jerusalem) stands (and for which so many have needlessly shed blood and life and invested so much hope and tears), and not stick out of the earth's atmosphere like some ugly wart! The little cuboidal space in the Mishkan does, after all, symbolise the whole of Yahweh's Universe! And yet it's the smallest space in the whole Mishkan area. Why? Because it isn't represting spiritual dimensions as we understand the word 'dimension' here but other things such as the fewness of those who inherit the first resurrection as well as simultaneously representing the duration of time of the earthly millennium.

Tomorrow we will look at some more of these things in a little more depth.

Acknowledgements

[1] Table adapted, modified and expanded from Kevin J.Conner & W.W.Patterson, The Taberbacle of Moses and David, The Temple of Solomon and the Church in Kevin J. Conner, The Temple of Solomon (Bible Temple Publishing, Portland, Oregon: 1988), p.243

Recommended Reading

[1] Dr. Alex W. Ness, Pattern for Living: The Tabernacle, Priesthood, Offerings and Feasts (Christian Centre Publications, Downsview, Ontario, Canada: 1979)