SIN AND SLAVERY
For those of you that have been following this blog and the posts I’ve written concerning sin and temptation, perhaps you can see some of my forethought on covering that topic before I covered this topic. The matter of obedience is much weightier than you might want to admit. Adam and Eve had full, unimpeded communion with God until the day they disobeyed. Yet there must be understanding of  this disobedience (Rebellion).

The consequence of disobedience is not so much about disobedience as it is this very important principle: “When you disobey, you make that which tempted you your god.” What do I mean by that? Said another way, when you obey the one who tempts you, you then become a follower of the tempter – even if for that one moment - and in doing so you place God’s purpose subordinate to the tempters plan. Thus, the tempter becomes your god. The Apostle Paul called this condition being a “slave to sin.”

EXPULSION FROM THE ROOMS OF MYSTERY
The eventual outcome of that entrapment is therefore called slavery. After Adam sinned, it took more than 240 years for man to call on the name of God again (Gen 4:26). The slavery of sin can become a harsh taskmaster. You can escape this slavery, but it takes moment-to-moment obedience. In the Rooms of Mystery you will get started in these basics, but it will take a while to perfect obedience to the point where obedience becomes submission.

In the Rooms of Mystery, rebellion/disobedience is cause for expulsion - back to the wilderness. Sadly, this is exactly what the Hebrew spies found out when they came back to give a bad report of why they could not go into the “promised land.” They had become slaves to fear and forty years later they got another chance.

Back to Adam and Eve for a moment. As soon as they sinned, “their eyes were opened” to knowledge and they  “knew” they were naked. This increased knowledge that Satan offered them did not give them increased power, it did not help them return to their original pre-sin form, nor did they become like God. In fact their life was worse, because they now had to live under and became a slave to the ‘god of this world’.

JUSTIFYING REBELLION

Too many times we rebel thinking that we will learn from the experience, grace will cover the experience, or even that we could not help but do it – therefore it is not my fault. There is a price for being a slave to sin, and it is very costly. In addition, each time one repeats a former sin it becomes easier to commit that sin again. At some point you will feel trapped in the sin. Eventually, the sin becomes the master and stopping seems impossible.

Before you take a look into the inside and take the first step in the journey, you would be well served to look at the composition of that which you are about to enter, because you will be dramatically impacted by each and every one. Perhaps now is a good time to resolve to live a righteous life - before you even go in.

We’ll start looking into the Rooms of Mystery in my next post.

Blessings,
John Paul

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THE SIGHT

The visual nature of the Tabernacle is pretty impressive, especially if you stop to think that it is found in the Wilderness. The white linen curtains that surround the entire Tabernacle are five cubits high (7.5 ft.). So, from some 300 feet away, when you first see the Rooms of Mystery you may wonder why would anyone want to go in there? It seems to be a normal tent except as you get closer you notice that it has very tall walls (10 cubits or 15 ft.). Yet, even at that, it does not look as aesthetically beautiful or as splendid as one would have thought.

The dark badger skins that cover it are not particularly impressive. In fact, if it were not for the height of the walls, you might think it a home for the impoverished. The size of the two rooms together is only 10 cubits x 30 cubits, about one fifth the size of the entire Tabernacle.

HIDDEN GLORY

However, as you walk toward those rooms, there is a glint that grabs your attention.  Drawing closer you see a stunning curtain and five golden pillars glinting in the Sun. Instantly your breath is lost and you receive the first hint that this place is not for those who love the mundane, it is very, very special. Had you not heard that there were two rooms under the four layers of coverings, you might suspect there was only one. Herein is understanding, the single way in which you will find the difference between the two is by entering the Sanctuary and discovering the Rooms of Mystery. Hope springs up - there is something more, something deeper, something I’ve yet to experience that will make what I’ve gone through worth it and I’ll find it in there.

Somewhere deep within you hear the faint whisper, “Wait until you see the inside - you must go inside.” In that moment you have a wisp of understanding that, like Jesus, it is not supposed to have any form or comeliness that would cause mankind to notice what it really is. You also suspect that every facet of life from this point forward begins on the inside, for indeed it does.

DESIGNED FOR YOUR GOOD

However, before you go in, it is very important to remember, each piece of furniture you encounter is there for your good. Each one is a means of aiding you, preparing you, and transforming you into a spiritual being. The closer you come to the Holy of Holies, the closer you come to being truly, purely, spiritual. Do not get discouraged  The coming wine is great.

In the Outer Court one learns of the Priestly functions – for we are all priests that are to minister before Him. But in the Rooms of Mystery, you will be taken through a process where you learn and yearn to minister to Him. In the Glory of His presence you will find little thought of you.

THE TRANSITIONS TOWARD SPIRITUALITY

In the Outer Court of the Tabernacle you learned the value of sacrifice. In the first Room of Mystery, The Holy Place, you will learn obedience; in the second Room, the Holy of Holies, you will learn submission. The fruit of the three will become the wine of praise, worship and True, Pure, Spirituality. In the moment of His Presence you forget any thought of your own wellbeing and learn to exist in Him who gives you your next breath.

I’ll write more on the Rooms of Mystery in a few of days, sooner than the last few posts. If you had not guessed, I am going to try to make the posts shorter and more often.

Blessings,
John Paul Jackson

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Weakness From Decay

As you progress the next three hundred or so feet toward the two covered rooms, which are truly Rooms of Mystery, you can’t help but think a couple of very mind grabbing thoughts.  First, we notice that we feel so much lighter than we did when we came in. The weight of the thick decay of sin is a burden we were not designed to carry. Decay, unlike muscle, will not lift a thing. Because of this, as sin causes us to decay we become weaker. What we used to lift or overcome easily, now seems quite heavy. Eventually, we atrophy so much from the decay of sin we cannot respond to even the strongest stimulus of God without it hurting to move.

Why So Far?
Second, we wonder why it is such a distance to those rooms? The answer is this - time is a healer. You see forgiveness is instant. The moment we deeply ask for forgiveness – we receive it. But, healing is different – it takes time. You might ask, “What do I need healing from?” Basically, you need healed from that which was decaying you and everything in your life that was not birthed by God. The word used for “saved” is “sozo,” which means healed from the decay of the tyrant. Jesus said of the 10 lepers that He healed, “their faith saved [sozo] them.” When you are saved, you are sozo.

Remember how you first entered the Tabernacle? Fire is an amazing destroyer of infection, the primary cause of decay. Water is a wonderful remover of that which is decayed. Decay can be killed by fire, but until it is washed off, it still stains our clothing.

Walking the distance toward the tent gives you time to reflect on the decay that no longer exists and to notice the brilliant whiteness of the robe you now wear. Some might say it is as “white as snow” and it is. Even now you are not sure whether the weight is lessened or simply that you are getting stronger from the lack of decay.

The Need for Obedience
This distance also gives you time to prepare. It took obedience to lay your life on that Brazen Altar and to wash in the Laver. It will take more than obedience to traverse the Rooms of Mystery, and yet obedience will be required more than ever. You see, in the Rooms of Mystery, no one can see you but God. No one knows whether you followed protocol, or stopped at each piece of furniture. No one knows if you applied the elements of the furniture to your life, or humbled yourself under His hand. Your friends can be fooled, and no one knows or will ever know … except God.

This is why obedience is better than sacrifice. Soon you will find that obedience launches you toward True, Pure, Deep, Spirituality. Sacrifice is found at the entrance to the Tabernacle, but obedience is required to enter the Sanctuary.

The outer court is not part of the Sanctuary. It was uncovered and called the Court of the Congregation or the Court of Meeting. The Sanctuary was covered and to be “revered” and kept Holy.

The Outer Court is all about cleansing you from the Lust of the Flesh and all that has controlled your flesh from the outside – so that it is no longer the compulsion to act that it once was. This cleansing encompasses everything from addictions to people.

As you make your way through the two rooms of the Sanctuary that are ahead, you will also learn how to conquer the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life. Those are much harder and God privately deals with you about them – that is why those rooms are covered – not for God’s sake but for yours.

Blessings,
John Paul

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I am sorry this is so long, but I could see no way to make it shorter without it losing it’s spiritual potency. Please bear with me and finish reading this post.

I previously mentioned that the Laver, as well as every piece of furniture in the Tabernacle was sprinkled with the blood. Further, each piece of furniture was to be anointed with oil, and in the case of the Brazen Laver, filled with water. This is that of which the Apostle John wrote:

The Strength of the Witness of Three

“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.” 1John 5:7-8

Here in we find a Divine Principle, God never does anything without a witness. Jesus bore witness of the Father on Earth and we are to do so as well. But, equally as important, in some strange and wonderful way – through the Holy Spirit – these three actually do bear witness of who we are and these three do so as “one.” In other words, there is perfect unity and no division as to what they are bearing witness to. We will need this “witness” to enter the rooms of Mystery that await across the court yard.

What are these three bearing witness to? First, they are a witness to all that God has done for you. But there is more, after the next two facets of the Brazen Laver, they will bear witness that you are ready for presentation to the Father and communicate to all that you are ready for the Rooms of Mystery, and you are ready to draw closer to the Living God. They do so in perfect accord – as one.

With the application of the Brazen Laver to your life, the Spirit, the Water and the Blood now bare witness of the new life you are ready to live. The only way we can live it is to live a cleansed life by daily being washed by reading the Word of God.

Looking at the water in the Laver did not make anyone clean. It may have been a means of revealing grime that needed to be removed or things that were out of place, but there was no cleaning without application of the water to the flesh.

Regeneration is the result of “procreation” by the Spirit of the Living God. At salvation we are changed into a new creation. But, just as the newborn baby needs washing off, so do we in order to be prepped for the new life we will now venture through. Water baptism is the next step in this process and represents seven matters of Heaven and Earth.

Doctrine of Water Baptism
“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

Water Baptism is a command, not an option, for those who want to live a life full of the presence and power of God. The Kingdom is, simply put, the reign of God. Water Baptism is the outward sign that the reign of God is active in your life – you no longer have to be a slave of the god of this world. It is your choice.

As Jesus said, the Kingdom begins within you. From you it will spread to others.

As you will be able to ascertain, I like Baptism by immersion, because I believe it more fully represents all that is going on in the act of Water Baptism and the initial evidence of what Water Baptism represents.

Water Baptism represents:

1.    The Divine principle that water cleanses. It is the reason God purged the Earth with water with the flood. After the floodwaters resided, there was a new Earth/creation – that is now you, you are made from the dust of this Earth.

2.    That you are buried with Jesus as you sink below the surface of the Earth. Remember, the surface of the Earth includes the surface of the water.

3.    That you are raised/resurrected with Him as you rise to break the Earth’s surface. This is the initial evidence and promise of your coming resurrection. Remember, the fact that Jesus resurrected from the dead proved He conquered Death (the curse of the fall), Sheol (hell), and the Grave (earthly laws). It proved He was the Son of God – the Creator of it all.

4.    That you, through Jesus, now have the power to overcome anything the god of this world throws at you.

5.    A sign of your new birth. The greatest evidence that a woman is about to give birth is when her water breaks. Baptism is the breaking of the water of that which has been pro-created again and a new creation is born to interact on this Earth.

6.    A sign that we now surrender. Just as the Baptizer lowers you into the darkness below the surface of the water, God takes you into darkness to raise you to new light and life. For this to happen, you have to surrender your life, your future, and your very breath to God. It is all His. We do this by spending time in the Bible, meditating upon what we read, praying to Him, listening to Him and receiving a in a very new way His power, given by the Holy Spirit.

7.    Sign of submission to discipleship - Immersion is the final deep - not shallow – it is a commitment to die to self and live for the Messiah by his power in us. To be successful in this new life we must, as a child does, learn. To learn, we need others to teach us. Thus the call to discipleship expressed in immersion means submitting to those who will mentor you and hold you accountable as you learn to live out the commandments of Yeshua. They will also teach you how to ask questions of the text of the Word so you can accurately understand and apply what is written in the Word.

Doctrine of Sanctification
Here is the final aspect of the Brazen Laver – taking all you have experienced up to this point; you learn to present your self to God as a clean vessel. When you have this concept deeply engrained within you, you will quickly notice any new spot, blemish, or wrinkle that smudges you.

As earlier stated, the Laver was sprinkled with the Oil of the Holy Spirit. Oil floats on the surface of water, thus when you break the surface, you are covered with that oil. Thus the Oil (Spirit) bears witness, the Water has born witness, and the Earth has absorbed the blood of the sacrifice now bears witness, and they do so as “one.” We now can come boldly before Him to find the Grace He extends in time of need.

You see, no ministry, not even priestly ministry was acceptable to God without cleansing. Total cleansing and a pure heart were necessary in order to minister before the Lord. Having no further defilement from walking in the mire of what we used to walk in, we now easily love Him and are humbled that He loved us before we ever thought of loving Him. Therefore, we are mandated to spend time simply opening ourselves to Him, seeking to perceive more deeply, and embrace more fully, the love God has for us which is manifest in Yeshua.

The Apostle John made a point to write that before Jesus was taken down from the Cross, His side was pierced and both blood and water came out of His side. Both of these ran down onto and into the Earth.

Thus, the Water, the Blood, and the Earth – as one - bore witness of what happened. This was conclusive proof, especially to the Jews who knew the Law, that Jesus was the Passover Lamb, the Messiah, the Savior of the word, the Son of God, and as that Lamb He took upon Himself the sin of the world. While this moment did signify the death of His flesh, it also fulfilled ancient Scripture of the Brazen Alter and the Brazen Laver.

Talk about Transformation! And lest we forget, transformation is what “Transition” is all about. You cannot transition to that you are called to do without being transformed and in that transformation being equipped to accomplish that which “Transition” is taking you toward.

In the outer Court, though you may not know it, God has you on a long leash and great grace is extended toward you. But, when you enter the Rooms of Mystery, you will find the rooms are much smaller and the leash becomes much shorter. The closer you come to the purpose for which God created you, and His purpose in you, the shorter the Leash becomes.

In the Outer Court one learns of the Priestly functions – for we are all priests that are to minister before Him. But in the Rooms of Mystery, you will be taken through a process where you learn and yearn to minister to Him.

The Principle of the Trial

Here is another principle; before each entry to a new room in the Tabernacle there is a trial or a test. That test is designed to take you to the breaking point. Why? Because only in breaking does one become capable of withstanding what they have never been able to withstand, lifting what they have never lifted, and achieve what they have never dreamt they could achieve.

Going Back
Yet, in this there is a problem, one always wants to go back to that which they were comfortable with before they got to this room and the breaking began. Egypt always looks good in the test of the moment. If you turn back, you are not instantly jettisoned from the Tabernacle, but the process does begin all over and time is lost.

So now you think you ready for the hidden protocols of presentation found in the Rooms of Mystery – we’ll see. But, for sure, from here the Rooms of Mystery are a little closer, still they are some 300 feet away – so it will take some time to get there.

The Conclusion of the Dark Night of the Wilderness
What then is the conclusion of “The Dark night of the Wilderness?” When you get to “The entrance of the Rooms of Mystery, you will look back and be able to see that you have conquered those things that used to control you from the “outside.” You have overcome the errant influence of others. You have learned how to conquer the flesh. You are stronger, more confident and ready for use.

If you choose, you must now head for something much deeper and arriving there you will need all the faith and hope you can muster as you now enter the Rooms of Mystery. That journey begins with “The Dark Night of the Soul.” Many will quit before they get started, just from looking through the curtain at the entrance to those rooms. The cost will be too much for them, the unknown will be too daunting. Many more will simply turn around and be content to spend the rest of their life wandering in the wilderness of the Outer Court never realizing the total joy, peace, contentment, and fulfillment that awaits them just beyond the veil.

Blessings,
John Paul

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We know that God who is triune or three parts, is the design for mankind being created triune as well. But, here’s a mind-bender - when you journey through the Tabernacle, you are actually journeying through an illustrated composition of how you were made in the image of God. There is actually an application of each of the seven pieces of furniture in the tabernacle to the seven organs in our body as well as the seven layers of skin we have, but that is another topic.

Right now it is more important to remember this as you walk toward the Holy of Holies, each piece of furniture you encounter is there for your good. Each one is a means of aiding you, preparing you, and transforming you into a spiritual being. The closer you come to the Holy of Holies, the closer you come to being truly, purely, spiritual.

The Holy Spirit gave the Apostle Paul the knowledge that man and the Tabernacle were parallel to each other in design (1Cor. 6:19) you are the tabernacle or temple of the Holy Spirit. If you believe this then you now have a much deeper glimpse into what it takes to become spiritual and why Paul used it to portray the spiritual life so often.

Now back to you journey - you are inside the Tabernacle and you are becoming aware that the method of proceeding through the Tabernacle is a blueprint that helps you draw close to God. In so much as God is Spirit, then to follow this path enables you to touch Pure Spirit and hence become truly spiritual. In the Tabernacle you find steps to maturation for your spiritual life or as the Apostle Peter wrote, steps to “become a partaker of the Divine Nature.”

While we keep the above in mind, we can also look at the Tabernacle itself, as designed by God, is a representation or shadow of Heavenly matters. Moses was told to build the Tabernacle according to the pattern he saw when he peered into Heaven while on Mount Sinai (EX.25). Heaven is built in the pattern of God, and the Tabernacle is the expressed pattern of Heaven on Earth. Therefore the pattern of the tabernacle parallels the pattern of man being made in the image of God. In a parallel way, they are both made in the image of God.

Perhaps this has helped you better understand what Paul wrote, “do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you …” Now, your ready for the Brazen Laver.

BRAZEN LAVER
The second piece of furniture you see, and the only other element in the entire Outer Court Yard, other than the Brazen Altar, is the Brazen Laver.

At the Brazen Laver there is one issue - we must wash everything, inside and out, by the Water of the Word. Under that covering statement there are four points emphasized: Self-recognition, Washing of Regeneration, Doctrine of Water Baptism, and Doctrine of Sanctification. Each will aid your spiritual walk.

Self-Recognition
The Laver was a great bowl or basin of water. It was made of polished brass taken from the mirror casings of the Hebrew women. When you look into the water the polished brass gives a mirror effect. In so doing, you see the filth or flesh (carnality) you need to be cleansed from and a contrite heart is the result. Some of you might worry that you see too many stains, too many wrinkles, too many experiences that are proving difficult to forget. Don’t worry about that yet, if you follow the path, the journey itself will take care of all things on the surface as well as the deeper ugly and perverse things that no one but you know.

Scripture tells us that the Word of God (Bible) is a mirror and as we look into it we see our defilement in light of his Holy nature. It also tells us, that just by reading it we are washed – inside and out; to expect to be washed that deeply without reading the Word of God, is naïve at best. I have met no one who could do it. That’s why it’s a long way to the Rooms of Mystery – washing is a daily process and some of our stains run pretty deep.

At the Brazen Altar you receive justification from your sins. But, here, at the Brazen Laver you become sanctified from self-focus and ready for presentation to God. At the Brazen Altar you are judged, but here at the Brazen Laver, you judge you. It is here you are introduced to the concept of presenting yourself to God.

Washing of Regeneration
The two primary purposes of washing are to reveal all uncleanness as seen by the mirror effect and it is to cleanse or “wash clean” everything that cannot enter the Holy of Holies, those things you see, things others see, and the things that no one sees. In many aspects the blood is the solvent that dislodges the stain and the water is what washed the blood off the hands and clothing. Here at this Laver, you rid yourself from your passions, mindsets, strongholds, and any other thing you can see as you look into the water. Later you will find that each spot, wrinkle, or blemish that is not purged will eventually exalt itself against God and all He is. Inside the Sanctuary – in the Rooms of Mystery, this can be dangerous.

In very broad terms, this earth is much like the outer court where all can come into relationship with God – if we so choose. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He ascended to the Sanctuary, which comprises two rooms, the Holy Place and the Holy of Hollies.

The water and the blood must be personally experienced and applied before we ascend any further.

I will address the other two emphasis of the Brazen Laver, which are the Doctrine of Water Baptism, and the Doctrine of Sanctification in my next post.

Blessings,
John Paul Jackson

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