The Tabernacle, Body Soul & Spirit Part 1

Who we truly are

Were made up of 3 distinct parts

Tripartite nature of human beings

Made in Gods image(Father, Son, Holy Spirit) the heavens have 3 parts as well

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:1–2 NIV

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.

The Tabernacle & the temple are of 3 distinct parts but all had their roles to bring people, especially the priests of the old covenant into the presence of God.

The Temple now in the New covenant are believers

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NKJV

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NKJV

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

The Tabernacle and temple is a shadow and type of the inner workings of the believer, the 3 distinct parts of us.

Spirit, Soul & Body.

It also lays out inspired patterns that illustrate the deepest truths of the Christian experience with the inclusion of the Old covenant priesthood.

In The New covenant the believer is the new priesthood

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Revelation 1:6 NKJV

and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We who are in Christ have direct access to God because the veil of separation has been torn/opened to us

Matthew 27:51 NKJV

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

The veil being split from top to bottom shows that it was Gods doing not man’s. Man would've ripped it form the bottom to the top.

This tearing of the veil was a representation of all people having access to God now only through Jesus Christ. Not Just the Old Testament High Priest once a year.

This curtain or veil separated the Holy place from the Holies of holies

A shadow and type of the soul & the spirit of the human being or believer.

The tabernacle and temple had 3 distinct parts that symbolized something of great importance that we can understand about our approach to God & our growth in Him.

Hebrews 10:19–22 NKJV

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

As we approach God

We enter through the east gate

Into The outer court

The Outer court

The Outer Court symbolized the body,

Notice, first of all, that the area that belongs to God is completely separated from the area of the people of this world.

There is a complete line of separation. This is the Outer Court

The measurements of the outer court was 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide—a rectangle. The curtains were made of fine linen, which symbolized purity and righteousness.

The curtains were 5 cubits high (which is 7 and a half feet approximately). No one of normal height could look over.

You either had to be in or out. If you weren’t in, you didn’t know what was inside. There was only one way in, & that was through the eastern gate.

This had four posts and a veil that you had to go through, a curtain. This was beautifully embroidered with cherubim and other beautiful things.

Were not going to look in-depth at the designs of the curtains but these curtains with cherubim (angelic beings) always were guardians of the throne of God.

Were going to take a look at the the metals located in the outer court.

Every kind of metallic material located in the temple/ Tabernacle structure represented something of spiritual application.

The first kinds of metal and furniture we discover when where in the outer court is brass.

Brass typifies God’s examination and judgment on anything that is not in line with His standards.

When you come in through the east gate you’re immediately confronted by this tremendous altar of brass where the animals were offered & sacrificed.

This brass altar which was 5 cubits square, 7 and a half feet each way was hard to avoid and not notice.

This brazen altar which is what it is called in scripture— is a type of the cross—and everything in it was made of brass. It speaks of God’s judgment upon sin.

Lets consider certain things that were dealt with at the cross.

First of all, guilt: condemnation for past sins. Jesus paid the penalty due for all our past sins.

Secondly, the power of sin itself was dealt with. Jesus put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Thirdly, the old rebellious nature of man, the Adamic nature was crucified. The rebel was dealt with.(Not rehabilitation but death to the old man adamic man)

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Romans 6:6 NKJV

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

4. Fourthly, the brazen altar became the place of the burnt offering, which is the place of total dedication to God.

Romans 12:1 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Peter 2:5 NKJV

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:15–16 NKJV

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

So, when you come in through the door of the Tabernacle & confront the brazen altar we have the assurance of the forgiveness of past sins.

Secondly, we are liberated from the dominating power of sin in our lives.

Romans 6:7 NKJV

For he who has died has been freed from sin.

1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Thirdly, the old rebel is put to death. When those three things have been done with, then we present ourselves a living sacrifice, we become the burnt offering totally consumed by dedication to God and to His will.

Mark 9:49–50 NKJV

“For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

That burnt offering in the old testament was always presented with salt.

Leviticus 2:13 NKJV

And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Salt symbolizes the preservation of God’s Truth: Just as salt preserves food from decay, believers are called to preserve Godly values and truth which is found in the Word of God in a decaying world

Matthew 5:13 NKJV

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

The fires that believers as the sacrifice on the altar are subject too

Refinement to be made purified.

1 Peter 1:7 NKJV

that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

Isaiah 48:10 NKJV

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Proverbs 17:3 NKJV

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.

Fire of the Spirit & Gods Word which produces zeal

Acts 2:3–4 NKJV

Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Luke 3:16 NKJV

John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

2 Timothy 1:6–7 NLT

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Jeremiah 20:9 NKJV

Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.

As you understand this revelation of the sacrifice at the brass altar when you first walk into the tabernacle more and more i believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes upon us much easier because we are dead to self and alive to Gods agenda in our lives.

The Brass Altar (what it symbolized)

A type of the cross

Past sins dealt with

The power of sin dealt with

The old nature of Adam that were born with put to death

The brazen altar becomes the place of the burnt offering, which is the place of total dedication to God.

Remember were still not into the Holy place which deals with our soul life, the place where no human being can see with natural eyes in within ourselves

in the Outer court we still have another piece of furniture we must engage after the brazen altar

The Brass laver

A laver is a thing containing water for sacrificial washing for cleansing.

The laver was made of brass.

The brass was taken from the brazen mirrors of the women of Israel. The laver typifies the Word of God.

Exodus 38:8 NKJV

He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Gods word is a mirror.

James 1:23–24 NKJV

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

The bronze laver was made up of mirrors that symbolized Gods word reflecting our inward nature and appearance.

The laver also contained water, water is a cleansing agent in scripture

Ephesians 5:25–27 NKJV

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Even Jesus washed the feet of His own disciples with water.

John 13:6–10 NKJV

Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

Water was always used to signify a cleansing agent in regards to spiritual things.

Now lets review the order you're walking into the tabernacle and the first thing you see is that brass altar, what they called the brazen altar

It Signified the atoning work of Christ and everything it encompasses(for review look back)

Now after that altar your going to have to wash in the laver

The bronze mirrors it was made of signifies the reflection it gave off as Gods word revealing our true inward nature

The Water it contained is also Gods word as a cleansing agent for the believer.

The Brass altar where the offerings, sacrifices and that atoning of sin was made, and the Brass laver made of mirrors containing water are both essential to being a people without spot, wrinkle or blemish. Holy set apart for God.

You couldn't skip over or pass by either the Brass altar or Brass laver on your way into the tabernacle without engaging both items in the outer court of the tabernacle

God has placed them both there inside the entrance because you had to engage both of them there.

Main points

Most Christians stay in this area without truly going into the Holy place and even the Holiest of Holies.

We don't appropriate the finish work on the cross daily

We don't deal with that part in us that wants to come off of the altar (Our agenda or God’s agenda)

We cant faint when the fires of testing and affliction are upon us or areas of our lives(People do)

Lets not neglect the cleansing of Gods word as it reflects the true inward nature of the believer as we are being washed and set apart for God

My goal this morning is too motivate you that you would want to get in into the holiest place

You're the only one that knows where you're at, at this juncture of your spiritual walk.

See there is always a fight with the natural man and the spiritual man.

The flesh wars against the spirit, the spirit wars against the flesh

See The Outer court was a place that only had natural light, light is a form of illumination.

The Holy place which passed the first veil had light only through the lampstand on the inside. (Next week were going to see what the lampstand symbolizes for us as believers)

Natural light, which can also be understood as natural illumination represents the kind of intellectual wisdom usually not grounded or rooted in the Spirit of God.

Natural understanding or illumination usually comes with life experiences, & things in our subconscious that we've seen or heard.

Natural perspectives or points of view that are founded on Education, academia & intellect can fall into the category of natural illumination.

God isn't against education or someone who is highly intellectual but that isn't how we receive revelation from The Lord. We must come by the prescribed order to receive revelation from God

That prescribed order is fellowship, worship then revelation.

As for today’s message and journey into the tabernacle which is us, the outer court brings us into fellowship with God preparing to take us into true worship which is the soul and that is represented as the Holy place.