Biddulph Bible Class 11 Oct. 2007

Place: Biddulph AOG.           Date: Pm Thursday, 11th October 2007.

Text: 2 Corinthians 12:2-4.   Theme: Within the veil.

Introduction:                          Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2-4.

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows, such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. How he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

          Remember the song: Within the veil?

Within the veil
I now would come
Into the Holy Place
To look upon His face
I see such beauty there
None other can compare
I worship Thee my God
Within the veil

          With this in mind, I would like tonight to look at “coming within the veil,” and seeing the true glory of God, of the Lord Jesus Christ, in all of His glory and splendour. So what is GLORY?

In other words: Brilliant radiant beauty, a state of high honour, the act of glorifying (as in worship). The act of glorifying or the state of being glorified. The worshiping of God, the manifestation of God's presence. Great beauty or splendor, of such overwhelming that it is considered powerful. Honour and valour. Worship or praise, as in glory to God.

Aunty Mattie often opens her sermons with the thought of “being caught up with the wings of imagination.” What she meant was to see with spiritual eyes things not seen of by men or women in the flesh. Tonight I want to try and take us all on a journey into the world of God’s glory. (Here I have tried with some photos).

The Book of Revelation is the book that pulls back the veil; it should be called “the Book of Unveiling;” for it reveals Jesus Christ in all of His glory. Note the words SEVEN (7 God’s perfect number) times given “He who has an ear, (and eye) let him hear (and see) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

I pray we shall all see with our spiritual eyes, but maybe some of us will see with our natural eyes His glory. To see things yet unseen by human eyes, as the Holy Spirit enlightens our vision.

Remember Moses when he came into the presence of God? When he had to cover his face because of the glory of God still shown upon him. Read also Exodus 34:34-35 “But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, and then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.”

Note, when God takes off the veil, man must put on a veil! For when we truly have a glance of the glory of God we will be changed. I believe we need to get ready, and to be in the right place, so that we can see the glory of God in our midst, for God wants to reveal His glory to us!

We keep praying for revival and a new move of God’s power, when revival comes we are going to see His glory close up in our own lives. To get ready to meet with God in this way we must truly seek His face and repent of all known sin. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Both in the Tabernacle and the Temple there was the veil that led into the Holy of Holies. Entry was forbidden to all except one, the high priest, and his access was not free: he was permitted to entry once only per year, on the Day of Atonement, when he brought the blood of the sacrificed goat to sprinkle on the lid (called the Mercy Seat) of the Ark of the Covenant.

The born again follower of Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour can enter in His Holy place daily. IF THEY DESIRE TOO! Do you long to be found in the presence of the Lord daily? Do you also want to see His glory? To be found spiritual living a holy life, that He can reveal His glory to you!

Let us read Exodus 26:33 “And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.”

Note the word “divider” between man and God! Sin must be dwelt with! We must daily confess all known sin, and seek forgiveness from God, that we maybe accepted into the veil, when God Himself pulls back the veil. Oh! To enter into the Holy of Holies, to look upon His face.

“The Veil shall be a divider between the holy place and the Holy of Holies” Exodus 26:33. The Veil was made using the four colours blue, purple, scarlet and white (of the fine linen) that correspond with the four gospels. You see these FOUR colours at the Door of the Outer Court of the Tabernacle, the Door to the Sanctuary. The Veil is the final door to pass through.

The Veil reminds us that we are excluded because “we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. However, just as the Passover lamb was slain for the redemption of the children of Israel in Egypt, and the goat was slain so that its blood could obtain God's forgiveness for the Israelites on the Day of Atonement, so Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” I Peter 2:24.

As Jesus was hanging there on the cross, God “laid on Him the iniquities (the wrongdoings) of us all” Isaiah 53:6. The final pangs of death came as Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46.

Seconds later “He cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit” Matthew 26:50. He cried “It is finished!” John 19:30. Then He died.

The effect of the death of Jesus was striking: the earth quaked, rocks were split “and the Veil in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” Matthew 27:51. “From top to bottom” indicates that God tore it, because the Veil in the Temple was 25 metres high.

Hebrews 10:19-22 shows us the way into the holy of Holies, “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.”

This is a picture to show us that it is now possible, on the basis of faith in Jesus' death for our sins, to stand in the presence of God as justified and forgiven people, Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

So before I end. We have all had our dreams and visions of Christ. I had one here in this church last year on the 1st of October 2006. It was in the 10.30 am breaking of Bread service. Pastor Alec Hilton was leading the service, and at the time of the vision Paul was leading the church in worship. I believe we were singing our third worship song which was bringing us into the presence of God.

I began to worship the Lord, like many around us, and then I felt a strong and powerful anointing. It was under this anointing that I saw a great throne in the heavens, around this throne was a great light so I could not see any other details.

Seated upon this throne was a man, which I believe was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He was dressed in a white Middle Eastern robe, a long white robe. As I looked He arose from the throne with the most beautiful and powerful smile upon His face, His face shone with light as He smiled.

Then He looked down towards the earth, as He could see us worshipping His wonderful name and person. I believe He was enjoying the worship of His people that is why He arose from His throne! I had never in my life felt so much power and closeness to God.

Also at this time I was shocked to find myself still in the church building, in the same row of seats that I was a few minutes ago. It was like awaking from a dream. I did not expect to be in the same place, but in heaven itself.

This verse came to me, from 2 Corinthians 12:2 “I know a man … whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows, such a one was caught up to the third heaven.” I had become like that man (Paul), a man caught up into the third heaven and I had seen a wonderful sight.

CONCLUSION:

          Do you desire to come into the presence of God? Do you desire to see His glory? Well we need to get right with God, by dealing with all known sin, and seeking His face, till the Lord is willing to show us His glory.

Within the veil
I now would come
Into the Holy Place
To look upon His face
I see such beauty there
None other can compare
I worship Thee my God
Within the veil