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Tabernacles Part 2
Tabernacles
can be seen in the Old Testament through various types and shadows. Every type
and shadow does not completely follow through simply because the type and shadow
is a real person or event. However, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10 and Romans
15:4 that these things were written down for our example. The word translated
“example” means “type” or “shadow” coming from the Greek word tupos.
As one looks at the Old Testament from this frame of reference, the Old
Testament comes alive with vibrant meaning, pregnant with possibilities.
King David was a man who had many failures in the flesh - his sons for
one. David was more concerned about the kingdom and enlarging it, which was the
call of God, than he was about the raising of his sons in the ways of the Lord.
Of course, the customs and culture of the time left much to be desired in this
area. Each of his sons was filled with an ego, which created problems. David
handled those domestic issues just as he handled the struggles with the external
political issues.
Finally, after struggles within and without, David had peace in his
kingdom. It was at this point he decided to do something different, something
new, something that was not done before in the time of Israel. He wanted to
build a temple for God because of the love he had for God. Yet, he was unable.
He was a man of war (1 Chronicles 28:3). The war is in the realm of Pentecost.
The struggle is the Law against the Spirit, good/evil verses the tree of life.
Let us consider the warring for a moment. David produced sons. Spiritually, we produce what we sow also. And what we produce is seen within us. If we sow to the flesh we reap into our life the results of that. If we sow to the Spirit we reap the results of that. David had many wives. In his sowing, he came into union with some who did not worship the same God as he did. The result of that union produced a child, which could become through a change of nature an inheritor of his kingdom, or if there was no change of nature, the possibility was not there. Yet, if David sowed with the God-called woman at the right time, there would not have to be a changed nature in the child in order for it to become a king.
It is imperative for the saint, who is walking with God and wishes to
enter into Tabernacles, to have the nature of God also. Before he could enter
into Tabernacles, David had to remove all of his sons, except the final one. You
and I must also do the same. We must remove all that we produced in the flesh.
When David looked on Bathsheba, he looked at the woman God wanted him to have.
His desire was righteous in that sense. But instead of waiting on God to provide
Bathsheba, he acted carnally. The child he produced died because it was a child
of self-effort. The child was a product of a righteous man in the eyes of the
Lord, but an uncrucified man in that the flesh overrode the Spirit and God had
to judge that.
Let me repeat that. The child was a product of a righteous man in the
eyes of the Lord, but an uncrucified man in that the flesh overrode the Spirit
and God had to judge that. The Tabernacle experience is two-fold. First you must
recognize your place in God (in Christ) and second you must be crucified to the
flesh (Leviticus 23:29,30,32). How
much crucifixion? Consider Joseph. Joseph went from the Father's favorite: down
the well, sold down to the Ismaelites, sold down to the Egyptians,
sold down to slavery, sold down to the Egyptian jail, sold down
to the King's jail with no remembrance of who he was. How far down is
that? How much crucifixion is that? Enough to do its accomplished purpose. All
this happened to Joseph not because of his sin (he was called of God); all this
happened so that he could be a deliverer of Israel, for God meant it for life
(Genesis 45:5). As Joseph was a type of Christ, we find Jesus did the same, and
we are to follow in Jesus' footsteps. This
type of crucifixion is such that it is different than suffering for a sin nature
and the lusts thereof. I hear of saints who see the deeper Word of God
committing adultery on the natural plane. This lust of the flesh is a lack of
understanding of God's Word and at the same time living in the old nature that
was put to death when Christ was accepted. Failure to appropriate God to walk in
the newness of life causes the old to come alive. We overcome temptation by
remaining in His nature - even as Jesus did the same in Matthew 4.
He defeated Satan by remaining in the nature of the Father which He had.
We overcome the first death realm by salvation. The
second crucifixion we are dealing with is our identity with Christ. Some have
said the Day of Atonement is the same as Salvation. It is not. For Passover, as
great as it is and I rejoice daily in my God for that, is not Tabernacles, which
the day of Atonement leads to. The Day of Atonement is the identification with
Christ. A time to offer yourself as Christ, to a needy world. This is a
different type of crucifixion. But
let us go on. Abraham had the same problem as David. He had the call of God to
produce the righteous seed. He was the right man with the right seed who
selected the wrong woman and the wrong time. David had the right woman, the
right seed but the wrong time. Onan, another called upon by the Lord, had the
right time, the right seed, the right woman, but pulled away and God killed him
in judgment.
The man, David (Abraham, etc) represents the spirit. The Spirit can
always produce life. The question is: What
plane will it produce life on? The woman represents the soul, the mind, the will
and emotions. If the Spirit places the seed in Eve it produces death, but if the
seed is placed in the mind of Christ it will produce life, if the timing is
right. Bathsheba's first child
with David was not the right timing. She was not ready. There were still things
to be dealt with in order to mature and prepare her. She had to leave her first
husband, Uriah. Uriah represents the law, for he did whatever the king would ask
him to do. For David to remove him was wrong because it shows his uncrucified
life was still resident - Eve. He should have left it in God's hands and
concentrated on maturing in Christ (i.e. allowing the crucified life to work in
him). The child produced with a soul that still thinks of the Law, will be
stillborn. It cannot be a product of life/grace. David and Bathsheba were judged
under the Law even though they were called to produce the righteous seed. They
were judged under the Law because they were not acting in the life realm by
crucifying the desires of the flesh and walking after the Spirit. The vision of
a relationship that they had was right, but patience was a virtue not developed
in them. God's mercy/grace still
allows a person to enter in, but at a price that would not be required if
carnality were crucified.
As a side point, let me explain about Joyce and me. I met Joyce in
college. She was a freshman, a first year student, and I was a junior, a third
year student. I knew when I saw her that she would be my wife. I was already
saved and filled with the Spirit but this Lutheran lady had neither experience
at the time. I knew the Scriptures that stated we must walk together. So I
waited…waited for her to get saved and filled with the Spirit…waited until
God told her that I was to be her husband. This took almost 3 years. As a young
man full of vigor, it was a difficult time. But I knew that obeying the
principles of God was worth waiting for. Now in the year of 2,000 we are married
29 years. I did not want a David experience. And it must be so in the spiritual
realm as well as the natural realm. Integrity, honesty, righteousness before God
is required to be a son of the Most High.
It is important to know that God will not allow any unrighteousness in
any realm - spirit, soul or body to be a part of Tabernacles. Anyone who thinks
otherwise is deceiving himself. Some have told me that God is sovereign, and
that if infidelity is occurring in a marriage, that it is truly God's fault. Not
so! Others have told me that because they are called and walking in Grace that
such an indiscretion is not accountable. Not so! I told all parties concerned
that they do not know God. Obviously, this offended them. But they needed to be
offended. For their action is not sonship. Jesus produced fruit of the nature of
God. If we are in Christ, then we produce the same nature, which would glorify
the Father and not dishonor or discredit the Father. I am firmly convinced that
the whole Bible is a story about marriage. From Genesis 1:1 on, it is about a
relationship revealed by God wanting to marry Israel, creating Eve for Adam out
of Adam, so that Adam would understand how he was created out of God and the
relationship God wanted.
Tabernacles is about marriage. It is about the right woman (soul)
and man (spirit) coming into union to produce a whole new order.
The word Tabernacle comes from a root word meaning to dwell in,
settle down in, rest in. Jesus settled down in, rested in Who He was. He
accepted His place in God and then walked in it second naturedly, that is,
without thinking about being Jesus. When you come to the true Tabernacles
experience, you are at rest in Him, in His nature, character and can do nothing
outside of His character! Why?
Because the old character is gone. Like Joseph, you are in the preparation
stage, a stage that leads you down the path of crucifixion for the sake of the
brethren. Paul even stated that he walked the same path (1 Corinthians 15:31, 2
Corinthians 4:10). Tabernacles is a
time of afflicting the soul. That time is today for you and me because we only
have this time in this physical body to reveal the glory of God. Beware False Tabernacles
When Israel was divided at the time of the death of Solomon, Jeroboam
returned from Egypt and established the Northern kingdom, known as Israel.
Rehoboam, through a prophetic word made years before, fulfilled it by listening
to bad counsel. The kingdom divided, and Rehoboam kept Judah, which included
Levi and Benjamin. So the two kingdoms were established.
But Jeroboam whose name means “contention” fulfilled his call.
Realizing that the people wanted to go down to Jerusalem yet and worship,
because it was the right thing to do, Jeroboam needed to develop allegiance to
his kingdom. He instituted a religious realm, which kept the people in Israel
and kept them from going to the real spiritual place - Jerusalem. He created a
whole new order that was very similar to the true spiritual order.
We, the people of God, we Christians are to discern the times. When one
enters into union with God (Tabernacles), which is a time of peace (Solomon
means “peace”) it is a precious time, for there is no more warring. This
time provides for study, worship, just being in Him. Yet, there is a concern
that we must be aware of. Jeroboam is in the wings. Joseph went to Egypt and
saved Israel. Jesus went to Egypt and then returned and delivered the people.
The false leader, the Law, is in the wings of Egypt. He seeks to come forth and
establish a false order.
Jeroboam divided the kingdom. Spirit and soul married together can be
divided easily, even as a husband and wife can, if a little legalistic thought
becomes the wedge. Grace maintains
and enhances a marriage causing it to bloom with life. But the attitude of
“you did this so I can do this” or “you did that, therefore I am mad at
you” are the legalistic bugs of self-righteousness of the carnal nature that
will destroy a marriage. The same occurs in the realm of the spirit.
So the king consulted
and made two golden calves and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go
up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land
of Egypt"
(1 Kings 12:28). First let us note that the king consulted. Whom did he consult?
First Kings 14:33 states that he consulted priests. But the real priests were in
Jerusalem. What priests did he consult, because he would not consult the
righteous ones? He made anyone a priest that wanted to be one. Then he consulted
them. These people had no calling, no training, and were not really spiritual.
Besides that they owed their allegiance and position to the king.
Many think because they hear the word of sonship that they are sons. Not
so. Jesse Brooks stated something that was quite powerful. It applies to false
tabernacles. Consider two words: “knowledge” and “being.”
Knowledge means the knowing of facts about the faith. Being means
residing in the nature of who you are in Christ. With this in mind, consider the
following. "If knowledge gets ahead of being - we know a lot and can't do
anything. If on the other hand, being is ahead of knowledge, we could do a lot,
but don't have the knowledge to do it." Either one produces death. It is
the very point of false tabernacles. If you hear the word of sonship, and your
life is not crucified to the lusts of the flesh, you will not be able to birth
Christ in your life for the world to see. You are in false tabernacles.
Like Jeroboam proclaims: It
is too much for you
to give up the flesh. It is too much for you to travel many days journey to
Jerusalem. It costs too much in time, money, effort and convenience.
The priests Jeroboam consulted with agreed in making the people have an
easy time (time of ease in Zion?) to worship. Let's build golden calves - false
images, vain imaginations for the people. Tell them they are “okay” and can
do what they will for they are in Christ because they have full liberty. Such
was the counsel of false tabernacles.
The fruit of it is seen readily. People proclaiming they are sons of God
(Romans 8:19-20, Revelation 21:7) when in their proclaiming they deny the very
truth of it. Or there are others who have titles, dominions, kingdoms, and think
that they are sons. Then there are others who literally and spiritually are
fornicators, adulterers, etc. All of these may be called to Tabernacles and in
due time will enter in but only after these things are removed. Have they
listened to the counsel of Jeroboam? Consider carefully yourself and be not
deceived for God is not mocked. Examine yourself and see whether you be in the
faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Jeroboam was not done even yet. In verse 32 he institutes a false feast
of tabernacles. He did it on the eighth month instead of the seventh. He made it
like the feast of Judah,
and he carried it out in two locations in Israel so that the people didn't
partake of the real feast in Jerusalem. He established it in Bethel and Dan.
Bethel means “house of God” and Dan comes from the root word contend
but is commonly translated “judge.” Do you see what is going on? He has
people gather together, even as the feast of Tabernacles does and allows them to
“judge,” which is under the law rather than grace. He encourages them to
believe that the feast time is a time when we can judge. This is the direct
antithesis of Jesus who came into the world not to condemn (judge) the world but
to give it life (John 3:17).
He had people meeting - fellows of the faith, brethren. The meeting had
the appearance of a true meeting. But not all meetings are true meetings.
Now
this things became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one at Dan. Why
does it say Dan and not Bethel? They went and worshipped after the order of
“doing things” for God rather than “being” in God.
They went in their knowledge of God ahead of their being in God. The
spirit of the saints (so to speak) became married to the flesh plane fulfillment
of the vision and did not wait on God. Verse
31 continues that Jeroboam made priests of the people who were not sons of Levi
(called ones) and had them build houses (booths) on high places. Paul wrote in
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an
apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man but through Jesus
Christ and God the Father." It should read without a religious
bias: Paul, a divinely sent messenger. (Even in the American
Standard like the KJV there is still some bias.)
But the point is that Paul was sent by God and not appointed. Paul was
directed by God and not some self-appointment. Jeroboam deceived many who should
have had discernment. How could he deceive? Easily! People did not have a
crucified life! I
have a saying that goes like this: "Remain in and on the cross and you walk
in grace. Come off of the cross and you live under the Law." Following the
false creates a legalistic nightmare. A crucified life gives discernment. The
strength of God is seen on the cross, because the resurrection followed. Then
Jeroboam on the fifteenth day of the eighth month offers up incense to God
(verse 33). He was rebuked by a
prophet of the Lord. His hand withered when he tried to stay the work of the
prophet. The hand ministry, if done in the flesh (five fold ministry - apostle,
prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) brings death not life. It cannot stand
before the presence of the Lord as a true prophet. When the Northern Kingdom (Israel) was carried away into captivity, the people were uprooted and moved to Babylon. In Israel’s place Babylon inhabited their land with other people. This gave the kingdom of Babylon control better because the people were in unfamiliar land and would have to depend on the government. Nevertheless, Ezra 9:2 states that some had taken wives and had intermingled the holy seed with the people of the land. The book goes on to state that the sons were convicted in spirit and separated themselves from the women. Ezra
9:8 reveals that God showed grace. This is the work of Tabernacles. For
Ezra had humbled himself (even as Leviticus 23 speaks of Tabernacles as a time
of humbling oneself). He removed
his garment of the old nature, and with the robe of his identity with Christ he
willingly made a sacrifice. He pulled out his hair, which is a type of the crown
of thorns and removed his beard as a sign of the shaving of a Nazarite coming
off his purity time for a sacrifice. He interceded for the false things going
on. Beloved
friends. It is time that we intercede so that the true Tabernacles begins to
come forth and that many will not be ensnared by false new age concepts -
concepts in the strength of the fallen adamic nature that establishes a false
Tabernacles. Or as Watchman Nee's Latent Power of the Soul states:
"Yet this does not happen in Christianity alone. The Babylonians, the
Arabs, the Buddhists, the Taoists, and the Hindus all try in their own
respective way to release the power which Adam has left to our soul." In many respects Ezekiel is the Old Testament version of the book of Revelation. And as many of you, our readers know, we believe profoundly and exclaim from the mountain top that the book of Revelation is an internal book going on in the believer. As a side note we wrote our book as a series back in 1978. When we proclaimed that Revelation was an internal experience, of which we could preach on for days, it was not well received. But today in 2000, it is an accepted norm. We praise God for those who have experienced the victorious workings of the book of Revelation within them. Ezekiel
declares in 13:5: You have not gone up into the breaches nor did you build
the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the Day of the
Lord. What we should learn is that we are the repairers of the
breach (Isaiah 58:12) - those who build up the tabernacle of others who have not
the ability to finish it. The Day of the Lord is not a time - it is a people.
Jesus was the Day of the Lord made manifest in the flesh. The Day of the Lord is
the revelation of the Lord seen in the flesh. Jesus was the firstborn of many
who will manifest Him in their flesh. We are to intercede so that the false
Tabernacles does not snare anyone. Rather than say: "Oh, isn't it bad that
such and such happened to so and so" let us proclaim liberty into each
person so that the Life of God will manifest.
Gather My godly ones to
Me. Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice
(Ps.50:5). These are the saints who have not only recognized that they are dead
to the world through Christ (Romans 6:6) but also now are fulfilling Romans 12:2
by offering up themselves as Christ in order that the world might be saved. Gather
means “a coming together.” It is a time of Tabernacles, a time of
engathering. Ezekiel 37 talks about
the valley of dry bones. Dry bones are dead bones. There is no marrow or life in
them. I have seen dried bleached bones in a desert. They are lifeless. Well,
glory! It is only when the bones are dead to the natural earthly and carnal
plane that they are ready to be used! It is then that God can build the man,
greater than the golden man of Ophir (Isaiah 13:12). The feast of Tabernacles is
a time to reveal life since the old creation is dead. It is a time to be used. Note
the verse states that God has godly ones. He has those who do have His
nature - those who do not commit sins of the flesh or of the soul because they
have afflicted their souls (Leviticus 23:28-33). There is a people, a hidden
people (hidden in the physical body they walk in) who are godly in nature, but
that the world cannot see since the world looks with the jaundiced eye of the
natural man. These same people have made a covenant with God "by sacrifice." What does that mean? It means that these people have agreed with God, come into agreement with His principles, goals, and desires. It means that they have decided to follow Jesus all the way - even to offer themselves up as a pleasing aroma to God, a sacrifice for the sake of the world. True sons don't hide away but are out in the open giving life in all situations even though it crucifies them in the process. True sons are not waiting for a bodily change to do something for God - that is a carnal religious deception. True sons know in Whom they live and move and have their being. True sons seek out opportunities to testify of Him - not door knocking as we were taught in religious circles - but true opportunities just to inject some life into someone. This is Christcentric ministry.
Ezekiel chapters 8-9 discuss the false Tabernacles going on in the
temple. Of course, it was a literal scene but there is a great spiritual
counterpart. There is no way that Ezekiel would know what was going on in the
natural if God had not revealed it to him. By the same token, Ezekiel is writing
this book based upon a spiritual revelation. In other words, He saw the
spiritual significance before he saw the natural fulfillment! The book, the
words of this letter were spiritual first and then placed down in written form.
We see the letter of it and must extrapolate in reverse to find the spiritual
meaning.
The
first of three corruptions seen in the temple was each man worshipping a carved
image (8:12). These three represent sins of the flesh, soul and spirit in that
order. It is easy to worship a literal thing because of fear or its beauty. We
have seen on Public Television people in Japan going to carved images of the
male penis and praying to it as well as touching it in order that it would help
in their personal reproduction efforts. There were temples for such. The flesh
will have its focus, its way.
Then there were women weeping to Tammuz (8:14). The false Tabernacles
allows the soul, the fallen nature to rule and reign. Deep within the temple, in
a secret chamber, Ezekiel saw the women weeping for Tammuz. Tammuz would
correspond to Osiris or the Greek Adonis. He died and every spring rebirth of
plants would be a sign of his return. He was the brother of Ishtar, the
fertility goddess. This is all part of mother-earth worship today. In the temple
then where this is going on, Ezekiel is upset. For it represents the efforts of
man trying to produce Tabernacles in his own efforts or spiritually speaking in
a soulish, womanly way, much as David tried with Bathsheba.
But this was easy to find and see. God took Ezekiel deeper. Twenty-five
men were bowing down and worshipping the sun.
God states that the people were “putting the twig to their nose” (NASV).
Today it is customary to put the hand to the nose with the thumb touching the
nose. Times have not changed! Those who seek to establish Tabernacles by their
own efforts are not open to hear the depth of God's love and desires because
their desires supercede His.
In chapter 9 all these people are slain. Sounds horrible that God would
do such. But it goes along with Leviticus 23:28-33. There we find that if there
are any who have not humbled themselves and afflicted their soul, then they will
be cut off from the experience of Tabernacles. Any self-effort will cause a
separation at this point in time. So, in Ezekiel's vision there is a cutting off
of those who already knew God who sought another way to gain entrance, much like
the man in Jesus' parable who climbed over the wall to the wedding feast. It
cannot be tolerated. God has a holy people for He is holy. The cry is Holy, Holy Holy. Why is that? It speaks of the three experiences. God would have us Holy in Spirit, Soul and Body, even as His Son was Holy in such a manner. Then God can manifest through the vessel in the Tabernacle experience.
Watchman Nee again writes in the Ministry of God's Word:
"Some can only serve with the doctrines of the Bible. They have no other
way to minister the Lord Jesus because they live in the realm of the letter.
Their service ends with truths, doctrines and teachings. It is beyond their
ability to minister the Christ behind the doctrine. This is a difficulty
to many - they cannot impart Christ to others." (pg 99)
The answer is to be dealt with. The time of Tabernacles is a time of
dealing. Surely, you are going through it also. It is a different dealing,
because it is one that causes you to be transformed into His nature. Changes
your expression of Him. Below are some thoughts from the Ministry of God's
Word by Watchman Nee. The key words that these lines use are
"dealt with". Ponder them. For there is great life in them. Dealt With:
There are many proclaiming “union with God.” Some even today proclaim
“divine encounters.” Be careful in what you find portraying itself as Godly.
For that which causes you to watch, as an audience, while another experiences
God is not what it is all about. Some even put on the vestures of holiness that
are seen in some denominations. These clothings are types and shadows of Aaron's
ministry, not of the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek does not separate himself
from the people but identifies with the people. Any outward separation that
appears to be holiness denies the crucified life and the pattern of Christ Jesus
because He looked like every other man.
The
religious nature, that fallen adamic nature, is so seducing that truly honest,
God-fearing and seeking people can be deceived. The use of sacraments, special
clothing, etc. is all an indication that man still wants some glory and the
doctrine of the Nicolaitans is still ruling (the doctrine of the priesthood over
laity). Peter proclaims the priesthood of the believer, which is far different. Those
in His nature seek to come forth unto the people and impregnate the people with
the Life that they have and are experiencing. Others remain in the presence of
God enjoying the personal pleasure of the experience, a self-gratifying nature.
The later is not godly. It corrupts what God was giving to the individual. The
experience was to give to others rather than clothing oneself with that which
indicates an experience has occurred.
False Tabernacles will not be victorious because there are a people who
desire to be the manifestation of a crucified life. They desire to be like Jesus
and will settle for nothing less. Jesus sought to bring people to where He was.
There was never a barrier between Him and anyone. There was no altar rail to bar
the way (by the way, altar rails were not common until the time of Charles
Finney), the veil was rent to open the whole area into one in the Tabernacle
when Jesus was crucified.
The Spirit and Soul are to become one revealing Christ in the person. |
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