DIGGING DEEP NO. 991 – JUNE 27, 2023 The Way, The Truth, and The Life… The Prophet, The Priest and The King. 2 Chronicles 15:3-6 NKJV

³ For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law;

⁴ but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.

⁵ And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands.

⁶ So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.

 

Desired Learning Objective:

1. What is the significance of the Temple of GOD amongst HIS people?
2. What are the three key chambers of the Temple of GOD?
3. What are the significances of the bronze laver & altar of burnt offering?
4. What are the significances of the candlestick, altar of incense & table of showbread?
5. What is the significance of the Ark of the Covenant and its contents?
6. Why does JESUS call Himself “The Way, The Truth and The Life”?

QUESTION #1: What is the significance of the Temple of GOD amongst HIS people?

Exodus 25:1-9 NKJV

Offerings for the Sanctuary

25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an ^[a]offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. ³ And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ⁵ ram skins dyed red, ^[b]badger skins, and acacia wood; ⁶ oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; ⁷ onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. ⁸ And let them make Me a sanctuary,^[c] that I may dwell among them. ⁹ According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

 ANSWER #1: The Temple of GOD operates as a method of divine technology, a physical structure that allows for spiritual communication between GOD and His people. Since we couldn’t go to heaven, GOD came down to us, as He did in the Garden of Eden, so that GOD may dwell among his people [Genesis 3:8].

The United Message

This symphony of colors, taken together, produces a joyous melody of revelation heralding the message of salvation.

Exodus 25:4 says

⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 

 

Blue is the color of heaven

Purple is the color of royalty

Scarlet is the color of man/blood

White Linen is the symbol of purity/righteousness; in contrast, “cotton” represents man’s labor/human effort

 

Jesus Christ was titled the following:

The Son of God (heaven/blue)

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords (royalty/purple)

The Son of Man (man/blood/scarlet)

 

Mind you, mixing the colors blue & red (scarlet) will create purple.

John 19:1-5; v.7 ESV

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown [royalty] of thorns [blood] and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe [King]. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown [royalty] of thorns [blood] and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” [red blood]

 ⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” [heaven]

In view of the above, from the Old Testament (OT) to the NT, the Holy scriptures are littered with the spirit of prophecy; the revelation of Jesus, throughout. The colors used to decorate and design the Tabernacle of GOD had Jesus “encoded” in them.

QUESTION #2: What are the three key chambers of the Temple of GOD?

Notably, the order of the colors also suggests a hierarchy of three spaces within the “Tent of Meeting” structure. Blue represents the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt between the Cherubim. Purple represents the Holy Place where the mediating work of the priesthood occurred. The scarlet represents the Outer Court, where the sacrifices took place.

Linen is a plant-based textile, of which the curtains that surrounded the entire “Tent of Meeting” were made. Linen was also used to make veils that concealed and protected sacred spaces and priestly garments.

Revelation 19:14 ESV

¹⁴ And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.

The Holy Temple edifice had three distinct chambers:

• Outer Court: Temple vestibule or porch (ulam)
• Holy Place: Temple sanctuary (hekhal or heikal), the main part of the building
• Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim or debir), the innermost chamber.

ANSWER #2: The three distinct chambers are: Outer Court, Holy Place & Holy of Holies.

 

Each chamber has its own prescribed light/fire to provide visibility

• Outer Court: Sunlight; where the gentiles and proselytes (converted Jews) reside
• Holy Place: Golden Candlelight; where all Israelites men would reside
• Holy of Holies: Shekhinah Glory (Urim & Thummim); where the Levitical Priests reside

 

BONUS QUESTION #2: Why does Jesus say to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born-again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [John 3:3].

 

Shekhinah: Hebrew: “Dwelling,” or “Presence”, in Jewish theology, “the presence of God in the world.” The Hebrew Bible mentions several places where the presence of God was felt and experienced as a Shekhinah, including the burning bush and the cloud that rested on Mount Sinai. The Shekhinah was often pictured as a cloud or as a pillar of fire and was referred to as the glory of God.

 

Urim: The Hebrew means “Lights, fires”; indicative of “YES”. An Alabaster stone.

 

Thummim: The Hebrew means “Perfection, truth” indicative of “NO”. A Hematite Stone.

Exodus 28:29-30 ESV

²⁹ So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. ³⁰ And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.

QUESTION #3: What are the significances of the bronze laver & altar of burnt offering?

 

Each chamber has its own imbedded instruments of worship

• Outer Court: Sunlight; where the gentiles and proselytes (converted Jews) reside
  • Bronze Laver/Water Basin: the priests would cleanse himself here before entering the presence of GOD
    • Exodus 30:17-21 NKJV

The Bronze Laver

¹⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ¹⁸ “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, ¹⁹ for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. ²⁰ When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die. ²¹ So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”

• • Altar of Burnt Offering: Animal sacrifices were offered on the altar, with the blood of the animal sprinkled on the four horns of the altar.
    • Exodus 27:1-8 NKJV

The Altar of Burnt Offering

¹ “You shall make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide—the altar shall be square—and its height shall be three cubits. ² You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with bronze. ³ Also you shall make its pans to receive its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ You shall make a grate for it, a network of bronze; and on the network you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5 You shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath, that the network may be midway up the altar. ⁶ And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ The poles shall be put in the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar to bear it. ⁸ You shall make it hollow with boards; as it was shown you on the mountain, so shall they make it.

ANSWER #3: The significance of the bronze laver was for priestly cleansing before entering GOD’s presence and the significance of the altar of burnt offerings provided a platform for animal sacrifices to be offered unto GOD while in His presence.

 

QUESTION #4: What are the significances of the candlestick, altar of incense & table of showbread?

 

• Holy Place: Candlelight; where all Israelite men would reside
  • Table of Showbread: a table where offerings and 12 loaves of bread were presented, always in the presence of GOD. The 12 loaves of bread symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel.
    •  Exodus 25:23-30 NKJV

The Table for the Showbread

²³ “You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. ²⁴ And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around. ²⁵ You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around. ²⁶ And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. ²⁷ The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. ²⁸ And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. ²⁹ You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. ³⁰ And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.

• • Golden Lampstands: stands opposite the showbread; holding seven lamps with a wick in each, submerged in oil, with the lighted wick-end hanging out.
    • Exodus 25:31-40 NKJV

The Gold Lampstand

³¹ “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. ³² And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. ³³ Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. ³⁴ On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. ³⁵ And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. ³⁶ Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. ³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. ³⁸ And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. ³⁹ It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. ⁴⁰ And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.

• • Altar of Incense: much smaller than the altar of burnt offering, in the tabernacle, this altar burned incense of perfumes and spices that presented a sweet-smelling aroma that filled the entire room as an act of Prayer and Holy Worship.
    • Exodus 30:1-10 NKJV

The Altar of Incense

¹ “You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. ² A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. ³ And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a [a]molding of gold all around. ⁴ Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. ⁵ You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ⁶ And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. ⁸ And when Aaron lights the lamps [b]at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. ⁹ You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

ANSWER #4: The significances of the candlestick, altar of incense & table of showbread were the Golden Candlesticks symbolized the Holy Spirit’s illuminating fire. And because “light” is that which makes manifest [Ephesians 5:13], inside the Holy Place, only the light emanating from the lit Golden Candlesticks could reveal the happens within the Holy Place. The Table Of Showbread presented offerings of 12 loaves of bread, always to reside in the presence of GOD. The 12 loaves of bread symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel. And lastly, the Altar of Incense symbolized the persistent offering of Prayer and Holy Worship to GOD inside the Holy Place.

 

BONUS ANSWER #2: Jesus said to Nicodemus you must be born-again to SEE the Kingdom of God because although Nicodemus was a High Priest, he still could not “understand” the witness of John the Baptist’s baptisms, ushering the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, which activates our spiritual eyes being open to all of GOD’s divine mysteries; what we call being born-again, formerly symbolized by the Golden Candlestick. Becoming GOD’s chosen people, formerly symbolized by the Table of Showbread as the 12 Tribes of Israel. And lastly the ability to worship GOD in spirit, formerly symbolized by the altar of incense, all of which previously resided only in the Holy Place will now reside inside men.

 

SIDE REMARK: Whenever men and women of GOD, called into the ministry, take the glory and worship that’s meant for GOD, for themselves, this is the surest way to allow pestilence, sickness, tormenting spirits by the enemy to attack. Not all compliments, positive remarks and gifts are for you… ministers of GOD (his disciples) are only worthy of the praise GOD gives them, NOT the words or praises of men.

 

QUESTION #5: What is the significance of the Ark of the Covenant and its contents?

 

• Holy of Holies: Shekhinah Glory (Urim & Thummim): where the Levitical Priests reside
  • The Ark of the Covenant: the most sacred of all items in the temple, symbolized GOD’s presence, with two cherubim covering the mercy seat of GOD; from which GOD’s voice would proceed. Then a copy of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s budded rod and a golden pot of manna were all placed inside the Ark; the tablets summarized the whole of the covenant, the Testimony of GOD with Israel. Aaron’s budded rod symbolized GOD everlasting covenant with the tribe of Levi, and its descendants, as His consecrated priests, and the golden pot of manna symbolized daily heavenly provision, never seen before nor since, exclusive to only the children of Israel during their journey through the wilderness.
    • Exodus 25:10-22 NKJV

The Ark of the Testimony

¹⁰ “And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. ¹¹ And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around. ¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. ¹³ And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them. ¹⁵ The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. ¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

 

¹⁷ “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. ²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. ²¹ You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. ²² And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

 

• Hebrews 9:1-5 NKJV

The Earthly Sanctuary

¹ Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. ² For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; ³ and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, ⁴ which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

ANSWER #5: The significance of the Ark of the Covenant and its contents symbolized GOD’s presence, with two cherubim covering the mercy seat of GOD; from which GOD’s voice would proceed. Then a copy of the Ten Commandments, symbolizes the summary of GOD’s covenant with the Israelites. Aaron’s budded rod symbolized GOD everlasting covenant with the tribe of Levi, and its descendants as His consecrated priests, and the golden pot of manna symbolized daily heavenly provision, exclusive to only the children of Israel during their journey through the wilderness.

Zechariah 3:1-9 NKJV

Vision of the High Priest

¹ Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

⁴ Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

⁵ And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”

So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

 

The Coming Branch

⁶ Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 

⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘If you will walk in My ways,
And if you will keep My command,
Then you shall also judge My house,
And likewise have charge of My courts;
I will give you places to walk
Among these who stand here.

 

⁸ ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest,

You and your companions who sit before you,

For they are a wondrous sign;

For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.

⁹ For behold, the stone

That I have laid before Joshua:

Upon the stone are seven eyes.

Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’

Says the Lord of hosts,

‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

 

Because it’s the OT, the BRANCH reference in v.8 is a recall from Isaiah 11:1-5 NIV. And the Spirit of GOD was showing Zechariah, the instructions GOD was giving Joshua, the High Priest because a BRANCH (Christ Jesus) will appear and He also is a High Priest; clothe in fine linen.

 

The Branch From Jesse

11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

    the Spirit of counsel and of might,

    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

 

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

    or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness will be his belt

    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

 

Jesse was the father of King David, but the “stump” (roots) of Jesse, signifying a descendant who’s Jesus, will also be a King.

 

John 1:6-18 NKJV

John’s Witness: The True Light

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Becomes Flesh

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

¹⁶ And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 

John 14:1-6 NKJV

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

 

QUESTION #6: Why does JESUS call Himself “The Way, The Truth and The Life”?

 

The Jews of that time, EVERY single one, knew something that many of us today do NOT KNOW. The entranceways/veil that separated the chambers of the temple were called:

• Outer Court: veil was called “The Way/The Cross”
• Holy Place: veil was called “The Truth”
• Holy of Holies veil was called “The Life”

 

Hebrews 10:1-2; 10-18 NKJV

Animal Sacrifices Insufficient

¹ For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

 

Christ’s Death Perfects the Sanctified

¹⁰ By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.

¹¹ And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. ¹⁴ For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,

¹⁶ “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds, I will write them,” ¹⁷ Then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” ¹⁸ Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

 

ANSWER #6: JESUS call Himself “The Way, The Truth and The Life” because the structures, rituals and sacred items within the temple were all but shadows of what was to come. And the passageways/veils in the temple throughout the temple were entrances to a closer interaction with GOD. The veil leading to the Outer Court was called the “The Way”, the veil leading to the Holy Place was called the “The Truth”, and lastly the veil leading to the Holy of Holies was called the “The Life”.

 

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT:

Jesus’ title The Christ itself points towards this. Christ means “Anointed One,” and in the Old Testament, prophets were anointed with oil. Priests were anointed with oil. And kings were anointed with oil too.

 

So the Christ, the Anointed One, was and is the only individual anointed for this unique threefold office of Prophet, Priest and King. No one in the Old Testament held these three offices together. But Christ does. And this is why, He can say, “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [John 14:6 NKJV]

 

REVIEW Desired Learning Objective:

1. What is the significance of the Temple of GOD amongst HIS people?
2. What are the three key chambers of the Temple of GOD?
3. What are the significances of the bronze laver & altar of burnt offering?
4. What are the significances of the candlestick, altar of incense & table of showbread?
5. What is the significance of the Ark of the Covenant and its contents?
6. Why does JESUS call Himself “The Way, The Truth and The Life”?