Revelation: Part 45

When anyone anywhere, responds to this knowledge by having a desire to know this God, God will move heaven and earth to get the message to them.

Here in Revelation 15, the tabernacle is revealed to the believers, especially the Israelites. Now how is it a testimony? Well, I’ve gone into this before. But let’s just take some highlights, okay.

Are you bored yet?

Okay, then we’ll proceed. First of all, God always preferred the tabernacle to the temple that was built in its place. Because the tabernacle emphasized that this world is a place we’re just passing through. It’s not our home.

The tabernacle was something that was portable. It didn’t have any certain place. The Israelites would pack it up and carry it with them everywhere they went. Now as you looked at the tabernacle, it was surrounded by a fence that they put up and the fence had -each one of the acacia wood posts that was there had a silver socket that fit into its place and they would put it all the way around.

Well, that was a picture of the fact that the only way inside where God’s presence is, is through the sacrifice that God has appointed. Because silver in the tabernacle is always associated with the price of salvation. Now, there was only one way into the tabernacle. Which shows that there’s only one way to God and directly in front of the one gate.

And this was true of the temple, too. It was just a little more elaborate. There was only one thing that you saw as you walked in to the temple holy ground and that was a great brazen laver and a brazen altar. Brass is always associated with the judgment of sin.

And so you would look at that and you’d see the only way to get into fellowship, the presence of God inside of the tabernacle itself, is through the sacrifice of an innocent substitute for my sins. Pretty good testimony, huh? And the book of Hebrews starts applying all of this. Not pulled out of the air.

Now, when you looked at the tabernacle itself, you know what it was on the outside? Ugly. It was made of goat skins. It covered the outside.

And that covered material that was beautiful, that was just under those goat skins. But you couldn’t see that on the outside. You could only see it when you got inside. And that was a picture of the fact that the Messiah, the Savior, who would come to be the one true sacrifice that would not just cover the sin, as the animals did, but take away the sin of the world.

That when they saw him, he would have no worldly pomp or beauty that they should desire him. But once they knew him, it would be beautiful. So once they get through that, now the high priest and the priest would minister inside of the tabernacle. And once the offering had been made, let’s say on the day of atonement, the Israelites realized that from year to year, God accepted them on the basis of that sacrifice on the day of atonement.

Where they would all come and confess their sins, and the priest would lay his hand on the sacrifice and confess the sins of Israel over that. Then he would slay it. He would take the blood from that and burn the rest in the fire of judgment on the altar. He would take blood from that sacrifice, walk inside.

And, by the way, they would put a rope around one foot. So if he died inside of the holy of holies, they could pull him out. Because no one but the high priest could go in there. So he walks in and what he saw, and the other priest who could minister in the first part of the tabernacle, what he saw is that there was only light in the fore view, in the first two-thirds of the tabernacle.

It’s called the holy place. The rear third is called the holy of holies. Only the high priest could go in there once a year. Now, when the priest went into this forepart, the holy place, they saw that there was only one light.

They would close those drapes that shut out the outside and it would be dark in there if it weren’t for that one light. And that was this specially made golden candelabrum. I have seen the replacement of that made by the Israelites over there looking for the Messiah to come right now. I’ve seen the one.

And they did it exactly as Moses said they had to make it. It is big. And it has to be made from one piece of gold that cannot be separated. It has, it is built with a central shaft and they skillfully hammer and beat out six branches that come out from the central shaft.

The oil is put at the base of the central shaft. Now that shows that that is a description of Jesus, the light of the world. And the six branches, six is the number of man show man, the human believers that are joined to Christ who is our salvation. And it shows that as the oil comes up from the base, comes through the central shaft which is Christ, he gives us power as believers joined to him to shed light to the world about the reality of salvation.

You following me? But once the high priest on the day of atonement went through this, he then with great awe and great respect would open the drape and it was very, very strong, very ornately built, very thick cloth. He would open that drape that went into the holy of holies. And standing at the very beginning, was the altar of incense on which he would put these fragrant, special fragrant spices that God had prescribed.

And it would send a beautiful aroma into the presence of God. And that’s a picture that we must come into God’s presence with praise and prayer. And once he would come in, there was no source of light in the holy of holies, but one thing. He would look at the ark, the ark of the covenant as it’s called, which is a rectangular box.

It’s not huge. I don’t remember the dimensions right now. It’s about six foot by four feet. Something like that.

And he would see these two cherubim. Cherubs, which are the highest of the archangels. He would see these reproductions of them made in gold, standing, facing each other, at each end of this box called the ark. And God specifically told them to make them to have their wings out stretched and touching each other and their faces looking down at a golden throne that was in the center of that box.

And both of them were to be looking down at it. Well, as the high priest would come in there, there would be light. There would be something that was of another world. It was a beautiful, multicolored, multifaceted light called the shekinah glory.

That was the manifestation of the presence of God there. And God himself would be the only light in that place. And the high priest would come and he would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice for our sins on that golden throne that’s called the mercy seat. Inside of this box were three emblems that God told them to put in there that would be a symbol of all the sin of mankind.

It was the Ten Commandments written by the finger of God, on stone that Moses threw down when he saw the children of Israel rebelling, and they broke. He said take those broken pieces and put them all in the ark. That was a picture of man rejecting God’s moral law. And then he said, take a pot of manna, which was this special food that God rained down on them six days a week for over 40 years out in the desert.

And, you know, it’s funny. You heard me say it before when they first saw these wafers all over the ground, they came out there. You know, some Israelite was rubbing his eyes and he looks and says manna, which in Hebrew means what is it? God said, okay, that’s its name, what is it.

So they ate what is it for over 40 years. But they began, I’m sure they had cookbooks made a hundred ways to cook manna and things like that.

But they got upset that they didn’t have enough variety in their diet. So they wanted all the leeks and garlics and stuff they had in Egypt. So in their heart, they would go back into carnality. Well, that’s a picture of man’s rejection of God’s provision.

And then there was Aaron’s rod that budded. That was when the camp rebelled against Moses and Aaron, and their leadership. And they were about to have a big rebellion. And God said get all the leaders out and stand before them.

And so they stood there. And so he told Aaron to take Moses’ rod and he says throw the rod on the ground and have all of the others throw their rods on the ground. And he says, hold it out -I’m sorry, they didn’t throw it on the ground this time. It was different.

He said hold your rod out. That’s it. Aaron held the rod out, and he says, now, this dead piece of wood, that you hold as a staff, the one that sprouts living leaves and branches, is the one that I have chosen to lead these people. And all of a sudden, here comes all this live plants and stuff out of his rod.

He said put that in the ark. So that was a picture of God saying, that was a picture of man’s rejection of God’s leadership. The three together represented all of the sins of mankind. So when he put the blood over this golden throne, which had beneath it inside these symbols of man’s sin, then the cherub on the right that represented God’s righteousness would look down and he would say, I’m satisfied.

The other cherub, which represented God’s judgment and justice against sin said, the payment has been made. I’m satisfied. And so God would be satisfied and accept the Israelites for another year. Now that whole process was a picture of the fact as the author of the book of Hebrew says, why has Israel not recognized that the same offering for sin, year after year, must not be the ultimate sacrifice for sin?

Because it has to be offered over and over again. So, obviously, it doesn’t take away sin. And so it was pointed out the testimony is that was only to be accepted until the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, would come, and he wouldn’t just pay for sin for a year. He would remove it as a barrier between God and man forever.

And that’s what Jesus did. Now all of that, I went into all this detail to show you that that’s why God says it is the tabernacle of testimony. Why is it focused upon at this time? Because it is to remind them that the reason these horrific, catastrophic judgments are about to be poured out on the Christ-rejecting world, is because they didn’t receive his testimony.

And they didn’t receive what Jesus Christ died to pay for and give them freely. All right, so that is the scene in heaven and the preparation for what is about to come. Now, verse 6. And the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes.

Now it’s interesting that these seven angels who have the seven plagues, are guess what? What does their uniform tell us? They’re priests. They’re wearing the uniform of a priest.

A white linen with a golden sash is a uniform of a priest. Now this means that these angels are extremely high rank and have been with Jesus interceding with him, all through this Church period. And interceding for mankind, but especially interceding for those that have believed. And, you know, there are some beautiful, beautiful verses in the book of Hebrews, where it says, it says, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy and strength to help in time of need.

For we have not a high priest who cannot be, cannot empathize or with our infirmities or weaknesses. But was in all ways tested as we are, yet apart from sin. And it says that he is our priest that understands and constantly intercedes for us. So we can come to his throne of grace.

And like it says in 1 John 2, where it talks about the fact that and he is the satisfaction. Propitiation means satisfaction of God’s justice. He is the satisfaction for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. It says that we should, my little children, I ask you not to sin, but if anyone does sin, we have a defense attorney literally, with the father, and he is the satisfaction for our sins.

So it shows we have a defense attorney who never lost a case. Now that’s the reason none of us will be lost. Once you have accepted Christ and received the gift of pardon, and asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, you’re not gonna be lost. You may go into God’s divine woodshed, if you get out of fellowship.

But and he will discipline you. But you will not be disinherited. Now, one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

You know, this is tragic. Because once these seven bowls of judgment are given to these seven angels, there is no more opening or opportunity for anyone else on earth to trust in God, and believe in Jesus Christ. This is the end. The end of mercy, the end of grace.

And it says that, that these things are gonna be finished. And I think it’s very important to note that the harvest of salvation, that’s referred to in chapter 14, is now finished because it’s at the very end. And this is where after no more grace is allowed. Now, I want to bring something out here.

I promised to do this several years ago, and I never went into it. What is the real purpose and rationale of the judgments in the book of Revelation? It’s brought out in seven statements, in the book of Revelation, that has this clause in it. Those who dwell on the earth, remember that?

That’s repeated seven times. And these judgments are all for the purpose of judging the Christ-rejecting world, which are called those who dwell on the earth. What does that mean, exactly? Well, I looked it up.

And I found that it’s -it’s this Greek word. Katoikeo. Katoikeo. And it’s in the present tense, it’s a participle, in the original Greek.

Now, it’s important to realize you can, God can teach so much from the original Greek language of the New Testament. Because the Greek verb system isn’t just about whether it was past or present or future. The Greek verb system emphasizes the kind of action, more than the time of action. And it can tell you all kinds of things about the kind of action.

And, of course, when you relate this to the context of these various passages, it becomes, it sheds light like nothing else on these texts. So the word that is used to describe those who dwell upon the earth, is the word katoikountes. And this is what it means. Someone who so clings to the things of this earth, that they possess him.

Look first with me at Revelation 3:10. This is addressed to the believers in the Church. Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from, the Greek preposition is ek, which means out of, not from, but out of. And that should be in there.

I also will keep you out of the hour of testing. What hour? That hour which is about to come upon the whole world. Why?

To test those who dwell on the earth. And the word test means to put them to a test that will reveal their true character. Now, do you know that when God addresses us at the beginning of the book of Revelation, he says not just I will keep you out of that hour of testing, but I will keep you out of the time of that testing. This is a clear promise that he will keep the Church out of the Tribulation.

And he says that judgment is not for you. It is for those who dwell upon the earth. All right, let’s learn something else about these people. Chapter 6, verse 10.

And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, these are martyrs. How long, o Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth? All right, here we learn about them that these people are those who torture and slaughter God’s people during that seven-year period. All right, look with me at chapter 8, verse 13.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in the midheaven, saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound. All right, this shows that the three last trumpet judgments that are called three woes, are specifically against those who dwell on the earth. In other words, it says this is the purpose for such horrible judgment. All right, then let’s look at the next one.

Chapter 11, verse 10. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell upon the earth. You see, it shows here their true character. The two prophets, Moses and Elijah, who minister the first three and a half years of this period in the streets of Jerusalem, are going to be allowed by God to be put to death.

They will murder them. It says they will view, all the world will look at their bodies lying unburied in the street for three and a half years -three and a half days. Now, it says that they rejoice so much over the murder of these two men, the greatest two prophets of the Old Testament, that they will be giving gifts to each other. It will be sort of a satanic Christmas.

And God says that’s one the things that really reveals the character of those who dwell on the earth.

If you have the guts to be a real revolutionary, come forward right now and accept Jesus Christ as your real revolutionary and he’ll make a revolutionary that will change lives.

Thank you so much for standing with me as a watchman on the wall. I pray daily that he will reward your faithfulness and protect and prosper you in these difficult times. Thank you, again, for being a vital part of my team.