THE ARK OF THE COVENANT:
REVELATION OF THE KINGDOM IN SYMBOL
 

February 5, 2009
SPIRIT & TRUTH CONFERENCE
MF Blume


  Scripture Text:


THE MOST OFT-QUOTED OT VERSE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IS THIS: (DEALING WITH JESUS AND THE THRONE.)

Psalms 110:1 KJV  <A Psalm of David.> The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psalms 110:2 KJV  The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Because of it being most oft quoted, considering we do not hear much of it in sermons, there is  A REVELATION to receive in all of this.

Note the ARK of the Covenant

Exodus 25:10 KJV  And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

  Message:



Exodus 25:10 KJV  And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

Exodus 25:17-22 KJV  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.  (18)  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.  (19)  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.  (20)  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.  (21)  And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.  (22)  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Exodus 30:10 KJV  And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

Leviticus 16:14 KJV  And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.


The ark received blood of atonement on its mercyseat.
  • On the mercyseat the blood was sprinkled seven times and then also upon the golden altar outside the veil.


This Atonement for which this blood was sprinkled on the ark is best described in the following verse:

Leviticus 1:4 KJV  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Leviticus 1:4 BBE  And he is to put his hand on the head of the burned offering and it will be taken for him, to take away his sin.

The sacrifice would be accepted in his room and stead.
  • The sacrifice represented his own person.
  • The blood was proof presented on the ark of death caused due to sin.
  • The sacrificial death was HIS DEATH he owed due to his sin.

This all foreshadowed Jesus Christ.

Christ presented Himself to God alive from the dead - showing His death had occurred.
  • He provided the necessary payment for sin in His death.
  • For Him to walk into the throne room and to be seated there, after He died SHOWED HE CONQUERED DEATH.
  • He defeated it.
  • HE HAS DOMINION!

This concept is very important.


SITUATING PSALM 110

Psalms 110:1 KJV  <A Psalm of David.> The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

The New Testament situated this prophecy in time after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus occurred according to Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:12-14 KJV  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;  (13)  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.  (14)  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Peter said this occurred after His resurrection as well.

Acts 2:29-33 KJV  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.  (30)  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;  (31)  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  (32)  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  (33)  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

And he said the resulting Holy Ghost baptism was SHED FORTH by Jesus due to that seating on the throne of God. So, IT AFFECTED US.


PRESENTING TO GOD OUR RESURRECTION

The bible speaks as though We must make this same presentation to God as being alive from the dead - but IT IS TIED INTO THE KINGDOM CONCEPT.
  • For, as with Jesus, that PRESENTATION puts us in a place of active dominion.

Romans 6:8-13 KJV  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:  (9)  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  (10)  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  (11)  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (12)  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  (13)  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

God knows we are alive from the dead, but it seems there is the need for us to know that in order to approach the throne of God, itself!

WE HAVE TO THINK THE WAY THE BIBLE SAYS TO THINK ABOUT IT.
  • WE HAVE TO RENEW OUR MINDS TO THINK THIS WAY.
  • WE HAVE TO REALLY SEE OURSELVES IN THIS LIGHT.

As High Priest as well as sacrifice, He entered BY HIS OWN BLOOD, 

Hebrews 9:12 KJV  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Blood on the mercyseat for atonement proved that death had occurred and the price was paid, and this foreshadowed the need for Christ to pay the price of death.
  • Jesus died and SHED ALL HIS BLOOD OUT OF HIS VEINS IN DEATH, AND resurrected, proving he conquered death. 
  • Sacrifice was a way of CONQUERING SIN AND THE DEATH SIN BROUGHT.

He CONQUERED the thing that became man's punishment. - Death.

He entered BY HIS OWN BLOOD.  BY SHEDDING HIS OWN BLOOD out of His veins.
  • DYING.
  • And after having died, he arose and proved he conquered death, and presented Himself as having accomplished that.

And we also go in by the same blood HE SHED.
  • THE DEATH, in other words.

Hebrews 10:19-22 KJV  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,  (20)  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;  (21)  And having an high priest over the house of God;  (22)  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.

He indicated proof of His death to enter this holiest - this conquest under his belt.
  • Like Adam was thrown into death and death ruled.

Romans 5:14 KJV  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

He had to topple the kingdom of the one who ruled due to Adam's sin.

Romans 5:21 KJV  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.


But we are told to likewise enter in by the same blood.
  • He entered by his blood and we enter by his blood.
  • Since HIS DEATH stands as our deaths, therefore, HIS VICTORY over death means we have victory over death.
  • Our entrance BY HIS SAME BLOOD is indication of OUR DEATHS AND CONQUEST OVER DEATH through SUBSTITUTION.
  • Jesus STOOD AS US.
  • He did not manifest in flesh as a man in order to get jollies out of conquering death for Himself.
  • He came down and made a place where we could UNITE TO HIM in SUPERNATURAL UNION in his death, and rose from that death and conquered it SO WE COULD CLAIM CONQUEST OVER THIS POWER.


So showing ourselves alive from the dead is a very important note.
  • If we can get this into our heads, it is a picture of SHOWING GOD WE UNDERSTAND THIS.
  • We would not present ourselves as alive from the dead if we did not believe it.
  • And many do not!
  • But God is actually telling us to present ourselves as alive from the dead.
  • When you approach God, KNOW IT IS IN A STATE OF DOMINION.
  • You have DOMINION all over you due to vital union to Jesus.
  • Realize that when God sees you, HE IS LOOKING AT SOMEONE WHO CONQUERED DEATH, due to union.
  • THAT IS HOW GOD SEES YOU.
  • We must show ourselves in a state of being victorious over death.
  • This resurrection concept is a POWER concept.
  • It is KINGDOM related.


HEB 10:19's note of boldly approaching the throne IS PRESENTING OURSELVES ALIVE UNTO GOD as Rom 6:13 says.
  • Heb 10 says Our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience because we died and now are alive again - death removes old life.
  • BAPTISM is alluded to here,(BODIES WASHED /W PURE WATER) --  connecting this entrance to the cause of uniting to Jesus in HIS DEATH.

Note that Jesus entered past the veil and we are to follow, where the ark of the covenant was.
  • And we know Jesus actually went to the throne.

Hebrews 6:19-20 KJV  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;  (20)  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

{Psalm 110 mentioned this throne and the priesthood of Melchisedek. - Heb had Psalm 110 in mind again here!}

We were dead in sin, but that old man was killed THROUGH UNION TO CHRIST'S KILLING, and now being resurrected THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION and free from sin we are fit to enter THE HOLIEST!


AT-ONE.
  • Atonement is coming into oneness with the sacrifice.
  • Death is the penalty for the sinner, so God provided a way for the sinner to be counted as the sacrifice, and the death of the sacrifice was as though the sinner died, himself, to pay the penalty.
  • This atonement is the only answer to why we can say we were buried and risen with Him and able to follow Him into the Holiest.

So union to the sacrifice is everything when you think of ATONEMENT.
  • Think of being AT ONE with Jesus when you think of atonement.
  • Atonement -- identification of the offerer to be the sacrifice offered  -- is what made the sacrifice effectual.
  • The sacrifice had no need to die for itself.
  • We had to die.
  • Its death stood as our deaths.
  • For all intents and purposes, we died.

Jesus is our atonement.

Romans 5:11 KJV  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

We received the AT ONE MENT.

AT ONE MENT SHOWN IN ROMANS:

We came into union with Jesus Christ in His death, so as to be able to say we died.

Romans 6:3 KJV  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:11 KJV  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.


CHERUBIMS EYES AND KNOWING

With the lid or cover of the ark called a mercyseat, having two cherubim overshadowing it with their wings, with eyes looking down on the mercyseat, we see the concept of a THRONE OF GOD.  
  • DOMINION.  KINGDOM.

THE KINGDOM and THE THRONE is also associated with the concept of atonement -- atonement blood went on the mercyseat - the symbol of God's throne.

KNOWING this truth is so vital for us being able to experience the power of the Kingdom as a result of atonement. -- This is why Romans speaks of ATONEMENT UNION to the sacrifice of Jesus and repeatedly says "KNOW YE NOT?"
  • This association of ATONEMENT with the KINGDOM is a key to understanding how to truly enter into KINGDOM POWER.
  • We must UNDERSTAND THIS.
  • The eyes of the cherubims looking at the mercyseat EMPHASIZE UNDERSTANDING.

When you see the ark with the BLOOD on the mercyseat and the EYES of the cherubims seated up there with God looking down to it, you are seeing a symbol of the combined concept of KINGDOM and UNDERSTANDING OUR UNION TO THE DEATH, BURIAL, RES AND SEATING OF JESUS!!

There is a vital revelation of awareness of our union to Christ that is intrinsically connected to the concept of the KINGDOM and operating in Kingdom power.

When John saw the throne in Rev 4 he saw four beasts with faces of lion, man, ox and eagle.

Revelation 4:6-7 KJV  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.  (7)  And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

FULL OF EYES.

LOTS OF UNDERSTANDING.

Ezekiel said these four faces were on the CHERUBIMS in Ezekiel 10.

Ezekiel 10:12 KJV  And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.

Ezekiel 10:14 KJV  And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.



And Rev 5 shows the lamb going to the throne after He had been slain, and we read:
  • CHERUBIMS OR FOUR BEASTS ARE MAKING STATEMENTS THAT BELIEVERS FULL OF UNDERSTANDING WILL KNOW -- AND CONNECTS IT WITH DOMINION WITH CHRIST!

Revelation 5:8-10 KJV  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  (9)  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  (10)  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

WHEN THE BLOOD IS MENTIONED, KINGSHIP IS MENTIONED

When the ark has blood on it, it is on the mercy seat WHICH REPRESENTS GOD'S THRONE!

Revelation 1:5-6 KJV  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,  (6)  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

They UNDERSTAND what Christ's approach to the THRONE after His resurrection meant.
  • THEY WOULD REIGN!

We just read in Rev 3

Revelation 3:21 KJV  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Jesus sat down with His Father in his throne.
  • CO-SEATING.
  • That is why we read of THE THRONE OF GOD AND THE LAMB in Rev 22.
  • AND NOW WE LEARN WE CAN SIT WITH HIM IF WE OVERCOME.

Overcome the way JESUS DID.

Revelation 5:5 KJV  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

PREVAILED means a battle was fought and won.

And Jesus did it by His DEATH.

(HEB 2:14) 

Hebrews 2:14 KJV  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

2 Timothy 1:10 KJV  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:




When he shed the blood out of his veins and died, and stood back up and passed the veil into heaven, HE WAS SAYING HE OVERCAME!
  • He overcame DEATH!
  • DEATH RULED OVER MAN, but HE OVERCAME DEATH, AND HE RULES NOW!
  • THE GATES OF THE GRAVE COULD NOT PREVAIL AGAINST HIM.
  • BUT HE SAID THAT OF THE CHURCH AS WELL!
  • The gates of hell shall not prevail against His church.

No wonder he proceeded to talk of his death at Jerusalem after he noted this to Peter and the others (Matt 16).

After reading of this note to overcome as He did in Rev 3 to the Laodicaeans to sit with him on the throne, ch 5 shows him having OVERCOME DEATH.

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 


His resurrection proves death knocked him down and could do no more to Him, and HE JUST GOT BACK UP, OVERCOMING THE BEST DEATH COULD DO -- KILL HIM!

So after reading of US sitting on the throne with Jesus if we overcome the way he did In Rev 3, and then reading Jesus overcame death by resurrection in Rev 5, we then read THE BEASTS (with eyes all over them) CLAIM THEY CAN RULE ON EARTH.

Revelation 5:9-10 KJV  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  (10)  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.


That means they must have overcome!
  • If we can rule by sitting on His throne with Him due to overcoming, and these say they will rule, (and yet we read of no personal overcoming they accomplished), then THEY KNEW His overcoming counted as their overcoming.
  • THEY KNEW IT.
  • NOW WE NEED TO KNOW IT.
  • They personally fought no battle, except in believing this concept.
  • But they knew his overcoming was their own!
  • They KNEW this concept.
  • And this explains how we overcome!
  • WE HAVE FAITH in THE UNION with Jesus that overcame death!
  • And we know so much about this union that when we see Jesus risen from dead, having overcome it, we know our union to Him is real and we therefore know this is all that was required for us to say we ALSO OVERCAME death.
  • BY HIM THROUGH HIM AND IN HIM.

It's like watching Jesus overcome something, and then going to God and saying "I OVERCAME THAT."
  • Whatever you see Jesus overcome, you know YOU overcame it!
  • It becomes THE INSTANT CONCLUSION in your mind everytime you see Jesus has overcome something.

Throws whole new light on "HIS WILL DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN" --  is like reading Rev where Jesus went to the throne and sits on the throne IN HEAVEN, and we overcame WITH HIM SO WE RULE ON EARTH!
  • THE BEASTS UNDERSTOOD THAT!

They got the revelation.

They represent the church element that gets this revelation.

Rev 12 shows they overcame the devil by the blood of the lamb!

Revelation 12:11 KJV  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

They represent the OVERCOMERS!

Entering the holiest is done with the same blood Jesus entered in by -- His own!
  • And we find we also overcame WITH THAT BLOOD.
  • WITH THAT DEATH, in other words.



FORERUNNER


Heb 6 tells us to enter the holiest because it is ours for the taking, and it calls Jesus our forerunner because ATONEMENT UNION means WE CAN ENTER,.
  • If He is ATONEMENT, then anywhere He goes is always Him going as FORERUNNER.
  • His entrance into ANYTHING MEANS WE CAN LIKEWISE ENTER.
  • We can enter his throne and he is forerunner to the throne, due to ATONEMENT.
  • We are in union with Him.

The ark had a throne in the form of the mercyseat.
  • With cherubims over the mercyseat, we see an identical representation of the throne of God in Isaiah's vision with seraphims over it.

Isaiah 6:1-2 KJV  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  (2)  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

The New Testament associates the throne of God with mercy as the seating is called the MERCYSEAT on the ark!

Hebrews 4:16 KJV  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

This passage is surrounded by verses that speak of Christ as the High Priest who offered atonement blood on the mercyseat.


His throne is one of mercy, since the atonement blood was sprinkled on this depiction of the throne in order for our sins to be atoned for, and the opportunity for us to come into oneness with Him.
  • It's not our efforts, but sheer mercy of God that allows us to claim His victory as our own.


But we are told we can approach the throne, whereas the model of this throne was beyond an impassible barrier behind which no person aside from the High Priest could come -- the veil over the holiest.

The throne of God is that upon which Jesus Christ ascended and was seated.

The most oft quoted Old Testament verse found in the New is one that is associated with the throne of God in the most holy place, of which the ark and holiest of holies in the temple represented.

Psalms 110:1-2 KJV  <A Psalm of David.> The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.  (2)  The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

If the ark pictures this, then the ark of the covenant is the most important SYMBOL in light of our Christianity!
  • It symbolizes the most oft quoted truth in the NT.

This reference to seating at the right hand of God is speaking of the time Christ sat on the throne, and has been leading the Kingdom of God.

It is what Paul quoted in telling us what he was praying for so that we might see the power towards us.

CHERUBIMS EYES -- SEE -- UNDERSTANDING.

Ephesians 1:18-21 KJV  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  (19)  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,  (20)  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  (21)  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

By the way, this veil blocking this throne had cherubims with eyes embroidered in it, and hinted UNDERSTANDING gets us past the veil.

Hebrews 10 speaks of it.

1 Cor 15 - resurrection chapter -- speaks of it

Visions of it are found in Revelation 5.

All of this depicts the KINGDOM OF GOD in which we now are situated.

Jesus Christ is said to have ascended to the throne as high priest to not only make atonement as high priest, but also to RULE.

Zechariah 6:13 KJV  Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Between KINGSHIP and PRIESTHOOD the counsel of peace would stand.
  • His kingship and priesthood together create a peace towards us.
  • Both are required for this peace.
  • Futurism sees Him as only Priest now and King only over the church.
  • However, Ep 1 says He is over all powers in this world and the world to come.

PRIEST shows his UNION TO THE PEOPLE.  THERE FOR THE PEOPLE.
  • ON THE THRONE HE IS PRIEST.
  • ON THE THRONE HE STANDS AS PEOPLE.

If he is priest now, he must be king, because he will be High Priest while on the throne. 
  • He is on the throne now.

And all of His Kingly status and seating is pictured in the ark of the covenant which involves the concept of atonement - which is precisely the reason why we read:

Ephesians 2:5-6 KJV  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  (6)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

And going to the throne in Revelation 5 caused the praisers to sing these words:

Revelation 5:10 KJV  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The bible is trying to tell us that we are included as being seated with Christ  on this throne, the throne depicted by the mercyseat on the ark of the covenant behind the veil in the most holy place of the temple.

Oh, what a message this gives to us of our inclusion in to the kingdom.
  • We all know we were translated into the Kingdom, but God is trying to open our eyes, as Paul prayed, so we can see we are on the throne WITH CHRIST in this Kingdom.

So the throne depicts a position of having overcome.
  • He overcame death!
  • When we read He prevailed, and also that he was seen as though alive from the dead, we realize he overcame death.
  • And that is also why there is atonement BLOOD on the mercyseat that depicts His throne.

THE ARK IS A PERFECT SYMBOL FOR ALL THE TRUTH REGARDING ATONEMENT COMBINED WITH POWER IN THE KINGDOM, and people thought we just got freed from hell.

The HOLIEST OF HOLIES in the temple and Tabernacle was a place no one could enter except the high priest only one day a year, called the day of ATONEMENT.
  • That place is a model of a real spiritual place.


MOSES AND JOSHUA

Moses first experienced holy ground, as though he entered the most holy place.
And look at how UNION TO GOD was demonstrated to him.

Exodus 3:2-5 KJV  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  (3)  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  (4)  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.  (5)  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Of all the words God spoke to Moses, we see the concept of UNION TO GOD, or ATONEMENT involved.

He saw a burning bush that would sort of be in place of the ark of the covenant in the holiest, showing us a message about the message of the ark.

The bush was not burning.
  • God spoke from that bush as He spoke later from between the cherubims on the mercyseat.
  • A bush is comprised of multiple branches.
  • What is the message?

Moses tried serving God as Exodus leader forty years earlier and failed.
  • At that time he had no concept of UNION TO GOD.
  • He attempted to deliver Israel in his own human strength outside of reliance and dependence upon God.

This time, the message of deliverance and how it would occur was given to Moses:

Exodus 3:8 KJV  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Each time He went back to speak with God, he went to that bush:

7 "I wills" of God.

Exodus 6:6-8 KJV  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:  (7)  And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  (8)  And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

God would do the delivering, using MOSES.

John 14:10 KJV  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Moses would learn that burning out was due to his independent attempt.
  • But if he could learn the concept of being a branch connected to the vine, with all God's people as branches, like the picture of the bush, he would burn in fiery anointing and NOT BURN OUT like he did before.
  • Even the youth shall faint, but if we understand our need for UNION to God, this God who does not faint will give POWER to us, and we shall run and not faint.


Isaiah 40:28-31 KJV  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  (29)  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  (30)  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  (31)  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

IF GOD DOES NOT FAINT, AND IF YOUTH FAINT, AND IF WE NOT FAINT, God must give us HIS POWER.
  • HE GIVETH HIS POWER!

Union to God requires us to understand we need to tap into His power and not run on our own. 
  • Isaiah 40 is emphasizing union to God for power.
  • It is revealing what we can experience if we acknowledge our union by atonement, and operate in KINGDOM POWER.


God spoke from BETWEEN CHERUBIMS ON ARK.
  • In the burning bush, GOD ALSO SPOKE from between the BRANCHES of the bush that did not burn out.
  • His WORD cried out to Moses about the message of union.

Cherubim were made from one solid piece of gold that mercyseat was made from.
  • We're molded into this throne.
  • We're so united to this power, we're molded OUT OF IT.

The same thing happened with JOSHUA.

Joshua 5:13-6:3 KJV  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  (14)  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?  (15)  And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.  (6:1)  Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.  (2)  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.  (3)  And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.  Joshua 6:4 KJV  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Joshua entered the HOLIEST, and God told him to remove his shoes as He told Moses.
  • And what God said to Joshua was also the concept of Joshua's need of UNION to God to accomplish the task.
  • Joshua was not going to add this captain to his army, nor was this captain for the enemy.
  • Joshua had to join the CAPTAIN'S ranks and be directed by the captain!
  • Moses tried in his own effort and failed.
  • God told Him God would do the delivering using Moses.
  • Now Joshua was told to follow God's direction and not attempt anything in his own power.
  • And it involved the ark, the symbol of this UNION by ATONEMENT.

MOSES was told UNION.

JOSHUA WAS TOLD POWER IN UNION AT EDGE OF THE KINGDOM LAND.

Both these men experienced this after 40 years when previously failure occurred.
  • Forty years before, Moses failed in leading Israel in human power.
  • Forty years before Joshua, Israel was faced with entrance into Canaan and doubted they could handle it through thinking in terms of self power and self ability.
  • Joshua had it right forty years earlier when he explained these words to the doubting Israelites:


Numbers 14:6-9 KJV  And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:  (7)  And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  (8)  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.  (9)  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Joshua had the concept of atonement when he said they could take the land FOR THE LORD IS WITH US.

Atonement means GOD IS WITH US.

It was like he upheld the ark and cried I AM ONE WITH GOD, and so are you, due to the blood sprinkled on this mercyseat.
  • We're on the throne that this ark depicts, with God.
  • We have the power THROUGH HIM.

This is what they did later and what God told them to do later with the ark in Jordan.
  • It's what they did with the ark around Jericho.

And the same walls they feared 40 years earlier due to know acknowledging God was WITH THEM, were specifically thrown down in Jericho when the ark was marched around the city for seven days!

The concept of GOD IS WITH US, and we are ON THE THRONE WITH HIM must be understood.
  • We must act according to THAT truth and then with FAITH he is WITH US, we will see Him honour that faith and empower us.

JOHN 12 and THE KING/ ISAIAH 6

This is in fact noted in the very chapter in the New Testament when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as HER KING, and John wrote:

John 12:12-15 KJV  On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,  (13)  Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.  (14)  And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,  (15)  Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

He spoke of HIS DEATH.

John 12:24 KJV  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Then of AT ONE MENT:

John 12:31-33 KJV  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.  (32)  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.  (33)  This he said, signifying what death he should die.

And John commented that Isaiah's prophecy of HIS GLORY -- Him on the throne with seraphims overhead -- notes at the end of Isaiah 6 the words describing Israel's unbelief for their King.

John 12:39-41 KJV  Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,  (40)  He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.  (41)  These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

WHEN HE SAW GLORY FIXING TO BURST FROM HIS THRONE into the world.
  • Jesus was fixing to GO TO THIS THRONE AND burst FORTH glory from HIS THRONE at this time.

Isaiah 6:8-10 KJV  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.  (9)  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.  (10)  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

John said Isaiah said this when he saw JESUS' GLORY.
  • When we read Isaiah 6 we read of Jesus HIGH AND LIFTED UP with seraphims overhead.
  • John called it HIS GLORY.
  • THE ARK OF THE COVENANT was called the GLORY OF GOD, when Ichabod was born after the ark was taken, and the mother said it was because the glory had departed
  • The ARK had departed.

1 Samuel 4:21 KJV  And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

GLORY WAS COMING BACK!

Just as Isaiah saw the GLORY of Jesus in his 6th chapter, it was like seeing the ark since the ark was patterned after that very picture.

And if you follow it through, just as Ezekiel saw the GLORY with cherubims leave the temple and go to the EAST MOUNTAIN.

Ezek 10 shows the glory going to the east door, and chapter 11 speaks of men who devise mischief and give wicked counsel... and God says the city shall be her caldron...
  • Then God says He would do a work and gather his people from afar and make a new covenant with them and put His Spirit in them.

Ezekiel 11:22-23 KJV  Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.  (23)  And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

The very thing Jesus did after he was rejected in Jerusalem.

Matthew 24:1,3 KJV  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.  

(3)  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES IS THE EAST MOUNTAIN BESIDE THE CITY!

Ezekiel was seeing a vision of the GREAT fulfillment of all this in the time of JESUS WHO CAME AS KING TO THE CITY JERUSALEM!

BUT LATER The same prophet sees the GLORY RETURN TO THE TEMPLE'S EAST GATE:

Ezekiel 43:1-4 KJV  Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:  (2)  And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.  (3)  And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.  (4)  And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

And then a RIVER flowing from the temple's east door.

Ezekiel 47:1 KJV  Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

Ezekiel 47:12 KJV  And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

ISAIAH AND EZEKIEL SEE SAME EVENT

And this is a parallel and COMPLIMENTARY vision to what ISAIAH saw in chapter 6.
  • Both accounts speak of GOD'S GLORY.
  • This is what the ark was called.
  • It was what John said Isaiah saw.
  • The ark looked like the scene Isaiah 6 shows us.
  • And the SERAPHIMS were crying aloud of His glory!
  • Ready to bust out at the threshhold of the house.

Isaiah 6:3  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.  (4)  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

And Ezekiel saw it COME OUT!

Isiah saw the SOURCING.
  • Ezekiel saw it come out!

And when we come to the end of Revelation in ch 22, we see the same picture Ezekiel saw - PULLING TOGETHER BOTH ISAIAH'S VISION AND REVELATION'S VISION.

Revelation 22:1-2 KJV  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (ISAIAH 6)  (2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Ezekiel 47)

Here, the throne is called the throne of the COMBINATION OF  God and the Lamb.
  • GOD WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVE MAN.

This throne is in a city that is foursquare, with length, height and breadth as long as each other.  

Revelation 21:16 KJV  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

The only other place that was cube shaped was the holiest of holies in which the ark of the covenant sat.

1 Kings 6:20 KJV  And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

And from the throne comes a river of life.
  • This river is associated with ministering to a woman at a well in John 4.
  • Jesus spoke of rivers of living water.
  • He said He could give it to her.
  • And this river flows from the throne of the combination of God and the Lamb.
  • Ministry flows from this combination.

John 14:12 KJV  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Notice Jesus associated greater works IN OUR LIVES with going to the Father, which was fulfilled when He sat down on the throne with the Father.
  • So, His seating on the throne has to do with feats that we can accomplish.
  • We are tied into His seating on the throne.
  • Going to the Father simply refers to sitting on the throne with the Father.

Doing something in this world is was it emphasized.
  • The Kingdom message is that we must do something in this world.
  • And our view of prophecy is so vital because most views promote an escapist mentality.
  • "Get us out of this world."
  • "Raise red heifers so the end will come when high priests are again ordained to offer sacrifices so as to cause temple sacrifice to begin and recommence the 70th week of Daniel."

Jesus prayed we remain in the world and be kept while in it.
  • Paul decided that it was better to remain with the church than to be absent from his mortal body to be present with the Lord.
  • And futurism concentrates on getting out of the world.

Something must happen.

Christ was raised to the throne so we would do greater works.
  • think about it -- His seating there would cause us to do greater works.
  • We're connected to Him and He is on the throne.
  • His power is connected to us.
  • We can do great feats because His power on that throne is connected to us.
  • We're in atonement with Him.

And not only was Christ said to be seated there, but we were raised with Him and seated with Him over all powers.
  • Christ's presence there stands for our presence there, too.
  • So it is a picture of MANKIND redeemed and in union to God.
  • And it all focuses on what the ark represents -- the throne of God.
  • Wherever He is, we are.

We became inseparably united to Him in union at the point of when He died.


Adam was meant to rule with God, so you could say Adam and God were meant to be seated together.
  • But Adam failed.
  • Therefore, Jesus, the last man Adam, succeeded and now sits with God.
  • And we are seated with Him.
  • So we see a picture of ministry flowing from the throne to the world.


The Kingdom is represented by the fact that we need union to God through Christ and then sit on the throne and minister to the world.
  • We need to believe in our connection to Christ who is on the throne, and thereby believe Him for greater works to come forth from our lives.
  • The ark shows the throne and atonement, the two elements stressed in the Kingdom.
  • Man must unite to God in true atonement.
  • We must UNDERSTAND or SEE this to benefit from the Kingdom position we have in Christ

This is the message of Romans 6.
  • Religion taught Paul to try his human best to work for God.
  • The goal was good works.
  • But Paul failed every time.
  • He learned that he lacked the key of union to God in order to truly be able to work.

And Paul said this must be first KNOWN, then RECKONED to oneself and then we must finally act on that and present ourselves to God.

KNOWING means UNDERSTANDING.
  • We have to SEE this truth.
  • SEEING THIS will lead to reckoning to be true about us, which will bring action.

Romans 6's notes about Christ's death into which we are baptized is actually showing atonement.
  • The sacrifice's relevance or purpose was to stand in the place of the offerer.
  • The offerer's sins were cast onto the sacrifice so that when it died, the person was considered to have died and paid the penalty for sin.


Doing everything through effort of solely using flesh sees us fail and not progress.

God wants to rip off the top of the ceiling of our progress by granting a revelation of Kingdom Seating with Christ concerning union to Him and experience what atonement truly achieved for us to experience.

The two trees show the difference.

John 6:57 KJV  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

LIKE FRUIT OF LIFE.


This is living by this Life.
  • The reason Paul spoke as one failing, to teach what and what not to do, in Romans 7 was because he described failing by living through human life alone.
  • You can have the life of God in you but not live by it.
  • Living by the Lord's life takes some understanding and learning.
  • You cannot do it without having been taught how.

Notice that Jesus said we eat Him so as to live by Him.
  • This means that eating the fruit of Life represents living by Jesus.
  • If we have not learned to live by Jesus, then we have never actually feasted on the fruit of Life.
  • Living by our natural man and natural mind is eating of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
  • Paul concentrated so much upon good and evil and acquiring that knowledge in order to live right, that he was eating of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
  • Paul said he did not know evil and sin except but by the law.
  • This is the knowledge of evil.
  • Adam did not know he was naked until he ate of the forbidden fruit.

When the word goes into our hearts, we will not sin.

Psalms 119:11 KJV  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

ARK HAD LAW INSIDE.

Hebrews 8:7-12 KJV  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.  (8)  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:  (9)  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.  (10)  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:  (11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.  (12)  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

This is the SEED OF THE WORD entering into the HEART (NOT BRAIN) of a person so as to reproduce GOOD WORKS like fruit from a branch and children from a wife.
  • Both the seed of a man and the sap from a tree's vine causes LIFE to enter the believer.
  • LIFE is not knowledge.
  • It is not living.

The ark had the LAW placed within itself.

This is like the heart of man where Jesus rules.
  • The throne is the heart of man.
  • It has God's law in it.
  • It shows the thought of the law written in the heart.

It had a branch inside that thrived after being dead, and represented high priesthood.
  • HE IS VINE AND WE BRANCHES.
  • This is resurrection, as well as the branch concept of receiving life from the vine.
  • Moses learned the lesson of being branches when he saw the bush burning with fire and the bush not being consumed.
  • Man will run and not be weary and walk and not faint if he can learn to live by another life.
  • MOSES BURNT OUT.
  • Wait on the Lord and do not run on ahead on our own independence.
  • Youth finally do faint.
  • But relying on the LIFE of God is waiting on the Lord, so we never faint and get weary, since we're empowered by divine steam... eternal life that does not die nor get tired.


The veil on the holiest and the ark with cherubims GAZING at the mercyseat emphasized UNDERSTANDING since the cherubims were there with eyes all over them.

Kingdom realm.
  • Most holy place.
  • Garden Room.
  • Wings as eagles are attached to the cherubims.

Manna in the ark shows the principle as well.
  • Jesus said He was manna from heaven.
  • In the same chapter he spoke of eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
  • Same chapter he multiplied bread and fishes.
  • Christ is multiplied.
  • More union understanding.
  • Through His cross He is multiplied.

He emphasized having everlasting life in John 6.

John 6:53 says without his blood we have no life in us.

John 6:49-53 KJV  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  (50)  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  (51)  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  (52)  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?  (53)  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.