Entering God’s Presence through Coverings, Curtains, Veils, and Gates – Part Three
God does all things well
God created all things good. Lucifer was created as an angel of light to help cover the Glory of God’s Presence. Ezekiel chapter twenty-eight describes the original beauty of Lucifer. He was an anointed, covering cherub.
Pride ruins it all
The heart of Lucifer was lifted up because of his beauty and the misuse of his wisdom, and he set his heart to be like God who created him. Pride, coveting, and all other sins, originated with Lucifer. All sins begin with pride.
Sin and Holiness Incompatible
God is holy, as well as just and pure. Sin, in any form, cannot dwell in His Presence, so Lucifer had to be cast out of heaven. However, the gifts of God are without repentance, so everything that God created Lucifer with, he still retains as Satan, or the devil.
Devil accuses and lies about us as he did with God
Lucifer means ‘shining one’ or ‘morning star’. Satan means ‘adversary’. Devil means ‘liar’ or ‘false accuser’. He is God’s adversary, and also ours, as he is constantly accusing us before God that we are not worthy to be His child, and he is constantly seeking to destroy us spiritually.
True Light can’t be duplicated
Lucifer was created to reflect the Light of God. There was no light in Lucifer, in and of himself. This is why he is now the ruler of darkness, because he has been cast out of God’s Light. Outside of God’s Light, there is nothing but darkness. Jesus teaches us that those not allowed into God’s Kingdom will be cast into outer darkness. (Ephesians 6:12, Matthew 22:13)
Light, Presence, Anointing, Fire of God
God is Light. He is a consuming fire. He dwells in a light that no earthly man is able to approach unto and survive. This light is glorious and is sometimes referred to as God’s Glory. This light is the very essence of the Spirit of God, and is sometimes referred to as His Presence. This light is the source of all anointing, and is referred to as The Anointing that comes from God.
Covered to prevent destruction of the earth and protected from impurity
This Light, Glory, Presence, and Anointing of God’s very character has to be kept covered or it would destroy all life upon earth. It also has to be guarded from anything that would defile the purity of God. So God separated creation into three heavens and sealed off His third heaven, or Throne Room, from the second and first heavens. Satan was cast out and allowed to continue to rule over the first heaven, while having access to the second heaven.
Tabernacle is our teacher
The Tabernacle was patterned after heavenly things. The three divisions of the Tabernacle show us the three divisions of ourselves, and of the Lord’s life while here on the earth.
God likes divisions of Three
The Tabernacle has three divisions. Man has body, soul and spirit. Jesus lived as the Spirit of God in a body of flesh, and yielded up His Spirit to His Father alone on the mountain, in the Garden and on the Cross.
Outer Court – Brazen Altar of Sacrifice, Laver of Water = Repentance and Baptism
The outer court of the tabernacle contained the Brazen Altar of Sacrifice and the Laver of Water for washing of the priests. Jesus became the Lamb of God, offered on that Altar, and baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. We repent of our sins at an altar and then are baptized to signify the washing away of sins. The children of Israel were forgiven of their sins as the priest offered their sacrifice on the altar, and then they washed before applying that blood to the rest of the tabernacle. Jesus forgives us, as our sacrifice, and has also cleansed the very heavens with His Blood. When we repent and are baptized, God applies His Blood to our hearts and we are enabled to enter into His Word with spiritual understanding.
Holy Place – Table of Shewbread, Candlestick, Altar of Incense = Bread of Life in His Word, Spiritual Understanding from His Holy Spirit of Light, and Incense from the uniqueness of our lives in prayer and obedience
The Holy Place of the tabernacle was curtained off from the Outer Court. The priest could not enter inside this curtain unless he had offered a sacrifice and he had washed at the Laver of Water. He had to do this each time he went inside the curtain to maintain the furnishings of the Holy Place. Jesus withdrew Himself often, to be alone in some secluded place away from others, to commune with His Father. We are taught to spend time daily, alone in our closets, away from others, praying to the Father in secret, so we can be rewarded openly. This involves the Lord’s Prayer and acknowledging our need of forgiveness on a daily basis. Instead of going repeatedly to the water baptismal, Paul says the Word of God, itself, washes and cleanses us from sin. (Ephesians 5:26)
Holy of Holies – Ark of the Covenant, Mercy Seat, Cherubim and Presence of Jehovah God = covered in Blood of Christ, filled with His Spirit, reading His Word, and praying with thanksgiving before Him
The Holy of Holies of the tabernacle was also curtained off from the Holy Place. The Levitical Priests couldn’t enter this area at all, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and that only once per year on the Day of Atonement. Jesus showed us what happens to the body when He was dwelling in the very Presence of His Father, when He was transfigured before Peter, James and John as He conversed with Moses and Elijah in Matthew chapter seventeen, verses one through three. His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as the Light. Christians who spend a lot of time alone with God can also radiate a little of this Light that comes from being in God’s Presence. Moses, when he came down from being in God’s Presence for forty days, had to cover his face because it shone so brightly. (Exodus 34:35)
Fresh Bread, Fresh Oil, and Fresh Incense = daily and weekly feedings in the Word, repentance and cleansing by His Word and His Spirit, Offering of uniqueness of our lives before Him in prayer and worship
The priests were to keep fresh bread on the Table of Shewbread, changing it once per week. The bread was also known as the Bread of Presence, or Continual Bread. (Exodus 25:30) They were to keep oil in the Golden Candlestick so that it would shed light onto the bread continually. They trimmed the wicks twice a day. They offered incense twice a day, morning and evening. The Altar of Incense set right before the veil that hid the Ark of Covenant in the Holy of Holies, where the very Presence of God dwelt between the wings of the Cherubim overlooking the Mercy Seat.
Incense – a special mixture of spice, blood, and fire = Your suffering makes your prayers a unique, sweet smelling aroma to your Father
This incense was a special mixture of five spices, as prescribed in Exodus chapter thirty. This incense had to be combined with live coals from the Brazen Altar of Sacrifice and with the blood of the sacrifice offered on that altar. The priest took the live coals in a censer into 
the Holy Place twice each day and poured incense made from the fives spices upon the coals. This incense ascended from the censer, past the veil, into the Holy of Holies surrounding the Ark of God.
Jesus showed us how to offer incense to the Father
Jesus offered this incense in His prayers, while alone in the garden and upon the cross. He also continues to offer it as our eternal High Priest, praying for us from Heaven. The obedience and the brokenness of the life of Jesus became His unique incense spices that He was able to offer to His Father. You and I are to do the same with our prayers. Prayers which should come forth from a heart that is obedient, and that has suffered the brokenness. Brokenness that comes from suffering and reaching out to Him for strength to overcome. Our prayers become a special, unique blend of sweet smelling incense before our Father, as we spend time alone before Him in the light of His Word, and obey His teachings.
Jesus became the Tabernacle and You and I are to fulfill its purpose in our lives today
Jesus became the Tabernacle while on earth. You and I are to fulfill the purpose of the Tabernacle in our daily lives. Just as the priest had to follow a set pattern to be able to minister before the Lord, so we have to follow a pattern to partake of the Presence of God. By doing so we become both a protector of the Glory of God, as we resist the temptations of the devil, and a Covering of Light by allowing His Light to dwell in our spirit-man and shine forth to others as He directs us day by day.
Click here for part two-Entering into God’s Presence through coverings, curtains, veils and gates
To be continued…