The Tabernacle Plan is a copy of the True Tabernacle in Heaven. (Exodus 25:40, Hebrews 8:5)
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)
There are three curtains separating three sections of the tabernacle.
- The curtain at the entrance to the Outer Court.
- The curtain at the entrance to the Holy Place.
- The curtain at the entrance to the Holy of Holies.
No man could approach the tabernacle without coming through the curtain at the Outer Court. Jesus is the Way to forgiveness of sins and washing away its stains on the soul.
No priest could enter the Holy Place without obeying the regulations of the Law. Jesus fulfilled the Law and is the only Truth.
No High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies without strict obedience to all the precepts about the Blood and order of the Tabernacle, or he could not receive the manifestation of the Glory of the Shekinah or eternal life of God. Jesus is the only giver of Eternal Life.
The golden candlestick had seven lamps representing the seven Spirits of God signifying the perfection of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 11:2 gives us the seven Spirits of God.
- The Spirit of the Lord
- The Spirit of Wisdom
- The Spirit of Understanding
- The Spirit of Counsel
- The Spirit of Power or Strength
- The Spirit of Knowledge
- The Spirit of Fear of the Lord or Reverence
Revelation 3:1, 4:5, and 5:6 speak of the seven Spirits of the Lord and the seven lamps burning before the Throne of God in heaven.
These seven Spirits of the Lord are the very character of God. They show His operations in different manifestations to His church. They are demonstrated in the various Gifts of the Spirit among believers.
The Golden Lampstand had to be trimmed each morning and evening. It had to be kept burning continually. It was the only light inside the Holy Place. It was the only means to illuminate the Table of Showbread and the Altar of Incense and all the beauty of the Holy Place.
The priests could see nothing but darkness without the golden candlestick. They could not perform their duties without its light.
Jesus is the True Light that gives spiritual light to every man to be able to spiritually understand the Word of God and to freely offer the incense of prayer, intercession, and worship to God.
John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the baptizer of the Holy Spirit and fire. (Fire cleanses and purifies)
Jesus told the woman at the well that He could give her Living Waters springing up into eternal life. He spoke of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The oil for the lamps is a type of the Holy Spirit. (Oil, water, and wine are types of the Holy Spirit)
The oil came from beaten olives speaking of the sufferings of Jesus for our salvation. It also speaks of how suffering purifies our motives in our worship and prayers to God.
The Golden Candlestick was pure gold hammered out by craftsmen. Jesus is pure divinity hammered out by the sufferings of His 3 ½ years earthly ministry. It also speaks of how suffering purifies our spirit-man.
Jesus is the Light of this world, and He gave His believers the Light of His Holy Spirit to shine His Truth into the hearts of those His Father draws unto Him.
For a natural man to understand the Word of God and things about eternal life, he must be Born Again of Water and Spirit. His natural spirit is dead unto the things of God, and the natural mind cannot understand God’s Word. His dead spirit-man must be reborn to be able to discern the darkness of this world and the Light of God’s Kingdom.
The Tabernacle gives us the Plan of Salvation with the Brazen Altar of Sacrifice as a type of Repentance and the Brazen Laver of Water as a type of Water Baptism.
As we turn away from our sins and ask Him to forgive us at repentance and to wash away those sins at baptism, then we are able to enter behind the second veil into the Presence of Jesus Christ as our High Priest ministering His Light upon His Word causing our hearts to rise into prayer, intercession, and worship.
Our Born Again Spirit is filled with His Holy Spirit as Living Waters springing up into Eternal Life. The Holy Spirit oil burns in our spiritual hearts as the oil of the Golden Lampstand did in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.
Our spirit-man is illuminated as the Holy Spirit within us shines upon the Living Word of God and quickens it to our spiritual hearts. His Words are Spirit and Life. (The Bible is just a dead book without the Holy Spirit quickening it-this is why natural-minded people cannot understand what the Bible is saying to their darkened hearts)
We need to pray first thing in the mornings and the last thing at night. Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing or continually throughout the day as the Holy Spirit guides us.
Continual praying shows our dependence upon His guidance and our willingness to be used as intercessors for those whom God directs our hearts towards. This opens up our spirit-man to understand the things of God which are spiritually discerned.
The New Birth is Repentance, Water Baptism, and Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire. The first two are accomplished in the Outer Court and the third takes place as we press into the Holy Place where Christ ministers to our hearts via His Light and Words of Truth, causing our hearts to radiate incense in prayer, intercession, and worship.