Water of His WORD BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS: WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING ---Roly Buys--- 1
Amanda Buys Spiritual Covering This is a product of Kanaan Ministries, a non-profit ministry under the covering of: Roly, Amanda s husband for more than thirty-five years. Pastor Edward and Dalene Gibbens Vanderbijlpark South Africa There is no copyright on this material. However, no part may be reproduced and/or presented for personal gain. All rights to this material are reserved to further the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ ONLY. For further information or to place an order, please contact us at: P.O. Box 15253 27 John Vorster Avenue Panorama Plattekloof Ext. 1 7506 Panorama 7500 Cape Town Cape Town South Africa South Africa Tel: +27 (0) 21 930 7577 Fax: 086 681 9458 E-mail: kanaan@iafrica.com Website: www.kanaanministries.org Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM Kanaan International Website Website: www.eu.kanaanministries.org 2
Parashah Tetzaveh You are to order - Week 20 YOU ARE TO KEEP THE LAMP BURNING CONTINUALLY This portion comes from Exodus 27:20-30:10; Ezekiel 43:10-27 and Philippians 4:10-20. SUMMARY The portion covers the detail of the plans that define: The concept of priesthood The exact manner in which each of the garments will be made which all of the Priests will be wearing, from the High Priest to the ordinary Levites, and The detailed process that Moses would have to follow in order to sanctify the Tabernacle. Two themes are highlighted for me: While the portion speaks mainly of clothes, it starts off with this Commandment. Exodus 27:20-21 You are to order the people of Isra el to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep a lamp burning continually. Aharon and his sons are to put it in the tent of meeting, outside the curtain in front of the testimony, and keep it burning from evening until morning before ADONAI. This is to be a permanent regulation through all the generations of the people of Isra el. The Menorah is one of the most beautiful symbols that one can ever find. The rich symbolism that is contained in the design can keep one occupied for a long time. One of the tourist attractions in the Old City of Jerusalem is a full-scale model of the original. It s positioned about halfway down the long flight of steps that you have to use if you want to walk down to stand in front of the Western Wall. 3
Leviticus 24:2 Order the people of Isra el to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, to keep lamps burning always. Outside the curtain of the testimony in the tent of meeting, Aharon is to arrange for the light to be kept burning always from evening until morning before ADONAI; this is to be a permanent regulation through all your generations. He is always to keep in order the lamps on the pure menorah before ADONAI. What does it mean to burn fresh oil continually? The Hebrew word for olive tree is es shemen and takes on the following meanings: Tree of oil To shine Richness, anointing, fat, ointment Another Hebrew word for olive is, Zayith and means: Yielding, illuminating oil. Olive trees can grow to be hundreds of years old. The tree becomes hollow on the inside, but this only causes the trunk to grow thicker. New shoots push out to produce new branches, even when the trunk has been cut off completely. The leaves make dense foliage of grey-green leaves. The fruit will be seen early in the summer but will only ripen towards the very end of the season. Amanda and I paid a visit to Israel around about the end of June 2015. We stayed in the Galilee for a few days. It was summer time and can be very hot there. Luckily for us, the wind comes up every afternoon, blowing off the Sea of Galilee (which is cold), and therefore makes the evenings very pleasant. Immediately in front of our chalet were a few olive trees. The fruit was fully visible. However, these trees will stand in this hot sun, with very little water until September / October the time of the Sukkot Feast. 4
It became a very real lesson for me. We face trials and tribulations, but need to stand until the right season for harvesting all of those struggles will produce a fine, pure, oil, and a brilliant light. This portion tells us that we must bring pure oil of pounded olives on a continual basis, in the physical, to a menorah to keep the light burning. A DETOUR I highlighted earlier, the statement that the lamp will burn continually, but there is a caveat. The Bible says, every day from dusk until the morning. Exodus 30:8 What do we make of that? We do not burn the lamp in the daylight But we HAVE to burn it during the times of darkness!! In Revelations we will read about the spiritual Menorah that will be burning in the end times. How do we transform from the physical to the spiritual menorah, and more importantly, how does our oil transform, spiritually? It seems to be suggesting the following to me: When we walk in the light of revelation knowledge, we are able to make informed choices that will keep us on the pathway that GOD (YHVH) has laid out for us. We, however, mainly live in a world where distortion, deceit, lies and misrepresentation are the norm. The media has become so good at presenting some truth together with much lies in such a manner that we are seldom able to discern the false. Mankind has become good at living in that half-light darkness type of environment, it is really the norm. Consider for just a moment; how many TV adverts do you see where this very unique exercise machine can trim your body in just 10days, or just a few of these drops taken 3 times a day will cause you to lose 25 kg? Let us take the example of a house for sale; how often do you hear that nobody told you about the leak in the roof and the paint on the ceiling that covered the evidence up was just routine maintenance!! I submit that this verse is calling us to; Always be aware of exactly where we are at all times on this journey, to be careful of the friendships, to be diligent about the business partners that we choose, and so on. Always be testing the amount of daylight that is still available; how about considering that you are an umpire at an international test cricket match. You have a light meter in your pocket. 5
Every now and then, towards the evening time, you will take out this machine and check the level of light, the cricket players ask; Is it safe to carry on playing?. The spiritual fathers ask; are we entering a place / time of spiritual darkness, MUST WE LIGHT THE LAMP? What is this lamp? The Torah!! We light the lamp of revelation in our hearts when we study AND implement GOD (YHVH) s WORD. Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp for my foot and light on my path. David tells us that the righteous are described as olive trees. This starts to give us an idea that we, as an olive tree, can continually produce fruit that can be converted into oil. Psalm 128:1-4 A song of ascents: How happy is everyone who fears ADONAI, who lives by His ways. You will eat what your hands have produced; you will be happy and prosperous. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the inner parts of your house. Your children around the table will be like shoots from an olive tree. This is the kind of blessing that will fall on him who fears ADONAI. Paul tells us that the gentiles can be grafted into the natural olive tree. We can become a part of the community of believers that are seen as producers of oil. We are sons of the Covenant, by grace. However, while we remain grafted into the tree, we are expected to draw on the sap from the root, and then to produce much fruit. Romans 11:16-24 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you a wild olive were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don t boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you. ARE YOU ONE OF THE WISE VIRGINS? This is one parable that takes on a new meaning when we consider the story of the TEN virgins within the context of this Torah portion. The lamp must burn in the darkness, THEN its purpose is to drive away the dark and replace it with revelation light / knowledge. Worldly darkness is only driven away with NEW, FRESH revelations that we get when we study the WORD daily. The picture presented to us in this regard is that of the manna that falls every day and the action of a man who goes out to collect all that he can eat for the day. We have become so accustomed to hearing others preach / teach the WORD. We have become used to accepting the opinion of others. The Bible teaches us that it is the responsibility of FATHERS AND MOTHERS initially, and later on each individual in their own right, to bring fresh oil. 6
Matthew 25: 1-13 The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. 3 The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil, 4 whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. 6 It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him! 7 The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. 8 The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out. 9 No, they replied, there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves. 10 But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. 11 Later, the other bridesmaids came. Sir! Sir! they cried, Let us in! But he answered, Indeed! I tell you, I don t know you! So stay alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour. What do we now learn from this parable and the connection with the Menorah? (a) That we have to TEND the Garden and the lamp. It is a job, a calling it s not something that we can delegate to others. You see, only the individual will know / be able to measure whether they are entering the time of DUSK. So it is clearly something that you and I need to measure and evaluate from time to time, and then to determine when it's the right thing to do to light the lamp of Torah study. John 1:9 This was the true light, which gives light to everyone entering the world. (b) That we must ensure that the incense mix is correct. The Bible is clear there is a very specific mix of items that make up the oil that will be burnt in the menorah. That mix is reflected in our works that are measured by values such as Justice, Compassion and Humility. It is the oil that reflects your life; it's a sacrifice that you personally are making on a daily basis you therefore have to make sure that your attitudes and deeds are daily in alignment with GOD (YHVH) s principles, OR ELSE your oil will not be acceptable to GOD (YHVH). (c) That we must watch out for burnout One important lesson stands out for me in this parable. That we as humans can reach burn-out They are all virgins an indication that they were committed to the covenant. They all start out with lamps However, the journey is long, and the level of darkness comes to overpower us every single day of our lives. This constant pressure can get the better of us -we can start to think that we can get by with smaller and smaller levels of Torah study and smaller and smaller levels of deeds of loving our neighbour. Its this interaction of love with our fellow man that creates the extra flasks of oil we speak of the works of the Holy Spirit 7
Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things. Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires. Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day. ARE YOU A SON OF FRESH OIL? We see that oil is an essential component of the duty of a son of the Covenant. We see that GOD (YHVH) describes us as olive trees that are bearing much fruit. But as men we need to be a burning beacon of light. The prophet Zechariah sees a vision that connects to the end-time Book of Revelation. In that vision, he asks, what are these two olive trees? The answer is astounding these are two anointed ones (In Hebrew: sons of fresh oil ) who stand before the GOD (YHVH) of the whole earth. Zechariah 4:13-14 He replied, Don t you know what they are? I answered, No, my Lord. He said, Those are the two who have been anointed with oil; they are standing with the Lord of all the land. John tells us who these two men are. They are sons of fresh oil they are filled with the Holy Spirit and they reflect the full glory of GOD (YHVH). Revelation 11:1-4 Also I will give power to my two witnesses; and they will prophesy for 1, 260 days, dressed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two menorahs standing before the Lord of the earth. Let us follow this transition carefully. HOW DOES MY OIL TRANSFORM SPIRITUALLY? The oil described in this portion, as of pounded olives, gives one the first clue. It s a process. 8
WE ARE BEATEN AND CRUSHED The fruit will grow and ripen until it is time for the farmer to harvest. At that time he arrives with tools (today a form of electronic beater) that will shake the tree vigorously, until the olives fall to the ground. We are buffeted by the circumstances of this world. Deuteronomy 24:20 When you beat your olive tree, you are not to go back over the branches again; the olives that are left will be for the foreigner, the orphan and the widow. During these processes our fruit will be revealed to all who stand and see. The olives are crushed / bruised by a press of some kind and placed into containers where the fine oil will run off. One of the most critical aspects to consider, crushing removes all bitterness. Y shua / Jesus was crushed so that we could experience the sense of freedom that we do today. Deuteronomy 33:24 Of Asher he said: May Asher be most blessed of sons, may he be the favorite among his brothers and bathe his feet in oil. WE USE THIS OIL FOR HIS KINGDOM 1) We are ministers of the anointing of healing. We react when others are sick by coming alongside in prayer, to comfort and to show compassion. As we walk along life s path we will look out for others that may need the care of a Samaritan. Luke 10:34 So he went up to him, put oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he set him on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day, he took out two days wages, gave them to the innkeeper and said, Look after him; and if you spend more than this, I ll pay you back when I return. Of these three, which one seems to you to have become the neighbor of the man who fell among robbers? He answered, The one who showed mercy toward him. Yeshua said to him, You go and do as he did. See also James 5:14-16 2) We reflect the glory of GOD (YHVH) by living according to His standard and will. By a walk of obedience, revealing justice, compassion and humility we reflect the Sovereignty and rulership of GOD (YHVH) in this world. Our lifestyle, ethics, moral standards, and acts of loving my neighbour, will show that we are sons of the KING, and we will be seen as His anointed ones. 1 Samuel 16:13 Sh mu el took the horn of oil and anointed him there in his brothers presence. From that day on, the Spirit of ADONAI would fall upon David with power. So Sh mu el set out and went to Ramah. 9
Psalm 89:19 There was a time when you spoke in a vision; you declared to your loyal [prophets], I have given help to a warrior, I have raised up someone chosen from the people. 3) We will rejoice in the abundance of the blessing that we have. 3.1) And therefore we will sing out our praises. Psalm 45:7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy in preference to your companions. Isaiah 61:3 yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn, giving them garlands instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit, so that they will be called oaks of righteousness planted by ADONAI, in which He takes pride. 3.2) And we will celebrate His Feast of Sukkot. Deuteronomy 12:7 There you will eat in the presence of ADONAI your God; and you will rejoice over everything you set out to do, you and your households, in which ADONAI your God has blessed you. 3.3) We will be wise with the gifts that GOD (YHVH) has blessed us with. This passage is probably one of the most quoted by church leaders. The wording, namely that you can buy oil, seems to create the idea that I can get oil elsewhere. The reality of the WORD is that the only way that you can buy oil is by investing in acts of human kindness, mercy, compassion and justice. Matthew 25:3-9 The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil, whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him! The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out. No, they replied, there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves. 10
3.4) We will maintain a steady pace on our journey as we travel looking forward to the return of the Messiah. We have no idea when the Messiah will return. We can spend the time looking out for signs and prophetic messages, or we can live a productive life praising His Name in all circumstances. I submit that the latter will be an oil producing action. Matthew 5:14-16 This happened in order to fulfill what Yesha yahu the prophet had said, Land of Z vulun and land of Naftali, toward the lake, beyond the Yarden, Galil-ofthe-Goyim the people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the region, in the shadow of death, light has dawned. The WORD and the SPIRIT will be our Source of inspiration and our benchmark for action. Our level of SHALOM will depend on the degree to which we: 1) pursue a search for truth and 2) open our hearts to listen to the Ruach. Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp for my foot and light on my path. 3.5) We will be a peace-maker. The world is filled with conflict, hatred and much abuse. We have the opportunity to be like the dove that flew away from Noah s ark and came back with an olive leaf. We, as sons of fresh oil, will be extending the olive branch as far as we can. Genesis 8:11 The dove came in to him in the evening, and there in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf, so Noach knew that the water had cleared from the earth. 3.6) We, as the Body of Messiah, the Tabernacle made up of Living Stones, will strive for unity. We will seek ways to work together, to recognise each others gifts and to bless each other to fulfill their unique potential. Psalm 133:1-2 A song of ascents. By David: Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony. It is like fragrant oil on the head that runs down over the beard, over the beard of Aharon, and flows down on the collar of his robes. 3.7) We will continually strive to renew our minds, to deal with the old man and to produce fresh oil. Old oil becomes stale, and no longer tastes good. We renew our oil daily pure oil. Psalm 92:10 [b] you anoint me with fresh olive oil. 11
BELLS AND POMEGRANATES We have started this portion from the standpoint that we are to be human menorah s in our own right that the works of obedience and the fruit of the Holy Spirit would come the OIL that we burn. We have seen that, very specifically, we are told to be wise virgins with plenty of oil for ALL LEVELS AND INTENSITY OF DARKNESS. Children of Abraham that walk in the path will be Priests in His Living Stone Tabernacle. We will have BELLS and pomegranates on the bottom of our heavenly robe. Once again, although we have been given something physical to attach to our garments, the question GOD (YHVH) ask all of us is; have we developed the spiritual equivalents? You may ask what are the life actions that reflect the attributes of bells and pomegranates? Paul was expecting that question.his answer? BELLS = GIFTS 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says Jesus is accursed! and no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by One and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. **NUGGET!** We hear so often that the priest would have a rope tied around his ankle so that he could be removed from the Tabernacle if he died in there. This story is coupled to the sound of the bells. Can it be true? I suggest NOT. You see the gifts / bells are from GOD (YHVH). When we enter the Holy Place we leave behind those things and all we can bring are the works of love!! Look carefully at this next verse. Aaron only wears the linen garments on this day. 12
Leviticus 16:23-24 Aharon is to go back into the tent of meeting, where he is to remove the linen garments he put on when he entered the Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. 24 Then he is to bathe his body in water in a holy place, put on his other clothes, POMEGRANATES = LOVE It does not matter how wonderful you are with all of the talents / gifts, if your ego is in control, then you will use the power of those abilities for: (1) personal gain and (2) to wound and hurt others who stand in your way. GOD (YHVH) says without love we are nothing!!!!! (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it h is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. GARMENTS OF LEADERSHIP The garments of the Priests are described in great detail. The making, the dedication and the wearing of these garments all had significance. Adam and Eve had eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and were forced to wear clothes provided by GOD (YHVH). GOD (YHVH) gives the Priests robes that cover that sin, and enables man once again to enter into the Tabernacle. These robes are sacred. It is only when the priest wears them that he can enter into the Tabernacle. Exodus 28:43 Aharon and his sons are to wear them when they go into the tent of meeting and when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they won t incur guilt and die. This is to be a perpetual regulation, both for him and for his descendants. And because he wears these garments, he is covered with dignity and honour. Exodus 28:2-3 You are to make for your brother Aharon garments set apart for serving God, expressing dignity and splendour. Speak to all the craftsmen to whom I have given the Spirit of Wisdom, and have them make Aharon s garments to set him apart for Me, so that he can serve Me in the office of Cohen. 13
These physical garments also point to a spiritual reality. One day Y shua / Jesus would be the great High Priest. Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great Cohen gadol who has passed through to the highest heaven, Yeshua, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we acknowledge as true. WHAT LEADERSHIP ROLES DO MY GARMENTS REVEAL? 14
The Sky Blue Robe This represents the connection between man and GOD (YHVH). When I (as leader) understand the extent of my potential, and I realize what GOD (YHVH) has planned for me, then I can make every footstep that I take reveal the Image of GOD (YHVH) to my family / community. The Ephod Two stones are placed on the leader s shoulder. On these are the names of the tribes. In the leader s case these are the names of all of those who he is called to lead / present to GOD (YHVH). Every action of every day therefore calls their rights to attention. A leader is never alone wherever he goes the cause of the whole community that he represents is with him. Every single deed that he does affects the community, either for good or for evil. The Breastplate A leader carries the names of the family and friends on his heart. The calling to walk in justice, to be compassionate, to be humble, is no more relevant than right here. How could a leader abuse, enslave, hurt, when he carries the names of all on his breastplate? The Headband A leader wears the headband as a sign that his thoughts, emotions and intellect are all challenged to look for the well being of others. Any thoughts to gossip, slander and so forth, open the doors for the Covenantal walls of protection to be destroyed. MY ROBE REPRESENTS A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM In the Book of Ezekiel we read that the robes that I wear represent the truths of that Kingdom. Ezekiel 26:16 Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones; they will put aside their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, trembling all the time, appalled at your condition. Many times, men want to be seen by others, and then by the actions of enlarging their own robes reveal their own dark nature. The moment that we act like this and allow our ego to rule, we are stretching the level of truth that we represent. Matthew 23:5 Everything they do is done to be seen by others; for they make their t fillin broad and their tzitziyot long, they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and they love being greeted deferentially in the marketplaces and being called Rabbi. Unfortunately, people who want to be seen by others are also the people who most likely are taking part in unacceptable / unethical / unbiblical actions. 15
Matthew 23:29-32 Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P rushim! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the tzaddikim, and you say, Had we lived when our fathers did, we would never have taken part in killing the prophets. In this you testify against yourselves that you are worthy descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead then, finish what your fathers started! HOW TO TRANSFORM FROM THE PHYSICAL ROBE OF THE PRIEST TO THE SPIRITUAL ROBE OF THE BRIDE We do not want to focus only on the physical robe. It is our calling to prepare for the spiritual Tabernacle. We will need the correct garment to enter that Tabernacle. We find the cross reference to these two garments in: Isaiah 61:10-11 I am so joyful in ADONAI! My soul rejoices in my God, for He has clothed me in salvation, dressed me with a robe of triumph, like a bridegroom wearing a festive turban, like a bride adorned with her jewels. 11 For just as the earth brings forth its plants, or a garden makes its plants spring up, so ADONAI, God, will cause victory and glory to spring up before all nations. Life on earth can have its unfortunate slip-ups where we do not always choose to walk in the paths of righteousness. It s then that we need to have these robes cleansed. In the same way what happened with the Priest Joshua. Zechariah 3:1-4 He showed me Y hoshua the cohen hagadol standing before the angel of ADONAI, with the Accuser [Hebrew: Satan] standing at his right to accuse him. ADONAI said to the Accuser, May ADONAI rebuke you, Accuser! Indeed, may ADONAI, who has made Yerushalayim His choice, rebuke you! Isn t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire? Y hoshua was clothed in garments covered with dung; and he was standing before the angel, who said to those standing in front of him, Take those filthy garments off of him. Then to him he said, See, I am taking your guilt away. I will clothe you in fine robes. Once we have had our robes renewed, we are called to walk in a new level of leadership, and accountability for the responsibility we have been given. Zechariah 3:7 ADONAI Tzva ot says this: If you will walk in My ways, obey My commission, judge My house and guard My courtyards; then I will give you free access among these who are standing here. Every leader should have one purpose in mind, and that is to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that they and all whom they teach / serve will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:6-8 Then I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd, like the sound of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, saying, Halleluyah! ADONAI, God of Heaven s armies, has begun His reign! Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us give Him the glory! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and His Bride has prepared herself fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear. 16
( Fine linen means the righteous deeds of GOD (YHVH) s people.) Revelation 7:9 After this, I looked; and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the Throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. HAFTORAH The verse that stands out is the prophetic statement that says: The House of Israel (note, not the children), but every single individual that makes up the Body of Messiah, will be ashamed of the sin and measure their iniquity according to the plan of the Temple. We will know exactly which utensil, which place in the Body / Tabernacle we made unclean. We will know exactly where we destroyed the intimacy of our relationship with GOD (YHVH) and it s exactly that ability to MEASURE accurately against a very specific Tabernacle PLAN, that allows you to see what it is that we may know and observe and carry out GOD (YHVH s) Will in our lives. Ezekiel 43:10-11 You human being, describe this house to the house of Isra el, so that they will be ashamed of their crimes. And let them measure accurately. If they become ashamed of all they have done, show them the elevation and plan of the house, its exits and entrances, all its details and decorations, and all its specifications, its design and its Torah. Sketch it for them to see, so that they can observe the entire design with its specifications, and carry them out. This is a PERSONAL matter, we each measure our personal iniquity that has been accumulated against the PLAN of our own bodies as Temple of GOD (YHVH) s Kingdom. While we need the picture of the wilderness Tabernacle to visualise things, we soon realise that we were supposed to keep the whole Body Holy and pure. Ezekiel 43:12 This is Torah for the house: the whole surrounding area on the mountaintop will be especially holy. This is Torah for the house. 17
FINAL THOUGHTS A leader s actions of justice, compassion, humility, love, and kindness, will reflect the Glory of GOD (YHVH) in the exact same way that the robe of the Priest gave legitimacy to the priest s position in the Tabernacle, allowing him to hear GOD (YHVH) speak above the Mercy Seat from between the two cherubim that are upon the Ark. Ex 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will commune with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment unto the children of Israel. Although we read of the Tabernacle and of all of the things in the Tabernacle as if they are all one unit, it is CRITICAL to note that: The Menorah is lit up BEFORE the Tabernacle is sanctified. Why is this important? It is not about a physical menorah, it is all about your Oil in YOUR life that is reflecting the Glory of GOD (YHVH). Revelation 1:13 and among the menorahs was someone like a Son of Man, wearing a robe down to His Feet and a gold band around His Chest. The robe of love will bring intimacy with the KING! Y varekh kha YHVH v yishmerekha. May YHVH bless you and keep you. Ya er YHVH panav eleikha vichunekka. May YHVH make His Face shine on you and show you His favour. Yissa YHVH panav eleikha v yasem l kha shalom. May YHVH lift up His Face toward you and give you peace. In this way they are to put My Name on the people of Israel, so that I will bless them. Shalom!! --Numbers 6:24-27 18