Holy and the Most Holy

The ark of the covenant was made from gold and it was located in the Most Holy. The ark of the covenant was a square box; in other words a coffer, which was two and half cubits long, one and a half cubits  high, which was covered with gold both on the inside and the outside. On top of the ark of the covenant was  the mercy seat, which was made from pure gold. In the two ends of the mercy seat were two cherubim, which were made from the gold and their faces were facing each other and their eyes looked downwards to the mercy seat. Their wings covered the mercy seat. From this place God spoke and revealed himself to the nation of Israel.

The lengths of the cherubim’s wings were altogether twenty cubits. Another wing of cherub was five cubits long and touched another wall of the room, and another wing was five cubits long and reached to the wing of other cherubim. And the wing of other cherubim was five cubits long and reached to another wall of the room, and another wing was five cubits long and were close in the wing of other cherubim. Like this these cherubims spread their wings twenty cubits extensively; And they stood on their feet, facing into the room.

Exodus 25: 20And 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. 21And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22And 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.

Inside the ark were the law in tablets of stone; the golden manna pot, and Aaron's rod that budded.

Only the High Priest was allowed to go once a year into the Most Holy and he took with him the blood of the animal offering, which he sprinkled onto the mercy seat for the sake of the sins of the nation of Israel. God prescribed and set the High Priest to deliver cleansing of the sins of the nation of Israel. The High Priest went to the Most Holy and took the blood of the sin offering animal to the Most Holy and sprinkled blood onto the mercy seat and before it, and in this way  he delivered atonement to the nation of Israel. But the High Priest must also reconcile his own sins, because he was also a sinner.

The Messiah Yeshua is the High Priest of the New Covenant and He is sinless and He has sacrificed Himself and shed His blood for the sake of our sins and He entered once for all into the Most Holy, having procured everlasting redemption.

The Golden Candlestick (Menorah), which was made from pure gold was seven branched, which was in the sanctuary, which was completely dark. The Golden Candlestick lighted the  whole sanctuary, which was windowless. The Golden Candlestick burned day and night from the power of the oil. The Golden Candlestick was on the southward side of the tabernacle.

In the Book of Revelations, in chapter 2:1 is told of the seven golden candlesticks, which were seven congregations. The Golden Candlestick describes the congregation. One task of the congregation is to light up this dark world in  accordance with its pattern. The Golden Candlestick shone its light towards the table of shewbread, in other words, towards the Lord Yeshua, who is the Messiah

The oil is (an exemplar) or ( a symbol) of the Holy Spirit. As the Golden Candlestick used oil as source of the light, so also the same congregation needs oil,  in other words the congregation needs the Holy Spirit, so that it can shine to this world the Messiah Yeshua, because this world is wandering in the dark night of sin.

On the left the table of shewbread were twelve cakes baked from unleavened dough. Above the table of shewbread were also vessels, dishes, spoons and bowls, of pure gold, with which a drink offering is made. The table of shewbread is located on the northward side.

On the table of shewbread were twelve cakes (bread) in two piles, which were holy. The Congregation of Israel was composed of twelve tribes of Israel during the time of old covenant. Twelve shewbreads describe twelve tribes of Israel and in the New Covenant era all Yeshua's disciples. On the top of the table of shewbread are twelve breads and golden vessels, which are exemplar/symbol of the congregation.

The sons of the Kohathites must prepare twelve cakes (fresh breads) every Sabbath and put them on the pure golden table (Table of shewbread). This is describing that Yeshua's disciples must live constantly in renewal of the Spirit and let the Holy Spirit renew their mind by the word of God. Like the breads were changed every Sabbath also Yeshua's disciples must live in continuous renewal of purity in the Holy Spirit. Holy breads were as a pattern about it that God's congregation is holy, because God has made them as holy.

The table of shewbread describes Yeshua the Messiah, who gives nourishment (spiritual and earthly) to the congregation of God (also to the nation of Israel at the end of the days, when all Israel shall be saved). For Yeshua is bread of life, which has come down from  heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he lives eternally. Eating of the bread means participation of the faith in Yeshua the Messiah by the mercy of God.

Once a year when it is  the Day of Atonement and the High Priest goes into the Most Holy seven times, sprinkling the blood of the sin offering onto the Mercy Seat, he returns from the Most Holy to the Holy, and he sprinkles blood onto the Incense Altar. On the golden incense altar blood is sprinkled only once a year on the day of atonement. Otherwise at other times sweet incense is burned every morning. This sweet incense would also spread to the Most Holy.

The Golden Incense Altar describes Yeshua the Messiah, who has died once and shed His blood for the sake of the sins of mankind. This Offering of the Messiah is also sweet incense to Father God.

Inside the sanctuary the Golden Candlestick shone its light towards the table of shewbread and the Incense Altar was before the veil, and immediately on the other side of the veil was the Ark of the Covenant.

"The door of the sanctuary led him who came inside to miraculous light. Immediately, when the priest had stepped through the door to the sanctuary, another different kind of light surrounded him than which lighted the courtyard. In the courtyard was natural daylight, but in the holy place was lovely glory, mild glory and holy light, which came from seven branched candlesticks, gilded walls and instruments reflected from everywhere in the holy place. What a lovely and beautiful glory! Anyone who has not seen it, couldn't have any inkling of the glory and splendour  which prevailed in the holy place. "

The italic text above is a citation from the book of Ivan Kargell: Esikuvat puhuvat. The text is translated from the Finnish.

 In the tabernacle is much symbolism /exemplary and deep teaching for us who are the nation of the New Covenant. We will go briefly through the journey of symbolism/ exemplary teaching from the courtyard of the tabernacle to the Most Holy.

When an Israelite stepped into the courtyard of the Tabernacle and had brought his offering to the Lord and he had free entrance to the sanctuary. For in this way  he was reconciled with Lord and he came to face the grace of God. In the courtyard was the altar of burnt offering, in which offerings to God were sacrificed.

The same is also true with believers of the New Covenant, for the blood of Lord Yeshua has reconciled our sins, when we repent and receive the gospel. Like this we can step "in the courtyard" by the grace of God. The Grace of God also leads believers of the new covenant by "the altar of burnt offering", in which the flesh of the man starts the process of dying with the help of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

When priests went in to serve in the  sanctuary "through faith", first they had to go by way of the laver of brass, in which their must wash and purify themselves. There they also dressed in their priestly robes and beside the laver of brass they were anointed with oil. In this way they were set apart and were dedicated to serve God.

In the new covenant is also first faith in the mercy of God, which opens to our life the rights of children of God . This right leads us also to serve God. Like priests of the old covenant were anointed with oil, so also a royal priesthood of new covenant shall be anointed with oil in other words the Holy Spirit, as with every reborn disciple of Lord Yeshua. Through faith in other words through the Holy Spirit and word of God, God cleans and separates and dedicates the disciple of Lord Yeshua to live a holy life in respect of God. As a consequence of rebirth by faith, the disciple of the Lord Yeshua also receives water baptism.

When the priest comes into the sanctuary he sees the Golden Candlestick, which shines by the power of the oil in the dark sanctuary and shed his light towards the table of shewbread. On the table of shewbread were twelve cakes, baked from unleavened dough. Straight before the veil, was the incense altar, where  blood was sprinkled once a year on the day of atonement. On the incense altar  sweet incense was burned every morning. This sweet incense spread to the Most Holy.

The Golden Candlestick is a symbol/ exemplar of the congregation of the New Covenant. One task of the  concregation is to shine the light of  the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the oil . The congregation indicates light towards the Messiah Yeshua, which the table of shewbread describes. Twelve cakes on the table of shewbread is symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel,  in other words the congregation. The Lord Yeshua Messiah gives spiritual and earthly nourishment as bread of life to His congregation. Once a year the incense altar was sprinkled with blood  and for this reason the incense altar is exemplar of the Messiah Yeshua. Sweet incense rises every day in offering of Yeshua to the heavenly Most Holy in other words before Father God.

In the Most Holy was the ark of the covenant, which cover was the Mercy Seat, and on it were two cherubim. God spoke from the Mercy Seat, from between two cherubim to Moses, who mediated the Lord's speech and teaching to the nation. Inside of the ark of the covenant were tablets of the law, the golden manna pot, and green stick of Aaron.

The Mercy seat was above the tablets of the law, which is the mark from the mercy of God and tells us that the mercy of God carries us and the mercy of God is above the law. But the law of God, however is good and holy, which the Messiah Yeshua didn't destroy, but He fulfilled the law for us. In the new covenant the law of God (torah= teaching, advice) and its teaching comes true through the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the disciple of Yeshua the Messiah. In the new covenant the disciple of Yeshua doesn't fill the law, but grow in accordance with the teaching of word of God, which the law also teaches. However, in the new covenant, teaching and advice comes from the mercy of God, for the Messiah has fulfilled the demands of the law for us. 2 Cor 3:6.

In the new covenant every disciple of the Messiah Yeshua is right to be in the Most Holy; In the place where God speaks. This right the Messiah Yeshua obtained for us through His blood, dying for the sake of our sins, and the proof of this was the veil of the Most Holy , which was torn into two from top to bottom. In this way we have the right to be in the Most Holy; in the place where God is and where He speaks; and like this through the Holy Spirit and through the opening of the word of God we can understand the law of God (torah = teaching, advice). Golden manna pot was a symbol/ exemplar of  the earthly care of God, when manna came down from heaven as nourishment to nation of Israel. It is the same also in the new covenant,  God takes care of the earthly needs of His nation. Aaron's rod that budded is a symbol/exemplar of new life, which disciples of the Messiah Yeshua may live by the power of the Holy Spirit, growing in the faith, and renewed through the word of God and through  the power of the Holy Spirit.

The tabernacle is also a kind of symbol of the nation of the new covenant, that we have access to the Most Holy. It also describes the different growth phases of believers.

Some believers are in a phase in which they are hanging around in the courtyard dealing with water and offerings in their own power. Others are at another phase, where they are preaching in the sanctuary about the Messiah to this world, but they lack a close relationship with the Father. Others are in the grace of the Lord from the Most Holy, in which they hear God speaking, teaching and advising and, in which they feel the real presence of God and they are near God.