Shekinah Glory

The Shekinah Glory dwell between the cherubim upon the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies; but, in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, the Lord of glory Dwelt “in the midst” of His people upon the finished tabernacle. Let us pray: Father, we have entered your gates with thanksgiving, and into your courts with praise. We have sought, Lord, in our song to reverence you and your presence. We have sought to enter into a more definite realization that God is in our midst. Lord, we want now, as we come to your truth, to see beyond the sacred page - for we seek Thee Lord. Our spirit pants for Thee, the Living Word. So Lord, we cry to you tonight: Lift the veil, if veil there be. Whatever is preventing us seeing the Lord high and lifted up, His train filling the temple; Lord, whatever is clogging our spiritual sight, or dulling our spiritual hearing - O God, by the power of the resurrected Christ, through the Holy Spirit we pray: may we see the Lord, may we hear His voice, may we have a sensitivity to His presence! Lord, we long for you. Deep cries unto deep, and so Lord we wait upon you, and we believe that we are not going to be disappointed, we believe that we have already sensed your presence in this place among us. We pray now that as we look into your word that, Lord, You will meet with us now. We need your help, without You we can do nothing, and so Lord we wait upon You now in Jesus' name, Amen.

As Christ enters the heart of the believer

Jesus Christ enters the heart of the believer by a confession that we are sinners.Asking Jesus to forgive us for our sins.And it's a done  deal.At that point and time, we are free from sin and go and sin no more. However, we have an Avocate, who sits at the right hand of God interceding for us when we mess up. And are forgiven if we confess our sins? He is faithful and just to forgive us.  We are the purge and are unveil of all the dung that remains in us that we come forth as pure gold. (Exodus 40:22). God chose the resemblance of the lamp stand to almond branches for a reason. To almond branches, hey blossom as we are to bloom and shine forth as this tree. When it grows, it blossoms into something beautiful.  The state of bearing one producing an edible fruit. The almond tree blooms very early in the Middle East, in late January or February.  Its Hebrew root word, shaken, means "to hasten," telling the Israelite s that God is quick to fulfill his promises and that we should hurry for we know not the day or hour of His return. We are to be in the likeness of the Christ. And the process is as of that almond tree. We are to develop as fast as an almond tree and cluster together in the unity of the spirit as the almond tree. We must resemble the almond tree as well as Christ in our lives. It miraculously budded, bloomed and produced more of its kind. We are all priest that we should produce by having identical fruit from us that it too may produce of its kind. This demonstrates the awesome work of the  Holy Spirit in you and me that God has left as a reminder that He is living with you, and I was directing us in all spiritual truth He is the lamp that lights you and me as he guides us in the truth of His Word. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16,)With the golden altar of incense between the candlestick and the table, in line with the brazen altar and the leader of the outer court, and just before the ark of the covenant and mercy seat within the veil, the table of shewbread thus became a very important part of the “shadow of the cross” which these six pieces of furniture formed, “according to the pattern” given by the Lord God to Moses in the mount. As the light from the golden candlestick fell upon the table, the beauty, and the symbolism of this article of furniture met the eye of the priest while he walked before the Lord and ministered there on behalf of his people, we give of ourselves and are the craftsmanship and workmanship of God. And he puts a flashlight on the negative energy that speaks lies and kill and steal the destiny God has for the lives of God chosen people. The candlestick steps in and flesh the light on that energy that we shall come forth as pure gold.  Israel. The Table of Shewbread was made, of acacia wood covered with gold. It would have been too bulky to transport to be made of solid gold. The table was two cubits long (36 inches), a cubit wide (18 inches) and a cubit and a half high (27 inches). It had a gold molding and gold trim around it. The gold rim was a handbreadth wide (4-5 inches). It had four gold rings at the rim for inserting gold covered rods for carrying it. A ring symbolizes a circle of an unending covenant that has no end to it. It shows everlasting life as well as nonstop promises. To enter this Holy Place of God’s sanctuary, he had gone the way of the brazen altar before the gate. There he had been reminded of the necessity of the shed blood of the promised Redeemer for justification from sin. From the brazen altar, he had passed by the leaven, where he had washed his hands and feet from the defilement of the desert sands before he dared go into the presence of God, “lest he dies.”  The wages of sin is death, and the gift of life is eternal life. The brazen altar, bronze altar, or altar of sacrifice was situated right inside the courtyard upon entering the gate to the tabernacle. The Hebrew root for altar means “to slay” or “slaughter.” The Latin word altar means “high. Which means that is a level and degree that we must abide in Christ to get to that place of worship in Spirit and truth. .” An altar is a “high place for sacrifice and slaughter.” The altar stood raised on a mound of earth, higher than its surrounding furniture. This is a projection of Christ, our sacrifice, lifted up on the cross, His altar, which stood on a hill called Golgotha. This cleansing reminded him again that, before he could hold communion and fellowship with the Lord, his daily sins had to be confessed and put away by faith in the blood of the coming “Lamb of God.” That cleansing having been accomplished, the priest had entered through the door, that beautiful hanging of fine twined linen, embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet, a significant reminder of Him, who was to come to open the way to God and heaven and eternal life, even the Lord Jesus. Once within the Holy Place, the priest saw only beauty and loveliness — gold, the fine linen embroidered in figures of the cherubim, the three beautiful pieces of furniture — all illuminated by the one light which spoke of Jesus, the “Light of the world” and His redeemed children who are “lights in the world. “The golden altar of incense was the place of worship, and a picture of Christ, the Great High Priest, who “ever lived to make intercession” for His own; while the table of showbread foretold His coming to be the “Bread of life” to a heart-hungry people. What “Glories of Christ” did the Jewish tabernacle show forth! - The brazen altar foretold justification by faith in His shed blood; - The brazen laver, sanctification, cleansing from the daily defilement of sin; - The golden candlestick, union with Christ, the “True Light”; - The table of shewbread, communion and fellowship with Him who is the “Living Bread”; - The golden altar, worship and prayer and praise to Him who is “our Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” There is no settlement in the spirit of a sinner that is once touched with the sense of his sins, and apprehension of the justice and wrath of God, but in some clear and distinct understanding of the grounds of consolation in the gospel, and the method of salvation revealed in it. There is no solid peace giving the answer to the challenges of the law and thy conscience but in the advocating of Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners. And therefore the apostle proposes it here for the comfort of believers who are incident to be surprised by the suddenness of sin, and often deceived by the subtlety of Satan, whose souls' desires and sincere endeavors are to be kept from iniquity, and therefore they are made to groan within themselves, and sometimes sadly to conclude against themselves, upon the prevailing of sin. Here is the cordial, I say. He presents to them Jesus Christ standing before the bar of heaven, and pleading his satisfaction in the name of such souls, and so suiting forth an exemption and discharge for them from their sins. So he presents us with the most comfortable aspect, Christ standing between us and justice, the Mediator interposed between the Father and us, so there can come no harm to such poor sinners, except it come through his sides first, and no sentence can pass against them unless he succumbs in his righteous cause in heaven. We cannot come to God anyway" we must come to God, with a repenting heart. If it were so the demonstration of the furniture and everything in the tabernacle would be in vain. God is the same yesterday and today. He is unchanging. However, the lesson is learned in a way we can understand and is without works least any man should boast. We boast of the strength given to us by a Holy God that we serve. The power of Christ's avocation for believers consists partly in his qualification for the office that is given and the will Jesus who is the propitiation for our sins," and upon this very ground his advocating is both just and effectual. Every word holds out some fitness, and, therefore, every word drops out consolation to a troubled soul. "With the Father," speaks out the relation he and we stand into the Judge. He hath not to do with an austere and rigid Judge that is implacable and UNSATISFIABLE: not capable of being satisfied. Who will needs adhere peremptorily to the letter of the law, for then we should be all undone? If there were not some paternal affection, and fatherly clemency and moderation in the Judge, if he were not so disposed, as to make some candid interpretation upon it, and in some manner to relax the sentence, that was once hype that cause personal suffering, we could never stand before him, nor needed any advocate appear for us. But here is the great comfort  he is Christ's Father and our Father, so himself told us, (John 20.17,) "I go to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God." And therefore we may be persuaded that he will not take advantage, even in that which he hath been justified through the knowledge and faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Through the apprehensive of his anger in our failings and offenses, and this makes us often to be both afraid and ashamed to come to him. However measuring it out because of the shredded blood this took the implacably angry out of the heart of God, and faith justifies us. We imagine that he cannot but repel and put back our petitions, and, therefore, we have not the boldness to offer them, yet he ceased not to be our Father and Christ's Father. And if ye would have the character of a father, look (Jer. 31.18,) how he stands affected towards ashamed and confounded Ephraim, how his bowels move, and his compassions yearn towards him as his pleasant child. The truth is, in such a case, in which we are captives against our will, and stumble against our purpose, he pities us as a father doth his children, knowing that we are but dust and grass and fade away.  God apply His sweet application Him having a relationship with His children that stirs up affection of pity and passion instead of His anger yet His wrath to come. . God's wrath is not anger out of control. An angry God bothers some so much that they take ever track possible to remove the apparent meaning of the text. One scholar argued that Paul did not mean to indicate a personal reaction on God's part but the response of a "moral universe." All such attempts seem grounded in the idea that anger is inherently wrong and sinful, and so a lot of anger (a relatively common definition of wrath) would be a mistake and immoral. The Bible teaches otherwise. "Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26). Anger is not always irrational. Jesus was angered at hard hearts (Mk. 3:5; Jn. 2:15-16). What feeling should such callousness as the Pharisees exhibited evoked in our Lord? To see sin ruining lives, both now and in eternity, and not be angry at the devil and foolish people who allow themselves to be taken by him is unthinkable. Righteousness loves a light and hates darkness (John 3:20). Thus, every expression of darkness must be met with righteous indignation or anger He pities his poor child, when he cries out of violence and oppression; and therefore, there are high hopes that our advocate Jesus Christ shall prevail in his suits for us, because he, with whom he deals, -- the Father, -- loves him, and loves us, and will not stand upon strict terms of justice, but rather attempted all with mercy and love. He will certainly hear his well-beloved Son, for in him he is well pleased, his soul rests and takes complacency in him, and for his sake he adopts us to be his children, and, therefore, he will both hear him on our behalf, and our prayers too, for his name's sake.  But this is superseded by our advocate he is the Christ of God, anointed for this very purpose, and so hath a fair and lawful calling to this office. He took not this honor to himself but was called to it by his Father, Heb. v.4. As he did not make himself a priest, so he did not intrude upon the advocateship, "but he that said, Thou art my Son called him to it." If a man never had so great ability to plead in the law, yet, except he be licentiate and graduate, he may not take upon him to plead a cause. But our Lord Jesus hath both skill and authority, he hath both the ability and the office, was not a self-intruder or usurper, but the council of heaven did licentiate him, and graduate him for the whole office of mediatorship: in which there are the greatest stay and support for a sinking soul, to know that all this frame and fabric of the gospel was contrived by God the Father and that he is master builder in it. Since it is so, there can nothing control it or shake it, since it is the very will of God, "with whom we have to do," that a mediator should stand between him and us, and since he hath such a mind to clear poor souls, that he freely choose and gives them an able Advocate, it is a great token that he hath a mind to save as many as come and submit to him and that he is ready to pardon, when he prepares so fit an Advocate for us, and hath not left us alone to plead our cause. But the anointing of Christ for it, implies both { potential et Potestate, the gifts for it as well as the authority, and the ability as well as the office, for God hath singularly qualified him for it, given him the Spirit above measure, He received gifts not only to distribute to men, but to exercise for men, and their advantage,. And therefore the Father seems to interest himself in the cause as it were his own. He furnished our Advocate as if it were to plead the cause of his justice against us, he upholds and strengthens Christ in our cause, as really as if it were his own, which expressed to us the admirable harmony and consent of heaven to the salvation of as many as make Christ their refuge, and desire not to live in sin. Though often foiled, yet there is no hazard of the failing of their cause above because our Advocate hath both excellent skill, and undoubted authority. Yea, he is so fully qualified for this that he is called Jesus the Savior; he is such an Advocate that he saves all he pleads forgiveness. The best lawyer may lose the case, either through the weakness of itself, or the iniquity of the judge, but he is the Advocate and the Savior, that never succumbed in his undertaking for any soul. Be their sins never so heinous -- their accusation never so just and true -- their accuser never so powerful, yet they who put their cause in his hand, who flee in hither for refuge being wearied of the bondage of sin and Satan, he hath such a prevalence with the Father, that their cause cannot miscarry. Even when justice itself seems to be the opposite party, yet he hath such marvelous success in his office, that justice shall rather meet amicably with mercy and peace, and salute them kindly, as being satisfied by him, that he come short in his undertaking. But there is another personal qualification needful or all should be in vain, -- "Jesus the righteous." If he were not righteous in himself, he had need of an advocate for himself, and might not plead for sinners, but he is righteous and holy, no guile found in his mouth, without sin, an unlikeable and unspotted High Priest, else he could not mediate for others, and such an Advocate too, else he could not plead for others, Heb. vii.26. As this perfected his sacrifice that he offered not for his sins, neither needed he, so this completes his advocateship, nor gives it a mighty influence for his poor clients, that he needs not plead for himself. If, then, the law cannot attach our Lord and Savior, can lay no claim to him, or charge against him, then indeed, all that he did behoove to be for others, and so he stands in an excellent capacity to plead for us before the Father, and to sue out a pardon to us, though guilty, for if the just was delivered for the unjust, and the righteous suffered for the unrighteous, much more is it consistent with the justice of the Father, to deliver and save the wicked and unjust sinner for the righteous Advocate's sake. "If ye seek me, then let these go free.. So he in effect pleads with God his Father, O Father, if Thou deal with me, the righteous One, as with an unrighteous man, then, in all reason and justice, thou must deal with my poor clients, though sinful, as with righteous men. If justice thought she did me no wrong to punish me, the righteous, then let it not be thought an injustice to justice to pardon, absolve, and justify the unrighteous. Now, if he is so righteous a person, it follows necessarily, that he hath a noble cause, for an honest man will not advocate an unjust cause. But how can the cause of believers be said to be righteous, when justice itself, and the law, indicts the accusation against them? Can they plead not guilty, or he for them? There is a twofold righteousness, about a dual rule, a righteousness of strict justice, about the first covenant, and this cannot be pleaded, that our cause is exactly conformable to the covenant of works. We cannot, nor Christ in our name, ask anything from that, which holds forth nothing but personal obedience, or else personal satisfaction. But yet our cause may be found to be righteous, about the second covenant, and the rule and terms of it, in as far as God hath revealed his acceptance of surety in our stead and hath dispensed with the rigor of the law, according to that new law of grace and righteousness. The cause of a desperate lost sinner may be sustained before the righteous Judge, and it is upon this new account that he pleads for us because he hath satisfied in our stead, and now it is as righteous and equitable with God, to show mercy and forgiveness to believing sinners, as it is to reveal wrath and anger against impenitent sinners. I know there will be some secret whisperings in your hearts upon the hearing of this. Oh! It is true, it is a most comfortable thing for them whose advocate he is. There is no fear of the miscarrying of their cause above, but as for me, I know not if he is an advocate for you and me, whether I may come into that sentence, "We have an advocate," &c. I confess it is true, he is not an advocate for everyone, for while he was here, he prayed not for the world, but them that were given him out of the world, (John xvii.), much more will he not plead for the world when he is above. He is rather witnessing against the unbelieving world. But yet, I believe his advocating is not restrained only to those who believe, as neither his supplication was, John xvii. But as he prayed for those who should hereafter believe, so he still pleads for all the elect not only to procure remission to the penitent but repentance to the impenitent. There is one notable effect of the advocating and intercession of Christ, which indeed is familiar to the world, but mainly intended for the elect, that is, the present suspension of the execution of the curse of the law, by virtue whereof there is liberty to offer the gospel, and call sinners to repentance. No question, the sparing of the world, the forbearance and long-suffering of God towards sinners, is the result and fruit of our Lord's intercession and advocating in heaven, and so, even the elect have the benefit of it before they believe, but it is so provided, that they shall never sensibly know this, nor have any particular comfort from it, till they believe, and so Christ doth not plead for pardon to their sins till they repent. He pleads even before we repent, but we cannot know it; yet he pleads not that mercy be bestowed before they repent, and so the saving efficacy of his advocating is peculiar and proper in the application to believing souls. Now, consider, I say, whether or not thou be one that finds the power of that persuasion, -- "My little children, I write unto you that ye sin not. Canst thou undesignedly say, that it is the desire and endeavor of thy soul not to sin, and that thou art persuaded to this, not only from the fear and terror of God but especially from his mercy and goodness in the gospel? This is one part of the character of such as Christ's advocating is extended to. Moreover, being surprised with sin, and overcome beside thy purpose, and against thy desire, do you apprehend sin as thy greatest misery, and arraign thyself before the tribunal of God, or art thou attached in thy conscience, and the law pleaded against thee, before the bar of thy conscience? Then, I say, according to this scripture, Thou art the soul unto whom this comfort belongs, thou art called God to decide the controversy in thy conscience. By flying up, and appealing to that higher tribunal, where Christ is the advocate, thou may safely give over, and trust thy cause to him. But, on the other hand, O how deplorable and remediless is the condition of those souls who have no purpose of this kind stated within their consciences, who are not pursued by Satan and sin, but rather at peace with them, amicably agreeing with them, acting their lusts and will! You who have no bonds with you, to restrain you from sin, neither the terror of the Lord persuaded son, nor the love of Christ constrains you, you can be kept from no beloved sin, nor pressed to any serious and spiritual labor in God's service; and then when you sin, you have no accuser within, or such an one as you suppress, and suffer not to plead it out against you or cite you before God's tribunal. I say unto you, (and, alas! many of you are such) you do not, you cannot know, that you have an interest in this Advocate. You can have no benefit or saving advantage from Christ's pleading while you remain thus in your sins. Alas! Poor souls, what will ye do? Can you manage your cause alone? Though you defraud and deceive your consciences now though ye offer violence to them, do ye think so to carry it above? Nay, persuade yourselves you must one day appear, and none to speak of you, God your Judge, your conscience your accuser, and Satan, your tormentor, standing by, and then woe to him that is alone when the Advocate becomes Judge. In that day blessed are all those that have trusted in him, and used him formerly as an Advocate against sin.The fellowship of the Lord God with His redeemed children, foreshadowed in the golden table of showbread of the Jewish tabernacle, and fulfilled in and through Christ and His church believer-priests — was “according to the eternal purpose that he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). God has ever sought the fellowship of His creatures. In the Garden of Eden, before sin entered to mar God’s perfect creation, He talked with a man, holding communion with Adam,  was made in His “image and likeness.” But sin entered, and sin put man at an awful distance from God. It caused him to turn away from his Creator in fear, hiding among the trees of the garden; for the unregenerate sinner cannot bear the presence of a holy God. Thus Adam acknowledged, by his actions, that there was no common ground for fellowship with the Lord; that he had forfeited the right to talk with Him, holding communion with Him. And Adam tried to hide from God! He ran away from the Lord! Consequently, this is still the picture of the godless world — running away from God. However, having no desire for fellowship or communion with Him. But not so the church, the bride of Christ. Once “dead in trespasses and sins,” walking in time past. “According to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worked in the children of disobedience” (even Satan himself); yet now the church has been “made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:1, 2,13).No longer afraid of God, the blood-bought bride of Christ finds joy and fellowship. John 6:35New International Version (NIV) ³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Munnion with Him before the table that He has “prepared,” even Jesus, the “Bread of Life.” THE TABLE OVERLAID WITH GOLD — THE PLACE OF FELLOWSHIP It is of this fellowship and communion between Christ and His church that the table of shewbread speaks; for the priests, as we have already observed, were typical of believer-priests to-day, members of the bride and body of Christ. The table is the place of fellowship. What well-ordered family does not look forward to the times of joyous communion around the table? There the head of the house partakes of the same food as do all the members of the family. Together they talk about the things that concern one another as we do in prayer and much supplication. . And there they share a common joy. Our loving Lord has “prepared a table” before us. Of that table, He Himself is the Head. And upon that table He Himself has provided the food that satisfies the soul; for He Himself is the “Bread of Life.” He is the “Bread of God” (John 6:33). In Him the Father finds perfect delight; in Him He is and always and ever will be “well pleased.” And in Him we, who are members of His “household of faith,” in the family of God, find our satisfaction and delight. We feed upon the same spiritual food, even the Person and work of our blessed Lord, God’s Son and our Savior. Thus the fellowship, broken by sin in the Garden of Eden, has been forever restored. Our holy God comes down to hold sweet communion with us on the ground of the perfect redemptive work of His beloved Son. He feeds His soul upon the perfections of His “only begotten Son.” And we feed our souls upon the same perfections and immeasurable love of the holy Son of God. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). John 4:9: "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him." The marvelous incarnation in human flesh of the only begotten Son of God is not the end of the story, of course. God "sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10). Our heavenly Father gives us eternal life instead of the eternal hell that we deserve because His only begotten Son died in our place for our sins. He did it just for you and me. Jesus came and did it all for me. "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" For Jesus’ sake He loved us with an everlasting love. He sought us out when we were lame, helpless to fight against the enemy of our souls, hiding from His holy Presence in fear and dread. He brought us into His “banqueting house,” and “his banner over” us “was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4). He invited us to the King’s Table, bidding us become the “sons of God,” by believing in the name of His well-beloved Son. And as we are seated at His Table, all our imperfections, all our lameness, all our frailties are hidden, covered with the precious blood of the Son of God, who is Himself the King. What love! What grace! Shall we not show our love for Him by going out into the highways and byways, to tell the millions of others of His gracious invitation to sit at the King’s Table? We shall as His never dying love fills our souls, as the Living Bread satisfies and strengthens our hearts, enabling us to heed His great commission, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send you. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (John 20:21; Mark 16:15)