"The Secret of GOD," as revealed by John in the Revelation of Christ, between the chapters, of chapter 11-5, with a renewed mind and our victory as foretold.

Continuing with "The Most Holy Place - Inner Sanctuary," of Revelation 11.

Here is the context: 

Hebrews 9:3-5, 6-10, 11-14, 15-22, 23-28 "The second veil led to the inner tent known as the Most Holy Place. Therein were the golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant. The box was completely covered in gold, both inside and out. In it were kept the golden jar with a sample of the miracle manna from the wilderness, as well as the budding staff of Aaron, [Moses' staff - but here referred to as Aaron's - when they first met with Pharaoh Aaron's staff turned into a snake - the symbol of Pharaoh's rule, and swallowed the snake staffs of the Egyptian magicians] as also the two engraved tablets of stone with the ten commandments of the Covenant. (A golden "fire-pan" was for the purpose of carrying fire, in order to burn incense on the day of Atonement once a year in the ultimate place of worship. The word, kibotos, means the wooden box, is the same word used for Noah's ark; The container of humanity's redemption. Gen. 6:14, The manna prophetically pictured the true bread from heaven, not the bread that humanity's labor produces. John 4:35, 38.) Hovering above and over the ark of the Covenant were the two cherubim, images of glory, intent upon the mercy seat that covered the box on which the blood was sprinkled once a year by the High Priest to cover the sins of the people. every detail is significant but cannot be discussed at length in this writing. (The Hebrew word, kopher, means to cover (specifically with bitumen), figuratively to cover by legal and equal exchange in order to restore a previous disturbed balance. The rule was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life, etc.

The ark represented a place of mercy where atonement would be made. Innocence had to be achieved at a cost equal to the replacement value of the peace sought between the different parties. See Genesis 6:14, where the same word denotes the covering of Noah's ark with pitch. The Cross cannot be taken out of the equation of atonement. The first animal sacrificed was when GOD used an animal's skin to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness. It had nothing to do with "sin" but their nakedness which caused them embarrassment.)

In the context of this arrangement the priests performed their daily duties, both morning and evening. (The daily included their dress and preparations, baptisms, sacrificial offerings, lighting and trimming, removing the old Showbread and replacing it with fresh bread, and sprinkling the blood of the sin offerings before the veil of the sanctuary.) The routine was interrupted only once a year, when the High Priest alone would enter the second tent, the most sacred place of worship, with the blood sacrifice for his own and the people's accumulated errors. Already in this arrangement the Holy Spirit indicated that there was yet a more sacred way, beyond the first tent, that was still to be opened. While the first pattern was still being upheld, its fulfillment in truth could not yet commence. The tabernacle pattern of that time was an analogy of the hitherto imperfect system in which the gifts and sacrifices presented failed completely to cleanse the consciousnesses of the worshipers. All these external rituals pertaining to food and drink and the various ceremonial baptisms and rules for bodily conduct were imposed upon them until the anticipated time of restoration; The foretold moment when [1] all that was crooked would be made straight and restored to its natural and original condition. (The word, [1, G1357] diothosis, is only used in this one place in the NT; What was crooked will be made thoroughly straight, restoring to its natural and normal condition something which in some way protrudes or has gotten out of line, as broken or misshapen limbs. It was John the baptist, who was the voice in the wilderness, who was called the leveler of the mountains and raiser of the valleys, the maker of the crooked straight, for the presence of the LORD, in Isaiah 40:3-5. For it was he who called all of Israel to repent of their backward hardheartedness and unbelief!)

But now Christ has made His public appearance as High Priest of a perfect tabernacle. The good things that were predicted have arrived. This new tabernacle does not derive from its shadow type, the previous man-made one. It is the reality. (The restoration of GOD'S original dwelling place in human life is again revealed!) As High Priest, His permission to enter the Holy Place was not secured by the blood of beasts. By His own blood He obtained access on behalf of the human race. Only one act was needed for Him to enter the most sacred place of grace and there to institute a ransom of perpetual consequence. (The perfection of the redemption he secured needs no further sacrifice. There are no outstanding debts; There is nothing we need do to add weight to what he has accomplished once and for all. The only possible priesthood activity we can now engage in is to continually bring a sacrifice of the fruit our lips, giving thanks to His name; No blood, just fruit, even our acts of self-sacrifice, giving of time and money, etc. are all just the fruit of our constant gratitude!) The blood of beasts and the ashes of the burnt sacrifice of a heifer could only achieve a very temporal and surface cleansing by being sprinkled on the guilty. (The word for heifer, is damalis, is from damatzo, to tame; this was the most dear and expensive sacrifice. She was a strong, pristine, spotless female calf, she was raised as a family pet; "A Little Princess!" This was the best that the law-system could present; Yet, no inner purging of conscience was possible; Only the sense of temporal relief; While knowing that the entire process would have to be repeated again and again! In this arrangement, GOD addressed the dilemma of our sin consciousness; The deep-seated stain that it had left needed to be thoroughly exposed, and then brought to closure. The shadow system with its imperfections, as a possible means of obtaining a lasting and meaningful sense of innocence, had to be exhausted; Ultimately proving that no sacrifice that anyone can bring at any expense of their own, could possibly match the sacrifice of GOD giving Himself as scapegoat to the human race in order to persuade us that His Agape love for us would go to the scandalous extreme, where we are finally confronted with the fact that it is not in a sacrifice that we bring where GOD'S mind is favorably influenced towards us; But in the shocking sacrifice of Himself, where He forever, in the most radical language, impacts our ideas and thoughts about the Father, Son and Spirit's estimate of us. There is nothing dearer in the universe to Them, but our redeemed innocence and our individual value realized! See Colossians 2:14-15 in the Mirror Study Bible) How much more effective was the blood of Christ, when He presented His own flawless life through the eternal Spirit before GOD, in order to purge our conscience from its frustration under the cul-de-sac rituals of the Law. There is no comparison between a guilt and duty-driven, dead religious system, and the vibrancy of living our lives free from a sin-consciousness! This is what the new testament priesthood is all about! (Dead works, nekros ergon. as dead, religious-routine system can never compete with the resurrected Christ now realized in you.) (The Mirror, with editing.)

Until our next visit may the LORD increase His knowledge within you and yours. We shall the LORD willing pick this back up there at verse 15 of Hebrews 9 with our next post.