THE BEGINNING OF OUR SALVATION:

THE BRASEN ALTAR OF SACRIFICE

(Exo 27:1-8)  And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. And thou shalt make the horns [symbolizing power] of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay [Heb: cover] it with brass [brasen]. And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. And thou shalt make for it a grate [Heb: covering /// a sieve (as netted)] of network [Heb: a net (as catching animals)] of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof. And thou shalt put it under the compass [Heb: rim or top margin] of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst [Heb: middle] of the altar. And thou shalt make staves [poles] for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

  1. Commentary: Mankind is symbolized by trees in the Bible. Shittim wood is taken from the acacia tree which is a thorny hard-hearted tree that grows predominately in dry arid places. Shittim wood is the only wood used in the Tabernacle and thus represents mankind and only men in specific particular. No women are represented in any part of the Tabernacle itself. However, the very high probability is that women are indeed included within the symbolism of the white compound curtain (representing the sheep, the flock) surrounding the Tabernacle (representing Jesus Christ “the good shepherd” John 10:11,14). Additionally, the white compound curtain has the Hebrew meaning of “mouth,” as in prayer, praise, and worship, for all eternity.   
  2. brass = Heb: fig. base (as compared with gold or silver): brasen, filthiness. [fig. a symbol of sin]
  3. Commentary: the three metals used in the Tabernacle and their biblical symbolisms are gold = God; silver = Jesus Christ; brass (brazen) = sin
  4. Commentary: As may be seen by its structure, materials, and activity, the brasen altar of sacrifice presents to the viewer a vivid picture of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. The smoke of the sincere element of our sacrificial burnt offering (innocence sacrificed on our behalf, i.e., instead of us, but at a cost to us, that is, a sacrificial offering that is a part of us), wafts upward a sweet savor unto God in Heaven.
  5. Commentary: Whereas, the sin in us becomes “covered,” forgiven, burnt away, the remnant of its searing coals to be forever destroyed and fall as charred flakes of dirty dust, down through the brasen grate of separation into the depths of Hell. What could possibly become of us, should we not receive the wonderful blessing of the separation of our eternal spirits from our soulical sins?  
    1. (Gen 2:7)  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [His (God’s) Spirit]; and man became a living soul.
    2. (Eccl 12:7)  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

 

THE ENDING OF OUR SALVATION, OR LACK THEREOF:

THE ARK OF SHITTIM WOOD

(Exo 25:8-11)  And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern [Heb: model] of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it [Heb: to sheet over (especially with metal)] with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

  1. sanctuary = Heb: a consecrated thing or place, especially a palace: chapel, hallowed part, holy place /// clean (ceremonially or morally): dedicated, holy, purified, sanctified.
  2. dwell = Heb: lodge, reside: abide, inhabit, rest.
  3. tabernacle = Heb: a residence (including a shepherd’s hut, the lair of animals, fig. the grave: - dwelleth, dwelling (place), habitation, tent.
  4. ark = Heb: (in the sense of gathering); a box: - ark, [treasure] chest, coffin /// to pluck: gather.

“OVERLAY IT [the ark] WITH PURE GOLD”

(1 John 4:16)  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. [“God is love” 1 John 4:8]

  1. Commentary: “God is love.” Please note the qualifier of “pure” gold, i.e., “pure love.” Rather than fully immerse we who are the believing shittim wood ark of testimony in hot molten gold, which would almost immediately entirely obliterate the form of us, Father God ordains the ark of (the) testimony of each man or woman to be overlaid (covered) with thin sheets of gold, lovingly gently placed sheet by sheet, one upon another; each sheet of gold being a revelation of God from God, for God is the gold and God is love, thus, the gold covering He bestows is His love, Father God’s love encompassing and embracing, us. How may one meaningfully express that? Perhaps God has provided an understandable example that stands directly in front of us but unseen by most.
    1. (Mark 16:15)  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world [Gk: kosmos; “cosmos” (universe)], and preach the gospel [of love] to every creature [Gk: creation]. [i.e., cover every creature with love]
  2. Commentary: We unknowingly preach the gospel of love to (most) every creature, and specifically to our domesticated (obedient) dogs, to our cats, and to our horses, etc., etc. How so? Well, we quietly talk to them and preach the Gospel of love to them in a language that they can understand, by petting them and softly speaking sounds (like we do to babies), hand to body contact (and it works on mature humans as well), touch (Gk: to attach oneself to), Jesus did it. By touching someone or something animate, we become a part of them, and they of us, we are momentarily joined into one (oneness), as in (superficially) the shaking of hands upon an agreement, or (passionately) being joined together during conjugal love. (Love traverses an intensity spectrum of emotion). When we gently pet our animals, and He with us, stroke by gentle stroke (sheet by sheet, sheet by sheet, revelation upon revelation, revelation upon revelation), we are communicating (communing) with them, and they understand that they are being “loved,” and most often they reciprocate and give their version of love in return (purr if you will). That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ “to every creature.” That is what Father God does to us, sheet upon sheet, as He applies each golden sheet of His love (each revelation) to us, building us up, wrapping us ever more intimately in His arms. (Rev 21:1-5). Thank you Lord.

 

OUR WONDERFUL FUTURE

(Rev 21:1-5)  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband [connotations of beautiful eternal love]. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle [Gk: tent or cloth hut (lit. or fig.)] of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

 

(Prov 10:12)  Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

 

Amen