"Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law." (II Chr 15:3)

Most pictorial illustrations of the position of the two staves which were inserted into the four rings of the Ark of the Covenant are incorrect. The prevalent depiction illustrates the two staves positioned in the rings of the ark as running parallel to the longest length of the ark, which is two cubits and a half. However, we note in 1 Kings 8:8 and again in 2 Chronicles 5:9 that when the staves were partially withdrawn from the rings of the ark, “that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without [outside the Holy Place].” (1 Kings 8:8). This positioning clearly places the staves parallel to the shorter sides of the ark.

We may further note that Bezaleel cast for the ark “four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.” (Ex 37:3). In this particular usage, the primary Hebrew meaning of side is “a rib (as curved, lit. (of the body).” In application, these sides are the shorter width or breadth of the ark, which is a cubit and a half, to either side of our Lord God’s Shekinah presence above the ark. Please note that two rings are attached to each side of the ark, and not to the front nor to the rear as they would necessarily have to be should the staves run parallel to the front and rear.
 
 

(Ex 37:25-27)  And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same. And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about. And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.

(Ex 25:40)  And look that thou make them after their pattern [that means exactly], which was showed thee in the mount.

*And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, AND HIS FOOT also of brass, to WASH withal: and thou shalt put it BETWEEN the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall WASH their HANDS and their FEET thereat: When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall WASH WITH WATER, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to MINISTER, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute FOR EVER to them, even to him AND HIS SEED THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS. (Ex 30:17-21)

This ordinance of God is still in effect today and applies to every believer, lest they die. That means that it applies to you and me. It is important to keep in mind that the laver "and his foot" is always used in any denotative reference to the laver. Aaron and his sons were to wash their "hands" and their "feet" in the water of the laver "and his foot." This speaks of their work and walk, that they might be sanctified and cleansed by the Holy spirit "with the washing of water by the word." (Eph 5:26). No one could or can enter into the presence of God without first being sanctified and cleansed by the water of the Word, lest they die. Another Hebrew meaning of laver in addition to being "a round washbowl" is "pulpit." Where does the pastoral office minister from? The laver of the Holy Spirit. The laver was set "between" the tabernacle and the brasen altar as the intercessor and buffer between God and His people. God and sin. Not only does the Holy Spirit teach through the pastor from the pulpit, but He intercedes, "for ever."

A lookingglass is a mirror made of highly polished brass which was brought by the Israelite women from their long sojourn in Egypt. A mirror speaks of vanity which is a manifestation of pride. Mirrors were donated for the work of the tabernacle from the women who gathered daily in worship at the tabernacle of the congregation. The accumulated mirrors were then melted by fire (holiness) to produce the laver which was located outside the tabernacle in the natural light of the court. These worthy women willingly judged and sacrificed their own vanity to God's work of building the body. They answered the call and believed God. In Hebrew, the women "assembling" means to mass: by troops, as an army or servants, to muster as soldiers for rendering service. These women enlisted in God's army. Praise God.

When you are outside and look into a bowl, pool, pond or a body of water under the sun, the water becomes a mirror. The water and sun working together reflect your image. Should you look again after sunset or into a bowl of water inside your home with artificial light, you will see no image. It is the Sun which brings about the image.

*But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass [mirror] the glory of the Lord, are changed [Gr: transformed, Rom 12:2] into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (II Cor 3:18)

There were no measurements given by God for the brasen laver and we understand therefore the implicit message that the brasen laver is undefinable. It is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Hallelujah!

There were no measurements given for the candlestick. It was to be set "over against" the table of shewbread that its light would reveal the twelve loaves of shewbread. The candlestick was the only light in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. This is spiritual light in contrast to the natural light of the court. This is the promised land. This is the "good ground" of Sower Soweth the Word. This is the second heaven and path through the rent veil into the third heaven (II Cor 12:2). This is the path walked by Jesus. We follow this path illuminated and enlightened by the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. This is the path by which "some [the priests] must enter therein" (Heb 4:6) now into the Presence of God.

*And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee PURE OIL OLIVE [fruit of olive trees: Rom 11:24;Zech 4:1-14;Rev 11:4] beaten for the light [in the Holy Place], to cause the [seven] lamps [Rev 1:11, us: of the seven churches] to burn CONTINUALLY [Jud 7:16-22;Rev 22:5]. Without [outside] the veil of the testimony, in the [Holy Place of the] tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD CONTINUALLY: it shall be a statute FOR EVER IN YOUR GENERATIONS. He [our High Priest] shall order the lamps [us] upon the PURE CANDLESTICK [of the Holy spirit] before the LORD CONTINUALLY. (Lev 24:1-4)

The first description of the golden altar is "sides" #7023. In Hebrew #7023 means "walls." This particular Hebrew word was used in the Old Testament to describe the sides of things. However, it was never used to describe the side or sides of a man. The second description of the golden altar adds the word "two." In this instance the "two sides" of the golden altar are #6654 which in Hebrew means "adversary." "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man." (Gen 6:3). The #6654 word usage is thereafter repeatedly applied in reference to the sides of men (Num 33:55; Josh 23:13; Jud 2:3; I Sam 20:25; Ruth 2:14; etc., etc.).

In addition to its literal application to men, the word "side" or "sides" also has the following interesting applications: the side of Noah's ark (Gen 6:16); the sides of the golden candlestick (Ex 25:32;37:18); the north and south sides of the tabernacle of Moses (Ex 26:13); the golden altar of incense (Ex 30:4;37:27); the ark of covenant of the tabernacle of Moses (Deut 31:26); the ark of covenant of the tabernacle of David (I Sam 6:8). Praise God. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him." (Gen 1:27).

The application of the word for sides as pertaining to men when referring to the golden altar of incense continues in the New Testament. The angel of the Lord appeared in the temple as a messenger of joy to bring Zacharias glad tidings. John the Baptist was soon to be birthed by Zacharias' aged and barren wife Elisabeth. John the Baptist would "come out of her."

*AND THE WHOLE MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE WERE PRAYING [Jud 6:7,8] without [outside the Holy Place] at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right SIDE [Gr: right hand] of the [golden] altar of incense. (Luke 1:10,11)

The golden altar of incense in the tabernacle of Moses is us, you and me. Hallelujah! We are on our knees in prayer, praise and worship as the golden altar of incense before our Lord God. The table of shewbread of Jesus Christ is to our right hand and the golden candlestick of the Holy Spirit is to our left hand. We prostrate our body before the Most High God. Our feet are in the brasen altar of sacrifice for we are a living sacrifice. At our right hand is Jesus Christ. At our left hand is the Holy Spirit. As we grow up from the brasen altar and become fully prostrate our head enters into the Most Holy Place. We are caught up, enraptured, unto the throne of God. We are that old wooden cross, covered with gold.

*Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly [in this world] sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first [section], wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary [Holy Place]. AND AFTER THE SECOND VEIL, the tabernacle [section] which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. (Heb 9:1-5)

Where is the golden altar of incense in this depiction of divine service? It is clearly not in the first section of the Holy Place of the tabernacle. Look for yourself. In the Most Holy Place we see the ark of covenant and the cherubims of the mercy seat but what is that golden censer doing in the Most Holy Place? A censer is a firepan used to transport live coals and also to burn incense. And where do you suppose that censer is sitting? On the dirt/sand earth? No. It is sitting on the golden altar of incense that the High Priest moved into the Most Holy Place that he might minister unto the Lord our God. The golden altar of incense has been moved by the High Priest into the Most Holy Place, into the Presence of God. Were you ever moved by our High Priest?

*And he [the High Priest] shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the [brasen] altar [of atonement: Lev 16:11] before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, AND BRING IT WITHIN THE VEIL: And he shall put the incense upon the fire [of the golden altar] before the LORD, that the cloud [Acts 1:9;Heb 12:1;Matt 24:30;Rev 1:7;14:14-16] of the incense [prayer, praise, worship] may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not. (Lev 16:12,13)

How did the Old Testament High Priest move the golden altar of incense from the Holy Place into the Holiest of holies? He lifted up the veil:

*And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses LIFTED UP the serpent in the wilderness, EVEN SO MUST THE SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life [in the Presence of God]. (John 3:13-15)

*And I, IF I BE LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH [on the cross, and as the veil], [I] will draw all men unto me [into the Most Holy Place]. (John 12:32)

The veil of the flesh of Jesus Christ hung to the earth and was lifted up in type by the High Priest that he could move the golden altar of us into the very Presence of God.

*And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain [flesh and spirit] from the top to the bottom. (Mark 15:37,38)

*By the which will [of God] we are sanctified [as Priests] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Heb 10:10)

*Having therefore, brethren, BOLDNESS [Gr: all outspoken; frankness, bluntness, publicity, assurance, confidence, freely, openly, plainly] TO ENTER INTO THE HOLIEST [of Holies] by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated [prepared] for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. (Heb 10:19,20)

I encourage you to open your Bible to the book of Numbers. Write down the total number of men given for each of the twelve tribes in chapter one. In chapter two God gave the order in which the tribes should pitch their tents from the tabernacle as center. Draw a tabernacle on paper. Place the tribes and their corresponding numbers in the appropriate positions around the tabernacle. Your completed drawing will form a cross with the longest end toward the east. The tribe of Judah is pitched at the east gate of the tabernacle. The Son comes from the east and will enter Jerusalem, his bride, through the east gate. Praise God.

We are born Egyptians in Egypt, in natural light, not having the parental benefit of the Holy Spirit. We are "born again" as Jews, as we voluntarily Cross the Red Sea with the parental benefit of an "earnest" of the Holy Spirit. We then enter into our personal and corporate wilderness pilgrimage throughout the Sinai peninsula. At any given time, there are millions making this exodus from the Red Sea to the Jordan river. It is a continuously moving surge, a sea of humanity flowing across the dry desert. God's purpose in this pilgrimage is to purify and cleanse us that we may be humbled and proven (Deut 8:2). Many never make it through the wilderness all the way to the promised land. The desert wilderness relentlessly sucks at and saps those in the current flowing above, drawing them down into the dry sand. Some get across the Red Sea and camp out in the wilderness at the first mountain of power they see, unwilling to move on with the surge, and they get left behind. Others also choose to exit the flow and stop to rest around the base of another mountain or another or another, closer to Jordan. But the crest flows on and soon there is no water to empower the mountain that rose out of it. All around the mountain now is barren desert and the mountain searing stone: Saul without the anointing for the anointing moved on; the tabernacle at Gibeon without the ark for the ark moved on.

The practice of delivering a man's soul with encouragement and expectation that he will immediately give "evidence" of the light and "fullness" of the Holy Spirit is not of God. This practice is a vain attempt to define, measure and evaluate the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is an attempt to see a "sign" from God (John 6:30). This is a worldly practice by carnal Christians who have elected to remain encamped about a barren mountain, for the anointing crest has flown on. These are deceived and in this regard they walk by sight and not by faith.

At one moment a man's soul is "born again," and at the very next moment his "born again" soul is instantly leavened. "I will kiss you and slap you at the same time because I love you." The consequence of this experience is confusion. A spirit of confusion enters into the baby Christian. The first thing he sees and hears is "tongues." Satan cometh immediately. This is neonatal bonding. The newborn babe is instantly bonded to or "in bondage to" the spirit of confusion. This spirit is manifested as a perversion of true "tongues." In submission, the neonate receives and gives utterance to the spirit of confusion, an indwelling demon, rather than the Holy Spirit. These babes, having just crossed the Red Sea and been delivered from Egypt, need now to be delivered from the spirit of confusion that was waiting for them on the shore of the wilderness. Tricky little devils aren't they? Many of these baby Christians so bonded early in their walk with the Lord will not ever be delivered from this demon. Those who are placed in bondage to this demon at an early spiritual age will usually have great difficulty overcoming and being delivered from it because it has become foundational in their belief system. This is idolatry. These bow down before and blindly worship a false god. Thus Satan will have been successful in blocking their entrance into the tabernacle of God.

In Judges chapters 6-8, 32,000 responded to the call of God thru Gideon and volunteered for His army. 22,000 did not believe God at the cross of Mount Gilead for the victory and went home (Ezek 7:14). The remaining 10,000 that believed God went forward from the cross of the brasen altar to the water of the brasen laver. 9,700 of these believing Christians literally blinded themselves as they "bowed down upon their knees to drink water" (Jud 7:6) in front of the evil spirits across the water. They had not allowed the Holy Spirit to completely break their yoke of bondage to evil spirits. Although true Christians, these 9,700 were not called of God to cross the water of the Jordan and enter into the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The 9,700 were not called to do spiritual warfare with the Midianite host in the Holy Place because they had themselves been overcome on the thorny ground of the wilderness. They had submitted themselves to evil spirits. The 9,700 believing Christians were not overcomers. Satan had managed to block their entrance into the tabernacle by retaining a stronghold within them. In some way, Satan's yoke of control was still partially upon them. However, these 9,700 were the essential supply and support troops (Jud 7:8,23) of God's overcomer body. The 300 overcomers who had vigilantly lapped water out of their palms entered into the tabernacle "as one man" (Jud 6:16). These 300 overcomers, plus one, totally routed the enemy army of invading spirits "and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts." (Zech 14:21). Hallelujah!

We are tripartite beings for we were created in the image of Him who is triune. We have a spirit, and a soul, and a body. Let us apply these three aspects to the tabernacle of Moses. The perimeter of the court of the tabernacle with its fine linen (white) enclosure/fence is the outside of the body only in the sense that it is the garment or skin of the body. The parts of the body are all inside this perimeter. The largest part of the body is the court of the tabernacle which is an open courtyard extending from the perimeter inward to the tabernacle and enclosing the tabernacle on all sides. The courtyard is exposed to natural light, rain, snow, dust, i.e., natural influence and information. This is the outer man. This is the soul of the body. The soul is natural and receives natural input. The soul directly interacts with the world. It is the soul that is "transformed by the renewing [renovating] of your mind" (Rom 12:2) from natural into spiritual. The spirit of the body dwells in the spiritual place of the tabernacle. This is the inner man. The tabernacle is covered and protected from the natural light and natural elements. It is insulated multi-dimensionally by the soul from the world. The tabernacle is the "heart" of the body. The tabernacle has a light of its own called the Holy Spirit in the form of a candlestick. This is spiritual light for our spirit. 

The Bible has been spoken orally for thousands of years. Oral dissemination of the Bible has been overwhelmingly the principal mode of distribution of the Word until just a few hundred years ago. The written Bible did not become generally accessible to the public until after the 1611 King James Version was printed. The Bible is an oral tradition. What do we see on the table of shewbread? Twelve loaves of bread. The logos Word of God. The Bible. The shewbread depicts the sense of "hearing." There are five articles of furniture in the tabernacle of Moses which are stationed outside the Most Holy Place, the Presence of God. These five articles of furniture each depict a human sense. We have a tabernacle body with five human senses, do we not?

As an adjunct to the latter discussion of five senses, may we note that the giants of old who were the progeny of fallen angels and the daughters of men were sometimes described as having six fingers and six toes, rather than five. Their work and walk. The sixth sense is witchcraft which is forbidden.

Jesus told the Pharisees that the kingdom of God was within them. How could that be? How could the kingdom of God be inside someone? More perplexing yet, how could the kingdom of God be inside non-believers such as the Pharisees were? Let us go back a bit. Do we agree that the kingdom of God encompasses heaven? Yes, we are in general accord. Where then is heaven?

*And God said, Let there be a FIRMAMENT in the midst of the waters, and let it DIVIDE the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were UNDER the firmament from the waters which were ABOVE the firmament: and it was so. AND GOD CALLED THE FIRMAMENT HEAVEN. And the evening and the morning were the second day. (Gen 1:6-8)

The essential difference between air and water is one of density. Guess what we call the firmament located between the water "under" and the thinner water "above?" We call it land. The firmament is land. That is probably why it is called firm-ament. We are standing on it. God called the place where we are now presently standing and sitting and breathing, "Heaven." That is good enough for me. Paul relates that he was mentally "caught up [I Thess 4:17;Rev 12:5] to the third heaven" (II Cor 12:2). This around us and under us and of which we are a part is "Heaven." We are already there! The kingdom of God is composed of everything created by Him and consists of, insofar as we are given to know, three heavens. These may inadequately be defined as three spiritual planes of perception.

We follow Him into the second heaven, into the Holy Place of the tabernacle of God. Here we are simply, serenely overcome. The softly glowing golden brilliance is beyond comprehension. Warm rays reach deep into the corners of our soul. We see the Light and hear the Word and smell the Prayer, Praise and Worship a sweet savour unto the Lord. The Lord our God our Father is revealing Himself. All glory to God Almighty. This is the second heaven to me, a saved saint. I stand now at the moment of this writing and eternally on Holy ground. With all five senses I perceive He which abides within and encompasses me round about as the Light and Life of the Shekinah Glory and Presence of Almighty God.

We cannot now speak of the third heaven for it is the presently unknowable fullness of God.

Well, the pattern or blueprint of the tabernacle of Moses is in all men. Every single person has a blueprint of the tabernacle of Moses inside them. Saved or unsaved, Christian or Pharisee, Jew or Gentile, they all have it. They also have all the furniture inside them. The difference between the tabernacle of the saved and the tabernacle of the unsaved is that there are no accouterments in the tabernacle of the unsaved. All the furniture is there but there is no fire in the brasen altar, no water in the brasen laver, no oil in the candlestick, no incense in the golden altar, no shewbread upon the table, and the ark of covenant is empty. This is a tabernacle shrouded in darkness. This ark is a "coffin." This is death.

*For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. (Psalm 18:28)

Freemasonry is a religion. Lodge meetings consist almost entirely of ritualized behavior with accompanying props that are seemingly extracted from the Bible in a Christian lodge, without being exactly from the Bible. Biblical names are usually the same and biblical settings are definitely enhanced, but with a mixture of Egyptology. However, THE WORDS are different. It is somewhat like Satan's scriptural misquote of Psalm 91:11 during the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Matt 4:6). Close but not correct, and we all know what that means.

The source of their spiritual authority is the "Volume of the Sacred Law." (V.S.L.). This V.S.L. is a Bible in a Christian lodge, it is the Hebrew Pentateuch in a Hebrew lodge, it is the Koran in a Islamic lodge, it is the Vedas in a Brahmin lodge, etc., etc., etc. Masons believe, in actual practice, in a universal god as does Hinduism, Christian Science, Unity, Rosicrucianism, the New Age, and many others. They do not state publicly what they believe. They are a secret society, with signs and signals both physical and spoken. They swear blood oaths of mutual and organizational allegiance to the death which is, among other things, bondage. Their god is commonly referred to as the "Great Architect of the Universe," with the acronym "G.A.O.T.U." I don't know what you see in that tricky little acronym but I see GOAT U, or, U GOAT. The symbol in the center of a Masonic ring is the letter G. This G may mean God to some but it is also the first letter of goat.

There are three degrees or levels of Masonry in the Blue Lodge: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. Please note the "entered" indicating a spiritual experience. There are three levels of experience in the tabernacle of Moses: the courtyard, the Holy place, and the Most Holy Place. At the door of each degree in the lodge the candidate for advancement is asked "What do you seek?" His response is in each case is "More light." A man is considered a full-fledged Mason upon having achieved the degree of Master Mason, and can in that sense never become a higher Mason, although he can go on to one other degree (we don't want to think about what that may mean either). A Master Mason is a full-fledged Mason because he now dwells in their equivalent of the Most Holy Place. In whose presence do you suppose he is then?

*The light of the BODY is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single [focused on God], thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil [focused on the world and therefore separated from God], thy body also is full of darkness. TAKE HEED THEREFORE THAT THE LIGHT WHICH IS IN THEE BE NOT DARKNESS. (Luke 11:34,35)

Am I picking on the Masons? No. Is the Masonic lodge any different than Hinduism, atheism, agnosticism, pantheism, or New Age? No, there is no difference in the end. "Broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." (Matt 7:13). One reason that the way to destruction is broad is because there are so very many people traveling on it. All roads leading to hell are paved slick with deception. You just sort of slowly slide down. Any belief system that rejects Jesus Christ as being the way, the truth, and the life is on their own way to destruction. These are going in the opposite direction, antichrist, and away from the light. These are antichrists.

The sad irony here is that the Masonic lodge employs the pattern of the tabernacle of Moses in their rituals which is an implicit indication of an understanding of the tabernacle by their hierarchy. Whereas, most Christians don't have the vaguest idea of what the tabernacle actually is. "For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16:8).

Nevertheless, the Masonic tabernacle is shrouded in darkness. For Masons, the tabernacle is a grave which contains their coffin.

God help them.

Amen