God Tabernacles with Man – Number 3
July 7, 2010
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In the O.T. God’s presence was known in the cloud that was associated with the tabernacle. The Hebrew word for “tabernacle” is OHEL, which literally means “tent.” God “tabernacled” with Israel from the body of a cloud.
Numbers 9:15-23 – And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. [16] So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. [17] And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. [18] At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. [19] And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not. [20] And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the
Lord they journeyed. [21] And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
[22] Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. [23] At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
The cloud under which Israel rested was a life sustaining shelter, which protected them, and under which passage was granted to them as they fled from Egypt’s Pharaoh through the Red Sea. The tabernacle was then given to them with ordinances that pictured their coming Messiah, who followed them, giving them spiritual drink in the promise of his coming, The Messianic seed promise was always in Christ, the Anointed One, even from Genesis 3:15, but many of the Israelites did not drink of God’s water by spiritually believing in his promise he would send a seed through Jacob, and were overthrown by worldly lust in the wilderness.
I Corinthians 10:1-6 – Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; [2] And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; [3] And did all eat the same spiritual meat; [4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
[5] But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. [6] Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
And when Messiah finally came in the person of Jesus Christ, he came as God dwelling in a tabernacle of sinless human flesh. In Christ, the Anointed One dwelt all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
God was in Christ Jesus for the purpose of reconciling man to himself.
Jesus’ sinless body was the temple of the living God.
Colossians 2:9 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
II Corinthians 5:18-21 – And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
[20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you
by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. [21] 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.
(Our completed righteousness is in Jesus and we sit in God in heavenly places in Christ.)
Colossians 2:10 – And ye are complete in him, which is the head of ALL principality and power:
Ephesians 2:6,7 – And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
John 14:20 – At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me,
and I in you.
John 2:18-21 – Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things
? [19] Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. [20] Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? [21] But he spake of the temple of his body. (His body was the only human temple of flesh that ever remained holy and sinless from conception to the time of his physical death on the cross, at which time he took my sins in his own body, and forever freed me from the condemnation of God for any of them, which were all future when he took them, and buried them with him, to set me free from eternal damnation in hell)
The Greek word for “tabernacle” or tent is translated as “dwelt” in John 1:14. God came in a tent of human flesh and tabernacled among Israel as Messiah for more than three years.
John 1:14 – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 14:8-11 – Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip
? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father
? [10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me
? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
[11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Jesus Christ spiritually dwells in the midst of every local church worshipping him according to the instructions he gave to Phillip, and to the rest of the first church. which he organized during his earthly ministry.
John 14:18-20 – I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. [19] Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. [20] At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
John 13:34,35 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another;
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.