From: 	 heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: 	 Tuesday, August 19, 1997 9:47 PM
To: 	 Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup; maw@clover.net
Subject: Seven Foundations of the Outer Court

From:    Mark Wilson
To:      heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: 7 foundations


                                    THE SEVEN FOUNDATIONS

 The Tabernacle has three distinct areas divided by curtains.  The
first area is the Outer Court and speaks to us of the foundations of the
Christian life and ministry to God.

(1) The first experience in our approach unto God is revealed at the
      gate to the Outer Court.  This speaks to us of repentance from dead
      works.  

HEB 6:1-2:

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the
Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,  of
instruction about washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection
of the dead, and eternal judgment.

         (A) The access through this gate was by circumcision.  

EXO 12:48: 

But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the
Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to
celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no
uncircumcised person may eat of it.

        (B) Circumcision precedes Passover.  We have been given the New
              Covenant revelation of circumcision.  

PHI 3:3 for we are the {true} circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God
and 
glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

Circumcision speaks to us of repentance from our own works and giving glory
to 
Jesus Christ for what He has accomplished for us at Calvary and forsaking all 
confidence in our own ability or goodness.

         (C) The first curtain (called the gate) speaks two things. 

(1) Stay out, there is no access.  
(2) Since the gate will open it speaks to us that there is a recognized way
of entering 
      but it is not automatic.

That "WAY" is only Jesus Christ and by placing our confidence in Him
only.

ROM 2:28-29: 

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is
circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.  But he is a
Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart,
by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but
from God.


(2) The next experience is seen at the bronze altar of sacrifice.  

This speaks to us of Calvary and the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to take
away the sins of the world.  In the shadow of the bronze altar the blood
of bulls and goats could only cover over sin but could not take sin
away.  Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
The altar speaks to us of reconciliation with God through the sacrifice
of His Son, Jesus Christ.

2CO 5:18-21:

Now all {these} things are from God, who reconciled us to
Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to 
us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf
of Christ, be reconciled to God.  He made Him who knew no sin
{to be} sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of 
God in Him.


(3) The third experience was the removal of the regular garments and
      the preparation for putting on the priestly garments.  

This speaks to us of laying aside our former manner of life with the 
attitudes, the habits, the perversions and the rebellion of sins against God.

(4) The next experience was washing away of sins in the waters of
      baptism.  

ACT 22:16 'And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized,
and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'  

1CO 6:9-11:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? 
Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor homosexuals,  nor thieves, nor {the} covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of
God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you
were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

      (A) Baptism is bringing to a final conclusion the old life through the
death and burial of Jesus Christ.  Since we have died to sin with Jesus
Christ at Calvary, we are buried with Him in the waters of baptism so
that we may now walk with Him in a whole new life.

(5) The next experience was the putting on of the new garments, the
       pure white priestly garments.  

This speaks to us of putting on Christ as a garment.  That is the garments of 
righteousness, of praise and the garments of worship.  

1PE 5:5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to
your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one
another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the
humble.  

ROM 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no
provision for the flesh in regard to {its} lusts.

(6) The sixth experience is seen in shadow by the anointing of the
       priests for service.  

EXO 40:12-15 "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons
to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. And 
you shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and
consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. And
you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; and you shall
anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may
minister as priests to Me; and their anointing shall qualify them for a
perpetual priesthood throughout their generations. "

(A) This anointing speaks to us of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

ACT 10:38 "{You know of} Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with
the Holy Spirit and with power, and {how} He went about doing good, and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.

(B) ACT 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. "  

ACT 11:15-16:

"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as { He did} 
upon us at the beginning.  And I remembered the word of the Lord,
how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit.'

(C) It is this anointing or baptism of the Holy Spirit that qualifies
      us to function in the New Covenant priesthood.  The anointing also
      teaches us.  

1JO 2:27 And as for you, the anointing which you received
from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you;
but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is
not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

(7) The last Outer Court experience was the consecration offering where
the priests were set apart and consecrated to serve God wholly.  This
speaks to us of giving ourselves wholly to God to do His will.  

ROM 12:1-2:
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your
spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may
prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and
perfect.

(A) HEB 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
"Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, But a body Thou hast
prepared for Me; HEB 10:6 In whole burnt offerings and {sacrifices} for
sin Thou hast taken no pleasure. HEB 10:7 "Then I said, 'Behold, I have
come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me) To do Thy will, O
God.'"  

God has given us a body for the purpose of doing His will.  When
we acknowledge that and submit our body to Him to do His will, He will
surely show us His will.  Doing His will is what the consecration
offering means to us.

(B) EXO 28:41 "And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his
sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate
them, that they may serve Me as priests.  The literal meaning of
"ordain" is to fill their hands. ( N.A.S.B. margin).  

Many are laying empty hands on people and they are receiving nothing because
they have
nothing in their hands to impart.  The greatest need in the church today
is for all believers to fully consecrate themselves to God to do His
whole will.  That means to live the Christian life as a living sacrifice
of God upon the altar of the church's faith.

(C) ROM 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that {my} offering of the
Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  

PHI 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the
sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you
all.
	
While the church speaks much of the priesthood of the believer it is
clear that without all these preparations there is no functioning
priesthood.  While we are all called to be as Holy priesthood not all
who are called are chosen simply because they cannot qualify.  

A New Covenant priest is not one because he confesses he is a priest but he is
a priest when he functions as a priest.  

REV 1:6 and He has made us {to
be} a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him {be} the glory and
the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  

REV 5:10 "And Thou hast made them
{to be} a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the
earth."  

REV 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the
first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they
will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a
thousand years. 

1PE 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up
as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1PE 2:9 But you are a
chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for {God's} own
possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light.   

Peter shows us that those who are a royal priesthood are also wholly given 
to God as His own possession.  The lukewarm will simply not qualify.

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