From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 8, 1997 11:08 PM
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Kingdom/Tabernacle
From: Mark Wilson
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Kingdom/Tabernacle (part1)
A VIEW OF THE KINGDOM FROM THE TABERNACLE (Part 1)
The Kingdom of God has been an enigma in the church since the New
Testament scriptures were assembled into the present form. The Kingdom
is mentioned dozens of times but no clear explanation is given. Most
writers use Romans 14:17 as THE definition.
ROM 14:17 For the kingdom
of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
This tells us what the subjective
experience of the Kingdom is in us but doesn't tell us what the Kingdom
really is objectively. What is the substance of the Kingdom itself?
When we first begin to search out the meaning of the Kingdom we have a
lot of confidence in getting our revelation from the parables. However
the parables fail to give us a clear definition.
If we take 150 scriptures dealing with the Kingdom and try to make a
composite definition, we only make confusion. The principle of the
Kingdom is the unfolding revelation of God's eternal purpose from
Genesis to Revelation. The Kingdom is not easily summed up into a
definition of a few words. The Kingdom has so many facets it cannot be
defined by looking at one or two. The city of Jerusalem had twelve
gates. It was not possible to give an accurate description of the city
by looking in one gate. Even by looking in all 12 gates you could only
gain a partial view. That's why the Psalmist said to walk through the
city and observe carefully the details.
PSA 48:12-13 Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers,
consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell
of them to the next generation.
Jesus has commissioned us to preach the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM. However
He didn't tell us exactly what that gospel is. For that reason many
have thought the gospel of salvation is the same thing as the gospel of
the Kingdom. But the gospel of salvation says come and get it, it's
all free! While the gospel of the Kingdom says come and give, it will
cost you all that you have.
LUK 12:31-34 But seek his kingdom, and these
things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid,
little flock, for your Father has been pleased to GIVE you the kingdom.
SELL your possessions and GIVE to the poor. Provide purses
for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will
not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Kingdom of God has had a past aspect in the lives of men, it has a
present aspect in our lives and it has a future aspect as the eternal
Kingdom. The last aspect is what the church has preached. The Kingdom
will come someday. But the Kingdom has already come.
MAR 9:1 And he
said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not
taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."
We are now living in the dispensation of the Kingdom. But not everyone
who is born again will enter into the Kingdom of God.
MAT 7:21 "Not
everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. It is not
easy to sort all this out so we could turn the Kingdom into a message
that is good news.
A diamond has many facets. The Kingdom is a diamond with many facets.
To participate in the Kingdom we must each DO THE WILL OF GOD.
MAT 6:10 your kingdom come, your
will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The Kingdom of God will come
to earth when the WILL OF GOD is done on earth as THE WILL OF GOD IS
NOW BEING DONE IN HEAVEN. That is but one facet. Obviously that facet
of the Kingdom has not yet come universally to the earth. However that
facet of the Kingdom of God has come in some individuals who have given
themselves to do the whole will of God. Therefore, the disciples saw
the Kingdom of God come with power in Jesus Christ, as He did the will
of God.
In this study we want to look at a different facet of the Kingdom but a
facet that is part of the whole. This facet has to do with the
AUTHORITY and the GOVERNMENT of the Kingdom that has been assigned to
MAN.
GEN 1:26-28 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our
likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of
the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the
creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful
and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish
of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that
moves on the ground."
God's original purpose was to make man in His own image and likeness
so they could rule over God's creation. When man fell, he lost his
capacity to rule the earth as God would rule it. Satan usurped the
authority that God had given man and began to rule over man and over as
much of the earth as he could. However, God's original purpose never
changed.
PSA 8:1-9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all
the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the
lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your
enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider
your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which
you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of
him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a
little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and
honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you
put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the
beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the
sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
One of the reasons God wants to restore full authority to man is
because of God's adversaries and to make the enemy and the revengeful to
cease. God's purpose remained after the fall. It also remained after
redemption.
HEB 2:6-9 But there is a place where someone has testified:
"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care
for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you
crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his
feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not
subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to
him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the
angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered
death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
God has now restored all power and authority to man. The MAN, CHRIST
JESUS. Not only on the earth but also in heaven as well.
MAT 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me. The first Adam lost his authority but the last
Adam has gained it back again. If we are in the first Adam we have no
authority. If we are in the last Adam we have his authority to go in
His name. Therefore, in His name we shall cast out demons, heal the
sick etc.
If this truth was universally understood and acted upon the devil would
be in a panic. He has labored diligently to hide this fact from the
church, although God has not hid it. Very few in the church really act
upon the authority that God has assigned to the Person of Jesus Christ
and enacted through His name.
The tabernacle of Moses is a picture for us of spiritual things and of
heavenly things and of heaven itself. It is therefore a picture for us
of the purpose of God. The purpose of God is for man to take the name
of Jesus and begin to rule over God's enemies. It was for this purpose
that man was created, to rule over the creeping and crawling things.
Satan is a creeping and crawling thing, that old serpent of old.
Since God has saved so many multitudes in the last 20 years, we should
see a great and mighty army of God that is waging war on God's
adversaries and causing the enemies and the revengeful to cease. The
fact is the enemy is not even being slowed down. He is doing as he
pleases. How can we explain this contradiction? I believe the
Tabernacle of Moses will give us the answer.
**************************************************************************