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Sermons

Subject 11 : The Tabernacle

[11-1] The Salvation of Sinners Revealed in the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:9-21)

The Salvation of Sinners Revealed in the Tabernacle
(Exodus 27:9-21)
"You shall also make the court of the tabernacle. For the south side there shall be hangings for the court made of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long for one side. And its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be silver. Likewise along the length of the north side there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, with its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of bronze, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver. And along the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits, with their ten pillars and their ten sockets. The width of the court on the east side shall be fifty cubits. The hangings on one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. And on the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. It shall have four pillars and four sockets. All the pillars around the court shall have bands of silver; their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of bronze. The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, made of fine woven linen, and its sockets of bronze. All the utensils of the tabernacle for all its service, all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze. And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel."
 

The fence of the rectangular court of the Tabernacle measured 100 cubits in length. In the Bible, a cubit was set as the length extending from one`s elbow to the tip of his finger, about 45 cm (18 inches) in today`s measurement. As such, that the fence of the court of the Tabernacle was 100 cubits long means that it was about 45 m (150 feet) , and that its width was 50 cubits means that it was approximately 22.5 m (75 feet) wide. So this was the size of the House in which God dwelt among the people of Israel in the Old Testament`s time.
 

The Outer Court of the Tabernacle Was Surrounded by a Fence
 
Pillars for the court of the Tabernacle
Have you seen a model of the Tabernacle in a picture or painting by any chance? Broadly speaking, the Tabernacle was divided into its court and the Tabernacle itself, the House of God. In this House of God, the Tabernacle, there was a small structure called the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was covered by four different coverings: a covering woven of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; another of goats` hair; that of lam skins dyed red; and a covering of badger skins.
At the eastside of the court of the Tabernacle was found its gate, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen. Entering into this gate, we would have seen the altar of burnt offering and the laver. Passing the laver, we would have then seen the Tabernacle itself. The Tabernacle was divided into the Holy Place and the Most Holy, where God`s Ark of the Testimony was found. The fence of the court of the Tabernacle was built with 60 pillars with hangings of fine white linen. The Tabernacle itself, on the other hand, was built with 48 boards and 9 pillars. We need to have at least a general idea of the external features of the Tabernacle in order to be able to understand what God is speaking to us through its format.
God dwelt inside the Tabernacle built with 48 boards. God manifested His presence to the people of Israel with the pillar of cloud by day and that of fire by night above the Tabernacle. And inside the Sanctuary, where God Himself dwelt, the glory of God filled the place. Inside the Holy Place, there were the table of showbread, the lampstand, and the altar of incense, and inside the Most Holy, there were the Ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat. These were off-limit places for the common people of Israel; only the priests and the High Priest could enter the places according to the system of the Tabernacle. It is written, "Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people`s sins committed in ignorance" (Hebrews 9:6-7). This tells us that in today`s age, only those who have the faith of gold that believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit can live their lives with God while serving Him.
What is the meaning of the bread placed on the table of showbread? It means the Word of God. What does the altar of incense mean then? It tells us of prayers. Inside the Most Holy, there was the Ark of the Testimony, and the mercy seat, made of pure gold, was put above the Ark. The cherubim stretched out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they faced one another toward the mercy seat. This was the mercy seat, the place where God`s grace was bestowed. Inside the Ark of the Testimony, the two stone tablets into which the Ten Commandments were carved, the sprouted staff of Aaron, and a jar filled with manna were placed. The Ark was covered by a gold covering (the mercy seat), and above it the cherubim were looking down toward the mercy seat.
 

Where Do Those Who Received the Remission of Sin Live?

The place where those who received the remission of sin live is inside the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was built with 48 boards, all of which were overlaid with gold. Think about it. When you are looking at the golden wall not of just a handful, but of 48 golden boards, how brilliantly would it shine? As the interior of the Sanctuary and all its utensils were made of pure gold in this way, they shined brilliantly.
The altar of burnt offering and the laver in the outer court of the Tabernacle were all made of bronze, and the fence of the court was made of the pillars overlaid with silver and fine white linen. In contrast, all the utensils inside the Sanctuary were made of gold; the lampstand was golden, and so was the table of showbread. As all the items in the Sanctuary and its three-sided walls were thus made of pure gold, the inside of the Sanctuary always shined brilliantly in golden radiance.
That the inside of the Sanctuary thus shined brilliantly in golden radiance tells us that the saved saints live their precious lives of faith inside God`s Church. The saints who live in their faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are like the pure gold found in the Sanctuary. The life that such saints live inside the Sanctuary is the blessed life that dwells in the Church, feeds on the Word of God, prays to and praises Him, and goes before the throne of God and is clothed in His grace everyday, all through the Church. This is the life of faith inside the Sanctuary. You must take it to your hearts that only the righteous who have been saved through the gospel of the water and the Spirit can live this precious life of faith inside the Sanctuary.
 

God Divided the Inside and Outside of the Sanctuary Clearly

As most houses have fences, the court of the Tabernacle also had a fence made of 60 pillars and surrounded by the hangings of fine white linen. At the east of the court, a gate made of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen was placed for all to see, measuring as long as 9 m (30 feet) in width.
In studying the Tabernacle, we must realize clearly what is the brilliant faith that God wants from us, what kind of faith is the faith of the saved, and, through the materials used for the Tabernacle, how our Lord has saved us. To learn what is the golden and brilliant faith captured inside the Sanctuary, we must first look carefully at the laver, the altar of burnt offering, and the fence that were placed in the outer court of the Tabernacle, and all the materials used for them. By doing so, we can find out with what kind of faith we can enter into the brilliantly golden and radiant Sanctuary.
What were in the outer court of the Tabernacle? There were the laver and the altar of burnt offering. And it was surrounded by 60 wooden pillars, and on these pillars the hangings of fine linen were placed as the court`s fence. The pillars of this fence was made of acacia wood, which, despite its hardiness, was very light. The pillars made of this wood was approximately 2.25 m (7.5 feet) high, making it impossible for most people with normal heights to peek into the inside of the Tabernacle from the outside of the fence of the outer court. If something was deliberately placed to step on, one could possibly see inside the court, but without such help, it was impossible to peek inside. This tells us that through our own man-made efforts, we can never enter into the Kingdom of God.
At the bottom ends of the wooden pillars of the outer court, bronze sockets were placed, and their tops were capped with silver capitals. As the pillars could not stand on their own, silver bands clasped steadily the adjacent pillars to each other. And to support the pillars firmly in cross-directions, the silver hooks placed in the silver cover of the pillars were tied to the bronze pegs with the cords (Exodus 35:18).
 


What Were the Materials Used for the Gate of the Court of the Tabernacle?

 
The gate of the court of the Tabernacle
The materials used for the gate of the court of the Tabernacle were blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen. The height of the gate was 2.25 m (7.5 feet), , and its width was about 9 m (30 feet) . It was a screen woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen, which was hung on four pillars. As such, whenever one tried to enter into the court of the Tabernacle, he/she could easily find its gate.
The materials of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen used for the gate of the Tabernacle manifest that God would save us from all our sins through the four works of His Son Jesus. All the 60 wooden pillars and the fine linen of the fence of the court of the Tabernacle also manifest clearly through what method God would save you and me from our sins through His Son Jesus.
Through the gate of the outer court of the Tabernacle, in other words, God is revealing the mystery of salvation to us clearly. Let us once again go over the materials used for the gate of the court of the Tabernacle: blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen. These four threads are critically important for us to be saved by believing in Jesus. If these materials were not important, the Bible would not have recorded them in so much detail.
All the materials used for the gate of the court of the Tabernacle were absolutely necessary for God to save you and me. However, the fact that the gate was woven of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen without fail is of utmost importance for God to save sinners, because these four threads were the very revelation of God`s perfect salvation. This is how God determined. This is why God showed the model of the Tabernacle to Moses on the Mountain Sinai and told him to make the gate of the court of the Tabernacle accordingly.
 


What Are the Meanings of the Blue, Purple, and Scarlet Thread and the Fine Woven Linen?


The gate of the Holy Place was made of a curtain woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen, and the veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy was also woven of these four threads. Not only this, but the ephod and the breastplate of the High Priest were also woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen. What, then, do the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen tell us? What exactly do these blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen, which were absolutely necessary for our Lord to save us, say to us? We must make sure to examine this issue closely.
First of all, the blue thread tells us of the baptism of Jesus Christ. Those who are ignorant of the significance of baptism do not know that the blue thread refers to the baptism of Jesus Christ. As such, those who are not born again generally claim that the meaning of the blue thread is, "Jesus Christ is God Himself, and He came to this earth in the flesh of a man." Others, on the other hand, claim, "the blue thread just means the Word." However, the Bible tells us that the blue thread means "Jesus` baptism through which He accepted the sins of the world onto Himself after coming this earth." The Scripture shows us clearly that the blue thread refers to the water baptism that Jesus received from John the Baptist. Reading the Word on the Tabernacle, I came to realize, "Aha, God wants to shows us the importance of our faith in the baptism of Jesus."
The robe worn by the high priest while giving offerings was also woven of blue thread. A plate of gold was hung on the turban that the High Priest wore on his head, and the cord that tied the plate to the turban was also blue. And on this plate of gold, the phrase, "Holiness to the Lord," was engraved. We can see that the blue cord that tied the gold plate on the High Priest`s turban clearly manifests the baptism of Jesus that gives holiness to the Lord.
In this way, through the blue chord that tied the plate of gold to the turban, God speaks to us of our true salvation. In other words, the linchpin that gives us holiness is blue, and this is Jesus` baptism. Although the color blue generally reminds us of the blue sky, blue does not refer to only God. Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen, the blue thread surely means the baptism of Jesus Christ. Put differently, the blue thread tells us that Jesus Christ took the sins of all the sinners of this world by being baptized (Matthew 3:15). Had Jesus not taken everyone`s sins by being baptized, we the believers would not be able to give "holiness to the Lord." Were it not for the baptism that Jesus received, we could never be clothed in holiness before God.
Do you know the spiritual meaning of God`s command to weave the gate of the court of the Tabernacle with blue thread according to the format shown to Moses? The gate of the court leading into the Tabernacle where God dwelt refers to Jesus Christ. No one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but through Jesus Christ. The gate of the court, which refers to Jesus, was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen, clearly because God wanted to reveal the truth that leads us to our salvation. The purple thread refers to the Holy Spirit, telling us, "Jesus is the King of kings." The scarlet thread refers to the blood that Jesus shed on the Cross. The blue thread, as just mentioned, refers to the baptism that Jesus received from John the Baptist.
The blue, purple, and scarlet threads therefore tell us of Jesus` baptism, God`s incarnation, and His death on the Cross. The works of Jesus manifested in these three threads give us the faith that enables us to go before Jehovah in holiness. That Jesus, God Himself, came to this earth in the flesh of a man, took the iniquities of sinners upon His own body by being baptized, and vicariously bore the condemnation of all sins and curses by shedding His blood-this is the very spiritual mystery of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread.
Perhaps you had thus far thought of the blue thread only as manifesting God or His Word. But you must now know clearly that the blue thread actually refers to the baptism of Jesus Christ. The baptism through which Jesus accepted all our sins passed onto Him is critically important and cannot left out of His works; as such, from the Tabernacle of the Old Testament, God is telling us of its importance.
 


Baptism Was the Means by Which Jesus Bore Our Sins

 
Baptism Was the Means by Which Jesus Bore Our Sins
The pillars of the fence of the Tabernacle were made of acacia woods. Bronze sockets were placed at the bottom of these pillars, and silver capitals were capped on top of them. This tells us first that sinners must be judged for their sins. Only those who have been judged once for their sins can be saved. Those who have not been judged yet and therefore are not saved cannot avoid but be condemned to bear the eternal punishment for their sins when they go before God.
As it is written, "For the wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:23) sinners will most certainly be subjected to God`s fearful judgment for their sins. Sinners must therefore be judged by God once for their sins, and then live again by being clothed in His grace. This is what being born again is. The faith of the blue thread, that Jesus Christ took all our sins upon Himself through baptism, and the faith of the scarlet thread, that Jesus has delivered all sinners by being judged on the Cross-none other than this faith is what make us die once to our sins and be born again. You must realize that only the eternal condemnation awaits those who, because of their disbelief, cannot pass through the judgment in faith.
The baptism of Jesus was the means by which Christ bore all our sins to save us from our sins. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in order to take all our sins upon Himself. Jesus is God Himself, and yet to save us, He came to this earth in the flesh of a man, took all the iniquities of sinners upon Himself by being baptized by John the Baptist, the representative of mankind, and was condemned vicariously on sinners` behalf by giving up His own body on the Cross and shedding water and blood. The gate of the court of the Tabernacle is telling us in elaborate detail about the works that Jesus fulfilled as our Savior. Through the gate of the court of the Tabernacle, God is telling us clearly that Jesus has become the Savior of sinners.
The fine woven linen refers to the Word of the Old and New Testaments, which is this much detailed, and matches one another. How intricately would each strand be knitted to make this fine woven linen? Through the fine woven linen, God is telling us in detail how He has saved us.
When we look at carpets, we see that they are knitted by weaving different threads. Like this, God told the Israelites to make the gate of the court of the Tabernacle by weaving blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine woven linen. This tell us that Jesus who came to us through the water (baptism), the blood (the Cross), and the Holy Spirit (Jesus is God), which are hidden in the intricate Word of God, is the very door of our salvation. By having the proper faith in Jesus Christ that is revealed in the intricate Word of God and by being clothed in His love, we have now been saved wholly through faith.
Jesus Christ did not save us haphazardly. We can see this when we look at the Tabernacle. Jesus has saved sinners elaborately. We can realize how elaborately He has saved us when we look at only the pillars of the fence. Why, of all numbers, is the number of the pillars of the fence 60? It is because the number 6 refers to man, while the number 3 refers to God. In Revelation 13, the mark of 666 appears, and God tells us that this number is the number of the Beast, and that the wise know the mystery of this number. Therefore, the number 666 means that man acts like God. What is the wish of mankind? Is it not to become like a perfect divine being? If we truly want to become like a divine being, then we must be born again by believing in Jesus and become the children of God. The 60 pillars refer to this implication elaborately.
However, instead of having faith, people commit the boastful, evil act of trying to be partakers of the divine nature through their own efforts. None other than this is the reason why people reinterpret all the Word according to the lust of man and misbelieve in their own man-made thoughts, for they do not have faith but only the lust that stands against God. Because of this lust of the flesh that tries to become whole by themselves and to reach the perfection of their flesh, they end up far removed from the Word of God.
 

The Word of Salvation Revealed in All the Items of the Tabernacle

For Jesus Christ to save sinners and pull them into the Sanctuary, all the utensils and materials of the Tabernacle were necessary. The altar of burnt offering was necessary, the laver was necessary, and the pillars, bronze sockets, silver capitals, hooks and silver bands were also all necessary. All these things are the utensils found outside the Sanctuary, and their materials were all necessary to turn a sinner into a righteous.
All these things were necessary to enable sinners to enter and live in the Kingdom of God, but the most important among them was the blue thread (Jesus` baptism). The blue, purple, and scarlet threads were used to make the gate of the court of the Tabernacle. These threads refer to the three works of Jesus that are needed by us when believing in God. First, Jesus came to this earth and took all our sins upon Himself with His baptism; second, Jesus is God (Spirit); and third, Jesus died on the Cross to bear the condemnation of all the sins that He accepted onto Himself through John at the Jordan River. This is the correct order of true faith that is needed for sinners to be saved and become the righteous.
When we read the Bible, we can realize just how intricate our Lord is. We can clearly find out that the One who has saved us so elaborately, strand by strand like the fine woven linen, is none other than God Himself. Furthermore, God made the Israelites to build the gate of the court of the Tabernacle by weaving blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen that was as long as 9 m. As such, God made sure that anyone looking at the Tabernacle, even from far away, could discern the gate of the court of the Tabernacle.
The hangings of the fine white linen hung over the pillars of the court of the Tabernacle manifests God`s holiness. As such, we can realize that sinners cannot dare to approach the Tabernacle, and that they can enter into its court only when they are saved by believing in the ministries of Jesus manifested in the blue, purple, and scarlet thread woven into the gate of the court of the Tabernacle. In this way, God has enabled sinners to know that Jesus Christ has blotted out all their sins and saved them through the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit.
Not only this, but the materials of all the items that make up the Tabernacle, including the gate of its court, also show us the intricate Word needed for God to turns sinners into the righteous. Because God told the Israelites to make the gate of the court of the Tabernacle large enough for everyone to find, and because this gate was made by intricately weaving blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen, God enabled all to understand clearly the important Word that can turn sinners into the righteous.
The gate of the court of the Tabernacle tells us that God has wholly saved us, who were like acacia wood, from sins through the blue thread (Jesus` baptism), the scarlet thread (the blood of the Cross), and the purple thread (Jesus is God). God has determined that only those who clearly believe in this can enter into the Sanctuary, the House of God.
 

Jesus Christ Is Telling Us

God tells us that to live the golden, brilliantly shining life of faith, we must be washed of all our sins through Jesus` baptism and go before the Lord. This is why God Himself showed the model of the Tabernacle to Moses, built it through Moses, and made the people of Israel to receive the remission of sin through the institution of this Tabernacle. Let us recapitulate the faith that took us through the court of the Tabernacle and into the Sanctuary. Through the court of the Tabernacle, God continues to speak to us of our faith in the truth that Jesus has saved us through the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit. The faith in the gate of the court, that it was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, in the High Priest`s laying on of hands on the sacrificial lamb and the bloodshed of this sacrificial lamb, and the faith with which the High Priest washed his hands and feet at the laver-all these things let us know that only our faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit is the faith of pure gold that enables us to enter into the Sanctuary and live there in glory.
Through the Tabernacle, God has permitted all of us to receive the grace of salvation and His blessing. Through the Tabernacle, we can know the blessings that God has bestowed on us. We can realize and believe in the grace of salvation that has enabled us to go before the throne of the grace of God and be saved all at once. Can you realize this? Through the Tabernacle, we can see just how elaborately our Lord has saved you and me, how intricately He planned our salvation, and how definitely He fulfilled it according this plan and has turned us the sinners into the righteous.
Have you, by any chance, been believing in Jesus only vaguely all this time? Did you believe that the color blue only means the sky? Were you only aware of the faith of purple and scarlet colors, that Jesus Christ, the King of kings, came to this earth and saved us on the Cross, and did you believe accordingly? If so, now is the time to find the true faith. I hope that you would all clearly know the baptism of Jesus, the faith of blue color, and thereby realize and believe in the immeasurable grace of salvation that God has given you.
God has not saved us only through the blood and the Holy Spirit. Why? Because God clearly speaks to us of the blue, purple, and scarlet colors, and through these three threads He is telling us exactly how Jesus has saved us. Through the Tabernacle, our God has shown us Jesus` works of salvation in detail. After telling through Moses to build the Tabernacle, through this Tabernacle, God promised that He would save us in this way. As promised, Jesus Christ came in the flesh of a man and took our sins upon Himself by being baptized in the water (blue) of the Jordan River. Through His baptism, Jesus has actually saved sinners from all sins. How intricate, how exactly correct, and how certain our salvation is then!
When we enter into the Holy Place, we can see the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense. Before entering the Most Holy, we come to live for a while in this Holy Place that shines brilliantly in gold, being fed with the bread of the Word to our hearts` content. How blessed is this? Before entering the Kingdom of God, we live in His Church as the ones who have been wholly saved by being born again through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. God`s Church that gives us the bread of life is the Holy Place.
In the Holy Place-that is, God`s Church-there were the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense. The lampstand, with its shaft, branches, bowls, ornamental knobs, and flowers, was made in a single piece by hammering a talent of pure gold. The lampstand that was made by hammering a talent of pure gold in this way tells us that we the righteous must unite with God`s Church.
On the table of showbread, unleavened bread was placed, symbolizing the bread of the pure Word of God that is free from the evil and filthy teachings of the world. The Sanctuary of God-that is, God`s Church-preaches this pure Word of God that is without any leaven, and lives by the pure faith without doing evil before God.
In front of the veil to the Most Holy, the altar of incense was placed. The altar of incense was where prayers were given to God. Through the utensils in the Sanctuary, God is telling us that when we go before Him, we must have unity, faith in His pure Word, and prayers. Only the righteous can pray, for God listens to only the righteous` prayers (Isaiah 59:1-2, James 5:16). And only those who pray before God can meet Him.
Like this, the Holy Place tells us how glorious it is for us to be saved in God`s Church. The key materials used for the Tabernacle-the blue thread (Jesus was baptized), the scarlet thread (Taking all our sins upon Himself through His baptism, Jesus died on the Cross and bore the condemnation of our sins), and the purple thread (Jesus is God)-refer to the faith that we absolutely cannot fail to have. These three constitute the whole of our faith. When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and God Himself in essence, and that He has saved us, we can then enter into the Holy Place shinning in gold, where God dwells. If we do not believe in the works of Jesus that are manifested in these three threads, then we can never enter into the Holy Place, no matter how ardently we believe in Jesus. Not all Christian can enter into the Most Holy.
 

Those Who Stay in the Court of the Tabernacle with Mistaken Faith

Today, there are many Christians who are unable to enter into the Holy Place even as they profess their faith. There are, in other words, many people who try to be saved with their blind faith. None other than those who think that they can be saved just by believing in the blood of Jesus Christ, and that He is God Himself and the King of kings, are precisely such people. They believe in Jesus simplistically. Believing only in the blood of Jesus, they stand before the altar of burnt offering and pray blindly, "Lord, I`m still a sinner today. Forgive me, Lord. I give You all my thanks, Lord, for being crucified and dying in my place. Oh, Lord, I love You!"
After doing this in the morning, they go back to their lives, and then return to the altar of burnt offering again in the evening and give the same prayer. People who haunt the altar of burnt offering every morning, evening, and month cannot be born again, but fall into the fallacy of believing according to their own thoughts.
They put the sacrificial offering on the altar of burnt offering scorching with red flames and give their offering by fire. Because the flesh is burnt in the flames there, the smell of burning flesh spreads, and black and white smoke continues to rise. The altar of burnt offering is not a place where we cry asking God to make our sins disappear, but it is, in fact, a place that reminds us of the fearful fire of hell.
However, people go to this place every morning and evening, and say, "Lord, I`ve sinned. Please forgive my sins." They then go back home, satisfied on their own as if they had really been forgiven of their sins. They may even be so happy as to sing, "I`ve been forgiven, you`ve been forgiven, we`ve all been forgiven." But such feelings are only ephemeral. In no time, they sin again and find themselves standing before the altar of burnt offering once again, confessing, "Lord, I`m a sinner." Those who commute to and from the altar of burnt offering everyday are, regardless of their professed faith in Jesus, still sinners. Such people can never enter the Holy Kingdom of God.
Who, then, can wholly receive the remission of sin and enter into the Holy Place of God? They are the ones know and believe in the mystery of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread set by God. Those who believe in this can pass by the altar of burnt offering by their faith in the death of Jesus who accepted their sins passed onto Him, wash their hands and feet at the laver and remind themselves that all their sins were passed onto Jesus through His baptism, and then enter into the Holy Place of God. Those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and have received the remission of sin enter the Kingdom of Heave by their faith, for their faith is approved by God.
I hope that you would all realize and believe that the biblical meaning of the blue thread is the baptism of Jesus. There are many who profess to believe in Jesus today, but few go as far as to believe in the water (the blue thread), the baptism of Jesus. This is a deeply saddening phenomenon. It is a cause for a great distress that so many people leave out the most important faith of baptism from their Christian belief, even when Jesus did not merely come to this earth as God and only died on the Cross. I hope and pray that even now, you would all know and believe in the faith of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and thereby become the ones who enter the Kingdom of God.
 

We Must Believe in the Lord Manifested in the Blue, Purple, and Scarlet Thread of the Tabernacle, Its Actual Substance That Has Saved Us

Our Lord has save you and me. When we look at the Tabernacle, we can find out with how elaborate a method the Lord has saved us. We cannot thank Him enough for this. How grateful we are that the Lord has saved us through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and that He has also given us the faith that believes in these blue, purple, and scarlet threads!
Sinners can never enter into the Holy Place without being clothed in God`s grace and going through His fearful judgment of their sins. How can one who has not been judged of his/her sins ever open the door of the Tabernacle and enter into the Holy Place? They cannot! When such people enter into the Holy Place, they will be cursed to turn blind at a first flash. "Wow, it`s so bright in here! Uh-oh, how come I can`t see anything? When I was outside, I thought I could see everything in the Holy Place if I were just to enter into the place. Why can`t I see anything at all, and why it is so completely dark in here? I could see well when I was outside the Holy Place I was told that the Holy Place is bright; how come it is even darker?" They cannot see because they have turned spiritually blind, for they do not have the faith of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Like this, sinners can never enter into the Holy Place.
Our Lord has enabled us to not be blinded in the Holy Place, but to receive the blessing of living in the Holy Place forever. Through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen found in every quarter of the Tabernacle, God has told us exactly the method of our salvation, and according to this Word of prophecy, He has indeed delivered us from all our sins.
Our Lord has saved us through the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:4-8), so that we would not turn blind but live forever in His shinning grace. He has saved us through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen. Our Lord promised us with the intricate Word of God, and He has told us that He has saved us by fulfilling this promise.
Do you believe that you and I have been saved through the intricate works of Jesus manifested in the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen? Yes! Have we been saved only haphazardly? No! We cannot be saved without believing in the blue, purple, and scarlet thread.
The blue thread does not refer to God. It refers to the baptism of Jesus with which He took all the sins of every sinner of the world at the Jordan River.
It is possible, incidentally, to stand before the altar of burnt offering without believing in the blue thread, the baptism of Jesus. People may even reach as far as the laver next to the altar of burnt offering, but they cannot enter the Holy Place where God dwells. Those who can open the door of the Tabernacle and enter the Holy Place are only the children of God who have received the remission of sin by wholly believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. But the sinful, no matter who, can never enter the Holy Place. How far, then, do we have to enter to reach our salvation? We are saved not when we just enter into the court of the Tabernacle, but when we enter into the Holy Place where God is.
 

The Difference between the Faith inside the Tabernacle and the Faith outside the Tabernacle

The altar of burnt offering and the laver in the outer court of the Tabernacle were all made of bronze, and the fence was made of wood, silver, and bronze. But when we enter into the Tabernacle, the materials are completely differently. A key characteristic of the Tabernacle is that it is a "house of gold." The three-sided walls were built with 48 boards of acacia wood, all overlaid with gold. The table of showbread and the altar of incense were also made by acacia, and overlaid with gold, and the lampstand was made by hammering a talent of gold. As such, all the utensils inside the Holy Place were made of or overlaid with pure gold.
On the other hand, what were the sockets underneath the boards made of? They were made of silver. While the sockets for the pillars of the fence of the Tabernacle`s court were made of bronze, the sockets for the boards of the Tabernacle were made of silver. And while the pillars of the fence of the court were made of wood, the boards of the Tabernacle were made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. But the sockets for the five pillars of the door of the Tabernacle were made of bronze.
Although the sockets for the boards of the Tabernacle were made of silver, the sockets for the pillars of the door of the Tabernacle were cast in bronze. What does this mean? It means that whoever comes into God`s presence must be judged for his/her sins. How, then, can we go before God when we are judged and put to death? If we ourselves die, we would not be able to go before God.
Through the bronze used for the sockets of the five pillars of the Tabernacle`s door, God is therefore telling us that although we had to be judged for our sins, Jesus took our sins upon Himself through His baptism and was condemned for these sins in our place. We were the ones who had to be condemned for our sins. But someone else bore this condemnation of all our sins in our place. Instead of us, someone else died for us. The One who was vicariously condemned and died in our place is none other than Jesus Christ.
The faith that is manifested by the blue thread is the faith that believes that Jesus Christ accepted all our sins passed onto Him through His baptism and has forgiven us of all sins. As God took the life of Jesus Christ for the condemnation of all our sins passed onto Him through His baptism and has thereby solved away all our sins, we are no longer facing any condemnation for our sins. The faith manifested by the scarlet thread is the faith in the blood that Jesus shed on the Cross. This faith believes that Jesus Christ vicariously bore the condemnation of our sins that we ourselves were supposed to face.
Only those who passed all their sins onto Jesus by believing in His baptism, and have been judged for all their sins by believing in the blood that Jesus shed on the Cross with the death of His flesh because of all these sins, can enter into the Holy Place. This is the reason why the sockets of the door of the Tabernacle was made of bronze. As such, we must believe in the blood of Christ who took all our sins upon Himself through His baptism and was condemned in our place.
God has determined that only those who are convinced of the fact that Jesus Christ who has saved them is God Himself (the purple thread), of the baptism of Jesus (the blue thread), and of the truth that Jesus was vicariously condemned for their sins in their place (the scarlet thread) would be able to enter into the Holy Place. God has permitted only those who have once been judged for all their sins by believing in Jesus, and who believe that Jesus has saved them from all their sins, to enter into the Holy Place.
The sockets of the pillars of the Tabernacle`s door were cast in bronze. The bronze sockets have the spiritual meaning that God has allowed sinners who are born as the descendants of Adam to enter into the Holy Place of His dwelling only when they, no matter who they are, have the faith of the blue thread (the baptism of Jesus), the scarlet thread (Jesus` vicarious judgment in sinners` place), and the purple thread (Jesus is God Himself). That the five sockets of the pillars of the door were all made of bronze tells us of the gospel of God, that as written in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," Jesus has forgiven all our sins with the water, the blood and the Spirit.
 

We Must Not Ignore But Believe in the Word and God

Believing in Jesus does not mean that you are unconditionally saved. Nor does attending your church mean that you have unconditionally been born again. Our Lord says in John 3 that only those who are born again of water and the Spirit can see and enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus decisively told Nicodemus, a leader of Jews and a faithful believer of God, "You are a teacher of Jews, and yet do not how to be born again? Only when one is born again of water and the Spirit can he/she see and enter the Kingdom of God." People who believe in Jesus can be born again only when they have the faith of the blue thread (Jesus took all our sins upon Himself at once when He was baptized), the scarlet thread (Jesus died for our sins), and the purple thread (Jesus is the Savior, God Himself, and the Son of God). As such, through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread found in every quarter of the Tabernacle, all sinners must believe that Jesus is the Savior of sinners.
It is because many people believe in Jesus without believing in this truth that they are neither able to be born again nor know the Word of being born again. Our Lord has clearly told us that even if we profess to believe in Jesus, if we are not born again, then we can never enter the Holy Place, the Kingdom of the Father, nor live a proper life of faith.
In our man-made thoughts, we may wonder how nice it would be if all Christians were approved to be born again no matter how they believe. Is it not so? If we could be saved just by calling on the name of Jesus and professing our faith in Him just in words without even knowing the details of what He did to save the mankind, people would find it amazingly easy to believe in Jesus. We may thank Him whenever we meet a new Christian, singing, "I`ve been forgiven; you`ve been forgiven; we`ve all been forgiven." "Since there are so many believers, what`s the point of witnessing? Things are just fine as they are. Isn`t this just wonderful?" If this were indeed the case, people would think of salvation too easily, since whoever calls on the name of the Lord can be saved, and their salvation would come even if they live in whatever way they wish. But God told us that we can never be born again with such blind faith. On the contrary, He told us that those who claim to have been saved without even knowing the gospel of the water and the Spirit are all practicing lawlessness.
 

What Is Born again Is Your Spirit, Not Your Flesh

Jesus became a man, came to this earth, and has saved us through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Joseph, Jesus` father in the flesh was a carpenter (Matthew 13:55), and Jesus served His family under this carpenter father, Himself working as a carpenter for the first 29 years of His life. But when He turned 30, He had to begin His divine works, that is, carry out His public ministries.
As Jesus thus had both divine and human nature, we the born again righteous also have two different natures. We have both the flesh and the spirit. However, when one professes to believe in Jesus even as his/her spirit is not born again, then this person is not born again-that is, he/she has no born-again spirit. If one tries to believe in Jesus without being born again in his/her spirit, then this person is merely someone who is trying to be born again in the flesh like Nicodemus, and is never someone who is born again. Although Jesus was God Himself in His substance, He nevertheless was also in the flesh of a man full of weaknesses. As such, when we say that we have been born again, it means that our spirits have been born again, not our flesh.
If all those who profess to believe in Jesus somehow were indeed born again, I would have tried to be known as a benevolent pastor. Why? Because I would not have been so exasperated by those who do not believe in the truth, and therefore I would not have been so blunt in my sermons hoping that they would come to know the truth. I would be known as a well-mannered, noble, benevolent, tender and humorous pastor, explaining how people can become holy in their flesh. Of course, I can beautify my image to be so, but I never do that. It is not because I have no ability to plant in your minds the impression, "This pastor really takes after the holy and merciful image of Jesus." It is because the flesh of a man cannot change, and because being a little kind, benevolent, and merciful in the flesh does not mean that this person is a born-again righteous. No one can be born again in the flesh. It is the spirit, another human element, that must be born again by believing in the Word of God.
When you believe in Jesus, you must know the truth. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Only the truth of God makes us born again, frees our souls from the bondage of sin, and makes us born again as the righteous. Only when we know, believe, and preach the Bible properly can we enter into the Holy Place and live our lives of true faith, as well as go to the mercy seat of the Most Holy. The gospel of the water and the Spirit that makes our souls born again is the truth, and our faith in this has forgiven us of all our sins and allows us to live in the realm of faith with God. The gospel of the water and the Spirit that is in our hearts enables us to live as the born-again children of God in the spiritual and shinning realm with the Lord in happiness.
Believing in Jesus blindly is not the proper faith. Looking from a human perspective, I have many shortcomings. I am not just saying this with my lips, but whenever I do something, I actually come to realize that I have many shortcomings. For instance, when I am preparing for a Bible camp so that the participating saints and new comers would hear the Word in comfort, be inspired in their hearts by the grace of God, receive the blessing of being born again, and return after having rested in both their bodies and hearts, I find out that there are so many things that I failed to think of and to prepare beforehand. Things that would been easily taken care of by giving just a little bit more attention and care always appear when the preparation time is over and the camp is about to begin. I wonder to myself why I had not thought of such things before and prepared them in advance, when if I had been just a little more attentive and careful in my planning of the Bible camp, the saints and the new souls would have heard the Word well, been saved, and spent a good time. Also, even when I work the whole day, because of the lack of efficiency on my part, there are many times when the results do not match my efforts. I myself am well-aware of the fact that I have far too many shortcomings.
"Why can`t I do this? Why didn`t I think of this? All that I have to do is be just a bit more attentive, and yet why is it that I can`t do this?" When I am actually serving the gospel, I realize my shortcomings very often. So I recognize myself and admit, "This is who I am. This is how insufficient I am." I am not just saying this only with my lips, and I am not pretending to be modest, but I am, in fact, someone who cannot tie the loose ends of even small affairs properly but go about haphazardly. Looking at myself, I really feel my many shortcomings.
 


We Receive Holiness through the Faith of the Blue Thread


When people think of themselves, they feel like they can do everything well without making any mistakes. But when they actually tackle a task, their true competence and shortcomings are clearly revealed. They find out that they are truly insufficient and that they cannot help but sin and make mistakes. Also, when people think that they are doing okay, they delude themselves thinking that they are going to the Kingdom of God because of how good their faith is.
But the flesh never changes. There is no flesh without shortcomings, and it always does wrong and reveals its shortcomings. If, by any chance, you think that you can go to the Kingdom of our Lord because of some good that your flesh has done, you must realize that no matter what it is that your flesh had done well, it is absolutely useless before God. The only thing that enables us to enter the Lord`s Kingdom is our faith in the Word of truth-the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, that the Lord has saved us. Because our Lord has saved us through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, we can enter the Holy Place only by believing in this.
Had God not saved us through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, we would all never be able to enter the Holy Place. No matter how strong our faith might be, we cannot enter it. Why? Because if this were the case, it would mean that our faith of the flesh must be good everyday for us to be able to enter. If we can enter the Kingdom of God only when our faith is good enough everyday, how can we, who have such weak flesh, ever make our faith good everyday and be able to enter it? When there is no way for us to receive the remission of sin by ourselves, and when we have no faith to turn around everyday whenever we sin, how can we ever make our faith good enough to enter the Kingdom of God? Our bodies would have to be holy bodies that do not sin at all to begin with, or we would have to give our prayers of repentance and fasting everyday, but whose body is ever holy and who can ever do this?
Had God not saved us through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, there would be no one among us who would be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We are such that our faith may be good one moment but disappear the next moment. When our faith becomes good only to disappear again repeatedly, we get confused whether or not we really have faith, and end up losing even the faith that we first had. Ultimately, we become even more sinful long after first believing in Jesus. But Jesus has perfectly saved us, the insufficient sinners, according to His plan of salvation manifested in the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen. He has given us the remission of our sins.
Only when we have this evidence can we put the golden plate, "holiness to the Lord," to our turban like the High Priest (Exodus 28:36-38). We can then carry out our priesthood. Those who can testify their "holiness to the Lord" to people while they serve Him as His priests are the ones who have the evidence in their hearts that they have received the remission of sin through the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
A golden plate was attached to the High Priest`s turban, and what tied this golden plate to the turban was also a blue cord. Why, then, did God say that the turban should be tied with this blue cord? What was needed for our Lord to save us was the blue thread, and this blue thread refers to the baptism that Jesus received to take all our sins upon Himself. Had the Lord not blotted out our sins by taking them upon Himself in the New Testament through His baptism, the same form as the Old Testament`s laying on of hands, we cannot receive holiness from Jehovah no matter how well we believe in Jesus. This is why the golden plate was tied to the turban with a blue cord. And everyone who sees the High Priest with the golden plate into which "holiness to the Lord" is engraved can remind him/herself that they must be holy before God by receiving the remission of their sins. And it makes people think how they can be holy before God.
We, too, must then recall how we have become the righteous. How have we become the righteous? Let`s read Matthew 3:15. "But Jesus answered and said to him [John], `Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.`Then he allowed Him." Jesus has saved us all from our sins by being baptized. Because Jesus took our sins upon Himself with His baptism, those who believe in this are sinless. Had Jesus not been baptized, how could we even dare to say that we are sinless? Did you receive the remission of sin only by your confession of faith in Jesus` death on the Cross with your sincere tears in your eyes? There are so many people who, finding it difficult to be saddened by the death of Jesus, someone whom they have no relation whatsoever, try to squeeze tears by thinking of the death of their grandparents, the difficulties they had when they fell ill, or the hardships and sufferings of their own past. Whether you feign to cry like this, or you are truly saddened by the crucifixion of Jesus, your sins can never be blotted out in this way regardless.
As the golden plate with the engraving of "holiness to the Lord" was tied with a blue cord to the High Priest`s turban, what blots out our sins and makes us holy is the baptism of Jesus. Our hearts received the remission of sin because Jesus took all our sins upon Himself with His baptism, because Jehovah burdened all our sins onto Him, and because all the sins of the world were passed onto Jesus through His baptism. No matter how devoid of emotion our hearts might be, and no matter how insufficient we might be in our acts, we have become the righteous and been save perfectly by the Word of the blue thread written in the Bible. When we look at our flesh, we cannot be dignified, but because the faith of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread is in our hearts-that is, because we have the perfect gospel of the water and the Spirit that tells us that Jesus took all our sins upon Himself through baptism and bore our condemnation on the Cross-we can boldly and fearlessly speak of the gospel. It is because we have the gospel of the water and the Spirit that we can live by our faith as the righteous, and also preach this righteous faith to people.
We cannot thank enough for the grace of our Lord. As our salvation did not come by haphazardly, we are even more thankful for it. The salvation that we received is not a trivial one that just about anyone can receive even if he/she does not believe properly. Calling upon the Lord at one`s own whim, saying, "Lord, Lord," does not mean that everyone who does so can be saved. Because we have in our hearts the evidence that our sins have disappeared through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, that the Lord has saved us elaborately with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen, we are so thankful for this great salvation.
 The Bible tells us that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ the Son of God has the witness in his/her heart (1 John 5:10). If there is no witness in our hearts, we would be turning God into a liar, and so we must all have the conclusive evidence in our hearts. As such, there is no reason to be recoiled if some people challenges you and demands, "Show me the proof that you have been saved. You say that when people receive the remission of sin, they receive the Holy Spirit as a gift, and that there is a clear evidence of salvation. Show me this evidence." You can show the evidence boldly as the following: "I have in me the gospel of the water and the Spirit with which Jesus has saved me wholly. Because I have been saved perfectly by Him, I have no sin."
If you do not have the evidence of your salvation in your hearts, then you are not saved. No matter how ardently people might believe in Jesus, this in itself does not constitute their salvation. This is only an unrequited love. It is a love that has no regard for how the other person might be feeling. When someone whom we cannot love has a fluttering heart, expects something from us, feels love, and looks at us as if he/she is dying to be loved, it does not mean we have to love this person in return. Likewise, God does not embrace into His arms those who have not received the remission of their sins just because their hearts are aching for Him. None other than this is the unrequited love of sinners for God.
When we love God, we must love Him by believing in His Word in the truth. Our love for Him must not be one-sided. We must tell Him our love for Him, and we must first find out whether He truly loves us or not before we love Him. If we give all our love to the other person who really does not love us, all that we end up with is a broken heart.
Our Lord has clothed us in the glory of salvation from our sins so that we would not be condemned for them. He has allowed us to enter the Kingdom of God and to live with God, and He has given us the gift that enables us to receive the remission of sin through the grace of God. God`s salvation has brought to us countless spiritual blessings of Heaven. This salvation alone that God has given us, in other words, has enabled us to receive all these blessings from Him.
 
 
The Salvation that Jesus Himself Has Brought to Us

Our Lord has saved us through the blue, purple, and scarlet thread. He has given us salvation made of three different threads. This salvation of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread is none other than the gift of salvation given by God. It is this gift of salvation that enables us to enter and live in the Holy Place.
The gospel of the water and the Spirit has turned you and me into the righteous. It allowed us to come into God`s Church and live a life of purity. And the true gospel also enabled us to feed on the spiritual Word of God and receive His grace. It has also allowed us to go before the throne of the grace of God and pray, and thereby given us the faith with which we can take the abundant grace bestowed by God as our own. By our salvation alone, God has made such great blessings ours. This is why salvation is so precious.
Jesus told us to build our houses of faith on the rock (Matthew 7:24). This rock is none other than our salvation coming through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. As such, we must all live our lives of faith by being saved-become the righteous by being saved, enjoy eternal life by being saved, and enter Heaven by being saved.
The end times of this world are nearing us. In this age, therefore, people have even more reason to be saved by the exact Word. There are some people who say that one can be saved just by believing in Jesus roughly without knowing the faith of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and that there is no need to talk about the life of faith, for it suffices to be saved in this way.
However, the reason why I repeatedly say this is because only those who have received the remission of sin in their hearts can live their lives of faith that God approves. Because the heart of every saint who received the remission of sin is the holy temple where the Holy Spirit dwells, he/she must live his/her life of faith in order not to defile this holiness.
How the righteous live their lives is on a whole different dimension from how sinners live. From God`s standpoint, how sinners live is completely below His standard. Their lives are filled by only hypocrisy. They try very hard to live according to the Law. They set their own standards of how they should walk, how they should live their lives, how they should talk, and how they should laugh.
But this is far removed from the life of faith that the righteous live. God tells the righteous in detail, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and strength and love your neighbors as you love your own body." This is the mode of life that God has given to the righteous. It is proper for us the righteous to live our lives by loving God with all our hearts, and by following His will with all our strength and will. To save our neighbors, we must make countless investments in His works. This is the life of Christians.
If we remain at a level where we think that all that matters is that we ourselves do not sin, then we cannot follow the faithful life of the born-again Christians. Before I was born again, I had led a legalistic life of faith in a conservative Presbyterian denomination, and so as far as the life of the Law was concerned, I tried to keep it thoroughly. Nowadays, people tend to no longer do so, but because I have been leading my religious life from long ago, I had been very apt at keeping the Law in my everyday life. I was so thoroughly obedient to the Law that I never worked on the Lord`s day, as the Law commands that the Sabbath should be remembered and kept holy, to the extent that I didn`t even get into a car ever on Sundays. If I were to demand you to live like I did, there would be virtually no one who could live such a legalistic life. This was how legalistic my life had been before I was born again. However, no matter how piously I had spent my religious days, that had nothing to do with God`s will and was absolutely of no use.
Readers, do you have the faith of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread? Because Jesus` salvation is contained in these three threads, we can enter into the Holy Place by our faith. Our salvation was fulfilled over 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ, even before we came to know Him, already took upon all our sins upon Himself by being baptized and bore the condemnation of our sins by dying on the Cross.
 

Salvation from Sin Is Set in Jesus Christ

When those who are not born again enter into the Tabernacle, they do not enter through the gate of its court, but they climb over the fence illegally. They say, "Why is the fine linen of the fence so white? It`s so burdensome. They should have colored it with some red and blue. It`s what`s fashionable nowadays. But this fence is just too white! It sticks out too much. And why is it so high? It`s over 2.25 m. My own height does not even reach 2 m; how am I supposed to get inside when the fence is so high? Well, I can climb over using a ladder!"
Such people are trying to enter with their good deeds. They climb up the fence of the court of the Tabernacle with their offerings, charitable works, and patience, and they jump off the fence, saying, "I can surely leap down 2.25 m in any way." So having climbed into the court of the Tabernacle, they look back and see the altar of burnt offering. They then take their eyes off the altar and look toward the Holy Place, and the first thing that they see is the laver laying in front of it.
The height of the pillars of the fence of the Tabernacle`s court is 2.25 m, but the height of the pillars and the screen of the door of the Holy Place where God dwells is 4.5 m. People can enter into the court of the Tabernacle by their will if they have enough determination. But even if they leap over the 2.25 m high fence and enter into the court of the Tabernacle, when they try to enter into where God dwells, they will encounter the 4.5 m high pillars and a screen of the door of the Holy Place. People can leap over 2.5 m with their own effort. But they cannot leap over 4.5 m set by God. This is their limit.
This means that when we first believe in Jesus, we can believe merely as a religion. Also, some people can believe in Jesus as their Savior by their own will, and believe that the Savior is only one of the four great sages. Regardless of how people believe, they can have their own faith of whatever way they choose, but they cannot be truly born again through such faith.
To be truly born again, they must pass through the gate of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread by their faith. We are born again before God by believing that Jesus is our Savior and the door of the truth, and that He has saved us through the water, the blood, and the Spirit. The faith that believes in the works of Jesus manifested in the three threads is none other than the faith of the water, the blood, and the Spirit. People are free to believe in something else, but there is absolutely no proof positive that they can be saved and greatly blessed by believing so. Only with our faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit can we receive the approval of God and the great grace and blessings of God`s salvation. The objective of this faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit is to clothe us in God`s grace.
Do you regard the Tabernacle as merely a rectangular shaped court, with a house standing in it? This cannot bring any benefit to your faith. The Tabernacle is telling us about the whole faith, and we must know exactly what this faith is.
Not knowing the Tabernacle well, you might think that the height of the Tabernacle is about the height of its fence, 2.25 m. But this is not the case. Even if we were not to enter into the court but look at the Tabernacle from outside the fence, we would be able to see that the Tabernacle is twice higher than the fence. Though we would not be able to see the bottom of the Tabernacle, we would still see its door clearly, telling us that the Tabernacle stands higher than the fence of its court.
Those who have receive the remission of their sins by believing in Jesus and thereby entered into the gate of the court of the Tabernacle must confirm their proper faith at the altar of burnt offering and the laver, and then enter into the Holy Place. To enter into the Holy Place, there must be self-denial without fail. The utensils inside the Holy Place must be distinguished from all the utensils found outside the Holy Place.
Do you know what Satan hates the most? He loathes that the demarcation line between the inside and outside of the Holy Place is drawn. Because God works among those who divide the inside and outside of the Holy Place, Satan hates that such a line is drawn and tries to prevent people from drawing this line. But remember this: God clearly works through those who draw this demarcation line of faith. God is please by such people who draw this dividing line, and He bestows His blessings on them so that they can live inside the Holy Place with their brilliant faith.
Believe that all the utensils in the outer court of the Tabernacle and all the materials used for them have been prepared and prearranged by God so that people can receive the remission of their sins. And when you enter into the Holy Place by believing in this, God will bestow on you even greater grace and blessings.
 

The Mercy Seat Is the Place Where the Grace of Salvation Is Received
 
The ark of the covenant
 
In the Most Holy, two cherubim stretching their wings looked down from above the lid that covered the Ark of the Testimony. The space between the two cherubim is called the mercy seat. The mercy seat is where God bestows His grace on us. The covering of the Ark of the Testimony was stained by blood, as the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice given for the people of Israel on this mercy seat for seven times. God thus descended on the mercy seat and bestowed His mercy on the people of Israel. To those who believe in this, God`s blessings, protection, and guidance begin. From then on, they become the true people of God and are eligible to enter into the Holy Place.
Among the many Christians of this world, there are some whose faith has allowed them enter into the Holy Place, while others do not have such faith with which they can enter into the Holy Place. What kind of faith do you have? We need the faith that can draw the clear line of salvation and enter into the Holy Place of God, for by only doing so can we be greatly blessed by God.
But it is not that easy to have this kind of faith. Because Satan hates when people draw the clear line of salvation, he constantly attempts to blur this line. "You don`t have to believe in that way. Not everyone else believes like that, so why do you place so much importance on it and keep repeating yourself? Take it easy; go with the flow." Saying such things, Satan tries to obscure this clear line of salvation. Also, Satan reveals our weaknesses of the flesh and tries to turn them into troubles. Would you be the ones who listen to the deceptive words of Satan trying to separate us from God? Or would you live your lives by reminding yourself of your salvation daily, uniting with the Church, following the Word of God, leading a life of prayer, and receiving the grace that God bestows on you?
Actually, those who have received the remission of sin like to remind themselves of their salvation. They like to dwell on the gospel of the water and the Spirit over and over. Meditating on the gospel is good and essential to you. Are you not like this? "Gosh, is it that story again, when we have been saved? The story material and the plot might be different, but it`s still the same old story. I`m getting so tired of it!"
Is there anyone who might be saying this? I would be sorry if I were to tell the same story about myself everyday, but when the Bible tells us that we should ruminate over our salvation everyday, what can I do? When both the Old and New Testaments speak to us of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, what is evil before God is for people to actually preach something else other than this. All the Word of the Bible speaks of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. "Salvation, life of faith, faith, spiritual living, fight against Satan, Heaven, glory, grace, blessing, resurrection, eternal life, hope, and the Holy Spirit"-all these key concepts of the saints are related to this true gospel. Speaking of something else other than these is none other than heresy and false teachings. What looks similar but is different in substance is none other than false teachings. Gospels that appear similar outside but are different inside from the gospel of the water and the Spirit are merely the pseudo-gospels of false religions.
How wonderful is it that God`s Church spreads the Word of God everyday, not the deceptive words of false religions? It is a blessing that we are united to God`s Church, hear and believe in the pure Word of God. By always preaching the gospel of the water and the Spirit, God`s Church enables the saints to think of the grace of God everyday, to pray to Him, and revere Him, and to live a life that does not pursue evil. Are you not happy that you have heard once again and believed in the Word of truth that allows you receive the remission of sin? I, too, am very happy.
If I were to be coerced to preach something else other than this gospel of the water and the Spirit, I would suffer greatly. If I were coerced to spread not the Word of salvation but some other man-made teachings, I would want to escape. It is not, of course, because I have nothing else to talk about. There are plenty of other humanistic issues that I can address, but these are all unnecessary and are merely the teachings of corrupting leaven for those of us who are born again.
Only this gospel of the water and the Spirit through which Jesus, God Himself, has saved us is the precious Word of God that gives out its sweetness even as we chew on it over and over again. There are so many other stories that I could tell you, but I like it the most when I am speaking of the gospel of the water and the Spirit that saves us. I get most elated then. I am happiest when I am speaking of this salvation, for this is when I can reminisce about old memories, remind myself of how the Lord has saved me, thank Him once more, and feed again on the bread of salvation.
I am sure that you, too, like it the most when you hear this Word of salvation. Perhaps you might complain that it`s the same story everyday, but deep inside, you think, "Now that I heard it again, it`s even better. At first, it wasn`t that great, but when I continue to hear it, I can see that there is no other story that is as worthy of listening as this one. I thought today`s story might be somewhat special, but the conclusion tells me that it was the same story again. But still, I`m happy." I am sure that this is how your hearts feel.
Brothers and sisters, what I am preaching here is the Word of Jesus. Preachers must preach the Word of Jesus. Preaching what Jesus has done for us and spreading the truth of the water and the Spirit through the written Word are none other than what God`s Church is supposed to do. We are now leading our lives of faith in the Church. Entering into the Holy Place, lighting under the lampstand with seven branches made by hammering a talent of gold, eating bread in the house of pure gold, praying at the altar of incense, going to the Temple of God, worshiping Him, and living in this house of gold-none other than these are our lives of faith.
You and I are now leading the lives of faith given by God. Receiving the remission of sin and living the lives of faith are what the life inside the golden House of God is all about. "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). With our faith in the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine woven linen manifested in the Tabernacle, our souls are living in the House of God shinning in gold.
I give my thanks to God forever for saving us from all our sins and condemnation. Hallelujah!
 
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