Study of the Sanctuary - part 4

Typical Ceremonies of the Tabernacle

There are a lot of typical ceremonies, holy days, and events related to the Tabernacle of Israel. As we know the laws and services of the tabernacle were patterned after that of the heavenly (read Hebrews 8:4, 5), so they are types that point forward to or foreshadow things to come. Each of these feasts, holy days and ceremonies pointed forward in type (symbol, pattern or representation) to Christ being the Antitype that was to fulfill these things.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
(Colossians 2:16 and 17)

Christ himself said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (Matthew 5:17).” Like the Pharisees, many today think that Christ came to remove and to make of none effect the laws of the tabernacle and of the commandments, but in so saying they make it appear that Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross did not fulfill anything. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, He came to fulfil what those laws and ceremonies pointed forward to, what they foreshadowed. Christ was the antitype that met the type. The typical laws of the tabernacle were completed and finished at the cross when type met anti-type. Those things had been finished, were accomplished and no longer needed to point forward to a specific work to be accomplished. When Jesus said upon the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), the Inner veil between the Holy and Most holy tore from top to bottom, signifying that the earthly sanctuary had been finished, and the work of the tabernacle had been transferred into the heavenly Sanctuary (For Christ was yet to make atonement in the Most Holy place for our sin).

Note: Though the typical laws of the tabernacle had been accomplished at the cross, many still believe that the Moral law (Ten Commandments) was also nailed to the cross. Notice again the verse in Colossians 2:16, where it says, “sabbath days.” The term here used did not actually refer to the 7^th day weekly Sabbath. It is clear, according to Scripture, that the 7^th day Sabbath was created as an Everlasting sign (or Covenant) between God and His people (read Exodus 31:12-18). These other “Sabbath days” (Plural) are referring to holy days related to the ceremonies given from Sinai, holy day’s that were accomplished at the cross. Some of these Holy days were festivals held for New moons, harvests, and other certain times of the year, one being the Passover.

The Passover and Communion

What is the Passover, and what does it represent?
The Passover is an important day in the Jewish’s culture. It also holds significance in Christianity as well.
The Jews celebrate the Passover as a reminder of being brought out of captivity in Egypt by God. They also keep it because it was part of typical laws given to Israel pointing forward to something of the Future (because they rejected Christ as the Savior, they still believe a King will appear and deliver their enemies into their hand).

What was the first Passover?

Read Exodus 12:1-20         

Obedience is the Evidence of Faith -- The Passover was to be both commemorative and typical, not only pointing back to the deliverance from Egypt, but forward to the greater deliverance which Christ was to accomplish in freeing His people from the bondage of sin. The sacrificial lamb represents “the Lamb of God,” in whom is our only hope of salvation. Says the apostle, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7. It was not enough that the paschal lamb be slain; its blood must be sprinkled upon the doorposts; so the merits of Christ’s blood must be applied to the soul. We must believe, not only that He died for the world, but that He died for us individually. We must appropriate to ourselves the virtue of the atoning sacrifice. {PP 277.1}

The hyssop used in sprinkling the blood was the symbol of purification, being thus employed in the cleansing of the leper and of those defiled by contact with the dead. In the psalmist’s prayer also its significance is seen: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7. {PP 277.2}

The flesh was to be eaten. It is not enough even that we believe on Christ for the forgiveness of sin; we must by faith be constantly receiving spiritual strength and nourishment from Him through His word. Said Christ, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life.” John 6:53, 54. And to explain His meaning He said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Verse 63. Jesus accepted His Father’s law, wrought out its principles in His life, manifested its spirit, and showed its beneficent power in the heart. Says John, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. The followers of Christ must be partakers of His experience. They must receive and assimilate the word of God so that it shall become the motive power of life and action. By the power of Christ they must be changed into His likeness, and reflect the divine attributes. They must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God, or there is no life in them. The spirit and work of Christ must become the spirit and work of His disciples. {PP 277.4}

The lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs, as pointing back to the bitterness of the bondage in Egypt. So when we feed upon Christ, it should be with contrition of heart, because of our sins. The use of unleavened bread also was significant. It was expressly enjoined in the law of the Passover, and as strictly observed by the Jews in their practice, that no leaven should be found in their houses during the feast. In like manner the leaven of sin must be put away from all who would receive life and nourishment from Christ. So Paul writes to the Corinthian church, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump.... For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8. {PP 278.1}

Before obtaining freedom, the bondmen must show their faith in the great deliverance about to be accomplished. The token of blood must be placed upon their houses, and they must separate themselves and their families from the Egyptians, and gather within their own dwellings. Had the Israelites disregarded in any particular the directions given them, had they neglected to separate their children from the Egyptians, had they slain the lamb, but failed to strike the doorpost with blood, or had any gone out of their houses, they would not have been secure. They might have honestly believed that they had done all that was necessary, but their sincerity would not have saved them. All who failed to heed the Lord’s directions would lose their first-born by the hand of the destroyer. {PP 278.2}

By obedience the people were to give evidence of their faith. So all who hope to be saved by the merits of the blood of Christ should realize that they themselves have something to do in securing their salvation. While it is Christ only that can redeem us from the penalty of transgression, we are to turn from sin to obedience. Man is to be saved by faith, not by works; yet his faith must be shown by his works. God has given His Son to die as a propitiation for sin, He has manifested the light of truth, the way of life, He has given facilities, ordinances, and privileges; and now man must co-operate with these saving agencies; he must appreciate and use the helps that God has provided—believe and obey all the divine requirements. {PP 279.1}

If the Passover feasts were fulfilled at the cross, then why do we keep communion?

1 Corinthians 11:24-26

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

John 13:14, 15:

4 He [Christ] riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

12So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

Why do we keep communion? Because Christ gave it to us as an example, as a service to others, and as a memorial to “shew the Lord’s death till he come.” He instructed to us communion so we would learn to remain humble, to prepare ourselves to be servants to others, and to remember His sacrifice for us. Communion is not a sorrowful event, but should be that of rejoicing and gladness, and of humbleness. Gladness as we remember that Christ died so we could be delivered from sin; humbleness as we remember to take the yoke of Christ upon us – the yoke of Obedience and service—and serve those around us. What a great and blessed opportunity it is for us to be able to partake in Communion, to “do so in remembrance of” Him.

Feast days

Should we keep the feast days? What does Scripture say?

1 Corinthians 5:7-8:

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

So, again, are we instructed to keep the feasts and traditions of the Tabernacle? Certainly not in a literal sense. You may have come across some Professing Christians, including Adventists, who claim that we should keep the feast days; they claim it in a literal sense. But why should we keep the feast days if Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us? To claim that we must keep the feasts days is the same as to claim Christ’s sacrifice did not fulfil the law. Are you following me? In verse 8 of 1 Cor. 5 it says, “Therefore let us keep the feast…” How does it say we are to keep the feasts? Are we supposed to keep them by baking special breads for special ceremonies on special times of the year? No. It says to keep them, not with “Malice and Wickedness”, but with “Sincerity and truth.” Amen? It means that the physical types were met with the Antitype, and became Spiritual – went from the physical works to the Spiritual works. Understand what I am saying?
 We are not to keep the feasts by ceremonies, but we are to remember them by sincerity and truth. Folks, the Feasts and typical things of the tabernacle were fulfilled at the cross, but the works of obedience, faith, service and repentance still apply to us today. Amen? We cannot earn our way to heaven by works alone, but obedience to God’s law proves our faith, and the humble service to others increases our faith.

 Brothers and Sisters, remember, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Remember to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” And “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” So that you will not be deceived by “…vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:15; Colossians 2:8).

 My prayer is that we would remember all these things and be found faithful in the Judgement before God.

Note: Here are some interesting things about the catholic church:

Feast days, as according to the Catholic church:

We call Despotic Feastdays, those which are related to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some of these feastdays are movable and some are fixed. When we refer to fixed feastdays we mean those that occur on the same month and date each year. Some of these are:

• Christmas on the 25th December
• The Circumcision of our Lord on the 1st of January
• Theophany on the 6th January (the day of our Lord's Baptism)
• The Churching of Lord, where He was received into the Temple by Simeon the Prophet and also the churching of Panagia - the 40 day blessing on the 2nd February
• The Transfiguration of our Lord, this is celebrated on the 6th August.
• The elevation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on the 14th September.

We also have the movable Despotic feasts which are:

• Palm Sunday
• Holy Week
• Pascha or Easter (The Resurrection of our Lord)
• The Ascension of our Lord
• The Pentecost.

Have you ever seen the practice of Mass or any other Catholic religious services? Did you notice any of the services that were very similar to the ceremonies of the tabernacle in Israel?

               Obviously, the Catholic Church keeps a number of the ceremonial traditions involved with the tabernacle. In some ways they are like the Jews who keep the ceremonies and laws of the tabernacle because they don’t believe that Christ was the Savior who fulfilled them, but, unlike the Jews, the Catholics believe in Christ as the savior, while at the same time continue to keep the ceremonies of the tabernacle in type. How does that make any sense? However, the Catholic religion has integrated pagan religion and supposed Christian religion together. The more you learn of the Catholic church, the more you can see that they seem to be a combination of the Major types of religions of the world – Christianity, Paganism, Judaism, ect.
 If they do not keep the doctrine that is of Christ, then they are not of the Same Spirit of Christ.

2 John 1:9 (KJV)

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

               Conclusion

There are some who believe in Christ, and claim that the Old Testament should not be in the bible because it has nothing to do with the Life of Christ. On the other side, Jewish religions believe that the New Testament is false because they do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. In a similar sense, some Christians who profess to believe in Christ have claimed that we should keep the feast days. Where ever we go, as Christians we will continually find people who believe in fanatical things, or things of error. Our rule book should not be our opinion, or what we heard the pastor say, but with every challenge to our faith we should stand ready and able with a “Thus saith the Lord” response. The Word of God “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16). We should “Prove all things” with Scripture and “hold fast to that which is Good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).

               The Old Testament was written to establish the foundation of the beginning of our existence, the beginning and plan of Salvation, and to show us the importance of the New Testament. The Tabernacle and its laws and ceremonies are given to show us the true importance of why Jesus died for to save us from our sins. Without the Old Testament, there would be nothing to establish the New Testament. Scripture is not like trail mix that you can pick out the pieces you like. The word of God is whole, complete and meat for Spiritual nourishment. Let’s not be distracted from our real purpose by fanatical groups or beliefs, but, rather, let us turn to the Word of God, and do the Will of God.