The Tabernacle an epitome of The Apostolic

The fivefold in the tabernacle – summarized from a sermon of Shaun Blignaut

God is still using apostles and prophets today. It was God’s intend right from the beginning of
time to use the 5 gifts to the church to equip the saints.
God doesn’t ask our permission when He wants to do something in the earth. When He wants
to do something, He reveals his purposes to His prophets or the prophetic dimension in His
church.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, except he reveal his secret unto his
servants the prophets.
Not only talking about those that are called to that office, but also those in His church that
allow the prophetic anointing to flow in their lives. Not all of God’s church is connected to
the prophetic and allows the prophetic to flow in their churches or their lives.
So, God will bring revelation from his heart and reveal it to a prophetic people. He want to
raise up not only prophets but a prophetic people, where each one in the body can see and
hear what He is saying and doing.
Whenever God does anything in the earth, God must have a people to do it through, and He
also must have a ministering priesthood from out of the people. He must also install a law in
order to deal with His people. That law, the installation of it, is called covenant. Today that
law is installed within our hearts cause He said I will write my laws on their hearts.
Right at the beginning God gave the law to Moses to govern man’s interaction with God. Man
cannot just interact with God as he wants. God gave a specific pattern for interaction and if it
wasn’t followed in the minute of detail, God would not have came to them and would have
killed them.
God always sets the rules of interacting with Him. God gave these laws for interaction to
Moses on Mount Sinai. God gave these rules to the people of Israel whom consisted out of
slaves that came out of slavery. They were for 450 years in slavery. They knew no laws,
didn’t know how to do warfare and had no order.
God had to give them laws and a structure in and through which they could encounter and
worship Him.
God said: “I will give you a priesthood, a structure and a law to impart to the people.”
God tells us how it must be done.
Religion wants to do things a certain way and then God must fit into it’s structure. It want to
put God into a box. That is why there is no glory in the house. But God is breaking out of
man’s traditions and the boxes that man has tried to put Him in.
God is putting the church back into proper order proper alignment with what He has
proclaimed.
God has called his apostles and prophets to put the church back into order. He is tired of dead
religion. He is tired of men building there own ministries instead of His kingdom.
That which is not of God must be broken down and rebuilt.
In Ex 25 God told Moses that Israel (the freed slaves) didn’t know how to interact with Him.
Then He told Moses how they should interact with Him, how they should approach Him.
He told him to make a tabernacle, a sanctuary amongst His people. “Be very careful. Do it
exactly as I say, every minute detail of it, otherwise I will not come down to my people, I will
not come down to communicate with them, and I will have to kill them,” God said.
God has a pattern in which He wants things to be done, He is a God of detail.
If God doesn’t find that structure in our lives or our ministries He will not show forth his
glory.
Apostles an prophets look for the discernable pattern, and they address everything which is
not according to the pattern.
We don’t just want His presence, we want His glory, that is beyond the presence. The glory is
everything that He is and has. We want to contain the glory, that it will stay present in our
lives and our ministries.
Ex 25 Bring offering from each men whose hearts want to give, not rebellious people who
don’t want to give. Not people that is hardheaded, rebellious and don’t want to be a part of
what God is doing.
Gold - divinity
Silver - redemption
Brass - suffering
Blue - Jesus the Son of God
Purple - Christ the King
Scarlet - prophetic office of Jesus
Fine linen – Jesus the perfect man
Goats hair - prophetic dimension
Ram skins dies red -
Olive oil for light
Spices for the anointing oil
Oryx stone
God set the rules, the standard. There was a certain way that God dealt with the building of
the tabernacle, it also had specific furniture, it had to be made by specific materials etc.
The Outer court (referred to as nr. 1 )
Here the Levites minister. There was a lot of activity in the yard
There were 4 pillars into the gate which speaks of Christ the Entrance into God’s tabernacle,
that which God wants (tabernacle - symbol of Christ’s perfection)
Joh 10:1 Jesus said, "I am telling you the truth: the man who does not enter the sheep pen
by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.”
Joh 10:7 So Jesus said again, "I am telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep.
4 sets of curtain - Corresponds with the 4 gospels which portrays Jesus as the Son of God, the
King, the perfect man and the Suffering Savior (white, purple, blue and scarlet)
You cannot have a tabernacle without a priesthood.
The Levitical priesthood under Moses knew how to sacrifice on behalf of the people.
Brass altar where animals were sacrificed. Here they would tie the sheep to the horns of the
altar, kill it, offer it, take the blood and sprinkle it.
Then they had to move from place of slaughter where it was a blood mess and had to wash
there hands and feet. Where feet is symbolic for your walk in the earth, your activity
and hands is symbolic of your ministry.
As the priest walked to the brazen laver, he could see himself in it. It was like a mirror,
because of the way they had to polish it. The laver was filled with water.
Holy place – (referred to as nr. 2)
Sons of Aaron could minister in here.
Lamp stand had 7 branches, the same as which we read of in Rev. where Jesus walks among
the 7 churches.
Table of showbread with 12 loaves on it signifies the breaking of bread, and Jesus the bread
of life, and even much more.
Between the inner court (or the holy place) and the holy of holies was a thick veil/curtain
The Holy of holies
Holy of holies was sacred. Nobody could go there but the high priest, once a year.
In the levitican tribe of priests there were 3 groups:
1. Levites 1st order
2. sons of Aaron 2nd order
3. high priest 3rd order (here we found the ark of the covenant)
As you went deeper into the temple it got smaller.
Moses had to make the temple exactly according to the pattern. The pattern brings the glory.
At the very core of what God does today there is a discernable pattern. If the way you are
building your spiritual life, or your church, or your family, doesn’t have the pattern, there
would be no glory.
In Ex 40 we can see that Moses did everything according to the pattern, as the Lord
commanded him. He knew if he didn’t build according to the pattern, the glory cloud would
not come. If there was
1. no offerings out here,
3. there would be no glory cloud here, no divine light
1. outer court - natural sunlight was illuminating the priest
2. holy place artificial light, crushing of olive berries, lit it
3. most holy place once a year supernatural light by glory of god, depending on what
happened in the outer court and inner court.
If there was no priest out in the outer court doing his job, or no one doing his job in inner
court, there was no glory light in the holy place.
Now what does all of this and this 3 courts structure has to do with us.
Rom 15:4 For everything that was written long ago was written for our instruction, so that
we might have hope through the endurance and encouragement that the Scriptures give us
We are the inheritants of what God spoke through Moses in the old covenant. We must take
what God said to Moses and apply it to us today spiritually.
The Old covenant was written for a natural physical priesthood, a natural physical people,
Israel, for a natural tabernacle.
We must take the old covenant Truths and push it through the cross of Jesus, and then apply it
spiritually in our lives. We cannot take the old covenant truths and apply them just like that.
The cross of Jesus is the transitioning point that link the 2 covenants together. In Jesus
everything that Moses spoke about find its fulfillment.
We cannot throw away the old covenant. Jesus came to fulfill it.
We must ask ourselves: “ What is God doing today?”
After the fall sacrifices started and people had to sacrifice animals and things before they
could go to God. It started with Adam building a altar. Everyone before Moses had to built
altars and sacrifice on altars.
Moses had 2 types of altars: incense and offering
Then God showed David a pattern for the tabernacle (symbol of the prophetic dimension) and
his son Solomon built it (symbol of the apostolic dimension) Wherever there is building done
in people’s lives, in the church, you will find the apostles.
The prophets are the ones that get the vision, that get revelation
In the new testament Jesus tabernacled among the people.
When Jesus left earth, God made the church His dwelling place.
Every time God moves his purposes further, He gave new laws and a new priesthood.
1st priesthood Levites. From them David came to bring a priesthood that was both priest and
king.
This is the priesthood we are walking in, the priesthood that is of the order of Melgisedek, an
order that links heaven and earth.
It is a Priesthood that can link the earthly dimension with the heavenly dimension so that we
don’t only interact with God in the heaven’s but also bring the principles that reign in heaven,
down to the earth.
We are suppose to know how to bring heaven into the earth.
A Priest must know how to take hold of God, how to bring into the earth that which he has
received, and that that would manifest in his lifestyle.
Many people in the earth don’t want to interact with ungodly people. But God wants us to
shine His light into Babylon (which speaks of the worldly system and the reign of Satan)
We must receive revelation from God as a priest and then apply it as a king.
3rd structure
Jesus is
1. the Way,
2. truth and
3. the light (beyond the veil)
3 feasts:
1. Passover,
2. Pentecost,
3. tabernacles. (3 ways in which God deals with men.)
1. typifying the ministry of Moses
2. Jesus, the son of God
3. Christ, the corporate man in the earth (Head of the church)
1. Law
2. Church
3. The kingdom
God is shifting his principles of interaction.
Haggai,, once more I will shake the nations. When shake, He remove things
We are not suppose to interact with God through church membership anymore. God desires of
church members to become His sons and daughters.
God wants us to go beyond the veil in our spiritual growth. Beyond the veil typifies a place of
death, also corresponds with the Jordan, entering the land of promise.
Church have interacted with God from the inner court. God wants us to go beyond the veil to
the ark (symbol of Jesus Christ).
1. Brazen altar. Brass mixed with wood
Brass - judgment
Wood – flesh
Outer court speak of judgment
It showed men’s intervention with God
2. Wood overlaid with gold. Men’s intervention with the divine work of God
3. Holy of holies, nothing of men. Only Jesus. It is a place of rest that we must enter
into. Kingdom, 3rd dimension of God. We don’t do anything, God does everything in
and through us. Veil- death to myself. No longer I that live but Christ that live in me. I
am crucified with Christ. The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God.
It is not even your own faith.
Heb 4:1 Now, God has offered us the promise that we may receive that rest he spoke about.
Let us take care, then, that none of you will be found to have failed to receive that promised
rest.
1. Law,
2. church,
3. kingdom
3 dimensions in God’s dealing with men
We can determine where we position ourselves with God.
Many of God’s people do not know how to go beyond the veil.
In the outer and inner court we find 5 articles. If draw straight line it forms a cross.
They don’t press beyond the veil.
In Him we
1. live
2. and move
3. and have our being
4.
Our growth is affected by five 5 ministries, you find it in the 5 pieces of furniture.
Holy of holies: perfection. Headship, completion. Mature sonship, walk like Him, talk like
Him, act like him.
Rom 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image
of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
God wants to bring people from the outer court to the holy of holies
Outer court – baby, wearing nappies children
Inner court – Teenager young men
Holy place – adult (man) fathers
God wants to restore fathers in His church
Not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1Jo 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven on account
of his name.
1Jo 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known the one who has existed from
the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have overcome the evil
one.
1. Outer court – protestant - martin Luther-, - flesh
2. Inner court – Pentecost, charismatic- interaction with God based on soul, getting
goose bumps.
3. Apostolic reformation – inner man of the heart, spirit - God is dealing with things on
inner man of the heart. You have to go through the veil, you have to use your head
here, cause there is only one head, Christ.
From 1 to 3: God’s early dealing with men, moving it progressively through the church
Problem we have defiled the inner sanctuary by taking things from I and 2 illegally into 3.
Every reformation move started from inside out.
Religion starts from outside in.
God wants to renew your mind, kill you, take your headship away that He become the head
and we have the mind of Christ.
Apostles want to see Christ brought to maturity in people.
1. 30
2. 60
3. 100x ministy
1. Activities to satisfies needs of men
2.
3. Activities desiring to satisfy purposes of God
1. Works
2.
3. Rest
Tabernacle order – pattern that God requires.
What is God after, why this order
Priest in old covenant was perfected more and more by touching the different articles
Redemption – shedding of blood
Sanctification washing of the Word
God works from the inside out. Order in which things must be done - inside out. Starts with
1.ark, which speaks of Jesus
Then 2. table of showbread - office of the apostle. Mans interaction, trying to prefect the
work of God in the people, 12loaves. Bread- Word of God. 12 fulfillment of government
order and structure.
1st ministry that are to perfect the saints is the apostle. Within the table of showbread you will
find all the principles governing the apostolic function to the church. Apostles take revelation
and built structure that can contain that revelation, that truth. The apostolic spirit is to be
impart to the people so that each one in the church will walk in that anointing. Apostles lay
foundations.
4. Then golden candlestick – which speaks of the prophet within the church. It shines
light upon the table of showbread to illuminate it. Prophets illuminates the word unto
the people. Illuminate God’s people by conveying the mind of Christ to them. Prophet
must release and impart a prophetic spirit upon the people.
These 2 ministries function together in the church. They are the closest in proximity to
each other.
The church is built upon the foundation of the apostle and the prophet, with Jesus the corner
stone.
The disciples of Jesus gave bread to feed the multitude. Church must still live off from
apostolic doctrine. If not so, it is purely a social club.
Brazen altar - office of evangelist- he is in the closest proximity to the gate, closest to the
world. Bring people to Christ.
Apostle and prophet wants to see Christ in the people.
The church only had an impartation flow of bringing people to Christ, church was only built
on evangelist, pastor and teacher. They have brought people to Christ, but have not brought
people to perfection, because the church is void of apostolic doctrine.
Altar of incense – praise worship and intercession. Heart of tabernacle reveals heart of Christ,
heart of the pastor. He must bring these gifts (apostle and prophet brings great revelation and
sometime judgment that can tear the people apart) together.
Brazen laver – teacher
Saints have to be perfected in 1 and 2.
Beyond those courts, in the holy of holies only a perfected church can live.
Beyond the veil there is no preaching, no teaching. There the saints must do the work of
ministry.
Apostle receive revelation and teaches it, doctrinal
Prophets illuminate apostolic doctrine so that people can understand it
A teacher brake the apostolic doctrine down to the very smallest in the church
The gifts that are being talk about in Eph. 4:11 (1stly some to be apostles, some to be
prophets, some to be evangelist) is not the same as the 9 gifts of interpretation of tongues,
prophecy, healing, faith ,miracles etc. …
In Eph. 4:11 the word Doma is used, speaking of a gift of people. These are gifts to the
church.
In the Outer court:
Brazen altar: cleansing by blood, brings salvation to the soul
Laver: cleansing by water of the mind. Cleansing from strive, division in body of Christ
Cleansing by fire is the baptism of burning and judgment to remove dross from the church,
that is dealing with the spirit.
We have to go through 3 baptisms.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit
and in fire:
To perfect us, to get us ready to do the real work for God.
Baptism of fire consist of trails, testing and suffering.
If you want to go beyond the veil, you have to go through the baptism of fire.
God cannot allow us beyond the veil when we are not spotless.
Where do you want to live?
If you want to live beyond the veil you have to go through the baptism of fire.