Jesus said,
John 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
John 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
He went back to the Father and said man could follow Him as well through Himself as the Door to the Father:
John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Jesus said we can enter in! Where? The writer to the Hebrews tells us:
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by A GREATER AND MORE PERFECT TABERNACLE, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he ENTERED IN ONCE INTO THE HOLY PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
TABERNACLE - 4633. skene, skay-nay'; appar. akin to G4632 and G4639; A TENT or CLOTH HUT (lit. or fig.):--habitation, TABERNACLE.
Jesus didn't enter the Holy of Holies of the earthy Tabernacle, but the heavenly one, as the diagram below shows:
Now let's look at this "greater and more perfect tabernacle" or "tent" in the words of Isaiah:
Isa 40:21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a CURTAIN, and spreadeth them out as a TENT to dwell in:TENT - 168. 'ohel, o'-hel; from H166; A TENT (AS CLEARLY CONSPICUOUS FROM A DISTANCE):--covering, (DWELLING) (PLACE), HOME, TABERNACLE, TENT.
Isaiah says that the heavens are the curtain of God's greater Tabernacle! The heavens are "a tent clearly conspicuous from a distance. . . Tabernacle." In the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, the CURTAIN was a linen cloth that surrounded the entire structure of the Bronze Altar and Laver, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. It was the equivalent of the walls around the temple that are down in God's eyes because God is revealing to us "a greater tabernacle," one made without hands. The reality of the linen CURTAIN and the walls are the heavens and standing in the midst of it is an altar! The earthly Tabernacle in the Wilderness can't even begin to be compared with the one Christ has opened for us. The Tabernacle was where the glory of God was manifested, but the Psalmist proclaimed,
Psa 19:1 . . . The HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.Psa 8:1 . . . . O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory ABOVE THE HEAVENS.
Above the heavens where? IN THE HOLIEST OF HOLIES.
Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Psa 104:2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: WHO STRETCHEST OUT THE HEAVENS LIKE A CURTAIN:
Psa 104:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
The word "curtain" used in this Psalm is a different word than used in Isaiah 40:22. The word in the Psalm means:
CURTAIN 3407. yeriy'ah, yer-ee-aw'; from H3415; a hanging (as tremulous):--curtain.
This is the veil of creation that stands between us and God who is Spirit, who is present everywhere, but spoken of by the Psalmist as being ABOVE the heavens (Psalm 8:1 above) calling down to the heavens and earth and the people of earth BENEATH Him to gather before Him for judgment at "the door" of the Tabernacle on which He has written a blood covenant based on righteousness that all may enter into His presence. This is the picture painted in the following two Psalms:
Psa 68:33 To him that RIDETH UPON THE HEAVENS OF HEAVENS, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
Psa 68:34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
Psa 68:35 O God, thou art terrible OUT OF THY HOLY PLACES: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.Psa 50:4 He shall call to the heavens FROM ABOVE, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
Psa 50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Psa 50:6 And THE HEAVENS SHALL DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: for God is judge himself. Selah.
The Scriptures say He shall call TO THE HEAVENS from ABOVE THE HEAVENS, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. This call of God is, of course, His Son who came down from heaven and became flesh to proclaim the coming Kingdom of God. The Scriptures say the heavens are the CURTAIN of His greater Tabernacle and that "the heavens shall declare His righteousness." As the curtain in the earthly sanctuary was torn in two when Jesus died, so shall this one made of the heavens be rent in two when He returns as the one who died and now lives:
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 AND THE HEAVEN DEPARTED AS A SCROLL WHEN IT IS ROLLED TOGETHER; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
When it is rent, the world shall see the face of Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb bringing judgment and righteousness to the earth.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
We have been made righteous as a people through our Bullock, the Lord Jesus Christ, and as individuals through God's Lamb. But hard times are upon us - trials, tribulations, temptations, testings - and God, enthroned above all, wants to encourage us with this word, knowing He has made full provision for us:
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
When is this marriage supper of the Lamb? By the placement of Revelation 19, it appears to be after Jesus returns, and we will look more closely at that in the following parts of this series, as well as the wrath when the curtain of the heavens is rent and Jesus returns. All of this has to do with a feast to be yet fulfilled in the Millenium: Passover.
Contributed by Ed...Continued
