The City of Zion Part 10

God’s Sanctuary and the Sabbath

 

Introduction

 

This booklet is a teaching lesson done in February of 2006.  It is part 10 of a fourteen part series on the "City of Zion", and "God’s sanctuary" will be discussed in this lesson.  These lessons can also be obtained on CDs or audio cassettes.  The physical sanctuary that Moses built was the holy place that God temporarily dwelled with His people Israel.  But this booklet will show how the worship and reverence towards this "holy place" was directly tied to the worship and reverence of Sabbath keeping.  Many believers today believe they must keep the seventh day Sabbath holy simply because the law of the weekly Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments.  But obeying the laws in reverence to the weekly Sabbath cannot be biblically separated from obeying the laws in reverence to "God’s sanctuary"; but understand; that physical "holy place" vanished when Christ died.   I am not saying those involved with the Saturday Sabbath must cease from that form of worship.  Let every man be fully persuaded on which day he is to observe, as explained in Romans 14:5-6.  Our salvation is not determined which day we worship and assemble on; or determined even on any of our works we happen to believe is righteousness.  Our salvation was accomplished totally, solely, and completely on the Sabbath keeping and works of Jesus Christ.  But the apostle John was inspired by God to write that Christ broke the Sabbath, and it was not just the "Jewish Sabbath" (John 5:18).  Christ was "blameless" as was King David for profaning the Sabbath and believers in Christ are also blameless.  The whole point of physical Sabbath keeping was to show and point to a "spiritual rest" that Jesus Christ has to give us which we can enter in with God; IF we are meek and lowly as Christ, and IF we LEARN of Christ.  Please read this lesson very carefully…..    

 

Before I get into my lesson for today I want to take a few minutes and go over just a few things that I talked about in my last lesson.  If you recall I talked about the book of life, and this subject like most subjects of the Bible can lead into all kinds of spiritual directions, but I want to stay with the subject of Zion, and today will be part ten on Zion and I’ve entitled this lesson "God’s sanctuary".  But first as I mentioned I want to make a few statements regarding my last lesson on the book of life.  If you recall, I said that I do not believe names are added to the book of life after the foundation of the world, and I stated that I believe that they were all written before the foundation of the world.  Well there is a scripture that supposedly will not agree with what I said; that names were written before the foundation. 

 

For what’s its worth I would like to mention that the phrase "book of life" is not found in the Old Testament.  It is simply stated as the "book of the living" or a similar wording such as using the words "written" or to "blot out".  The exact phrase "book of life" is only found in the book of Revelation and once in Phil 4:3.  The book of Revelation is almost totally written in symbols that were given to the apostle John.  In our KJ Bibles it calls the book of Revelation, "The Revelation of St John".  No, it is not the revelation of St John; it is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and Christ sent and signified it by His angel to John. 

 

Revelation 1:1  KJV The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 

 

The word "revelation" means disclosure, lighten, manifest, or to take off the cover.  The word "signify" means to make something known, either by signs or words.  A sign is a symbol and the angel used many signs and symbols for John to write what was revealed, disclosed, and manifested by Jesus Christ.  I will now read the scripture that signifies and seems to say that names were written from; NOT before the foundation of the world. 

 

Revelation 17:8  KJV The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

 

It appears the way this scripture is worded that it is possible that names can be written from or since the foundation of the world.  But it can also obviously be said that if all the names were written before the foundation it is possible for some names to be blotted out from of since the foundation.  And if you think about it; "blotted out" would be the same as if names were not written, and of course they were not written because they were blotted out at the time the apostle John wrote what was signified to him.  Obviously "not written" is the same as blotted out, therefore it can be explained if names were already written means they can blotted out anytime since or from the disruption of the cosmos world. 

 

Other scriptures say names can be plotted out; which means they were already written, but the question is when were they written?  Weymouth NT says in Rev 17:8; "all whose names are not in the Book of Life, having been recorded there ever since the creation of the world".  Notice "having been recorded".  This translation seems to say what I am saying; that the names were already written and recorded; but later some names are not in the book of life simply because they were blotted out, and there are other translations that seem to say the same thing. 

 

Some might think all this is just frivolous on my part, and why get so technical over a few words or why make such a big deal to understand when the names were written in the book of life?  To the average Christian way of thinking this disputing over a few words is all in vain and it doesn’t matter all that much just when our names were written in the book of life.  Some might think who cares how the wording is of various translations; our focus should be on our Christian walk with Jesus and not on the perfect accuracy of how the scriptures should read. 

 

Well, I have chosen to be involved in a teaching ministry, and I want to say it matters to me very much to get to the accuracy and the truth of the words of God, and that I believe is also a part of the Christian walk with Jesus.  I have to answer to my Heavenly Father someday on how I respected, loved, and believed the words of God in this life.  Every believer has to answer on how they loved, respected, and were willing to grow in understanding the truth of the words of God.  We all can choose to ignore these technicalities or we can choose to let the accuracy of the words of God actually teach us. 

 

All I am doing is showing and quoting the meaning of words and how they are translated in our KJ Bibles and various other translations, and then my comments are according to how various original words are defined by Strong’s Concordance.  I am not the teacher; the Spirit of God is the teacher, and the last thing I want to do is to lead you away from the accuracy of the truth of God.  God help me if I am misquoting scripture or leading anyone away from the true meaning of God’s words, and I must say that there is an obvious difference in "before" the foundation as opposed to "from" the foundation. 

 

If these teaching lessons have helped anyone to understand just little bit better; or if these lessons are thought-provoking in any way then my efforts are not in vain and I praise God.  We all believe in a devil, and we are all sitting ducks and none of us are exempt from his deceptive powers, and believe me; there is more to the Christian walk than just believing on Jesus Christ.  The devils also believe, and they understand the truth of God much better that we do, but they tremble (James 2:19).  We are also to fear and tremble in working out our salvation.

 

Philippians2:12  KJV Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

 

But understand it says to "work out" our salvation; it does not say that we "work for" our salvation.  The point is, Jesus Christ already secured our salvation for us.  The difference is we can avoid the wrath of God by "working out" our salvation to be saved as first fruits.  Our walk with Jesus is to come out of the deception of the devil by growing in understanding the words of God.  But of course believing on Christ is how our walk with Christ starts, and to walk means we are to take steps. 

 

In a previous lesson entitled the "Stairway of Steps" I explain these steps of our walk with Jesus Christ, and if you have not heard that lesson by all means request it.  The first fundamental truth of the Christian walk is to understand that the devil has deceived this world, and that deception includes all this world’s religions and this world’s form of so-called Christianity.  Please understand the devil excels and is the most effective in the technicalities of meanings and how the words are used in our Bibles. 

 

How important is growing in understanding the truth of God’s words?  Is it just something insignificant to understand if our names were already written in the book of life from the disruption of the world, or is it very significant for us to understand when our names were written?  Did an all powerful God deliberately plan for the devil to be the god of this age (2 Cor 4:4) for the very purpose that His children to be exposed to evil and deception?  If this is true would it be in our best interests to find out why God planned that? 

 

Do you realize that the Christian world generally believes and teaches that there is a kind of "tug of war" or a struggle going on with the devil and God for the souls of God’s people?  Do we actually believe that an all powerful, all knowing God is helpless and unable to bring about His own will and intentions?  If this is true that means the devil is winning this tug of war and he would be more powerful than God.  Do any of you believe that?  Do we realize that just maybe this all powerful, all mighty, and all knowing God has planned and it was His intention all along for this evil world age to go through all kinds of deception, all kinds of evil and wickedness, misery and war, sickness, disease, and death?  Would it just maybe be in our own best interests to grow in understanding the words of that kind of an almighty powerful God; even to the smallest, insignificant meanings and technicalities of those words? 

 

One of those words the Bible uses repeatedly is the word "Zion"; which means a dry parched place as I explained in previous lessons as most of you all know.  But if anyone has not heard my previous lessons on Zion please request the City of Zion part one if you are interested.  The next scripture where Zion is found where we left off the last time is Psalms 134:1-3:

 

KJV  Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.  (2)  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.  (3)  The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.  

 

"House of the Lord" is found many times in the Bible and "Lord" means Jehovah; the self-existing one.  It says the servants stood by night in the house of the Lord.  Why did they stand by night?  I find it interesting that the word "night" means twist away from the light, and it figuratively means adversity.  I do not believe that kind of light is from the sun and that kind of night means when the sun goes down. 

 

When those servants of Jehovah were not in the spiritual light of God’s sanctuary they were in adversity; which means in distress, affliction, or in the state of unhappiness.  They were to lift their hands in that sanctuary of the house of Jehovah and then Jehovah would bless them out of Zion.  That house during the Old Covenant was God’s temporary dwelling, or His tabernacle where the priests communed with God, and it could also be called the sanctuary or the holy place.  David dwelled in historical Zion and often went in the house of God to commune and pray to God.  That sanctuary is mentioned many times in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers when God gave instructions on exactly how He wanted His holy place to be built, furnished, and decorated in His house. 

 

Exodus 25:8-9  KJV And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.  (9)  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

 

That was the holy place where God symbolically dwelled with His people Israel, and that holy place had to be furnished using material things to be used to symbolically picture and represent the real holy place; the house of God in heavenly Zion.  God instructed Moses to use precious things and precious metals; which is why that sanctuary was furnished with precious medals of gold and silver which simply showed and pictured that God’s sanctuary in heavenly mount Zion was precious and of great value. 

 

The word "sanctuary" is found 132 times in the Bible, and is taken from the word "sanctify"; which means to set aside for a holy use.  Sanctuary means a consecrated thing or place, especially a palace.  It could be said that God dwells in a holy palace in heavenly mount Zion.  That sanctuary Moses built pictured and represented a very holy place or a palace in heavenly mount Zion; which is why careful instructions were given to Moses to make special curtains or a veil to cover and hide that temporary holy place.  Only the priests could enter through that curtain and careful instructions were given on what the priests were to do, and what special clothes they were to wear to enter that holy place to make reconciliation for the sins of Israel. 

 

As we know, when Jesus Christ died God ripped that veil of the temple from top to bottom (Matt 27:51), and now God’s holy place is no longer in a physical sanctuary.  God made the real and true permanent reconciliation for the sins of His people and He can now symbolically dwell in us; but of course His actual dwelling place is still in that palace in heavenly Mount Zion.  The first place in the Bible where the word "sanctuary" is found is in Exodus 15:13-18: 

 

KJV Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. (14) The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.  (15)  Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.  (16)  Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. (17) Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. (18) The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. 

 

This was called a song of thanksgiving that Moses spoke to Israel after God saved Israel out of the Red sea.  It says God led them forth by His mercy and redeemed them, and God guided them by His strength; now notice, into His holy habitation.  From Moses viewpoint God already (past tense) redeemed Israel, and redeemed means to "buy back" or to "purchase".  The term "Passover" is mentioned twice; till the people pass over; till the people pass over which thou hast purchased.  Understand that the event of the Passover pointed to Christ and the term "redeemed" is a new covenant term.  Notice verse 17; Moses said God will bring Israel in and plant them in a certain mountain and in a certain place.  It says this certain place was made for God to dwell in; which was God’s sanctuary that was established by God’s own hands, and this was all before Moses even built the sanctuary; the holy place in the tabernacle. 

 

The song of Moses only pointed to when Israel would actually be redeemed, purchased, brought in, and planted in mount Zion; in the place where God had already established with His own hands; NOT by the hands of Moses.  But this song was after Israel experienced the event of the Passover; so please understand that this fact means that under the new covenant we are redeemed and purchased by the blood of Christ who is our Passover.  It’s just that believers under the new covenant are not yet brought in and planted in mount Zion in God’s sanctuary in a real sense.  But believers by faith are truly in a spiritual sense brought in and planted in mount Zion; the city of the living God.  This is explained in Hebrews 12:22: 

 

KJV But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 

 

I talked about this scripture in my last several lessons.  If you noticed in Exodus 15:17 Moses said Israel would be planted in the mountain of thine inheritance; which pointed to mount Zion as being the inheritance of Israel, and Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever.  The words forever and ever are two Hebrew words that mean a concealed point of time that will eventually vanish, and the second word means duration.  Jehovah shall reign for the complete duration of a concealed vanishing point of time.  There is no need for the reign of Jehovah to continue for never-ending eternity, and I want to explain why I’m saying that. 

 

1 Corinthians 15:24-26  KJV Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.  (25)  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.  (26)  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

 

"Put down" means to render idle and useless; to abolish, to cease, to destroy, and do away.  Jehovah must reign till or only UNTIL all enemies are subdued and when death is destroyed.  Destroyed is the same Greek word as "put down".  Jehovah must rule for a concealed vanishing point of time only until the end cometh; or when the ages and time will vanish; and then His rule will be rendered useless and abolished simply because it will no longer be needed.  Here again with the words forever and ever properly understood will explain just how long the reign of Jehovah will last and be needed to bring in and plant God’s people in their inheritance; God’s sanctuary that He has established.  During the old covenant Israel did not believe in the holiness of God’s sanctuary that Moses built, and later David and Solomon also built.  They simply did not believe in the spiritual reality of what that physical sanctuary represented; which was the real and heavenly mount Zion.  The history of Israel is almost totally taken up in Israel defiling and profaning God’s sanctuary in God’s house.

 

Ezekiel 23:37-39  KJV That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.  (38)  Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.  (39)  For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

 

Notice God’s sanctuary is in the midst of God’s house.  Profaning the physical sanctuary went right along with profaning the Sabbaths.  Israel not only defiled and profaned God’s temporary dwelling but also profaned God’s Sabbaths (plural).  This means the laws of the Sabbaths plural were also temporary in the same sense as that physical sanctuary. 

 

2 Chronicles 30:6-8  KJV So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.  (7)  And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.  (8)  Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. 

 

This was a time in Israel’s history that King Hezekiah with his princes sent letters to both Israel and Judah to repent and turn again to God.  They were to yield themselves to enter in that physical sanctuary to serve Jehovah their God so that God’s wrath would turn away.  This is talking about entering in that physical holy place that Israel could find reconciliation and peace with God.  But was that physical sanctuary really and truly sanctified "for ever"?  Or was it just to be used temporarily with a temporary priesthood?  Or do we have the priesthood in Jesus Christ that provides a permanent reconciliation in a permanent house of God in a permanent heavenly Mount Zion? 

 

This is another example that we need to look at and believe the meaning of the original words of God.  The word "forever" is the Hebrew word olam and again it simply means concealed vanishing point of time.  Of course that physical sanctuary only served Israel for a concealed point of time that vanished when the real sacrifice was made to reconcile Israel in a true permanent way.  But the KJ translators said that God sanctified that physical sanctuary FOREVER, and so we have to make a choice of who and what to believe.  

 

Leviticus 19:30  KJV Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. 

 

This is again repeated in Leviticus 26:2: 

 

KJV Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD 

 

The Sabbaths (and it seems to be always plural) has to include the weekly seventh day Sabbath along with the holy day festival Sabbaths.  No other laws were mentioned with reverencing that physical sanctuary.  Keeping the Sabbaths was directly connected to also reverence God’s sanctuary.  The Sabbaths cannot be separated from honoring God’s physical sanctuary.  Please understand this very important biblical fact.

 

There are those today that attempt to keep the law of the weekly Sabbath, but they seem to ignore that they must also keep the other Sabbaths according to the laws of the festivals.  And not only all the Sabbaths must be kept but they must also reverence a physical sanctuary.  I am not saying the Ten Commandments are to be disregarded, but the fact is, a physical sanctuary must be reverenced if we attempt to keep the laws of the Sabbaths (plural).  I stress Sabbaths (plural) because you cannot lawfully separate the seventh day weekly Sabbath from the other Sabbaths.  The physical observance of the laws of the Sabbaths (plural) pictured God’s plan of redemption for His people Israel.  And keeping the Sabbath (singular) every seventh say pointed to God’s spiritual rest that is talked about in Hebrews 4, as we know.  Hebrews explains that believers by faith can enter in a spiritual rest with God in the same manner as coming unto mount Zion by faith.  But we can honor the spiritual intent of the Sabbath every seventh day and also the spiritual intent of the other Sabbaths; but most certainly not according to the laws of the old covenant because the physical sanctuary has served its purpose and has vanished. 

 

Luke 4:14-16  KJV And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.  (15) And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.  (16) And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

 

It was the custom of Jesus Christ to attend Church on the Sabbath day.  I repeat; it was His custom to go to Church, and those synagogues in Christ’s day were not all that holy and righteous, and they no doubt were very self-righteous and carnal minded people, and we know they even wanted to kill Christ.  Christ knew that these types of people would hate Him to the point of wanting to kill him; yet He wanted to teach and attend their Church services.  Jesus Christ honored the spiritual intent of Sabbath keeping, and it was not according to the way the Jews wanted the Sabbath to be kept. 

 

John 5:15-18  KJV The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.  (16) And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.  (17) But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.  (18) Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

 

The apostle John wrote that Christ had broken the Sabbath, but some have said what Christ broke were the laws of the Jewish Sabbath.  Meaning that the Jews added their own laws to the law of the Sabbath, and it is assumed that Christ broke the laws that the Jews added.  Obviously that is generally what Christ did; but remember John was inspired by God to write that Christ had indeed broken the law of the Sabbath and he did not say the Jew’s Sabbath. 

 

John 6:4  KJV And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

John 11:55  KJV And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. 

 

Again, John was inspired to not just call it the Passover or God’s Passover.  He specifically called it a feast of the Jews and the Jew’s Passover.  Could it be that the Jews altered the laws of the Passover as they no doubt also did to the Sabbath?  The point is, if John under the inspiration of God can write about the Jews Passover in contrast to God’s Passover than could he not also write about the Jew’s Sabbath in contrast to God’s Sabbath? 

 

Matthew 12:1-8  KJV At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.  (2)  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.  (3)  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;  (4)  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?  (5)  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?  (6)  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.  (7)  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.  (8)  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 

 

Why am I making such a big issue over the Sabbaths and God’s sanctuary?  Simply because keeping the old covenant Sabbath days are directly linked to the service of the old covenant sanctuary and the house of God; which in turn is directly linked to God’s sanctuary in heavenly mount Zion.  Jesus Christ said the priests were blameless for profaning the Sabbath and He was NOT talking about a Jewish Sabbath; He was talking about God’s Sabbath that was given under Moses.  If priests doing the service of the sanctuary of the temple were blameless for profaning the Sabbath; can not Jesus Christ also profane the Sabbath and be blameless?  But obviously as Jesus Christ said; He was greater than the temple which had to do with Sabbath keeping. 

 

The Jews of Christ’s day added their own laws only because they truly wanted to make sure they kept the law of the Sabbath, but they totally missed what the Sabbath pictured and the spiritual intent of the service of the sanctuary in the temple.  Notice as we read in Matt 12:4; the house of God is mentioned, and the Sabbath days are connected with priests doing the service of the temple, and David went in the house of God; but he understood the temporary nature of the laws of the Sabbath and he was blameless for doing what was only to be done by the priests.  What is the lesson to be learned about Sabbath keeping and doing the service of the physical sanctuary of the temple?  This is very important because Jesus Christ and God the Father can now live and make their abode in believers; which can be called the holy sanctuary where God can now dwell. 

 

John 14:23  KJV Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 

 

As we know, "abode" means a staying or a residence.  God the Father and Jesus Christ will make believers their residence; that is where they will stay.  But believers must keep Christ’s words; which means to BELIEVE Christ’s words.  It’s all about if a man loves Christ, then he becomes a sanctuary and a holy place where God the Father and Jesus Christ dwells.  Believers become a holy temple and a dwelling for God.  That is the reality of what Sabbath keeping showed, pictured, and represented along with doing the service of that physical temporary sanctuary and holy place that Moses built. 

 

1 Corinthians 3:11-17  KJV For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  (12)  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  (13)  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  (14)  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  (15)  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  (16)  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  (17)  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

 

Defile and destroy are the same Greek word, and it means to waste, spoil, and ruin.  That holy place where God dwells can be defiled, spoiled and ruined by not loving Christ, and not keeping and believing Christ’s words.  God will then defile, spoil, and ruin that man along with his works, which will be burned up and the man will suffer the loss of rewards; but he himself will be saved; yet so as by the fire that burns up his useless works.  He himself means his soul that God defiled, spoiled, and ruined, but he will still be saved after his works are burned up. 

 

The point that must be understood is that the laws of the Sabbaths had the same temporary purpose as priests doing the works of the service of God’s physical sanctuary; which pointed to and represented God’s spiritual sanctuary; his holy dwelling place in us.  The laws of the Sabbaths (plural) and the service of the physical sanctuary under the Old covenant all found their fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  These laws of the Sabbath all pointed to and spiritually explained God’s plan of redemption and God’s spiritual rest found in a holy sanctuary in Mount Zion in heaven.  Israel had to physically act out by the law of the Sabbath as one of the Ten Commandments to show and picture God’s spiritual rest.  They had to physically rest and cease from their daily work, pleasure, and activities every seventh day, and understand by doing that they were in reverence to God’s physical sanctuary.  But what about the spiritual rest and what about reverencing God’s spiritual sanctuary as the Father and Christ make their abode in us? 

 

Matthew 11:27-30  KJV All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.  (28)  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  (30)  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

 

Jesus Christ is that spiritual rest that He gives to those that take the yoke of learning from Christ.  Learning of Christ is how a spiritual rest for our souls can be found.  Learning of Christ is understanding the meaning of Christ’s words.  The yoke of Christ is not only studying and learning the words of Christ, but also doing good works of charity, and that yoke is easy and the burden is light; if (I stress the word "if") IF we are also meek and lowly in heart. 

 

Yoke means to join, and we are joining ourselves with Christ by learning of Him.  Learning is understanding the words of God; it is understanding the real purpose of life; it is understanding why a creator God put us in a world of evil, deception, wickedness, disease and death.  And the more we understand the words of God the more we experience that spiritual rest, simply because we understand.  To understand is to rest.  That rest is a mental peace of mind; it is real true joy, happiness, and contentment.  These are the mental and spiritual conditions that Jesus Christ wants to give us, but we must LEARN of Him.  The lesson of keeping the Sabbaths is to cease and rest from our own works, our own pleasures, or own understanding, our own lifestyles, our own choices.  Resting from our works is not about us; it’s about God making us into a holy sanctuary for Him and Christ to dwell.  We are the resting place, the sanctuary, and the holy place that God will make His abode; but we have to cease from our own works. 

 

This world does not understand the real purpose of why we are on planet earth; it’s a world determined to resist God; a world that does its own works; it has its own understanding; its own form of joy and happiness and its own pleasures.  But it’s all temporary and it can be called "torment". 

 

Revelation 14:10-11  KJV The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  (11)  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 

 

To be in torment is to have no rest, and that rest is the same rest for our souls that Christ gives us; as we read in Matt 11:29.  But will that torment last for eternity; especially in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb?  In the Greek it reads; "for the ages of the ages".  We can be in the presence of Christ and the holy angels NOW; during the ages of the ages, and Christ will give that rest to those that are meek and lowly of heart that will learn of Him.  To be in the presence of Christ and NOT learning of Him is not finding rest for our souls, which can cause torment NOW.  Also torment for those resurrected after the 1000 years of Christ’s rule when they will taste the wine of God’s wrath at the time of fire and brimstone, as explained in Rev. 14:10.  But believers can escape the wrath of God by learning of Christ NOW and receiving His spiritual "rest" during this age.

 

Having no rest day and night and to be in torment for ever and ever is a contradiction; because time and the revolution of day and night was created and cannot last for ever and ever; only for the ages of the ages.  My point is, God and eternity is in the realm of the uncreated.  To worship the beast and his image and to receive his mark is to have no rest day and night.  Please understand; the beast cannot be worshipped for eternity; only for the ages of the ages; which is in the time frame of day and night when those not experiencing the "rest" that Christ gives.  It is when the smoke of their torment goes up; however that torment only goes up for the ages of the ages; NOT "forever and ever" as the KJ translators would have you to believe.  Let us LEARN of Christ by believing His inspired words, and not necessarily believing the translated words found in our Bibles. 

 


 

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