Saturday, November 22, 2003
THE NUMBER THREE IN UNITY IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE. The Most Holy Place was the residence of the Lord on earth, which He called His footstool. Isa. 66:1 The Most Holy Place was the third area of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle consisted of the outer court, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The Most Holy was the place of His awesome presence. If the Lord was not present it was a room of total darkness, for darkness was under His feet. Ps. 18:9 Entrance to this room was restricted to one man, the High Priest and to one day of the year, the day of atonement. Lev. 16 It is here, on this day that the glory of the Lord appeared over the mercy seat, in a cloud. This cloud, called the shekinah glory was the light of this most holy place. It was the presence of the Lord of light and glory. Lev. 16:2
THE FURNITURE OF THE MOST HOLY PLACE. It is in the holy, sanctified furnishings of this blessed room that we find our types of the Godhead. The first of which is the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. Num. 10:33 It was also called the Ark of the testimony, because of its contents. Ex. 25:16, 22 In addition it was called, the Ark of God. 1 Sam. 3:3 In its construction we see both the Unity of the Godhead and the Triunity. It was made of gopher or acacia wood, a hard grained tree. The wood also repelled insects. Wood speaks to us of the cross and the Christ of God who was crucified on the cross. The Hebrew word for Ark means a box or a coffer, one of the reasons for its construction was to contain spiritual evidence which the Lord would command them to place within it. In type and symbol representing Christ is always the middle one. The wood of the Ark was to be completely covered with pure gold, both inside and outside. While it remained one box it now had three layers. One yet three. The pure gold speaks to us of the righteousness of the Lord and also of His eternal being. The gold is typical of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Like all the types of the Godhead in the scriptures we must acknowledge the oneness of God, for there is only one God. At the same time we must recognize and confirm the Triunity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The ark of the covenant was to have a border molding, or a crown of gold around the entire top. showing the divine leadership involved in the Ark. It was the place of the presence of the Lord among the Israelites. Ex. 25:11 There was also to be four rings of gold placed in the four corners, that it might be carried of the priest. Four is the number of this earth. The rings are typical of the message of he Lord being carried to the ends of the earth. There were also two staves of acacia wood, covered with gold. placed, permanently, in the four rings. Not until the Ark was installed in the Temple were the staves removed, for that was to be its permanent resting place. Ex. 25:12-15 The witness and testimony of type and symbol all bear out the same confession that there is but one God who is at one and the same time Triune in being. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.