“There was a Holy Place into which man might enter. There was a Most Holy into which he might not enter. The veil shut him out. And Christ’s one work was to tear down that veil, and give us the right and the fitness to enter, to dwell always in that heretofore inaccessible place. The mystery of the rent veil, of the opened entrance into the Holiest, is the one thing we need to learn….” Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All
“…the two compartments of the tabernacle represent two degrees of nearness to God, two dispensations of God’s grace, or two stages in the Christian life, a lower and a higher. Into the Holy Place every priest might come daily to do there the service God had appointed. Into the Most Holy he might not enter till Christ had opened it for all believers. Many believers never in experience enter into this life of the inner sanctuary, the more complete and abiding nearness to God. They have,,.in the outer court, seen the altar, and received the pardon of sin; they have entered upon the service of God, they seek to do His will, but the joy of His presence as their abiding portion they know not. And very often they do not know that there is a better life, that there is an entering within the veil, a real dwelling in the secret of God’s presence…” Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All
“Yes, Christ passed form the Holy Place into the Holiest of All. When he died, the veil was rent in twain, the two compartments were made one…In Christ the veil of the flesh was rent asunder and taken away. The free access to God was opened up, not only as a thing of right and title in virtue of our pardon, but as a thing of power and living reality.” Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All
"As soon as Christ died, that moment of all moments in the history of this earth − the darkest, if you look at it as man would look at it − was the opening up of the brightest era that ever was disclosed upon this earth. All bore witness to Him. “The rocks rent,” “the graves opened,” and so on. But who was the first, beloved friends? God! Oh, may it touch every heart! “The veil was rent from the top to the bottom.” It was not only that we can go in; no, but God can come out, a much greater thing. He who dwelt in thick darkness, He can come out. What do you mean? On His own estimate of that blood, He can come out and embrace a poor prodigal, though he be “a great way off.” Love travels faster than necessity." James S. Butler
"We have a High Priest, a perfect Priest who sits in the place of honor in the higest heavens, at the right hand of the throne of the Majstic One, a Minister within the heavenly sanctuary setup by the Lord, not by human hands." Hebrews 8:1-2
ACT FIVE/INTRO
FREE AT LAST!
The Jerusalem Temple, its building of brick and mortar, was a "type" of what the Father had purposed in His Son, the True Temple of God. Jesus was quite explicit about this:
"The Father does not dwell in temples made by hands." Matthew 11:25
This was a mysterious saying to the disciples who walked under the shadow of Herod’s temple in Jerusalem. I don't think they quite got it, at least, not then. But, it was later, something tremendous happened! Pentecost! Now they got it because the Ascended Jesus “descended” again to live "in them." They knew by experience what it meant to be "temples of the living God!"
And for over 300 years, there were no special "temples" for worship built by these "Christ-Dwellers." What would be the point in that? They themselves, assembled together, were His sanctuaries. The glory and the splendor of their God dwelt in them.
To build a temple for His presence of brick, mortar and stained glass and call it “the house of God” would be a mockery of everything Jesus bled and died for.
"In Him each separate piece of building, properly fitting into its neighbor, grows together into a temple consecrated to the Lord You are all part of this building in which God himself lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22
The idea of "going to church" would have been foreign in the ears of these early believers: "Say what? Go to church? You’re put’n us on! We ARE the church! The Building of His Habitation!”
To build a separate building of brick and mortar and call it “The House of God” was to go back to the idea of a God who dwelt in buildings made by hands. And they knew, Oh! how they knew! It just wasn't so!
ACT FIVE
FREE AT LAST
JESUS CHRIST IS THE...
True ARK OF THE COVENANT!
The True BRAZEN LAVER! (Hebrews 8:1-5;9:1-14)
The True VEIL!
The True HOLY OF HOLIES!
The True SHEKINAH!
The True SHOWBREAD!
The True LAMPSTAND!
The True TEMPLE!
The True SACRIFICE FOR THE TEMPLE!
The True HIGH PRIEST WHO PRESIDES OVER HIS TEMPLE!
The True MINISTER BEHIND THE VEIL!
from the Celestial Realms
Cleansing the world
Even you and
even me from our sins...
All of them…
Past
Present
Future. (Romans 4:7)
Behold Him in His dying casting ineffable light on another veil...
Not the veil of His flesh but the veil of....
The Holy of Holies!
Also in the innermost...
Also torn from top to bottom
Freeing YAHWEH’s PRESENCE and SPLENDOR
From the prison of its little box
of acacia wood and hammered gold(Exodus 25:10)
FREE AT LAST!
Now the Heavenly vision!
THE PLAN
Of the Father and Son
CONCEIVED before the foundation of the world!
FORETOLD in prophecy! (Isaiah 53/Psalms 22)
ANNOUNCED by angels! (Luke 2)
PROCLAIMED by blood!
PREACHED by Apostles!
Is writ LARGE!
GLORIOUS! and TRIUMPHANT!
All may COME!
All may DRINK!
All may EAT! (John 12:44/Isaiah 55)
All may SING and DANCE!
All may SWIM!
In this Amazing Grace!
This Glorious Generosity of God! (Ephesians 1:3-6)
And what is this Heavenly Invitation? (Hebrews 3:1)
It is simply this:
The Father and the Son are looking and longing
for THEIR rightful home
A place to rest His glorious head (Luke 9:58)
A CONTAINER to
EXPAND!
EXPRESS!
MAGNIFY! and
MULTIPLY!
The fellowship that existed before time
Before the foundation of the world!
A dwelling not made by human hands (I Corinthians 3:16)
Blood
Sweat
or Toil
Not a Temple-Church of Wood and Stone
and Stained Glass
Nor Creeds and Traditions of well-meaning and Clueless men (Romans 3:21-22/Romans 10:3)
But The One True God!
King of Kings! And Lord of Lords!
Seeks like a divine treasure hunter
The Hearts of Men and Women
of Boys and Girls. (2 Corinthians 6:16/Isaiah 7:14)
A place FOR HIS HABITATION!
R E A L I Z E dear ones
He did for us what none of us can do for ourselves
Even if we had a million years
And could move mountains by a word
And even if we knew all the wisdom of Solomon.
For who among us can ascend to heaven
And urge Christ down? (Romans 10:6)
Or Dig Deep Down TO THE ABYSS
And bring Christ up?
But no! THE WORD OF GOD!
The breath of His Presence!
From His innermost to your innermost
Is so very near
Even in your Mouth and in your Heart!
THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS WE PREACH!
Nothing less!
Nothing more!
Christ in you is the hope of Glory!
He is our FORE-RUNNER.
"Within the Veil": be this, belov'd, thy portion,
Within the secret of thy Lord to dwell;
Beholding Him, until thy face His glory,
Thy life His love, thy lips His praise shall tell.
"Within the Veil," for only as thou gazest
Upon the matchless beauty of His face,
Canst thou become a living revelation
Of His great heart of love, His untold grace.
"Within the Veil," His fragrance poured upon thee,
Without the Veil, that fragrance shed abroad;
"Within the Veil," His hand shall tune the music
Which sounds on earth the praises of Thy Lord.
"Within the Veil," thy spirit deeply anchored,
Thou walkest calm above a world of strife;
"Within the Veil," thy soul with Him united,
Shall live on earth His resurrection life.
Lord Jesus, we thank you that you did for man what man could not do for himself. You defeated the prince of this world and all of the powers of darkness and you set up Your kingdom right here in this earth among your people. You built a temple in which to dwell with the Father right here within your people. A temple not seen by natural eyes or touched with natural hands, but a temple that bears your Name. A temple where the true worshippers worship their Lord and their God. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your abiding presence within your temple, within our hearts. Mitzi North
