The Most Holy Place

The symbolism of the Most Holy Place

Just as the Holy Place symbolises the conscious aspect of man’s soul, the Most Holy Place symbolises the subconscious aspect of man’s soul. Together, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place represent the soul of man wherein is the conscious and the subconscious. We often refer to the subconscious soul as the spirit of man which is the deep things in man’s heart that we hear or discern through dreams, visions, or a small still voice. The Most Holy Place or the subconscious aspects of man’s soul consist of:

1. The subconscious mind
   The subconscious mind is known as the spirit of the mind in scripture which we must renew from old habits and is symbolised by the wooden chest covered in gold with the law in it. This subconscious mind of man needs renewing by the Word of God represented by the wooden box covered in gold, i.e. the wood symbolises the old carnal nature and the gold symbolises the new spiritual or divine nature. Mankind was born carnal or earthly as they operated predominantly via the five senses but were meant to transform into spiritual beings through obedience to God, where even the body would change from corruptible flesh to incorruptible flesh, just as Jesus was shining on the mount of transfiguration, though Jesus could not be translated because He had to die for mankind. Nevertheless, He had the power of the spirit to resurrect from the dead into life which is what Paul was eager to achieve.Ephesians 4:22-24 ²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
2. The human spirit
   The human spirit is breathed into man at conception wherein a measure (portion) of God’s Spirit enters the human being and man stands up as a living soul. Note that man does not stand up as a living spirit, but as a soul, denoting that man is predominantly a soul which is infused with the spirit of God. The human spirit of God in man is symbolised by the mercy seat and the cherubim that watches over man’s heart/subconscious mind symbolised by the chest (box) beneath it.Genesis 2:7
   And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

   The mercy seat is made of solid gold because the spirit that God breathes in man is indestructible and does not change, though we stop listening to God and subdue the spirit, i.e. it is the spirit of the mind that gets changed as the conscious soul symbolised by the Holy Place ventures into the things that are not of God. This connection between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind is depicted by the staves of the Ark of the Covenant touching the veil, i.e. it is through dreams, visions and a small still voice (intuition) between the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place whereby man hears or discerns God’s instructions and ways.

3. The Most Holy Place
   The Most Holy Place is known as the “Holiest of Holies” and is shaped into a cube representing stability and permanence, akin to the perfect geometric form, just as the spirit is perfect and remains resolute, constant and consistent, without any wavering. The walls made of wood overlaid with gold represent that in our current form, the subconscious soul (wood) requires transformation from carnality to inherit the divine nature (gold).

Together, the subconscious mind (spirit of the mind) and the Holy Place (conscious mind, will and emotions), connected by the staves, form the heart of man. I believe that the breath of God (represented by the mercy seat and the cherubim) permeates or infuses God’s desire and purpose for our lives into the subconscious mind (spirit of the mind) represented by the chest (box itself). We corrupt this subconscious mind as we become disinterested in what our conscience tells us and as we increasingly become devoid of the knowledge of God through neglecting God’s Word, and thus His ways. This is why Paul prays in Ephesians 3:16 for God to strengthen us in the inner man representing our subconscious mind. The subconscious soul is activated or influenced by the conscious soul (mind, will and emotions) based on the choices we make, i.e. repetition of the same choice influences the subconscious mind to follow that choice automatically without any thought.

Ephesians 3:16

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

It is noteworthy to mention that the Most Holy Place in the form of a cube also symbolises the city described in Revelation 21, known as “New Jerusalem,” which descends from heaven made of clear gold. The clear gold represents transparency and the divine nature of God’s people in the kingdom of God, i.e. note that there is no wood, just gold. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in man.

The city “new Jeruslaem”, which is the Holy Spirit, resides among us (Kingdom of God) and surrounds us like fire (Kingdom of Heaven) in Zechariah 2:2-5, see below. Revelation 21:3 is clear that “God tabernacles with men”, meaning that He dwells within believers and is therefore not a future event of a physical city coming down from heaven. Although the complete blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven will only be fulfilled when Jesus returns to transform our mortal bodies, it does not mean we cannot live as Jesus Christ did in this lifetime though with many challenges.

Revelation 21:1-4/16

¹ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Zechariah’s prophecy about Jerusalem without walls is clear in that believers in Christ do not require walls for protection. This symbolises a spiritual city, referring to born-again Christians scattered around the globe, God lives within them and is a fire around them thus separating believers from the world, i.e. the Holy Spirit is the New Jerusalem, our helper, guide, comforter, advocate, covering or protection. One day, God asked me why I think Jerusalem was built with walls, I replied, “Maybe because Israel did not have faith in You to protect them”, God replied, “That’s why people need to remove the walls around their hearts because they can trust in me”. I understood that every person has a form of hardness or callousness in their heart. I later realised that this could be God revealing that the New Jerusalem (Holy Spirit) is in my heart, and also surrounds a community of believers.

Zechariah 2:2-5

² Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

³ And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,

⁴ And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

⁵ For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

The human spirit God breathed in man is akin to a candle’s flame, seeking to fill our entire being from within. If we surrender our self-will, we can be empowered by God to honour and glorify the Father, just as Jesus did. Thus, we should be tender-hearted, guided by the Spirit and God’s Word, allowing His glory to radiate through us.

Proverbs 20:27

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

The belly refers to the heart, where God’s throne resides, and from what I have experienced, it is the secret place from which we get shelter and the anointing from God. I say this because every time I was attacked by evil spirits I felt God’s power flowing from there. This is why Jesus proclaimed that from our belly would flow rivers of living water, symbolizing God’s gifts or anointing. It is in this place that the Holy Spirit labours within us to shape us in the likeness of Jesus, the Tree of Life, enabling us to bear fruit in every season, akin to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.

John 7:38

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Psalm 91:1-2

¹ He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

The temple described in Ezekiel symbolizes an ideal “physical” sanctuary where a river flows from beneath the entrance, deepening as one progresses downstream—first ankle-deep, then knee-deep, waist-deep, until finally, the ground is no longer within reach, and we are carried freely by the current, akin to being led by the Holy Spirit. The river’s emergence signifies the outpouring of ‘living water’ from within our belly, and its increasing depth indicates that the more we surrender to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the more we are endowed with the anointing. Thus, we must relinquish our self-determination and trust in God’s plan, assured by His promise that we will not face disgrace. In the journey through the waters of Ezekiel 47, we must avoid the hesitation of the initial steps. Remaining in contact with the riverbed suggests a degree of self-reliance at various levels, which hinders our ability to move with the Holy Spirit and be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

Ezekiel 47:1-5

¹ Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

² Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

³ And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

⁴ Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

⁵ Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

Even with the indwelling Holy Spirit, many Christians doubt that we can develop into the likeness of Jesus or follow in His footsteps. Yet, we have the Holy Spirit within us to assist and invigorate (quicken) our mortal bodies. I find this conclusion puzzling because even Peter speaks of the day star (morning star) rising in our hearts, indicating that we are to be bearers of light to those around us.

2 Peter 1:19

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Peter also says that he labours until Christ is formed in his followers. That seems very clear to me that God wants us to walk like Jesus did. If God desires it, then it is possible.

Galatians 4:19

¹⁹ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Even Paul infers that the church and the fivefold ministry were set up to grow believers into the stature of Christ.

Ephesians 4: 11-13

¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

A devout Christian who permits the Holy Spirit to mould them through God’s Word in their heart will thrive in all their endeavours, despite facing numerous trials, tribulations, and persecutions. However, the wicked will not prosper indefinitely.

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

² But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

³ And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

⁴ The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Revelation 22 seems to indicate a future event when Jesus reappears, however, we can also become a tree of life to people around us when we allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us like a river. A river flows freely unless we put a blockade or build a dam wall. Actually, we need it more in this life than in the next life but we keep postponing to the next life.

Revelation 22:1-3

¹ And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

The truth is that God wants us to be like Jesus based on grace, not law, in this life, thus to walk on earth like Christ even before Jesus reappears the second time. Is this what God is waiting for before He reappears the second time, a church that is pure like a virgin? I think so.

Galatians 4:19-21

¹⁹ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

²⁰ I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

²¹ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Does Revelation 7 & 14 not indicate that the first church, who were Jews, will be like virgins preaching to the nations who will be gathered with them in white clothing? Of course. White clothing represents righteousness because they believed in Jesus Christ. Many believers have attributed this to the future, however, it was the Jews that evangelised to the nations, indicating that this already happened with Paul preaching to the end of the world by committing himself to the Gentiles. Jesus came for the Jews and set up the first church, who were circumcised in the flesh, but now we are all circumcised in the heart because God removed the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles and made them one nation (believers). The Gentiles do not have to be preached to exclusively by Jews as some indicate. It is the other way around at the moment.

Revelation 7:4-9

⁴ And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

⁵ Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

⁶ Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

⁷ Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

⁸ Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

⁹ After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

Revelation 14:3-6

³ And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

⁴ These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

⁵ And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

⁶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Were the disciples in the Book of Acts not the first fruits (verse 4 above) of God or Jesus? Of course, they were. If this is fulfilled, how can some preachers say that this pertains to future events when Jews will preach to the unbelievers? Is God not with us already? Yes. Are we, not His Tabernacle, and He ours? Yes. Are we not before His throne? Yes. Therefore God is with us, Emmanuel. We are not waiting for God, He is waiting for us to become the church He desires.

New Jerusalem is a heavenly/spiritual city

The dimensions of the heavenly city, known as “New Jerusalem,” form a cube, similar to the Most Holy Place in both Solomon’s Temple and the Tabernacle of Moses. The Most Holy Place serves as a physical symbol of the spiritual “New Jerusalem,” which comes from heaven and is our current dwelling place in Christ.

Revelation 21:16

¹⁶And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

Does the cubed city in Revelation 21 not remind us of the dimensions of the Most Holy Place in the Temple which was double that of the Tabernacle? Yes. The dimensions of the Tabernacle of Moses were 10 cubits in width, length, and height, whereas the temple was 20 cubits. Nevertheless, they were both fashioned like a cube because they had a spiritual meaning, such as the city from Heaven (New Jerusalem), which is not a physical city but a spiritual city, and thus the Most Holy Place represented the spirit or heaven.

1 Kings 6:20

And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

The Tabernacle frames were 1.5 cubits wide, and 10 cubits high when standing up from ground to roof, indicating the height of the Most Holy Place, and thus the dimensions of the cube. Therefore the width of the six frames for the west wall would be 9 cubits (6 frames x 1.5) leaving 1 cubit short for making the cube. Therefore, they placed one extra frame on each corner making the west wall 8 frames in total, resulting in a west wall of 12 (9 cubits plus 3 cubits for both corner frames). This is 2 cubits wider than desired. The thickness or depth of the frames must have been one cubit thick so that when they lodged the frame depths of the north and south walls against either side of the west wall, only half a cubit would be visible on each of the west wall’s corner frames from inside the Most Holy Place. That makes the west wall 10 cubits from the inside. The north and south walls would be linked by the four pillars and veil at exactly 10 cubits, finalizing the cube. However, some believe that the thickness of the frames was only half a cubit, and that could be probable because then they would have made each corner frame one cubit wide instead of one and a half cubits wide, therefore having the same effect.

Nevertheless, we can be certain of this from 1 King 6:20 above regarding this truth of a cubed Most Holy Place in the Temple of Solomon, and also from the previous scripture regarding the city coming out of heaven. The clue to working out the width and breadth of the Most Holy Place is the height of the frames around the Tabernacle, which is 10 cubits.

Exodus 26:16

“Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.

We have entered New Jerusalem

The “New Jerusalem” was the heavenly city that Abraham was looking for but they could never enter it because they did not have the indwelling spirit. A Christian that has entered the Kingdom of God, is in the New Jerusalem, even though Jesus has not reappeared with the full glory of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. The fact that we have joy, love, and peace and see or perform miracles is proof of the entering of the city (Kingdom of God and Heaven).

Hebrews 11;8-10

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

⁹ By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

¹⁰ For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Many believers inhabit New Jerusalem through the born-again experience when they enter the Kingdom of God and, therefore, also enter the Kingdom of Heaven as a community of believers or the body of Christ. Not everyone has entered, as faith is crucial for entry, leaving many Christians uncertain of their status. However, Jesus indicated that the Kingdom of God is within us, stating it doesn’t come with observation. He spoke to the Pharisees and Sadducees who couldn’t receive the indwelling Holy Spirit because He had not yet been glorified, therefore Jesus was referring to the human spirit that was dormant or suppressed by the soul due to sin. Jesus said this prophetically because He knew that man would receive the indwelling spirit once He was glorified.

Luke 17:20-21

²⁰ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

²¹ Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Now that Jesus is glorified, and the Holy Spirit is within us, we are considered righteous even though we do not walk in righteousness, but we have the potential to walk in righteousness via the Spirit who assists in our spiritual development as we die to self-will which can be extremely challenging.

Galatians 5:4-5

⁴ Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

⁵ For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

We can therefore experience heaven on earth in our earth suits before dying or being transformed to go to heaven if we allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts through life’s challenging experiences. Jesus Himself said let it be in earth as it is in heaven, referring to the body of man. The Kingdom of God and Heaven begins in our physical life through faith, but we seem to postpone everything to the next life. The Holy Spirit is already within us and surrounds a community of believers. Of course, the full glory is yet to come with Jesus’s reappearance, but Christians can do far more than what they think they can in this life, however, it takes discipline and obedience to follow God’s Word and build a relationship with Him, but most are too busy to do so, or too enthusiastic about physical life.

Elements within the Most Holy Place

The Ark of the Covenant was situated in the Most Holy Place, with the ends of its carrying poles touching the veil, creating a noticeable bulge in the veil when viewed from the Holy Place.

2 Chronicles 5:9

And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

In the Most Holy Place, there was also a golden censer belonging to the high priest, used on the Day of Atonement. Many people believe that Hebrews 9 is referring to the altar of incense, but the KJV of the Word of God is clear in that it is a handheld censer that the high priest used to obscure the mercy seat with incense so that he would not die.

Hebrews 9:3-4

³ And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

⁴ Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

While all priests had bronze censers, the high priest’s was made of gold, signifying his status.

Numbers 16:39

And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

God lives in darkness

The absence of other entrances or windows in the Most Holy Place implies that God dwells in profound darkness, for He is the light of the world Who does not need the sun (leaders), moon (church or bride), stars (believers), or anyone else to advise Him. When God chooses to reside among humans, He inhabits the darkness of the universe, including the Tabernacle or Temple, symbolizing a realm where His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence are not present, necessitating His manifestation so that man can perceive, hear, or even see in the spirit. Being born again by the Spirit enables us to discern His presence and hear Him through our human spirit because the Holy Spirit resides within us.

1 Kings 8:12

Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

The veil separated man from God

The veil, adorned in hues of blue, purple, and crimson with cherubs, divided the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place, indicating that the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place only through the Holy Place, as there were no alternate routes, and solely on the Day of Atonement to make amends for the sins of Israel. This signified that as long as the veil stood, humanity was barred from God’s presence. The Holy Place is symbolic of the conscious soul, where communion with God was mediated by priestly rituals necessitating the blood of sacrificial animals. I say that the Holy Place symbolises the conscious soul because it is through the soul that:

1. We articulate the Word of God, symbolized by the candlestick (menorah), illuminating God’s light in a darkened world. Light refers to the knowledge of God. Jesus was the light of the world, and we need to be that light now but through Christ.
2. We engage in prayer based on the Word of God, symbolized by the altar of incense, positioned nearer to the veil than other elements, denoting our spiritual proximity to God when we pray.
3. We fellowship with God based on the Word of God, symbolized by the bread of the Presence or showbread.

These acts are of the conscious soul, whereby we use the Word of God as our sword to fend off the fleshy desires and to defend ourselves from the darts of the enemy. We meditate and do the Word to remove imaginations that go against the Word of God. We may now boldly approach God the Father to worship, fellowship, and pray in spirit and truth, for Jesus has torn the veil, signifying His body broken for us because He fulfilled all righteousness and forgave our sins.

John 4:24

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

When the soul (carnal earthy man) denies God or His Word, the way to the Kingdom of Heaven is obscured to the spirit (heaven) and the veil is a reflection of that. The cherubs on the veil symbolise the cherubs guarding the way to Eden (Kingdom of Heaven) with a flaming sword after Adam and Eve fell from grace. To enter God’s presence once again a man had to fulfil all righteousness to get past the cherubs and the flaming sword, but no man was found to breach the gap between God and mankind so God did it Himself when Jesus tore the veil through His death so that we can enter freely by grace.

Genesis 3:24

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

To enter the Most Holy Place, one must pass through four pillars and the cherubs, symbolizing a test by the cherubs depicted on the veil, akin to the Garden of Eden where cherubs wielded a flaming sword to guard the way. To return to Eden (the Kingdom of Heaven) and reconcile with God, one must traverse the flaming sword. The act of burning incense on the altar represents the total surrender of one’s soul to God by which we can traverse the threshold just as Enoch did. At the pinnacle of righteousness, man relinquishes his self-will and becomes one with God. However, only a righteous man, without sin, could have achieved this for humanity, which is why the veil was torn when Jesus was crucified. Today, we purify ourselves by confessing sins as we are righteous because of our faith in Jesus Christ and enter through the veil with boldness.

The following scriptures prove that the temple will not be rebuilt as no Ark of the Covenant will be available in the temple in Jerusalem. The doctrine of the gathering of the believers in the physical city of Jerusalem at certain feasts is not the truth as it is logistically impossible, but rather, it refers to the new spiritual Jerusalem where we gather wherever we are to worship and commune with God in spirit and truth. Even Jesus told the woman in John 4 that we will no longer worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem because it will be in spirit and truth. To worship in spirit and truth is for man to worship God with integrity and purity of heart and not through our physical presence and mere repetitive words to please the hearer.

Jeremiah 3:16-17

¹⁶ And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

¹⁷ At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

John 4-21-24

²¹ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

²² Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

²³ But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The day of atonement

Leviticus 16 is the main chapter that expounds on the day of the atonement and what happens behind the veil as rituals for cleaning Israel of their sins. It is straightforward but we understand that the two goats represent Jesus, where one goat is killed, and the other is the “scapegoat” sent into the wilderness after sins have been passed onto it by laying of the priests’ hands for Israel’s sins, referring to Jesus being sent out of the city to be crucified for humanity’s sins. Jesus, however, was rejected by His people, and thus we also need to bear His reproach as we look for the true city, not a physical city, i.e. a spiritual city, not the physical city of Jerusalem. Jesus is not going to appear the second time to live in the old physical Jerusalem, and no further temple will be built because Jeremiah was clear when he said we would hear of the Ark of the Covenant no more. A new temple would be a clear sign of caution for anyone who does not ensure that God is behind it.

Hebrews 13;13

¹³ Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

¹⁴ For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

John 1:11-12

¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Leviticus 16

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;

² And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

³ Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.

⁴ He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

⁵ And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

⁶ And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.

⁷ And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁸ And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

⁹ And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.

¹⁰ But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

¹¹ And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:

¹² And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:

¹³ And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

¹⁴ And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

¹⁵ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

¹⁶ And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

¹⁷ And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

¹⁸ And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

¹⁹ And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

²⁰ And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:

²¹ And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

²² And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

²³ And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:

²⁴ And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

²⁵ And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.

²⁶ And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

²⁷ And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.

²⁸ And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

²⁹ And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

³⁰ For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

³¹ It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

³² And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:

³³ And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.

³⁴ And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

The Golden Censer

The golden censer emitted a cloud of incense to cover the mercy seat so that the high priest did not die before the Lord whilst sprinkling the blood with his finger upon the mercy seat seven times. The burning of incense represents the death to self-will before we approach God which is why any priest who used a censer incorrectly faced the penalty of death, such as the two sons of Aaron who used strange fire and the supporters of Korah who challenged Moses. The sprinkling of blood 7 times represents the blood that Jesus shed from 7 different places when he was crucified:

1. The drops of blood when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane.
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   Luke 22-44“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground”.

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2.  The blood when the Romans placed a crown of thorns on His head.
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   John 19:2-3“² And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, ³ And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.”

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3. The blood when He was beaten.
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   Luke 22:63-65^“63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.⁶⁴ And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?”

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4. The blood when they scourged Him with a whip.
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   John 19:1“Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.”

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5. The blood when they nailed His feet to the cross.
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   Matthew 27:35-36^“35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.”

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6. The blood when they nailed His hands to the cross.
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   Same scripture as point 5.

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7. The blood when they pierced His side with a spear.
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   John 19:34“But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.”

Leviticus 16:11-16

¹¹ And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:

¹² And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:

¹³ And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

¹⁴ And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

¹⁵ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

¹⁶ And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant is considered by many as symbolising God’s throne and was positioned in the Most Holy Place with the ends of the two poles facing and touching the veil and thus seen as subtle bulges on the veil from the Holy Place. The Ark was essentially a cuboid (rectangular cube) chest wherein they placed the law tablets, the rod of Aaron which had budded, and the pot of manna. The Ark was to be carried via the two poles on each of the longer sides of the Ark. On top of the Ark was the mercy seat or lid where God appeared to the high priest, and there were two cherubs moulded into the mercy seat, one on each of the extreme sides of the longest part of the lid facing each other, with wings spread towards each other and touching each other covering the mercy seat.

The Ark symbolises the presence of God, His provision, His authority, His power, His mercy, and grace. The law sealed within the Ark represents the conscience of the spirit of the mind or subconscious soul, whereas the presence of God upon the mercy seat is intuition and fellowship. These are part of the spirit that is infused in man’s soul, represented by the carrying poles touching the veil into the Holy Place (soul).

1. Meaning of the items in the Ark

The items in the Ark were as follows:

• • The Law in the Ark represents the conscience (witness) which is part of the spirit and forms part of the heart of man. The heart includes the conscience from the spirit; together with mind, will, and emotions from the soul.
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    Deuteronomy 31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

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  • The rod of Aaron represents God’s authority and power.
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    Numbers 17:1-13¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,² Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.³ And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.⁴ And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.⁵ And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.⁶  even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.⁷ And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.⁸ And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.⁹ And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.¹⁰ And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. ¹¹ And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.¹² And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.¹³ Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

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  • The Bread of Manna represents God’s provision for His people.
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    Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

2. Meaning of the Mercy seat

On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. Here God was supposed to be seated, from which He dispensed mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there.

Hebrews 9:3-5

³ And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

⁴ Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

⁵ And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

The mercy seat shielded the people of God from the relentless judgment of the Law, which is why God favoured mercy over sacrifice. Annually, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place to sprinkle the blood of sacrificed animals, signifying the atonement for the sins of God’s people, upon the mercy seat. This act illustrates that only through a blood offering could the Law’s condemnation be annulled and transgressions against God’s laws be atoned for. The mercy seat served to expiate or appease the removal of sin. Similarly, the bronze altar outside the tent represented the concept of bloodshed for the forgiveness of sin.

In essence, Jesus serves as the atonement for sins through His death, and by placing our faith in Him, our sins are forgiven. Additionally, when believers sin, we can look to Christ, who remains our atonement. This unifies the concepts of sin atonement found in both the Old and New Testaments, symbolizing God’s mercy seat.

Romans 3:24-25

²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

1 John 4:10

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Today, Jesus has already sprinkled the blood once and for all time, which is why He told Mary not to touch Him as He had not been to the Father to sprinkle the blood on the real mercy seat in heaven. Had she touched Him, His sacrifice would be in vain as it would have been contaminated.

John 20:17

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Having said that, God is also just and, therefore, mercy and justice go together because there is no mercy without justice as it subverts moral order. Also, there is no justice without mercy otherwise we go overboard with moral order.

Psalms 85:10-11

¹⁰ Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

¹¹ Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

3. Meaning of the Cherubs

The cherubs are angels that cover, for God’s grace and love cover a multitude of sins. In the Old Testament God had His angel guide and protect Israel to the promised land. Their shoes and clothes did not wear out. They were given mostly protein for strength and vigour. Manna came from heaven to nourish them. They were protected from their enemies.

In the New Testament, Jesus wanted to cover His people’s sin through love and mercy but they rejected Him and thus their city/country was left desolate

Matthew 23:20

³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

³⁸ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

4. Dangers with Handling and Looking into the Ark

The wagon carrying the Ark of the Covenant was destabilized and Uzzah the priest tried to steady it and put his hand to it but God struck him and he died.

2 Samuel 6:6-8

⁶ And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.

⁷ And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

⁸ And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.

God had instructed that no one was to touch the Ark or they would die. Even an act of goodwill that goes against God’s instructions is dealt with.

When the people of Beth Shemesh looked into to Ark they were struck dead. Many commentators believe that they were probably in a celebratory mood and thus were struck because they looked at the Ark without reverence for God. That could be possible but I believe that God was showing us prophetically that the law kills. I think the number of deaths is exaggerated or mistranslated as there could not have been that many people in the town. They looked into the Ark where the law tablets were placed because the mercy seat was missing. If the mercy seat was on the Ark, they would have to lift it, in which case they would be killed by touching it. The fact that it was missing made them curious and therefore looked into it, but the law kills where there is no mercy (no lid or mercy seat). When Solomon built the temple, he made cherubims from wall to wall indicating that maybe the Ark still did not have the mercy seat with the cherubs after it was returned from the Philistines. The WoG is not clear in this and maybe the mercy seat was not missing but lying on the wagon floor.

1 Samuel 6:19

And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.