“They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” ( Hebrews 8:5 )

Growing up, my brother liked to build model planes. He would spend hours constructing a model patterned after a real plane. In fact, after the glue dried and the decals were applied the model looked very much like the real thing.

Old Testament temple worship was just like this. It was based on a pattern of the real thing that took place in the heavenly tabernacle. Moses was shown the entire thing when he met with God on the mountain ( Exodus 25:40 ). Then God instructed Moses to recreate this tabernacle and its practices on earth with a warning to make it exactly as he was shone.

This speaks to how detailed God is. The tabernacle, set up according to what takes place in heaven, was to serve as an illustration helping the people understand. The earthly system was a copy and a shadow of the heavenly system. It wasn’t a means in itself; it was a model or replica of the true system. It looked like it, it functioned like it, but it was merely a pattern and foreshadowing of the real thing. This is why Moses was told to make it exactly according to what he saw, because it was simply a model.

The main point the writer is making in Hebrews 8 is that Jesus, our High Priest, entered into the heavenly tabernacle to perform His priestly duties ( Hebrews 8:2, Hebrews 9:11 ). The model portrayed by the earthly priests, in the earthly tabernacle, is based on the pattern of the true tabernacle in heaven. The Levitical priesthood was given so we could visualize everything Jesus did there. Everything we learn from the Levitical priest is a foreshadowing to Jesus and His priesthood. God gave us these examples to teach us so we would have complete understanding of this true priesthood.

Just as the planes my brother built as a child helped him visualize how the real planes looked, they were never a substitute for the real thing. In the same way, we can gain a lot of understanding by looking at the earthly system as long as we understand that it is merely a copy and a shadow of the true system in heaven where Jesus resides seated at the right hand of God the Father because His work is perfect and complete.

Hey Juli,

I hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving. I opened up a book today about John G Lake on healing and I read this passage that was written:

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." This young man who testified says he suffers because of an appetite for cigarettes and he hopes that we will pray so that the next time he wants to smoke he won't. I tell you God says, "Quit your sins and then come to Me, and I will pardon." He doesn't say, "You come on with your sins, and I will pardon you." He says, "You quit your meanness, you quit fooling with the doctor, and the devil, you quit your secret habits, and come to Me, and I will deliver you." That is the only road to God; that is the way in God.

Here's another passage:

It is just as offensive for the Christian to take medicine as for the drunkard to take whiskey. Don't you see, beloved, the great wonderful advantage in the Christian's life of becoming cut clear and free form all dependence on the arm of man? You are cut forever from the world, from the flesh, from the devil. Bless God.

It was confirmed that he had a recorded 100,000 healings during his ministry. I also heard he had a direct visitation from the Lord Jesus Himself during a 21 day fast. I absolutely believe these things are true, but as I opened this book and started reading, these two passages in particular, it kind of troubled me. Because here is this great man of God whom I honor and respect who's had such great influence during his lifetime and then I started reading some of this book, especially the parts I have underlined, It seems like that can't be from God. Yet I look back at his life and I see all the wonderful things that took place. Right now I'm taking medicine for my stomach and I believe God for complete healing, but I feel like God led me to go the doctor to deal with the natural part while the His Word deals with the spiritual part which I believe was stress. I've been studying books by Andrew Wommack and Joseph Prince about God's Grace and it takes me to another level of His love and goodness. It puts all the emphasis on God's grace and His goodness which I agree with. I used to really struggle with performance and legalism so books on God's Grace allows me to really live confidently. But when I think of the past revivalists it seems like the entire emphasis is on sin and how offensive it is to God, but I don't, we are already forgiven and cleansed by His blood and we can come to Him just as we are? I know we're under Grace, but it seems that things I read are mixtures of performance and law mentality with His Grace. When I read of these great men of God I automatically think that everything I read from them is directly from God, but sometimes things just seem legalistic and I think, this can't be from God. And I honor these great men of faith and I would by no means ever go against them. I just see God as always pleased with me, even in my weaknesses, and His Grace is always working in me to empower me. I didn't know we had to straighten our lives out first, then come to Him and be delivered. Can somebody have a wrong view of God and His ways but yet still be used mightily by Him? And is it possible that God is revealing a deeper revelation of His grace in these end times that maybe the previous generations didn't have? The link to these passages above is http://www.revivalscotland.com/johnglake.html

Thanks, Dustin

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Dear Dustin,

Blessings to you in the name of Jesus Christ and Happy Thanksgiving!