Friday, March 14, 2008

Exodus, chapter 28

1 ¶ And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Under the dispensation of the Law, the priest’s garments consecrate him. All of these holy objects are where the “big churches” get their practices from because they believe that they are merely a continuation of the Hebrew priesthood. Protestants and Catholics both do this as does the Eastern Orthodox with priests wearing robes and special apparel and such things as “holy water” setting about. It is this Nicolaitanism, in that the clergy is elevated above the flock as a special class of men who are closer to God and His special, vicarious representative on earth, that Jesus says He hates in the book of Revelation. Nicolaitanism can be translated as “victory over the laity”.

This mentality, this philosophy, not only tries to lord over the flock but removes the responsibility from them that they are all part of a priesthood.

1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Rather than merely being fed spiritually when they come to church a few times a week, they are supposed to feed themselves from God’s word every day. It is the father’s responsibility to teach the Bible to his family, not the Sunday School teacher, and the preacher is not supposed to be some hired gun who travels from church to church, like a corporate manager vying for the most lucrative job opening. Modern Christianity is Satanic in practice.

4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

There are five pieces of clothing and then a breastplate. Five is the number of death. Christ had five pieces of clothing.

John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
6 ¶ And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

An ouche is a setting.

12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
15 ¶ And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

“Cunning” refers to skilled craftsmen at work with regard to jewelry and woodwork and all manner of skilled work. See definition here;

Exodus 31:4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

Exodus 35:33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

Exodus 35:35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

Notice the similarity with what the anointed cherub (Lucifer aka Satan) wore in the Garden of Eden before he fell from his first position.

Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Perhaps God is replacing Lucifer with a human priesthood answerable to Him.

Notice our practice of giving birthstones to people based on the twelve months of the year.

It also brings to mind the picture of the New Jerusalem;

Revelation 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Here is a type of spiritual Ouija board where David comes to get advice from God later.

21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

Aaron, as a picture of Christ, is bearing the judgment upon his heart. Here is a memorial for Christ’s sacrifice pointing forward.

30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

God speaks to them through the Urim and Thummim. Whereas we have Christ’s spirit dwelling in us we have this on the inside. These things, obscure as they are, are not mentioned as being made by man. No one is mentioned as making them. They are consulted by men of God.

This is how they consulted God.

1 Samuel 30:7 ¶ And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

But, when the disobedient Saul was unable to get a response from God.

1 Samuel 22:19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. 20 ¶ And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

1Samuel 28:6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Nehemiah 7:65 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

The Ouija board is a counterfeit to Biblical divination under the Law. It is Satanic and needs to be avoided, particularly by Christians. We have no such method of talking to God. We have God’s Spirit inside of us.

I have read that the breastplate lit up to answer a question. Don’t try this at home. You’re in the wrong dispensation and will just invite answer by Satan who is eager to deceive you about God. Satan will counterfeit everything God has made.

31 ¶ And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

The ephod had stones representing the twelve tribes and letters so that God would tell them things and give instructions through it. (see verse 21).

32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

This is like a poncho which some commentators say represents a pyramid and the true shape of the universe.

Jesus wore a garment such as this.

John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

The high priest would announce his coming by the ringing of these golden bells. We should announce our coming, not by words, but by our good works produced after we are saved, not to get saved or to stay saved, but because we are saved.

35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

Later, we see the mitre is a head covering.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

40 ¶ And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

First, you have a blood sacrifice in coming up and then the washing or regeneration, and then you put on Christ and you are a priest.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

First, you minister to the Lord. Then, to the people.

42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

Here, Aaron is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the prophecy in Psalms regarding us.

Psalm 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

Read Psalm 22, the one Jesus began quoting on the cross.

1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

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