Light, be! Part 2

This is a follow-up to the 'Light, be!' post. Oftentimes, as I am receiving a revelation of Jesus from the Holy Spirit, it is very much like drinking from a fire hydrant. The Holy Spirit brings to remembrance different parts of Scripture that leads to rabbit holes of revelation treasure. This was such a case where after I published the last post, the Holy Spirit brought up much, much more! I am truly thankful that our Lord Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to all of us who believe. As it is written in John 15:

26 “But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me.27 But you will testify also and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (AMP)

The Holy Spirit is called the "Spirit of Truth" and Jesus says that "He [Holy Spirit] will testify and bear witness about Me [Jesus]". How can you tell if a person is flowing with the Holy Spirit? He will testify and bear witness about Jesus Christ! Thank you, Lord.

Where I want to begin today is take a look at a verse that I shared from the account of Luke in the previous post. Jesus has been hanging on the cross since 9 a.m. and it is now 3 p.m. in the afternoon. It is His sixth hour on the cross.

"there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour [3 p.m.]. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two." (see Luke 23:44-45, NKJV)

If we take a look at Matthew's account, more details on the timing is provided.

45 Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud [agonized] voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”47 When some of the bystanders there heard it, they began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him [from death].” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan]. 51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart. (Matthew 27:45-51, AMP)

Before we dive in, I want to pause here and I really want you to notice that our Lord gave up His spirit voluntarily - that is, by His own free choice. The Amplified version brings out the truth that He had the power and authority to the very end to save His own life. He chose voluntarily out of love to die for us. Also behold the manner of Jesus "sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body." He had complete control over His own life until the very end.

As you can see, I have placed in bold the parts of the verses that tells us that the veil of the temple - specifically, the veil of the Holy of Holies - was torn in two from top to bottom. That is what I want to share on today - how the tearing of the veil reveals furthermore how Jesus is the true Light of the world and a practical application of this truth as a Gospel message.

Before that, we need a little background and understanding of the tabernacle and temple of God. I won't go into full detail in this post but we need to know a few basic things. First of all, the tabernacle and temple were the means by which God would dwell with His people (see Exodus 25:8). Also, the Second Temple, which was standing during the time of Jesus, is simply a permanent and slightly modified version of the mobile Tabernacle that was instructed to Moses by God to build. Along with the construction and layout of the tabernacle, the priestly services were introduced which were to be observed by the priests and the Jewish people. Here is a visual representation of what the tabernacle looked like.

Image from ESV Study Bible, copyright (c) 2008 Crossway Bibles

As you can see, the tabernacle is divided into two rooms. There is a Holy Place and a Holy of Holies (or, Most Holy Place). I want you to notice that in the Holy Place, there are three furnitures - 1) Golden Lampstand, 2) Table of Showbread and 3) Golden Altar of Incense. In the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant is the only furniture. Dividing these two rooms is a thick curtain, also called the veil.

If we study the book of Exodus, we can clearly see that the inside of the tabernacle would have been very dark. In addition to the thick veil which was a partition between the two interior rooms, the whole tent of the tabernacle was covered with multiple layers of curtains, including a curtain of goat hair which was black in color (see Exodus 26). In other words, no natural light would be able to shine into the tabernacle. Hence, the necessity of the Golden Lampstand in the Holy Place.

37 Then you shall make the lamps [of the lampstand] seven in number [with one lamp at the top of the shaft]. The priests shall set up its seven lamps so that they will light the space in front of it. (Exodus 26:37, AMP)

We see the functional use of the Golden Lampstand to provide light for the first interior room, the Holy Place. However, the Golden Lampstand is never brought into the Holy of Holies. Thus, the Holy of Holies would have been in complete darkness.

Having this foundation set, there are many directions in which we could go to learn about what God has concealed through the types of the tabernacle and all of its furniture. However, I will focus on a very practical revelation which I received as I was writing up my last post.

Throughout the New Testament writings of Paul and Peter, our physical body is referred to as both the tabernacle and the temple of God.

19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? (1 Corinthians 6:19, AMP)

1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1, KJV)

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance (2 Peter 1:13, KJV)

Using Paul and Peter's typology, we can see that our earthly body is constructed into three parts just as the tabernacle was. What is visible as the external features of the body can be likened to the curtains of the tent. Our inner thoughts and emotions which we deal with everyday would line up with the Holy Place where service is rendered daily. Finally, our spirit - our true being - would be the Holy of Holies.

The world that does not believe on Jesus Christ has a physical body and emotions and thoughts just like all believers do. However, their spirit man is not alive as is the spirit man of a believer. Their Holy of Holies remains in darkness. This was the state that Nicodemus was in when he came to Jesus one blessed night.

1 Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, 2 who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), we know [without any doubt] that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs [these wonders, these attesting miracles] that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” (John 3:1-3, AMP)

Ah, the Holy Spirit even opened my eyes just now to see that Nicodemus came to see the Lord at night. The darkness which he had to traverse to find the Lord was a direct picture of the state of his spirit. Though he was a ruler respected among the Pharisees, and though he was a man with an enlightened mind, his spirit was in complete darkness. And our loving Lord revealed to him that unless he was born again in the spirit, he would never see the kingdom of God. Our Lord goes on to reveal to Nicodemus the most well-known verse of the New Testament.

14 Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever]. 16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-16, AMP)

The wonderful Gospel message continues to be delivered as no other man could deliver.

17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. 19 This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned. 21 But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].”

Once again, in the cover of darkness, Jesus reveals Himself to be the Light. And once again, He reveals Himself not as a Light to judge but a Light that is shining to save humanity from the darkness. This is the true Gospel straight from the blessed lips of our blessed Lord.

We return to the ninth hour (3 p.m.) at Calvary. The Light of the world is hanging as darkness covered the earth.

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan]. 51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart. (Matthew 27:50-51, AMP)

When our Lord gave His spirit up, God tore the veil which was screening His Presence from humanity. Now, the way is open through the blood shed at Calvary into the Holy of Holies and it is open for all. The Holy of Holies was never accessible to us no matter how good our offerings, our works, or our devotion to God was. It could only be opened up by the sacrifice of God's Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!

19 Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus, 20 by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh, 21 and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, 22 let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22, AMP)

I encourage anyone who has not yet received Jesus to place your trust in Him as your Savior and Lord. He is the Light that your spirit seeks. He is the ultimate desire of your being - your spirit man. As our Lord told Nicodemus, it is not by our works and intellect that we can receive Him. It is by faith and faith, alone. When you receive Him, His Light will shine into your darkness and just as it was in the beginning, life begins. Remember that His Light is not a light to show your faults but His Light is a light that will show you how clean you have been made by His blood. The more you let His Light shine by beholding Him, you will find yourself being transformed effortlessly and becoming more like Him. Your true purpose of existence begins to take shape and your life will never be the same. You will become a new creation - born of God, a child of God!

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. (2 Corinthians 5:17, AMP)