Sermon Central
-
Beyond The Veil: The Ark Of The Covenant Series
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Sep 26, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: We are ready to enter the Holy of Holies. But wait, for the Bible indicates we face certain death unless we are the High Priest, on that one day of the year. And look what’s inside! Link inc. to formatted text, audio & video, PowerPoint.
Beyond the Veil: The Ark
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/BeyondVeilArk.html
We are ready to go inside the veil into the Holy of Holies. But wait, for the Bible indicates we face certain death unless we are the High Priest, and it is that one day of the year.
Fast forward to the cross, and Jesus’ 7th and final saying, crying with a loud voice, It is finished. He yielded up His spirit at that moment and died. Several monumental things happened simultaneously.
• An earthquake, rocks brake
• Graves burst open and OT saints arose
• The veil in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Historians tell us that the temple veil was 4” thick, much taller and heavier than the one in the Tabernacle. Man could not have torn it, only the hand of God could do this.
Now we are in the Holy of Holies, a perfect cube of 15 X 15 X 15’...a picture of the 3 fold holiness of God.
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
We serve a thrice holy God who loves sinners...but hates sin!
We are now in that most holy place, and we can see the Ark of the Covenant, the holy ark, the ark of God, or, the Ark of the Testimony.
Description: [roll 13 slides of possible appearance]
We don’t know exactly what it would look like, but it would resemble a cedar chest, except covered with pure gold. We have something in our minds from an Indiana Jones movie, and it’s not too far off. It was 4’ long X 2’ high. The lid was a solid slab of gold, the value of this mercy seat would be astronomical. Out of that same piece of gold were the cherubim atop the lid. A crown of gold is around the top, reminding us that we are approaching unto the KING of Kings, and gold rings on each corner thru which golden staves run thru for transporting it.
1. The Person of the Ark
When we look at the ark itself we see the person of Jesus Christ. Tonite we’ll look at the mercy seat and see the work of Jesus. By the way, there were 3 different arks in the Bible: Noah’s, Moses’, and this one, and each one represented safety for God’s people. The first 2 were made with pitch, which represents the blood, and the 3rd has blood applied to it as well for our safety...we’ll get to that tonite. We must examine His person first, for that is what gave His work such value. Not just anyone could die for our sins. It had to be a man ‘made under the law’ and yet perfect, w/out sin.
Again, it is made of the incorruptible acacia wood, speaking of His humanity, overlaid w/ gold for His deity. It’s the 2 fold nature of Jesus! Incorruptible humanity and indisputable deity.
So, we examine His person, and then His work. Like John the Baptist said, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. His person and His work! John the Revelator said I saw the Lamb...slain from the foundation of the world. Paul said, I’m determined not to know anything but Jesus Christ...and Him crucified! [person/work]
