Jerusalem of GOD has a central focal point, it is the very word 'SALEM'
. Salem means 'PEACE', or as we know the word today 'SHALOM', which Jewish people throughout the world use in greeting each other.
It not only can be used for 'hello', but also for 'goodby', or 'see you', and so
on. It is an all encompassing word that has a multiplicity of uses.
In the State of Israel today, you will find many individuals with either their first
or last name being, 'SHALOM'
. Closer to home, the ministry that The LORD allowed me to establish in 1974, SHALOM
SCRIPTURE STUDIES, INC., has also the word for 'PEACE', 'SHALOM'.
One of the reasons I chose Shalom Scripture Studies as a name for our work was that
through the STUDIES
of the SCRIPTURE
one can have SHALOM
(Peace). Another reason, was that the word 'SHALOM',
would serve as a mark of identification that we are a 'Hebrew-Christian'
fellowship, dedicated in presenting The Gospel of Christ, which is the power of GOD
unto Salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.
(Romans 1:16). Even our LORD Jesus Christ used the Hebrew word for 'SALEM' - SHALOM
on several occasions. In John 20:19-21, our Messiah said to His disciples, 'SHALOM'
- Peace be unto you. Also in John 14:27, our LORD said, "...Peace (SHALOM)
I leave with you, my Shalom (Peace) I give unto you." How beautiful it is to know
and understand that 'SALEM' - 'SHALOM' - 'PEACE' is personally connected with our
LORD Jesus. One of the titles attributed to our MESSIAH is, 'The Prince of Peace',
or as you would phonetically see it written out in Hebrew, 'SAR - SHALOM'!
Jesus is the 'SAR - SHALOM'!
The Prince of Peace, for it is through Him that we can experience, 'the Peace - Shalom
of GOD! (Philippians 4:7), which has no equal or counterpart. Amen!
Looking into Salem from the Old Testament, and specifically as to its importance to
The LORD, to the Jewish people, and also to you and me; Let's start where we should,
at the beginning. In I Chronicles 21:1, we find the adversary of GOD mentioned for
the first time by 'NAME'
, his name of course is SATAN. And what is he doing? He is standing against Israel.
The one over - riding goal of Satan has always been, and always will be to 'stand'
against the people and land of Israel. If it were not for The Almighty GOD, then
Satan would have a field day with the Jewish people as he has tried to many, many,
times. Here are a few examples that I can share with you. Do you remember when Israel was
in Egypt, well, Satan used Pharaoh to burden the people of Israel, In the book of
Esther, the wicked Haman again used by Satan, tried to destroy the Jewish people.
Others down through the annals of history that Satan has used to 'Stand' against Israel are:
HEROD, TITUS, QUEEN ISABELLA, THE CZAR, HITLER, and in contemporary days, ASSAD OF
SYRIA, KHADAFY OF LYBIA, ARAFAT, and thousands of others that are used of SATAN himself
to not only 'stand' against Israel, but even trying to destroy them! As you continue
reading in the book of I Chronicles, Chapter 21, you read where King David numbers
the children of Israel, as he was provoked by SATAN. This of course brought 'displeasure'
unto GOD, Who gave King David a choice as to his punishment. How gracious The LORD
is not only to King David long ago, but also to you and me. The LORD GOD is very
clear and precise in The Word of GOD, that if we 'displease' Him, then we must suffer
and pay the consequences (See: Galatians 6:7). Once the penalty of sin is paid for and GOD
is satisfied, then and only then can their be fellowship with GOD! This is always
true whether it be found in The Old or in The New Testament. The LORD's justice and
equity requires payment in full for disobedience.
As we continue looking into I Chronicles 21, we come face to face with what eventually
would be known as 'Salem' - At first in The Scriptures it is referred to as "...the
threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite", (I Chronicles 21:18). Since this is the very spot where the Holy City of Jerusalem is situated, I thought we would set something
straight at the very out-set. When King David looks into this parcel of real estate,
the owner, Ornan the Jebusite wanted to give it to King David, with several gifts
to go along with the property. But GOD, intervened in the matter and directed King David
to BUY
the threshing floor, therefore, David said, "...I will verily BUY
it for full price". And this of course King David did!!! It is extremely important
to understand and accept the fact that The Holy City of Jerusalem was given to the
Children of Israel as part of the Land grant, by The Almighty GOD (see: Genesis 15:18-21). Additionally, we must remember that it was bought, even though it was given to them;
therefore, the Jewish people and only the Jewish people are the true owners of 'SALEM',
by a GOD given right, through the Abrahamic Covenant, and also by an additional seal of ownership, that is, Jerusalem was paid for with currency of the day. Now that
we have established the true owners and possessors of the land, we can move on to
other issues surrounding the city of Salem.
I have walked the length and breadth of Jerusalem many, many times, in fact for six
weeks straight I went nowhere, but into the streets of Jerusalem, day in and day
out. What a privilege, what a blessing, what a dream come true. In the very city
where Jesus our LORD walked, talked, smiled, cried, ate, slept, drank, etc., again, I personally
must say, what a joy divine, just to be in Jerusalem, Israel. In the near future,
you and I as believers will reign and live in Israel with Him. Then you will fully
understand the peace and joy there is in simply walking the streets of Jerusalem. Yes,
even today, the peace that one experiences in being in the land of Israel, and especially
Jerusalem is another confirmation of The Word of God in Deuteronomy 11:12, "...A
land which The LORD thy GOD careth for; the eyes of The LORD thy God are always upon
it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year". There is no other
land on the face of the earth that we are told so emphatically, that GOD Himself
watches over the land, the people, and the affairs that surround them. How marvelous and
glorious is our LORD!!! It is Salem that The Mighty GOD chose as a place for Himself.
(see: I Kings 11:13).
Now I would like to take you on a 'bird's eye' view of The Tabernacle of GOD.
THE TABERNACLE OF GOD
can be described as having three basic identifications: FIRST, 'The Tabernacle' that was erected and carted from place to place; SECONDLY,
'The Tabernacle' that was built in Salem (Jerusalem) by King Solomon; and THIRDLY,
'The Tabernacle' that came to dwell with men, namely, The Son of GOD, The MESSIAH
Jesus.
All of these have a direct relationship to and association with the JERUSALEM OF GOD!
I would like to take you on a short journey across time to look into each one of
these - 'TABERNACLES'
, so that we can better understand the importance that GOD places upon 'SALEM'!
I - THE TABERNACLE THAT WAS ERECTED AND CARTED FROM PLACE TO PLACE:
The Tabernacle in the wilderness is a true picture of GOD's love and mercy towards
humanity, specifically demonstrated through His people, The Jews. The Tabernacle
was constructed at the direction of The Lord Himself through Bezaleel, whom The LORD
gave wisdom,
and understanding,
and knowledge
(see: Exodus 36:1)! It's construction took approximately one year (see: Exodus 40:17),
and it had in scope two main objectives: In the first place, we can understand by
reading The Word of GOD, that, the very PRESENCE OF GOD would be found amongst men;
and secondly, it presented 'THE MEANS'
by which sinful man could approach GOD. The simplicity of construction as well as
it's furnishings are mind boggling, to say the least! The very GOD of heaven and
earth condescending to mankind, through The people of Israel, and then, to abide
in such a humble dwelling place is beyond human comprehension. With it's seven articles of furniture,
made to specification and for the purpose of worshipping GOD, we can understand
by the simplicity of the Tabernacle that religious trappings, in respect of monumental
buildings, etc., are indeed missing!!! THANKS be unto OUR LORD!!!
I believe that a short synopsis of the articles themselves will give us a better
picture of their significance, as well as their function. I am listing the seven
articles of furniture found in The tabernacle, according to their order of approach,
that is, as one would enter The Tabernacle from it's only entrance. The entrance to The Tabernacle
was through a gate found in the eastern portion of the camp of Israel. The gate was
directly in front of the tribe of Levi. The first
article of furniture was, THE BRAZEN ALTAR (see: Exodus 27:1): secondly, THE LAVER
OF BRASS (see: Exodus 30:18): then upon entering the 'Holy' place, one would be face
to face with, THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD (see: Exodus 25:30):, THE ALTAR OF INCENSE (see:
Exodus 30:1):, and THE CANDLESTICK (MENORAH)
(see: Exodus 25:31).
The sixth and seventh article of furniture, was found in The Holy of Holies; THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT (see: Exodus 25:16):, and THE MERCY SEAT (see: Exodus 26:34). Now
that we have established the actual furniture of The Tabernacle, let us look into
the significance and functions of each article. We will briefly look at the PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, AND PROPHETICAL
aspects of each one!
THE BRAZEN ALTAR
PHYSICAL: An Altar
of brass where-upon the sacrifices offered unto The LORD were considered Holy.
SPIRITUAL: An All
- encompassing demonstration of GOD's love as The MESSIAH took upon Himself our sins,
while He Himself remained HOLY.
PROPHETICAL: An Awful
sight of blood, death and even consummation is presented to us, so that we can fully
understand, the horror and agony our Saviour
Jesus of Nazareth went through! Our MESSIAH had to go through the fires of judgment
for us, and yet, He Himself without spot or sin, for He is most Holy.
THE LAVER OF BRASS
PHYSICAL: A Place
where the priests would wash themselves, as well as the sacrifices, in preparation
for the offering of them unto GOD.
SPIRITUAL: A Position
of cleansing is here pictured for us; reminding us of the cleansing agency of the
water of The Word of GOD.
PROPHETICAL: A Person
through whom we have been made clean, namely, The LORD Jesus Christ, The Son of GOD.
THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD
PHYSICAL: To Maintain
the High Priest and his sons, while they were in the Holy Place performing their
duties of the priesthood before The LORD.
SPIRITUAL: To Minister
the truths of GOD, through the bread of life, which is, The Word of The LORD.
PROPHETICAL: To Messiah
Jesus our LORD, The Table of Shewbread would be fulfilled in Him, for He is The Bread
of Life, which has come to us from heaven.
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
PHYSICAL: It Permeated
the Holy Place with fragrance and aroma, allowing the priests of Israel the opportunity
of pleasantness while performing their duties.
SPIRITUAL: It Provides
the believers with the sweetness of The Holy Spirit, as well as a constant reminder
of GOD's presence with us, thusly requiring on our part, a life of separation and
holiness. It also is a symbolic picture of the prayers of the Saints elevated to
The Almighty, as we daily engage ourselves in goodly and Godly duties.
PROPHETICAL: It's Person
who is our LORD Jesus Christ, fulfilled the aspects of the Altar of Incense, by becoming
for us, The One True and Only Mediator between GOD and man. The MESSIAH Jesus also
in presenting Himself unto His Father brought forth the fragrance acceptable unto
GOD, through His sinless life, His selfless death, and all the virtuous deeds performed
willingly as His duties.
THE CANDLESTICK
PHYSICAL: The Seven
Branch Menorah
(Candlestick) provided light in the Holy place, in order for the priests to be able
to see while working and ministering unto The GOD of Israel; also, it probably provided
some form of heat in the small compartment where the priest abided. The Candlestick
was lit perpetually, and it's Seven Branches symbolized GOD's perfection.
SPIRITUAL: The Source
of The Light that we receive from GOD Himself, comes to us through His Beloved Son,
Jesus of Nazareth. He Himself said "...I am the light of the world: he that followeth
Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life". (See: John 8:12).
So it is, that MESSIAH Jesus was to be and indeed became, to The Glory of GOD, The
light and brightness of The Almighty in all perfection.
PROPHETICAL: The Scene
is displayed for us in the last days of the human race, just prior to the climax
of history, we are told in the prophetical book of MALACHI in Chapter 4, verse 2,
that "...The Sun of Righteousness" (shall) arise with healing in His Wings". That
is, The Messiah, Jesus our LORD will Shine forth in full splendor, as The Candlestick (Menorah)
of GOD to all those that 'fear' His NAME. His Light will illuminate our very beings
throughout all of eternity in all perfection.
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
PHYSICAL: As Manifest
in The Scriptures, it was made of acacia wood, and its dimensions were: forty-five
inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches tall. It was also
overlaid with pure gold. The tables of stone (The Ten Commandments), were placed
inside of The Ark of The Covenant; The most Holy Place, also known as The Holy of Holies, was
to be the depository for The Ark. It was seen only once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
SPIRITUAL: As Mercy
children of GOD, we are the recipients of The Law of GOD, and His Statutes and Precepts!
At the time of our 'New Birth', The Holy Spirit entered the most Holy Place of our
lives, that is, our spirit and soul, and placed therein the very tables of GOD (See: II Corinthians 3:3), bringing us unto Him in full atonement.
PROPHETICAL: As Messiah
of Israel, The LORD Jesus Christ, tells us in Matthew 5:17, that He came to fulfill
the Law, that is, not only The Ten Commandments, but rather, all six-hundred
and thirteen
Commandments found in The Law of GOD, in The Books of Moses. He (Jesus) kept every
law that was given by The Almighty, and as He entered the Holy of Holies (See: Hebrews
9:24), His sacrifice for sin was accepted, and through Him and only though Him we
have eternal atonement.
THE MERCY SEAT
PHYSICAL: The Dimensions
of The Mercy Seat were identical to those of The Ark. The Ark of The Covenant was
used as the lower
portion and The Mercy Seat as the upper
portion of the entire Article of Furniture found in The Most Holy Place. The Mercy
Seat had at each end a Cherub with stretched forth wings that covered The Mercy Seat
itself. Interestingly enough, it was from between the two Cherubims, that were upon
The Mercy Seat, that The LORD GOD of ISRAEL spoke from (See: Numbers 7:89). The High
Priest had to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificed goat seven times upon The Mercy
Seat, for himself, for his household, and for the whole congregation of Israel.
SPIRITUAL: The Description
that John the Baptist gave of our LORD Jesus Christ, "Behold The Lamb of GOD, which
taketh away the sin of the world", is found in John 1:29. This was being spoken of
by the forerunner of The MESSIAH of Israel in respect of the work assigned and received
by Jesus our LORD! This act of love on the part of our MESSIAH, meant that He would
willingly 'SPRINKLE'
His own blood for every believer for time and eternity. In Hebrews 9:12, we read
"...by His own blood He entered in once into The Holy Place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us." Since our MESSIAH was sinless, there was no need in a sacrifice
for Himself, as was the case with the High Priest, also a sacrifice for the household
of Jesus was not necessary, as was the case of the household of the High Priest,
simply because the very Household of The Messiah is GOD Himself. In respect of the
sacrifice for the congregation, this indeed was the very life-blood that was given for every
person that would freely accept the free gift of SALVATION extended to Israel and
The Nations, on an individual basis.
PROPHETICAL: The Destiny
of our Messiah was to enter heaven itself (See: Hebrews 9:24). Jesus The Christ,
appeared before the Presence of GOD for us. That is, He sprinkled His own blood in
The Holy of Holies, upon The Mercy Seat before The Presence of The Almighty GOD of
Israel.
II - THE TABERNACLE THAT WAS BUILT IN SALEM (JERUSALEM) BY KING SOLOMON
In I Chronicles 28:11 we read, "...Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern
of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the
upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of The
Mercy Seat." The LORD GOD of Israel gave King David 'the pattern' of the building of The
Temple in Salem (Jerusalem), but He delegated the task of actually putting the structure
together to his son, King Solomon. Interestingly enough the very name of Solomon
means - 'PEACE',
and it was he that was to build The Temple in Salem which also means 'PEACE'!
We are again and again reminded that in The LORD's timing, the right person,
for the right position
in the right place,
is of His choosing. The right person was chosen by The Almighty and in so doing,
He excluded all others. I believe we should be reminded of this very issue. The LORD
in choosing the right person, does not become confused or double-minded, as is so
often the case with human beings. The LORD not only chooses the right person, but He reserves
the right not to make any mistakes for He is Omniscient, which means "ALL"
knowing. The LORD in His sovereignty knows all things from beginning to end. Can
you imagine, The LORD knowing that The Temple in Jerusalem would be built, even before
the worlds were framed, and yet, He 'waited' for the right person
to be born, to grow up and to be ready to receive such a great commission, thanks
be unto our GOD... that 'all' things are in His control. King Solomon was born during
a very difficult period of wars, heartaches, and even prior to his birth, there was
the death of his elder brother, the son of King David and Bath-sheba (See: II Samuel
12:19).
We see here a principle that runs through The Word Of GOD, that is, that The LORD
GOD, most of the times will pass over the first-born
and chooses either the second born, or third born, etc. A few examples that we find
in The Scriptures are:
THE LORD REJECTS CAIN
and chooses ABEL
THE LORD REJECTS JAPHETH
and chooses SHEM
THE LORD REJECTS HARAN
and chooses ABRAHAM
THE LORD REJECTS ISHMAEL
and chooses ISAAC
THE LORD REJECTS ESAU
and chooses JACOB
THE LORD REJECTS REUBEN
and chooses JUDAH
We could go on and on. Also we can see this to be true with King David, since he was
not a firstborn. Neither was King Solomon a first-born. This is a beautiful and Scriptural
theme that I thought would be good for you to know, so that once again you will be able to appreciate The Sovereign Hand of GOD. In I Corinthians 15:45, we read,
"...And so it is written, the first
man Adam was made a living soul; the last
Adam was made a quickening spirit." The first
man being of GOD's first creation in The Garden of Eden, and the last
Adam, referring to our LORD Jesus Christ. This principle runs through the Word of
GOD with much order and perfection, namely, the rejection of the first-born
and the choosing of the second, or third born, etc., this is culminated in the very
person of Christ our LORD! What the first
man could not do, the second
man did do. What Adam brought upon humanity through sin, that is, death; the last
Adam (Jesus), through His act of redemption, brought us unto GOD Himself. How wonderful
to know that The LORD looks on the heart rather than on the exterior. May The LORD
grant us the quality of seeing as He sees! King Solomon not only received his working
orders to build The Temple, because he was the right person
in the eyes of GOD, but also, because he had the right position.
By this I mean, that Solomon had the position of being ruler over Israel and as such,
he had at his disposal, men, materials, and all other necessities needed for the
construction of The Temple in Salem (Jerusalem). On top of it all, King Solomon was
in the right place
namely, Jerusalem. The Holy City was chosen of God Himself to be the very center
of the earth, for the people of faith.
Interestingly enough, today Jerusalem is the capital for the three major religions
of today; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Temple in Jerusalem was to be built after the pattern of The TABERNACLE. It was
to be a fixed building in a permanent place. In contrast The TABERNACLE was portable
and mobile.
Solomon's Temple, as it is customarily referred to, was glorious in beauty and structure!
Both The Tabernacle and The Temple are in the JERUSALEM OF GOD in it's scheme of
time and things!
The Temple had as it's primary function the housing of the Priests, the Levites, the
Singers, the Musicians, and most importantly it was The Place where The Jewish people
could bring their sacrifices for sin, trespass, or simply as a peace offering unto
GOD, The Almighty. The Temple also served other purposes, such as; The Place
of guardianship for the genealogical - birth records of every Jewish family, by their
tribes and heads of families! Also, The Temple served as The Place
of meeting for all of Israel, especially during the three feasts of The LORD mentioned
in Deuteronomy 16:16; The Feast of Passover, The Feast of Pentecost, and The Feast
of Tabernacles.
In II Chronicles 3:2, we read that King Solomon began to build The Temple in the fourth
year of his reign, and in I Kings 6:38, we find that The Temple was completed seven
years later. It took seven years to finish the work that GOD had given to Solomon
to accomplish. Solomon's own house on the other hand, according to I Kings 7:1 took
seven years to build. It's quite a paradox, that Solomon's house would take twice
as long to build than GOD's house. There are two schools of thought on this. First,
that King Solomon spent much more time, money, and effort in building his own house than
on The Temple itself. The other
is that King Solomon spent so much time and effort in the building of The Temple,
that he put aside his own house until The House of GOD was complete. I personally
favour the latter, simply because, King Solomon was the wisest man ever to live,
aside from The GOD - Man, the LORD Jesus Christ, who is WISDOM personified; and because, of
King Solomon's wisdom, he would have chosen to put his energies, efforts, and life
itself, for The Almighty GOD of Israel, as well as the fact that Solomon's Temple
was one of the world's magnificent edifices ever to be built on the face of the earth, with
it's location, in Salem - Jerusalem - Israel.
III - THE TABERNACLE THAT CAME TO DWELL WITH MEN, NAMELY, THE SON OF GOD.
The Tabernacle that came from Heaven: In the JERUSALEM OF GOD
and it's Tabernacles, we have already discussed The Tabernacle in The Wilderness,
and The Tabernacle (Temple) in Jerusalem, and now,, we are going to look into, The
Tabernacle that dwelt with men! JESUS
of Nazareth we are told in Romans 1:3 & 4, "...was made of The Seed of David according
to the flesh; and declared to be The Son of GOD with power, according to The Spirit
of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." You probably already noticed the
two
key words, 'made'
and 'declared'!
You can readily see that the word 'made'
deals with the 'human'
nature of our LORD Jesus, while the other word 'declared',
has to do with the 'divine'
nature of Jesus our LORD. Several years ago, while I was witnessing to a dear soul;
he asked me, Do you believe that a little child (Jesus) became GOD?' I answered him
by making this statement, 'My Friend', I do not believe nor have I ever said that
a little child (Jesus) became GOD, but rather, that GOD became a little child!!! You see,
there is a vast ocean that separates the two thoughts: In His Humanity, Jesus was
GOD, also in His Divinity, GOD was the man Jesus. Jesus was 'made',
or 'born'
of The Seed of King David, while at the same time, 'declared',
or 'manifested'
as GOD's fullness and glory here on earth. In John 1:14, we read, "...And The Word
(Jesus) was made
flesh, and dwelt among us." The word that occurs once again is, 'made',
or as we mentioned previously 'born'
; as well as the word 'dwelt',
which we understand to mean TABERNACLE;
that is, Jesus our LORD 'TABERNACLED'
, or DWELT
among men. Yes, He lived, walked, talked, ate, like any ordinary human being and
yet, He is GOD The SON!
How beautiful the humility of Jesus our LORD as recorded in Philippians 2:5-11, "...Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of GOD,
thought it not robbery to be equal with GOD: But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled
Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore GOD
also hath highly exalted them, and given Him a Name which is above every name: That
at The Name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth
and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is LORD, to the glory of GOD the Father." Again we are met with the thought, "was
made
(born) in the likeness of men." That is, Jesus our LORD chose to 'TABERNACLE' in
human garb. Just imagine, GOD The Son leaving His Glory, even though it would be
momentary, to 'TABERNACLE'
(or live) among men, in order for Jesus our LORD to suffer as we suffer; feel as
we feel; be tempted as we are tempted; hunger as we hunger, etc., and yet, Jesus
our LORD was without sin. How wonderful and beautiful it is that, "we have not a
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus our LORD - TABERNACLED
among us, and as we already have seen, He was put to the test in every conceivable
way known to us and even ways that we are not aware of, that is, in the Spiritual
sphere! Yes, our LORD Jesus Christ, took upon Himself a Jewish body (seed of David),
and as such, He was tempted and tried and found VICTORIOUS in every which way. No wonder,
the writer of the book of Hebrews, in chapter 4 and verse 15 gives us such great
assurance and encouragement, that I believe we all need; "...LET US THEREFORE COME
BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY.
AND FIND GRACE
TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED".
Not only did our MESSIAH JESUS TABERNACLE
(dwell) in the JERUSALEM OF GOD
in order that through His death, burial, and resurrection in Jerusalem, Israel, we
would have 'mercy'
and 'grace'
in relationship to eternal Salvation, but also, that He might provide for us 'mercy'
and 'grace'
in the here and now life as we sojourn in this temporal body. How exciting that as
believers in GOD through Jesus Christ our LORD, our everyday life can be VICTORIOUS
all the time.
We are reminded in Romans 8:37, "...We are more than Conquerors through HIM (Jesus
our LORD) that loved us." All because, "...GOD commendeth His love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) There is coming
a day that the JERUSALEM OF GOD
will be called the 'NEW JERUSALEM'
according to Revelation 21:2. With much interest, we also find in this verse of Scripture
that "...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."
Indeed the TABERNACLE OF GOD
that dwelt among men almost 2,000 years ago, in The Person of Jesus our LORD, will
return again to the Jerusalem of GOD, but this time as 'GOD Himself', that is, He
as GOD will, "...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."
Oh what glory that will be in the presence of THE TABERNACLE OF GOD, Who is Jesus
of Nazareth!
