Tabernacle, offerings, sin offerings, purifications etc., you missed a bunch of stuff. What the heck?

- The Kingdom of GOD is usually not seen by the naked eye, only in visions and eyes opened by the LORD for a specific purpose.

- The invisible kingdom (realm) is a place that only the Elohim can traverse, it requires being what we refer to as disembodied spirits.

- Our first introduction to sacred space is on the mountain of GOD in the Garden of Eden. This is a location where the earthly rulers (Adam & Woman) reside, and the heavenly King and sons of GOD can come, and it becomes a space between the invisible and the visible kingdoms that GOD created. 

- In GOD’s family there is a hierarchy of authority and different jobs assigned to different family members. The one we are most familiar with is the job of the messenger or Angel. It describes what they do not who they are. What they are is Elohim, but in truth this really is just a label we have created to describe them. Just like you and me they have names.

- In the Garden we are introduced in a way to some of these beings, they like the Cherubim and Seraphim we may have heard about, their job description is guardians of the sacred space, much like the throne guardians we read about in Revelations 4:7 and 5:6

- The Serpent (guardian), Elohim was watching over the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that is why it is not a shock for the Woman that this living creature was there at the tree, and that his living creature could carry on a conversation with her. 

- The other living beings that our mentioned after the fall when the Man and woman are put out of Eden because they are no longer fit for sacred space. GOD placed cherubim’s (guardians) and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life, to protect that sacred space.

- When GOD gives Moses the plans for the tabernacle to be built, they build a portable sacred space where GOD will tabernacle with his chosen people. This tabernacle is built on a pattern that GOD shows to Moses on the mountain. Each section is more restrictive than the next as it pertains to access to the presence of GOD. Only the High Priest was allowed into the holy of holies only once a year and with a sacrifice for himself and the people. The day of Atonement, this was a once a year reset of sacred space to the LORD.

- The two goats used in this day only one was killed and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat, on an object not on the people. The other goat with the sins and transgressions of the people placed on its head symbolically by the High Priest, was sent out of the camp alive, into the desert for Azazel, interesting? (Leviticus 16:26)

- Note this it not a sacrifice, but a sending of the sin of the people to its proper place, out of the camp (sacred space) to the place where it belongs. Perhaps to the originator of sin and rebellion.

- The sacrifices for sin offerings, purification offerings were all things that allowed the Israelites to be made fit for sacred space and to be close to GOD. 

- Things like childbirth, menstrual cycles, nocturnal emissions, and other such things were not sin offerings, but offerings of purification to make the person fit for sacred space.

- The laws of sin offerings, purification, eat this not that, wear this not that, limited access to GOD was to demonstrate the Holiness of GOD and how hard it was to keep all these laws and statutes for the chosen people.

- That is why people say the law was a teacher to point them to the Christ because only Jesus was able to keep the whole law. For us outside of the law, it demonstrated how hard it was to have access to GOD apart from the law.

- We now, both Israelites and gentiles have access to the Holy of Holies, sacred space because of what Jesus has done for you and me. Approach freely, with reverence and respect, to your Abba Father, he is a good, good Father. Just remember your Heavenly Father can and will still correct bad behavior, so tread wisely.

Next – A detour, into the Devine Council Chambers