Tuesday 29 January 2013

ARK OF THE COVENANT / THE POWER

The ark of the covenant (Ex 37:1) carried the secret of the covenant and is a shadow of the components of the new/ current covenant in Christ. The Ark is representative of a seal of protection, Then physical, now spiritual. The new covenant is in unity with Christ(Is 55:3) who, like the ark, became the new witness(Is 55:4.) In the ark was the ten commandments, (Ex 40:20,) the law that would literally dictate the quality of life of the new nation(Deut 32:46, 47; Deut 29:9).

 The law foreshadowed a coming dispensation, when the word/laws of God would become part of the people and arise from the spirits of men. This, we find in Christ, The living word of God(John 1), who dwells in men, transforming them from sons of obedience. He says He came to fulfill the law(Mat 5:17). Jesus is the personification of the law. The same way sin was avoided by strict application of the Law in Deuteronomy, acceptance of Christ is acceptance to have a new form of law rule over you - the law of grace through which is justification, and power to overcome sin(Rom:5:15,21). This new standard of perfection brings a less rigorous relationship between man and God.
In the ark was also a pot of bread. This was the manna that had been supernaturally  provided. Christ is the living bread, in addition, God promises a provision of daily bread in our current wilderness, just as he did in the wilderness. He begins salvation, and sustains it by His own power. This He promises as we live amongst the rulers of this world.

 The rod of Aaron that budded was the third item(Num 17:8-10). This would be representative of the covenant of priesthood between God and the house of Aaron, one that would later be inherited by Christ(Num 18:1-2). Our spiritual ark contains a seal of priesthood, a heritage through Christ(Is 61:6). This is why we can offer sacrifices in the new temple.

 All the components of the Covenants ark were sealed in by a protective Cherubim overshadowing a throne of mercy(Ex 23:20). This was a representation of the of the spiritual protection of the covenant by Gods Cherubim. This is the Angel that was given charge over them in the wilderness(Ex 23:19,20). There is an Angel of the new covenant alluded to in Daniel 11:22. Cherubim are in many occassions refered to as princes, being of similar rankings as of the principalities/ ruler of the world. The churubs/angels are inseprable fron the protective glory/power of God. The new covenat has a protective seal too. This seal protects our heritage in God(Is 55:4). The seat of mercy over which the Cherubim kept watch (Ex 37:9) completes the presentation of the glory of God as was later seen by prophet Ezekiel (Chapter 1).

 The glory of God was one with the ark, in moulding, foreshadowing the unity between the glory of man, offered to God as a sacrifice(the wood), and the gift of the glory of God covering over man(The overlaid gold(Ex 37:11)), both gifts, combining to a fortress, a garment of protection over man. This means we are not only strong when we are in our season of plenty, but also in a season of war, when there is less glory on our part.

 The power of the new covenant starts with Christ, first seen in conception, and later in the miracles. He outlines the functions of the new annointing on at a synagogue, basically reiterating Isaiah 61:1-11. This was also a revelation of the assignment of the angel of the new covenant. John the baptist knew the functions of the new dispensation, and for this reason when he sought a confirmation from Christ, He replied with works which in fact revealed the fulfillment of Isaiah 42:6,7,8 in addition to Is 61:1-11. This is the glory of our covenant.

 John the baptist was of the glory of the old covenant, and his assignment was parallel to that of its glory(Ex 23:20-32.) This was the same assignment carried by the angel in the wilderness using the law. John was to take it as Elijah(Mathew 3:3, 17:12-13), a prophet of the law that had to prepare the way before the terrible day of Christ(Malachi 4:5). Due to the cyclic nature of prophesy, this was first fulfilled in John the Baptist. It also assures us that Elijah precedes the terrible day of the Lord as is the interpretation of Malachi. These(John and Jesus) were two dispensations working side by side, the old paving way for the new. The old seems to have power to judge harshly by the law, also a function of the two witnesses of the passing age in Revelation 11:3-6. The sword is for the sons of the law, not believers, for those who live by the sword, die by the sword, and the law is a sword. It is for this reason that I believe that the power of the sword has already been released upon the principalities of the earth, due to many witness accounts. The mission of John the Baptist was marked with violence in the Kingdom of God. These are the birth pains of the earth(Is 66:8,9), a sword expected and prophesied against the nations(Is 66:15,16).
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