and no man openeth” (Revelation 3:7). It is through Jesus Christ that the pattern which had been started through Moses, and transformed through David, was perfected. You obtain the keys through Jesus Christ.
God’s Priestly Ordination
God required three things in ordaining the priest’s office, and stated three times His purpose. First God said to separate Aaron as the high priest and his sons to accompany him; and second to make them holy garments for glory and beauty. Third, God instructed a consecration of His appointed designer to make the garments. Three times God stated the purpose, “that he may minister to me in the priest’s office” (Exodus 28:1-4).
David followed God’s pattern of sanctifying the priesthood prior to bringing home the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chronicles 15:14). He separated Zadok as the high priest to serve in the Mosaic Tabernacle on Mt. Gibeon for keeping all things holy (1 Chronicles 16:39). However, David caught a new concept to have a processional of joyful celebration as the Ark returned home to Jerusalem. So he separated three chief officers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethun, for the Ark’s processional and for the continual ministry to God in the tent he had prepared. In turn, these three officers were responsible for separating and preparing a priesthood of worshipers to continually minister around the Ark (1 Chronicles 16:4, 6, 37). This new priesthood was the choirs, singers, dancers, musicians, trumpeters, and prophets. Once again, before releasing his kingship, David separated Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun as the officers to serve under Solomon (1 Chronicles 25:1-7). David understood the need for consecration and separation, but he also understood the garments of holiness with glory and beauty in a refreshing new way, and said, “O worship the Lord with beauty and holiness... Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad…” (Psalms 96:9, 11), and then he commanded the people to worship God with rejoicing. David’s new concepts had changed the pattern of the garments from being physical to being a matter of the heart. We can clearly see how David changed the pattern of worship from being external to internal.
In our pattern today, we are the temple of the Living God, and He wants to dwell in us and walk among us, to be our God, and for us to be His people (2 Corinthians 6:16-18). God wants us to come out from the world and be separated so that He can be a Father to us. He wants us to be His sons and daughters. In Romans 12:1, Paul gives us another glimpse. He says that God wants us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to be holy and acceptable, which is our reasonable service. 1 Peter 3:15 says that we are to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. We actually have a greater position in worshiping God than did Moses or David because our worship is not delegated or commanded, but can freely flow from our heart.
A Need for the Anointing
God forewarned the priests that they were not allowed to approach the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place without first being anointed. This anointing came by someone in the priesthood pouring God’s own formula of holy anointing oil upon them. Once again, God reminded them of the purpose, “…and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office…when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place…” (Exodus 28:4, 43, emphasis added). Here is what Christ has done for us: “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, emphasis added). We now have been anointed through Jesus Christ and it gives us access to freely minister to God at the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place.
A Need for Reverencing
Furthermore, to properly minister, the high priest had to reverence God as they entered into the Most Holy Place by offering the blood of unblemished bullocks or rams for their sins. Once again God stated that the purpose was, “… to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office” (Exodus 29:1, emphasis added). Now, Jesus is that unblemished lamb that shed His blood, and as we repent, the blood is applied to our heart. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). As David was quick to repent when he sinned, we must do the same. Even after we have given our hearts to Jesus, a repentant heart is still necessary to reverence God.
The Sweet Smell of His Fragrance
Before the high priest could go behind the vail into the Most Holy Place to minister to God, God required the room to be filled with His exclusively pure and holy perfume. “And thou shalt make it a perfume… pure and holy… and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy” (Exodus 30:35-36, emphasis added). Our access into the Most Holy Place is by the pure and holy perfume of Jesus Christ, but it requires love on our part. “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:2). This fragrance is the same as a life that is acceptable in God’s eyes, “…the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). We now enter into the Most Holy Place by waving the fragrance of our praises with the perfume of Jesus Christ.
Meeting Behind the Vail
In the Most Holy Place, on top of the Ark of God’s presence, the mercy seat sat. It was covered in gold and mounted with two gold angels with their wings spread across the Ark. On the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the fire of God came down between the angels to consume the sacrifice for the sins of the nation (Exodus 25:17-22). It was forbidden that anyone should ever remove the mercy seat covering. By God’s instructions, when the high priest entered into the Most Holy Place, he was to put a vail over the Ark of the Testimony upon the mercy seat to meet with Him. “And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee” (Exodus 30:6, emphasis added). It was upon the mercy seat where God’s fire consumed the sin offering and the glory filled the house.
When Jesus died upon the cross, the veil of the temple was torn, exposing the mercy seat and the Ark (Mark 15:38), and He became our Mercy Seat. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we have not an 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. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (emphasis added.) The apostle Paul, in Hebrews 10:19-21, recognized the significance of the mercy seat, and that the veil torn was the flesh of Jesus; therefore, it is only by the blood of Jesus that are we able to enter into the Holy of Holies. This is because Jesus is now our High Priest in heaven that has atoned for our sins once and for all and His mercy covers us.
Meeting with God
It is important for us to know that God desires to meet with His people in every generation. In the following passage God makes it plain that He personally will sanctify His dwelling place. “This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God” (Exodus 29:42-46, emphasis added). Just as God desired to meet and speak to them, and to be a part of their lives, He desires the same for our generation.
