Connecting the dots

(When the Heaven touches the Earth)

24-7 worship & priestly service
Brief outline / Short notices

Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know
what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance
in the saints.
Ephesians 1:18 - ESV

A Short Outline According to the Church History

Notices below

3 key moments
Abraham's Example
Melchizedek's blessing
Mount Sinai
Moses' lessons
Samuel the catalyst
Reactions to Samuel's service
King David's example
Salomon's Temple - Banner over the nations
Israel's declination and captivity
The fulfilled plan on the Earth
The apostles were taught about the Tent
The Better High Priest
The Royal Priesthood and its tasks
Because of your servant, David

3 key moments

There are 3 key moments which determine our Christian identity according to Christ' life: the life of the High Priest. We're His people. It means We have the privilege of following, learning this life, understanding these 3 important moments.
• Dwelling in His presence / Tent for the Prayer and Briefing
• Going out and raising the banner, which means representation and mark of the Heavenly realm – together, in unity
• Being the Royal Priesthood and living its activities on the spot

Abraham's Example

When we look at Jesus Christ and follow his life, it is very important to remember that he did not found the kingdom in modern religious communities, nor is his rule and activity rooted in the Jewish religion. In this blog you can read several Bible based notes teaching on his priestly and messianic origins, here in this study we go back to the time of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Why Abraham? Jesus himself told his contemporaries:

54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (NIV)
Jn 8:54-59

This is a everlasting conflict between the spirit of the world and the kingdom of heaven: namely, whether Jesus is merely a man or a religious revolutionary or someone else. Or is he (maybe) a representative of a much older and ancient rank, represented/described by the word Messiah and the word Christ (a rank).
For the better understanding we must see some events from the Bible!
Abraham had a vision {the Heaven touched the Earth} then got blessing.

"Go out from... I Will bless you"
Gen 12:1
the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”
Gen 12:7

..the promises were made to Abraham AND to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offspringS,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offsprinG,” who is Christ.
Gal 3:16

Gd gave further promises to Abraham later, in a following vision {the Heaven touched the Earth again}:

“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
Gen 15:1

Melchizedek's blessing

In Gen 14 we read that after the victorious battle in Valley of Siddim Abraham met with Melchizedek, a king + priest of God Most High.
This Melchizedek is remarkably important to us because Abraham got a blessing from him, who was a king of Salem and was high priest before the God Most High. By this moment Abraham's blessing was reinforced.

Authority in Righteousness
Authority in Peace

This late blessing is a seal on the previous promises.

He is the representative of Authority in Righteousness
He is the representative of Authority in Peace

His name, {Melech-zedek} in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next: he is also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.”
Heb 7:2

This blessing gives another duplex authority too and this points to the 2 phases of the heavenly co-working model:
• Melchizedek is a High Priest with intercessor prayer - in a heavenly sense: before Gd.
+
• Melchizedek is a King with power, peace and righteousness - in the earthly sense, too. Outside, among the people.

He represents the Messiah,
the heaven + earth dynamic.

Mount Sinai

On the Mount Sinai {when the Heaven touched the Earth} Gd appeared and Moses went up there. In Ex 11. Moses went into the cloud, getting instructions and blueprint on the Ark. In Ex 25 Gd instructed his people to participate in the preparation of the sanctuary:

Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution...
Ex 25.2
And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.*
Ex 25:8

*Immanuel = Gd is with us

Moses' lessons

Moses got various "real-life lesson" about the Authority. In the Cloud, the Tent - and Outside.

During the exodus - Moses raised the banner - but this was a corporate job:

Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Ex 17:11

Here we can see another heaven - earth principle: raising the banner for the heavenly victory, seeing the results on the Earth.
Later in Exo 33 we can see Moses establishing the Tent of Encounter, going in, being with the Mighty. First: he ordered the construction of the Tent. Plus: He had privilege to be there.

Moses took a tent and set it up outside the camp, far away from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who wanted to consult the Lord would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand up, each one at the door of his tent, and they would watch Moses until he entered the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses...
Exo 33:7-9
... The Lord spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent.

Stop, the observant would say. Who? Moses and... his servant, Joshua? 'You mean, the next generation leader Joshua?
Ahhha. This means that the tabernacle is opened according to God's sovereign choice and not according to the Levitical priesthood?
Yes. Yes. And Yes. We read about Joshua's courage in his faithful life. We read of his victorious, conquering battles. We know he was a servant of Moses. But do we know that Joshua had a kick-start and in his early years he practically lived around the Tent and even in it?

Samuel the catalyst

Samuel - another chosen representative of the Heaven - has a really eventful life, rooted in the Sanctuary.
1Sam 2:11 and 3:3 tells us Samuel's story:
During his childhood Samuel was lying down, lit. sleeping ! in the Temple of the LORD, where the Ark of God was. His life {in bodily form} was: "the message in the Tent".
Gd had a plan. He wanted to show/represent the spiritual community among the people of Israel. Samuel was a prophet {message} but also a Judge of Israel.
Samuel was living in the Tent/Temple in Siloh {when the Heaven touched the Earth} and he was living /acting among the people.
In the Almighty's presence he got his first vision and started his work, then he served Israel both spiritually & as the judge of the nation.

Reactions to Samuel's service

His influence has provoked reactions:

• Samuel 1st anointed Saul {1 Sam 9} - but this happened by the carnal demand of the nation and the fruit was a carnal reaction. This is what we learned from the Bible.

• Samuel then anointed David - who came with faith. He was chosen by Gd. He is the forefather of the Messianic Line.

King David's example

“I will not enter my house
or get into my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Ps 132:3

David talks about the 2 phases he experienced in the presence of the Lord:

..when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
UNTIL I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
Ps 73:16-17
↓
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary*
and give you support from Zion!** Ps 20:1-2

*inside
**the community outside

The two phases in his life has been well recognised. He became more & more effective when...
• He had Revelations about Gd's provision during his early life

I will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.
I will boast in the Lord;
the humble will hear and be glad.
Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;
let us exalt His name together.
...
The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Ps. 34

• He had Revelation about Melchizedek {and the authority and power}

Ps 110
The LORD says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool. ...
110:4
The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest FOREVER
after the order of Melchizedek.”

• when - after having heavenly briefing - he took some "Priesthood action" and took further "technical" steps, establishing Israel's political power according to the "Melchizedek way" of life..

As for the briefing Psalm 123 describes a state of readiness when nothing else is important or functional except the Lord's will and timing:

I lift my eyes to You,
the One enthroned in heaven.
Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand.
Ps 123:1-2

This has little to do with the existentialist religions so fashionable today.
When the Lord waves His hand, things happen – according to His way & will.
Perhaps the secret of David's success is that, despite his huge failings, he always tried to think in God's focus and he practically chose to do so in his environment.
Gd loves the devoted heart.

Gd Almighty has listened to David's desire to build a Temple building. {1Chron 17:1} He said:

I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a House for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
1 Chron 17:11

{this is a fractal msg, a prophecy about Yeshua's heavenly position too}

Salomon's Temple - Banner over the nations

As we can read the Temple description {1Ki ch. 6 and 7}, it is the precise structure of the Tent - carved in stones. We can see the The Outer court, the Inner court, etc. The shape and the structure is exactly like the tent's description.
And here, in the middle of the Temple description, we can read a very important paragraph:

The word of the Lord came to Solomon:
“As for this temple you are building — if you walk in My statutes, observe My ordinances, and keep all My commands by walking in them, I will fulfill My promise to you, which I made to your father David. I will live among the Israelites and not abandon My people Israel..”
1Ki 6:11

After all - It's not about the building. The Almighty doesn't need buildings. He needs hearts.

I have heard your prayer and petition you have made before Me. I have consecrated this Temple you have built, to put My name there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there at all times.
As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and in what is right, doing everything I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David: You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.
If you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep My commands — My statutes that I have set before you — and if you go and serve other gods and worship them, I will cut off Israel from the land I gave them, and I will reject the temple I have sanctified for My Name
1 Ki 9:3-7

Despite the declination of Solomon's life, the Temple clearly represented the One God, and His realm. The Salomon Temple was an architecture gem. The Temple was one of the wonders of the ancient Near Eastern world and people {and leaders} migrated to Jerusalem to admire it.
Nevertheless, for God the focus was different. The prophetic word points to the marker / banner function of the believers' community {the 2nd phase} and the coming Messiah:

"Raise a banner for the nations. The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth:... 'See, your Savior comes!'"
Isaiah 62:10-11
"The Root of Jesse {Davidic House} will stand as a banner for the people; the nations will rally to him.. .. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles in Israel. ..."
Isaiah 11:10-12

Israel's declination

In this article I do not want to write about Israel's captivity in Babylon. I will merely quote the words of the prophet Amos who spoke in the time of darkness:

On that day I will raise up
the booth/tent of David that is fallen,
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins,
and rebuild it as in the days of old;
Amos 9:11

The fulfilled plan on the Earth

The Davidic line, the House of the Messiah finally fulfilled the plan among the humankind. Gd's message and manifestation has finally touched the Earth in person via Yeshua {the Heaven touched the Earth} Jesus "the Word became flesh, Tabernacled among us." John 1:14
Article: Tabernacled among us

Jesus, the Way and Message had and has some clear teaching about the heavenly, paternal briefing he used to receive and the actions after the briefing:

“I have much to say about you and much to judge; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”
Jn 8:26
I speak what I have seenin the presence of the Father.
Jn 8:38
“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
Jn 5:30

The apostles were taught about the Tent

This is how the Jerusalem Council referred to the Tent of David. In this meeting Paul & Barnabas told what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles ...
James the head of the Jerusalem Church recognised the significance of the moment and reacted according to the Spirit... :

After they finished speaking, James replied:
“My brothers, listen to me.
Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree,just as it is written, {Amos 9:11}
‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the Tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’”
Act 15:13

The Better High Priest

Nevertheless, the Heavenly Tent - earthly tent relationship has nothing to do with the priestly system that operates the Levites! The nations are not invited into the Jewish priesthood and religion but to the covenant with the High - High Priest himself.
For Jesus Christ is not of the tribe of Aaron {priest} but of the tribe of Judah.
Heb 8:1-2 talks about the Better High Priest - who is Jesus:

Heb 8:1.
Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a High Priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in Heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the True Tent that the Lord set up, not man.
Heb 8:6.
... Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant He mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

Article: Two different eras
YouTube Jesus the Royal Priest

The Royal Priesthood and its tasks.

Peter teaches about the Royal Priesthood in 1Pt 2:9 (article on the original text)

You are a Royal priesthood... that you may represent his noble character...

Jesus about the priestly and corporate prayer:

whenever you pray,... go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you... Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on Earthas it is in Heaven.
Mt 6:5
{the heaven touches the Earth}

..whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites... when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret...
Mt 6:16

truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.
Mt 18:19

Article: Jesus’s two prayer models

Paul about the prayer service

I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivingsbe made for ALL people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires ALL people to be saved.!!!
1Tim 2:1-4

The apostolic writer of the Hebrew letter encourages us to go bravely to the Father. With trust before the Throne:

Let us therefore approach the Throne of Grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Heb 4:16
↓
..because He remains forever,
He holds His priesthood permanently.
Heb 7:24
↓
Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence* to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:19-22

*
in whom {Christ} we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Eph 3:12

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases Him.
1Jn 3:21

through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
Rm 5:2

Because of your servant, David

In connection with the Royal Priestly ministry mentioned by Peter, I'm concerned about the recent passivity of the Church. He, the Lord is dwelling among us because he is Immanuel. He is dwelling among us because he has agape toward us. His plan talks about the community and tasks of the royal priesthood.

We have no Ark in the tent anymore but we are the Temple and the priesthood until the end days. Do you want his presence? Do you invite Him?

Ps 132
4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep
or my eyelids to slumber
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 We heard of the ark in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 Let us go to His dwelling place;
let us worship at His footstool.
8 Rise up, Lord, come to Your resting place,
You and Your powerful ark.
9 May Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and may Your godly people shout for joy.
10 because of Your servant David,*
do not reject Your anointed one.
..
14 “This is My resting place forever; I will make My home here
because I have desired it.**
15 I will abundantly bless its food;
I will satisfy its needy with bread.
16 I will clothe its priests with salvation,***
and its godly people will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn grow for David;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown he wears will be glorious.”

* "Because of your servant David" precisely refers to the promise: Melchizedek's & Davidic line and Jesus' identity as High High Priest.
** This initiative is from the Lord. How will we react?
*** Salvation is a priestly honor and authority. "Horn" {the mark of the power} in the next verse also points to the authority, lamp as a beacon.

To be continued..

Articles:
Prayer basics - The Role of the Christ
God inhabits in the praises of His People
You can download this article in .pdf HERE: Connecting the dots – The Outline – TAB of David

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