Sanctuary Alive : The Priesthood of the Three Sanctuaries (sermon) John Theil

John Thiel

We have been studying the three sanctuaries;
·        The Hebrew sanctuary which was the tent that was set up and later on the temple that Solomon built
·        The heavenly sanctuary
·        The body temple sanctuary.
The sanctuary on earth was a copy of the one in heaven. The true sanctuary that the Lord pitched and not man. Jesus said that he was going to go be with his Father to prepare a place for us. Jesus said destroy this temple and he would raise it again in three days as he was referring to his body temple.

Hebrews 8:4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the Law:

8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.

8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

This identifies for us that the priests of the Hebrew sanctuary were simply serving as the example and shadow of Heavenly things.

Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

9:9 Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

While the Hebrew was still being used, the people didn’t have an appreciation of the temple in heaven but only the one on earth.

Hebrews 9:10 [Which stood] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed [on them] until the time of reformation.

The Hebrew sanctuary was the not the real thing as it was a shadow of the real. The sacrifices that were being made were doing very much for the sinner in reality because it didn’t really cleanse him. It was a symbolic function. It did not make him that did the service perfect as it was only in symbolic activities.

Hebrews 10:1 For the Law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

It was a symbolic activity with the holy days, meats and drinks. They were not something that could cleanse a person from sin.

Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]:

2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.

Because these are not the actually body, when Jesus died and the curtain was rent from top to bottom this meant that the ceremonial Laws were no longer to be practised. It was done away with. Don’t let anyone put you back on that symbolic path anymore. It is finished. Let no one judge you in not keeping the ceremonial laws, meats, drinks and holy days connected with the sanctuary. It’s not necessary, that was done away with. The sanctuary on earth was a symbol and Jesus used it to try and help the disciples to understand after he was crucified. Jesus used Moses to explain why he had to go through the things of him being crucified. He called them fools and slow of heart. Why was that? They were Jews, they had the sanctuary and they should have known;

Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

The Law of Moses contained the things concerning Jesus. He then met the others in the upper room.

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me.

24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

He said unto them while he was yet with them that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses concerning him. We have seen Jesus is in the entire story of the Hebrew sanctuary. As he was showing them this they began to wake up as to why he was sacrificed and what he had to do now. He was sanctified and then went as a priest into the sanctuary of heaven. This was a prophecy. The Law of Moses is a prophetic description of everything Jesus is doing for our salvation. As the Hebrew sanctuary constitutes such a prophecy, it prophesied the work that Jesus was doing in the heavenly sanctuary. There is a body sanctuary but notice what the Hebrew sanctuary was called.

Hebrews 9:2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary.

9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

What does the word tabernacle mean?

Hebrews 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.

The word tabernacle means a tent to dwell in.

Hebrews 1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting [you] in remembrance;

1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off [this] my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me.

1:15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

What does he call his body? A tabernacle. There is something that dwells inside of your body that looks at itself. It is your consciousness. He says when he puts off his tabernacle, when he dies, they will remember what he said to them. This is what is written about Jesus, he came and tabernacled with us. As we dwell in these tents, Jesus also came and dwelt with us in these tents as one among us. The Hebrew sanctuary was a place where God dwelt among the people. It was a tabernacle. Our tabernacle is as much a place where God wants to dwell as in the Hebrew sanctuary as he dwelt among us in Jesus Christ. In the tabernacle, in the heavenly sanctuary and in this body temple there is a service of cleansing from sin. In the service as we studied, the priests had a job to work with the people to cleanse them from their sins. The priesthood in these three tabernacles are;
·        The Levitical priesthood
·        The heavenly priesthood
·        The priesthood in our body temple.

The Priesthood of the Hebrew Sanctuary

Exodus 28:1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, [even] Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

28:3 And thou shalt speak unto all [that are] wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

28:4 And these [are] the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

The Breastplate

Exodus 28:29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy [place], for a memorial before the LORD continually.

28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

On the priest was the breastplate with twelve stones and on each stone was one of the names of the tribes written.

Exodus 28:40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

Aaron’s sons wore a robe of white which was also under the ephod and other robe. The ordinary priests wore white only. This is what the Levitical priests were to wear. We will come to this when we study Gods interest in our dress.

The garments of the high priest were of costly material and beautiful workmanship, befitting his exalted station. In addition to the linen dress of the common priest, he wore a robe of blue, also woven in one piece. Around the skirt it was ornamented with golden bells, and pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet. Outside of this was the ephod, a shorter garment of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white. It was confined by a girdle of the same colours, beautifully wrought. The ephod was sleeveless, and on its gold-embroidered shoulder pieces were set two onyx stones, bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. {PP 350.3}

Over the ephod was the breastplate, the most sacred of the priestly vestments. This was of the same material as the ephod. It was in the form of a square, measuring a span, and was suspended from the shoulders by a cord of blue from golden rings. The border was formed of a variety of precious stones, the same that form the twelve foundations of the City of God. Within the border were twelve stones set in gold, arranged in rows of four, and, like those in the shoulder pieces, engraved with the names of the tribes. The Lord's direction was, "Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually." Exodus 28:29. PP 351.1}

When the high priest went into the most holy place he would bring the people’s names before God and on the Day of Atonement. The priesthood was approaching God with the names of the children of Israel to bring them before him. Describing this priesthood we recall Hebrews. This was trying to teach us of the reality.

Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service [of God].

9:7 But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:

This priesthood of the earthly sanctuary is all summarised in these scriptures.

Hebrews 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

The priests were doing this work but they could never take away sins. It was symbolic. What these priests were doing was symbolic of a higher priesthood.

10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

10:3 But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year.

10:4 For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

How can the blood of animals take away sins? It was an object lesson. We are concluding the priesthood of the sanctuary of the Hebrews that the work they were doing was not effective to get sin out of the life.

Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

5:3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron.

This priesthood was called of God. They didn’t put it upon themselves. God ordained it. That priesthood was important but it couldn’t save and cleanse from sin. It was an important prophetic detail of a higher work. The Hebrew sanctuary was to be studied to understand what the higher work was.

So Christ, the great High Priest, pleading His blood before the Father in the sinner's behalf, bears upon His heart the name of every repentant, believing soul. Says the psalmist, "I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me." Psalm 40:17. {PP 351.1}

It was the work of the priest to bring the names of the children of Israel on their breast before God. Jesus is our high priest before God and he bears the sinners names before God. That is the priest of the heavenly sanctuary. We now see a swing in Hebrews that takes us to Jesus;

The Order of Melchisedec

Hebrews 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the Law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

We are to understand the priesthood of Jesus and the priesthood of the body temple as the Levitical priesthood could not wash away sin. If perfection were by the Levitical priesthood why didn’t it continue? It couldn’t do it. It needed another priesthood after the order of Melchisedec. It’s a different order. It was something that was to help cleanse away sin in reality. We now move forward into a ministry, an order by which sins could be removed in reality. Where must sin be first of all removed from? In the earthly sanctuary the sinner came with his sin offering. What did he want? He wanted to get rid of sin. What did he have to do? He had to put his hand upon the animal and confess his sin and then the sins were symbolically removed from him and placed on the animal and then it was slain. He had to kill it and then the blood was taken and sprinkled. This tells us that sins have to be removed from the sinner/believer. The sin of the sinner is where? Right inside of him.

Jeremiah 17:1 The sin of Judah [is] written with a pen of iron, [and] with the point of a diamond: [it is] graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;

Where is the sin? In the sinner. In the heart and on the horns of the altars. Our brain and our spinal cord have horns which govern and lead us to do actions. If our sins are described as being in the heart and on the horns of our altars then we need to get that cleaned up. There needs to be cleansing from sin. Form the heart and the horns of the altars, from the very rulership of your being.

Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

The whole earthly sanctuary was an object lesson to teach what God really wanted them to achieve through his ministry. Come, let’s deal with it. Learn to do well, seek judgment. This is what the sanctuary message is all about. The priesthood that was needed in the earthly sanctuary to demonstrate this required another priesthood. We now see the necessity of the priesthood that deal with the real thing that the earthly one was symbolic of.

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

9:23 [It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

This which was a picture of the heavenly sanctuary was to be cleansed by the blood of animals. That which was made by man’s hands - the earthly sanctuary Jesus did not enter as it was a figure.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Without sin! This is now the ministry of the real image, not the shadow. This is now Jesus after he had sacrificed himself as the lamb. He went to heaven as a priest in the heavenly sanctuary. When he is finished there he will come back without sin. Our sins will be totally removed which the blood of animals could not do. We notice that there are two priests, the earthly priesthood and the heavenly priesthood. Two mediators. What are priests? Mediators. What is another name for mediator? Intercessor. If the Hebrew priests didn’t achieve that, Jesus achieved it in the heavenly sanctuary. Now look at another intercessor.

The Third Priest

Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Jesus is in heaven doing his work in the heavenly sanctuary and we are waiting for him to come back without sin that is our hope.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.

Did you just hear the word intercessor? Is this another priest? Here is a priest an intercessor

Hebrews 9:9 Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].

There is Jesus the priest. We turn form the Hebrew Levitical priests to two other priests. The Holy Spirit interceding with us in our prayer and Jesus interceding in the heavenly sanctuary. The earthly sanctuary had the Levitical priesthood and the heavenly sanctuary has the priesthood of Jesus and our body temple has a another intercessor in it. The Holy Spirit. Jesus was a priest according to the order of Melchisedec. The bible definitely speaks of two real priests, not symbolic priests but the real ones.

Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

The apostle says he has many things to say about this Melchisedec and the people he was speaking to he told them they were hard of hearing. Jesus was a high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Let the bible help us to understand the priesthood that is not the Levitical priesthood but the Melchisedec priesthood.

7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the Law.

7:13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

7:14 For [it is] evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

7:16 Who is made, not after the Law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

7:17 For he testifieth, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

7:20 And inasmuch as not without an oath [he was made priest]:

7:21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

In the Hebrew sanctuary the Levitical priesthood did the service. The Levitical priesthood was not of the same calibre as the Melchisedec priesthood. The Melchisedec priesthood came by way of God making an oath. Jesus was made according to that priesthood.

Hebrews 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

7:23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

7:24 But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

This is a priesthood who is eternal. The order of Melchisedec is a non-dying order. The Levites were priests who died. The order of Melchisedec is a priesthood that never dies. Melchisedec was one of those and Jesus was the other. If the order of Melchisedec which was not the Levite, was the order of an eternal priesthood and if Jesus is of an eternal priesthood then isn’t Melchisedec of one too? Melchisedec was the first priest Jesus came second.

Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Who is Melchisedec? A priest who continues all the time. He is called king of righteousness and peace. Who is that? Who can only be called that? When you listen to the ministers of today, they put a completely different slant on this. Oh that had no pedigree, he was just a man and he was not an eternal being. He didn’t have any record of where he came from and when he died. When we read this, is he just a man? Who is he? King of righteousness and king of peace. Who is that?

Hebrews 7:4 Now consider how great this man [was], unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

7:6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

What is Apostle Paul trying to get across to us here? The Levites who received tithe of their brethren were not as high as Melchisedec was.

Hebrews 7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

Who was the one that was blessing the less? Melchisedec was blessing Abraham and the Levite which was in his loins as he wasn’t even born yet.

Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he [receiveth them], of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

He liveth. This is a being that still lives.

Hebrews 7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

7:10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the Law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

We are reading about a priesthood that is greater than the Levitical priesthood. It was a man who was the same as the son of God. He was a person who would live forever and this was the order of the priesthood that Jesus was of as he also lived forever. Who are we talking of here? This great man who like Jesus was a man but eternal like Jesus. The work of the priesthood that we saw being Melchisedec has a continual priesthood and so Jesus has a continual priesthood. Neither of the two dies although Jesus died but rose again. Now he is a priest. When he died he was a lamb but when he rose he became a priest but now lives forever and Melchisedec lives forever as our priest. Where does Melchisedec work as priest? Who is He? If he is the king of righteousness, the king of peace, who is he if he is like the son of God? Can he be the father? No. Who must he be? The Holy Spirit who came in the form of a man just like the word became a man. Both of these are priests. The Holy Spirit is a priest where? In your heart. He makes intercession with our prayers in our hearts.

Hebrews 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Our sins were on the horns of our altars. In the sanctuary the blood was sprinkled on the ark of the most holy place which is the heart. that had to be cleansed so the Law could be written in the heart. If the priest was working like that in the heavenly sanctuary, what is to taking place in our hearts? The cleansing of our sins. Who was the minister doing that?

Hebrews 10:15 [Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

10:16 This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my Laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Here is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is working to cleanse our body sanctuary and put the ten commandments in our heart and cause us to walk in his way. That is the work of the priest, the Melchisedec priest in the heart.

The Ministry of Jesus

Hebrews 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
The Holy Spirit and Jesus are both active in the covenant. Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary and the Holy Spirit in the body sanctuary. They are both working with the new covenant which is the write the Law in our hearts and then cleanse the heavenly sanctuary from all the sins written up there. As both orders of the Melchisedec priesthood are working for the body and heavenly sanctuary, both cleansed so that when Jesus comes he will come without sin. Those who have participated are without sin.

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

These three are working;

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

2:10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Only under the direction of the Omniscient One shall we, in the study of His works, be enabled to think His thoughts after Him. {CT 530.2}

If you have the Holy Spirit in your heart (frontal lobe) and the Law of God inscribed into your heart by the Holy Spirit, then what will you be doing in your heart? You will be thinking the thoughts of God.

Hebrews 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

We are enabled to think his thoughts after him. This is our privilege in the priesthood after the order of Melchisedec. Learn to do well. This is the work of this priest. Jesus said he will send another comforter.

John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

This is the Holy Spirit, the king of righteousness. A teacher of righteousness according to righteousness. He will come and reprove us.

John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show [it] unto you.

How will he do it? In your heart. The priest at work.

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

Where is the Holy Spirit to do his work? In the inner man so Jesus can dwell there by faith. Jesus is in heaven but by the work of the holy spirit he can dwell inside of us by faith. Here is what is needed;

2 Corinthians 3:3 [Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

The Law will be written in the heart by what the priesthood is doing.

2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God;

3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

3:7 But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away (THE HEBREW SANCTUARY):

3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

3:10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

3:11 For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious.

3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

3:13 And not as Moses, [which] put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [veil] is done away in Christ.

3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.

3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.

3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

How? By the spirit of the Lord, the high priest in the heart. He is comparing the earthly sanctuary with its glory that was done away with the glory that was to remain. Notice the veil that was over them. Jesus was a man in the human flesh that they didn’t recognise who he was. The veil was over him. When Jesus is removed and revealed through the Holy Spirit then the glory shines. Because the veil is removed, the flesh is no longer impacted, it is the spirit, not the letter.

2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.

5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The flesh is no longer the veil in the way. The people who permit the Holy Spirit to cleanse the temple by the application of the blood of Jesus, the body temple is cleansed, the law written in the heart. Under the priesthood of Melchisedec we are presented before God righteous as Jesus does his work in the heavenly sanctuary simultaneously. When he is finished, the Holy Spirit will be finished and he will come back without sin. This is the priesthood work of the three sanctuaries. May it be that the high priest Melchisedec be within our body temple cleansing us from sin.
Amen.

List of Lessons

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