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Exodus 25:22
22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

I don’t know if you’ve realized it, but we’ve been on a journey, where prayer is our vehicle and the manifest presence of God is our destination. Every session, each night, every prayer point, has been designed for one purpose and one purpose alone, to bring us closer to His presence. Why? Because the Bible declares that “in His presence is fullness of joy.” [Psalm 16:11]

Everything we have discussed over the last five weeks has led us to this final topic, the Holy of Holies. This is the final stop on our prayer journey through the tabernacle. When you enter this room, you will only see one article of furniture, the Ark of the Covenant. And what is interesting is that this is the only piece of furniture in the entire Tabernacle with a promise associated with it.

Exodus 25:21-22
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee […]

The Ark is significant in that it identifies God’s desire to bring humanity into His presence. Without the Ark the tabernacle would be nothing more than an activity tent made from badger skins. It’s also interesting to note that the design of the Tabernacle begins in Exodus 25, and the very first thing that God instructs Moses to build is the Ark. This tells us that it was God’s initial intent and plan to create a place where He could commune with us.

In the Old Testament, the Holy of Holies was highly reverenced. The High Priest came into this room only one time a year, and that was for the purpose of sprinkling blood on the Mercy seat. This action was to atone for the sins of the congregation, not the individual, and it was to remain for a year. [Theological note: the atonement was a “covering up” or “pushing forward” of sin, not the “remission” or “removal” of sin.]

However, when Jesus shed His blood and breathed His last breath on the cross of Calvary, the Bible tells us:

Matthew 27:51
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

So, today, we have direct access to Jesus Christ. No High Priest required. No longer is the blood of bulls and goats required. Access has been granted to ALL. The Lamb of God was slain, once and for ALL. We can now enter this room, at any time – provided we enter correctly and with the right intentions.

Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

How do we come before Him boldly, by preparing ourselves as we stop at each prayer point in the tabernacle. Just as the High Priest was required to change his clothes before entering the Holy of Holies, so we are to also take the time to remove all pretenses and obstacles that would hinder us as we move into His presence. It should be with a holy awe, a holy reverence that we step beyond the veil into His presence.

The Ark itself was covered with the Mercy Seat. Here is where the blood of the atoning sacrifice was sprinkled. Reminding us that mercy is found sitting above the law, and that the throne of judgement has become a throne of grace and mercy. And now that we have access to the Holy of Holies, this is why we can rejoice with the Word when it says: “His mercy is new every morning” [Lamentations 3:23].

Inside the Ark there were three things:

  • the manna, reminding us of God’s provision to His children.
  • the rod of Aaron, reminding us of the power and authority of God.
  • the ten commandments, reminding us of God’s unchangeable standard for our life.

Here we can pour out to God our needs and can expect divine provision. Here we can claim the authority that has been passed to us through the Name of Jesus. And we can stand on the Word of God, knowing its forever settled in heaven. And not only are the standards given to us unchangeable, but the promises provided are irrevocable.

Bringing our journey to an end let’s summarize what we’ve learned along the way.

We enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.

We kneel at an altar of true repentance and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice.

We wash ourselves with the Word. Allowing the Word to teach us purity and holiness before God.

We pray for ourselves and others as we discover Jesus to be Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

We enter the Holy place and seek to keep our oil fresh and our lamp burning brightly.

We pray for those who carry the bread of life to the hungry and hurting in our homes, communities, and across this planet.

We stop and linger at the altar of incense and offer up praise to God that to Him is a sweet smelling savor.

And we step behind a torn veil, knowing that we have been given the greatest opportunity in the world, from the foundation of the world, to commune with the creator of the world. Let His glory fill your temple.

1 Corinthians 3:16
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

And lastly, my desire is that this series of lessons has inspired you to the same resolve the Apostles had in the book of Acts.

Acts 6:4
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

Suggestions/Action Items

Get a prayer journal. Document your daily journey with the God.

Commit. Give yourself to a daily time for intentional prayer.

Simply begin with this: Have you identified your Red Sea? Pray about it and use the Tabernacle as a method to get to the manifest presence of God and allow Him to “part the waters.”

Footnote: Prayer Model Adapted from Heaven to Earth, Anthony Mangun