The Tabernacle of Moses

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

7/17 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

We want to share with you from the Old Testament about a type of restoration as seen in the Tabernacle of Moses.

The Holy of Holies, was a perfect cube. It represented God's dwelling place. Many have noted the dimensions of the holy place, the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was 10 by 10 by 10 cubits or 1,000 cubic cubits. The Holy Place (or sanctuary) was 10 by 10 by 20 cubits or 2,000 cubic cubits. Does the 2,000 cubic cubits correspond with the time (2,000 years) from Jesus' first ministry on earth as a Man until His second coming? Does the 1,000 cubic cubits of the Holy of Holies correspond to the millennium, when Christ reigns on earth for 1,000 years? Only the Lord knows, but it is certainly a possibility.

Another prophetic significance of the Tabernacle of Moses is that the total area of the tabernacle was 5000 square feet. Of that area, 2% was for the Holy of Holies, 4% for the Holy Place, and 94% for the outer court. The outer court speaks of those who are born again; the Holy Place speaks of those who are baptized with the Holy Ghost; and the Holy of Holies speaks of the remnant ... the overcomers.

The outer court had no covering. It was therefore subjected to the natural sun and weather of all types. That means that at night the outer court was in darkness.

The Bible records 2 times when God caused darkness to be over all the earth Genesis 1:2. Just before Jesus died on the cross (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) the veil of the temple rent in twain from top to bottom.

Isaiah 60:1-2 "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee." 

Note that when darkness covers the earth that those in the Outer Court will be in darkness. There will be a 3rd and last time that darkness will be over all the earth. Two prophets have prophesied that: Joel (Joel 2:1-2 and 31), and Zephaniah (1:15). 

Jesus 3 times spoke of outer darkness. 

Matthew 8:11-12
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 22:12-14
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 25:29-30
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The walls surrounding the outer court were made of fine, white linen, 5 cubits tall. Five speaks of the grace of God. Fine white linen speaks of the righteousness of God. Therefore all who enter the outer court represent born-again believers. Note that the brazen altar was placed in the outer court. That says that repentance is needed for those who are already born-again believers. Those in the outer court will go to heaven; they just never experience walking in the Kingdom of God.

The Holy Place was covered and therefore exempt from weather. The only light was provided by the golden lampstand.

Exodus 25:31-32
31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

A candlestick implies burning candles, but the golden candlestick was actually a lampstand upon which were seven lighted lamps. So the word candlestick is not a good translation. Candles burn by self-consumption, but lamps burn by the continual supply of oil being poured into them. The seven lamps were to burn continually. They were never to go out. It was the function of Aaron and his sons to make sure that the lamps never went out. Likewise, it is our responsibility that the oil in our lamps never go out.

The Holy of Holies contained only "the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims" (2 Samuel 6:2). The ark symbolizes the presence and power of God. The Holy of Holies was likewise covered and likewise had no natural light. The glory of the Lord lightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof (Revelation 21:23). The only item in the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant.

The ark, for a period of time, contained three items: the two tables of stone, upon which were written the ten commandments and given to Moses; the golden pot that had manna; and Aaron's rod that budded.

2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.

3 And after the second vail, the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all;

4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant. Hebrews 9:2-4

The Greek word translated "censer" here refers to a vessel used for burning incense. So it can describe either the shovel used for carrying the coals or the altar on which the coals were placed. Although the altar of incense stood in the holy place, the author of the Book of Hebrews describes it as belonging to the most holy place. On the day of atonement the high priest took incense from this altar, along with the blood of the sin offering, into the most holy place (Leviticus 16:12-14).

The Lord told Moses:

And thou shalt put into the ark the Testimony which I shall give thee.

Exodus 25:16

Later, Moses did just that, on the first day of the first month of the second year after the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 40:17).

And he [Moses] took and put the Testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark. Exodus 40:20

During the Exodus from Egypt, after about 40 days, the people murmured because of hunger, and the Lord rained down manna from heaven (Exodus 16). The manna lasted for almost 40 years and ceased as suddenly as it began (Joshua 5:12) after the Israelites had eaten of the old corn of the promised land of Canaan.

This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. Exodus 16:16

Please note that EACH man was to gather the manna for himself and for his family each day, except on the seventh day. Each man was to gather a double portion on the sixth day because no manna fell on the seventh day (Exodus 16:26). The golden pot that had manna signifies revelation knowledge rained down sovereignly from God, intended to be gathered by each man for himself and his family.

The Lord also told Moses to save an omer of manna in a golden pot. An omer is slightly less than a gallon.



32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it [manna] to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.

33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.

34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Lord, to be kept.

Exodus 16:32-34

From Verse 32 we see a rather amazing fact. Only the Lord could preserve the manna in a golden pot for generations! We can find no scriptural reference as to when the golden pot that had manna was actually put into the Ark except possibly for Verse 34, above. However Hebrews 9:4 clearly states that as being true. When Aaron "laid it up before the Lord," that may well be a Hebrew figure of speech which indicates that he put it in the ark. The manna was a foretaste of the spiritual counterpart which was to come in the Person of Jesus. The manna represents Spiritual revelation about Jesus and the truth of His word, as given by the Holy Ghost.



31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

34 Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us of this bread.

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. John 6:31-35

The third item in the ark, at one time, was Aaron's rod that budded (Hebrews 9:4). This event occurred some twenty years after the start of the Exodus, or about halfway through the forty years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and is spoken of in Numbers 17. This story follows the account of the Divine judgment of Korah (Numbers 16:1-35) and the narrative of the symbolic use given to the censers of the rebels and its aftermath (Numbers 16:36-50).

Numbers 17 is thus the third in a series of accounts vindicating the Aaronic priesthood against all opposition. Earlier, Miriam and Aaron had led a rebellion against the leadership of Moses (Numbers 12). As a result, Miriam was made leprous by God and shut out of the camp for seven days.


7 And Moses laid up the rods [twelve rods, one for each of the tribes' houses] before the Lord in the tabernacle of Witness.

8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of Witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

Numbers 17:7-8

Please note that Aaron's rod budded, bloomed blossoms, and brought forth fruit (almonds). This was (is) a sign of God's anointing ... to bring forth fruit. Aaron's rod that budded foreshadowed the coming apostolic authority, reflected in shadow and type with the Aaronic priesthood. Apostolic authority points first to our Apostle and High Priest, Christ Jesus, and then to those whom the Lord sets in the body as true apostles, as in Ephesians 4:11.

Now, let us fast forward through time. After the new generation of Israelites entered the Promised Land, judges were set in to rule over Israel. These twelve judges lasted for approximately 350 years. The Book of Judges recounts the sad events of Israel's apostasy. It was common in Israel during the time of the judges for every man to do "that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6; 21:25). God had to remind them again and again that He was the one true God, because they repeatedly indulged in the idolatry and immorality of the Canaanites among whom they lived. The Book of Judges reflects a cycle: Israel falls into apostasy, God sends an oppressor, Israel repents, God sends a deliverer, there is peace and prosperity, and then Israel falls away again. So it is in the modern day Church in America!

During the time of Eli the priest, who also judged Israel, things got so bad that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, both died in battle the same day and the ark was taken by the Philistines. When Eli heard of the news, he likewise fell off his seat, broke his neck, and died the same day. Then the wife of Phineas, who travailed in birth and brought forth a son, "named the son Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken" (1 Samuel 4:21-22). She likewise died the same day.

The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines for seven months, during which time the Lord smote the Philistines with several plagues. So the Philistines decided to send the ark back to the Israelites on a new cart. When David finally brought the ark back to Jerusalem and Solomon built the temple, there was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone, which Moses had put there at Horeb (1 Kings 8:9 and 2 Chronicles 5:10). What happened to the golden pot that had manna and Aaron's rod that budded? Did the Philistines remove them from the ark? We do not think so. If they had, they would have been struck dead immediately. Scripture does not specifically tell us, but we strongly believe that God sovereignly removed them from the ark. Why? To signify that what those two items represented had been lost to the people of Israel. They were left with only the Mosaic Law, even until this very day.

Like Eli, Samuel neglected to discipline and teach his sons properly. Perhaps, like servants of God today, he was away from home too much and too occupied with helping others. Just as the personal failures of individual ministers lead some to reject the whole concept of the Church, the failure of Samuel's sons led the people to reject their authority as judges, as well as to reject God, who in His sovereignty set the judges up to rule over His people. So,

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 1 Samuel 8:4-7

It is the same today! The "king" that the Church has asked for (and received) is the role of the pastor. Churches, even Spirit-filled, charismatic churches, have said, through their actions, "Let the pastor speak to us the words of the Lord, but let not the Lord speak to us." It is much easier to hear what the Lord is saying through a pastor or through a book or tape than to seek the mind and voice of the Lord for yourself.

Continuing with the restoration of the ark, the ark remained symbolically empty until the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, at which time the two missing items (Aaron's rod that budded and the golden pot that had manna) were spiritually restored. No one can deny that Jesus, and then Peter and Paul certainly manifested apostolic authority. Paul received so much revelation that he had to receive a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul was also caught up to the third heaven and heard unspeakable words which were not lawful to utter (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).

8 Wherefore he saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and He gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)

11 And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:8-13

So the "five-fold ministries" are temporal ... till we all come. Have we all come unto a perfect man? NO! Therefore, these ministries are still valid. Please also note that we, the Church, 

Are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. Ephesians 2:20

The modern day Church has changed that verse to read that we are built upon the foundation of the pastors. That is why we have more than 500 denominations today. So once again, every man does that which is right in his own eyes. Once more, the Church has got into much idolatry, mixture, and abominations in the eyes of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has once more sovereignly removed Aaron's rod that budded and the golden pot that had manna. Except for a few brief, isolated events at various times in history, there has been no apostolic authority and little outpouring of revelation.

But God! Despite all the shortcomings of men, the Lord is still building His Church! There is a stirring in the mulberry bushes! The Lord is on the verge of restoring prophetic revelation, to be followed by true apostolic authority.