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The Creation Tabernacle
Ki Tisa "When you take a census/lift up"
EXODUS 30:11-34:35
1 KINGS 18:1-39
PSALM 75
LUKE
2:1-52
There is a pattern in the The Mishkan (Tabernacle) that matches the Creation week, hinting that the intention of the Mishkan was to present the Israelites an opportunity for a kind of "paradise regained." The Mishkan was set up on the first day of the first month:
On the first day of the first month you shall set up the
tabernacle
of the tent of meeting... Now in the first month
of
the second year, on the first day of the month, the
tabernacle
was erected. (Ex 40:2,
17)
Rabbinic tradition places the beginning of Creation on the first of Nissan, the first of the months.
It places the thought or intention of Creation on Rosh
HaShanah
(Trumpets), the first day of the seventh month. Many Jewish commentators have pointed out the parallel language of the Creation and the Mishkan. One of those primary words is from asa, which means both to make or to do, and its various verb forms pepper the "makings" of Creation and the making of the Mishkan. Look for these key words parallel in the Creation and in the Mishkan's construction:
MAKE, SEE, COMPLETE, BLESS, SANCTIFY, WORK, BEHOLD
The Mishkan is called the Ohel Moed, or "Tent of Meeting." On the Fourth Day of Creation, the two great lights were made "for the sake of the moedim." This is the first mention of the moedim (seasons, feasts) in Scripture.
The ark was carried on two "separating" poles (בַדֵּי עֲצֵי) that were never removed from four rings. They were the means by which the commandments traveled with Israel, like the luminaries were the means of the light to separate (לֲהַבְדִּיל) day and night.
CREATION: God made (va'ya-as) the two
great
lights, the greater
light to
govern the day, and the lesser
light to
govern the night; He made the stars also
. (Ge 1:16)
MISHKAN: They shall construct (veh'as-u) an ark of acacia wood two and a half
cubits long
, and one and a half cubits
wide
, and one and a half cubits
high. (Ex 25:10)
Like the Ark of the Testimony, the Mishkan's Shulchan (shalach, stretch out) or table for the Bread of Faces was acacia overlaid with gold, had feet, rings, and carrying poles. It also had a gold "crown" surrounding (saviv) it like the Rivers enclosed the Garden of Good Gold saviv around the Garden (Ex 25:25). There were two rivers described as saviv in the Garden stretched around its perimeter, and Exodus 25:25 twice mentions saviv in reference to the gold band around the Shulchan. In fact "Good Gold" was inside Eden.
The "table" did not include animals on the Sixth Day, but "bread," the will of Elohim the Creator who made plants for food. They were a creation after their kind, but there was a separation between the beast after his kind and the man who only found completion with a human bride, his kind.
CREATION:
God made (va'ya-as) the beasts of the earth after
their
kind, and the cattle after
their
kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good
. (Ge 1:25)
MISHKAN: You shall make (ve-asita) a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. (Ex 25:23)
There is also a beast connection of the Sixth Day:
For in
six days
the LORD
made (
asa
)
the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day;
therefore,
the LORD blessed the
sabbath
day
and
made it holy
. (Ex 20:11)
When there was good and very good work on the six days culminating in the beasts and humankind, the LORD blessed and sanctified the Seventh. Adam and Eve, and humankind, are obligated to make even the beast rest on the Seventh Day. This reminds them that the "firstborn" of the Sixth Day, the beast, must serve the younger, Adam. Even in resting, the beast must obey instead of carrying a burden. This is the core message of The Beast prophecies in Revelation. The mark of the beast, even before the most explicit references in Nehemiah, has always been the desire to carry a burden of commerce on Shabbat. A 666 beast must be controlled by the Israelite to rest on the Seventh (7 spirits, assemblies, messengers, seals, trumpets, bowls, thunders). For this reason, John's prophecies come in waves of sevens.
The Creation, like Israel, was given a chance to contribute to the Mishkan to regain some of the Presence:
In building the
Mishkan
, the entire Creation contributed and "became" the
Mishkan
:
Porpoise skins and snail dye from the sea
Worm dye from
insects
Linen from plant world
Wool and
ramskins
from clean animals
Shittim
wood from plant world
Copper, silver, and gold, and undressed rock from mineral world
Earth for the altar from the earth
The creation benefited from Sabbath rest, but to an extent, it depends upon humankind to facilitate that rest of goodness through six days of work and one of rest.
CREATION:
God saw all that He had made (asa), and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning
, the sixth day
. (Ge 1:31)
MISHKAN:
And Moses
examined
all the work and behold, they had done it (asu); just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done (asu).
So Moses blessed them
. (Ex 39:43)
Blessing follows doing "just as the LORD commanded." When something is "complete," it is because the "hosts" do "according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses." The two "completions" in each following verse draw attention to the avodah, or work/worship. This is the intended complete duty of man in the Garden:
A. work/worship of
avodah (obeying)
B. holiness (guarding)
CREATION: Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts
. (Ge 2:1)
MISHKAN:
Thus all the work of the
tabernacle
of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did
. (Ex 39:32)
After Elohim completed His work, He rested in "it" All His work which he had created and made. There is a play-on word in the statements. Where the texts translate "it," one may also read "him" in Hebrew.
CREATION:
Then God
blessed
the seventh day
and
sanctified
it (him), because in
it (him)
He rested from all His work which God had created
and
made
. (Ex 2:3)
MISHKAN:
So Moses
blessed
them. (Ex 39:43)
Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in
it (him),
and shall
consecrate
it (him)
and all its
furnishings
; and it shall be holy
. (Ex 40:9)
Man actually provides a resting place for Elohim who created him when he (a human) rests on the Seventh Day according to the commandment and pattern of Creation. In light of the many parallels between Messiah and Mishkan, the Messiah also is the great picture of providing rest both for humankind and a way for the Creator to once again rest in all that He has created and made.
Yes, we rest in Messiah, yet the Mishkan pictured how Elohim can rest in Israel as at the Creation Shabbat, for Yeshua came to restore humankind to the Garden. Now a human's Shabbat rest allows his Creator to bless and make him or her holy. For this, Shabbat was created, to restore the Divine Presence.
In Exodus 39 and Exodus 40, the same phrase is repeated seven times: "As the LORD had commanded Moses." "Govern" is the key word to Day Four of the moedim and Shavuot, the Fourth Feast.
In the seven Creation days, the universe obeyed.
The universe was created as "a place the where God's will reigns supreme...God fills the space we make for Him, and that is no small thing." -R' J. Sacks.
In the seven "makings" of the
Mishkan
, human beings obeyed out of free will.
"It is to tell us that nothing was made by human initiative. Every measurement, every item, every feature of every vessel, represented God's will made actual by the freely assenting human will." - R' J. Sacks in
Covenant and Conversation
.
Terumah was
a call to freedom in worship; however much an Israelite wanted to open his heart to contribute, the Presence would fill it. Ki Tisa is an elevation in equality of service, whether rich or poor. All paid the same half-shekel. All are precious, yet each makes his or her own space for the Presence to fill the Tent of Meeting.
Ki Tisa is linguistically related to
Terumah
:
Nasa = to lift, bear up, carry,
take
Terumah
=
offering
from
Rumah
= to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be
exalted
The context of Ki Tisa is the voluntary offering for the
Mishkan
; the context of
Terumah
is the required half-shekel for the
Mishkan
service. These two Torah portions appear in Exodus separated only by one Torah portion. They are examples of two things. Ki Tisa explains the equality of every contributor to the Mishkan. No one pays more or less than a half-shekel for the national offerings. No one is above or below.
On the other hand, Terumah describes the voluntary offerings of the Israelites. As much as they wanted to open their hearts with contributions to the Mishkan, the Presence of Adonai would fill it. For this reason, Yeshua teaches two types of parables. In some, such as the workers hired at different times of day, all receive the same coin. In others, the workers are allowed...and expected...to invest in the work, and they receive rewards commensurate with that effort.
Understanding that both principles are true, we both are equally saved yet individually invested, can help us in conversations where we might be accused of trying to keep the commandments in order to earn salvation. Being saved and being invested in the Kingdom are two different conversations!
To put this tool in your toolbox, divide a sheet of paper into two columns: Ki Tisa and Terumah. Scan Yeshua's parables in the Gospels. When you see a parable teaching equality of salvation, list it in the Ki Tisa column. When you see investment in the Kingdom, list it in the Terumah column. Both should make the Creation rejoice with us!
Shabbat Shalom!
The Seven Seals are READY!
Want to know more about the supernatural bugs of Abaddon?
It's LIVE on Amazon and available through local bookstores!
The revision of
Creation Gospel Workbook Two: The Seven Abominations of the Wicked Lamp, The Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, and Seven Bowls of Wrath
(and the Thunders) may be purchased to enhance your winter reading and Scripture study!
We've gone from the original 75 pages published in 2009 to 366 pages. The new
e
dition includes extensive explanations of the supernatural bug-horsemen from Abaddon.
The entire Song of Moses is keyed to the Book of Revelati
on along with the events of the Exodus and wilderness journey, clarifying the concept of the Greater Exodus.
The new edition has an Answer Key to the study questions in the back of the workbook.
You already know the Sabbaths and feasts are important, but once you work through this workbook, you'll be more convinced than ever that your faith in Yeshua, his commandments, and especially his feasts, are vital last-day fulfillments of prophecy and inoculation against the plagues of sevens.
Be careful to purchase the February 2020 version (2nd Edition), NOT the 2009 version sold by used book stores on Amazon. Click
Seven Seals or the red horse graphic to view.
Sukkot in Israel
Interested in celebrating Sukkot 2020 in Israel?
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| Sukkot Parade of the Nations 2019 |
Although we are still negotiating with hotels and working on the itinerary,
the registration page is up so that you can make a deposit. The price may drop once negotiations are concluded and the final itinerary set. Click on
Sukkot of Glory to view or reserve your place with a deposit.
Our New Series on HRN:
50,000 Degrees and Cloudy
The deep Torah study in Section One restores the
original foundation of the resurrection. The resurrection is put in the context of the numerous prophecies of in the Torah portions. The Exodus and wilderness journey have illustrations of the event that were too numerous to fit into one book. Section One uncovers the Torah foundation to which the writers of the New Testament refer.
Section Two answers the question, "What happens when we die?"
LaMalah Children's Centre
There is an education fund and a property fund for LaMalah. The older children will need to enter university or vocational training soon, so we hope to give them the advantage of education. The good news is that compared to the United States, quality higher education in Kenya is very affordable (about $800 per semester). We don't want to see the children enter the hard labor of working on the tea or coffee plantations around Limuru when they have the ability to train for skilled jobs. There is also a need for additional property, so we are planning for the future.
We appreciate your donations at any time, but especially in the "slow" months of winter. March is usually our lowest month for donations and even for royalty income from the Creation Gospel workbooks, which support the orphanage. Whether you buy a workbook or donate this month, it helps us survive the lean months.
If you would like to donate to the Children's Centre through The Creation Gospel, click on the Donate link below. It will say The Olive Branch Messianic Congregation on your receipt. Our local congregation is the non-profit covering for our ministry. Checks or money orders may be sent to:
The Creation Gospel
PO Box 846
East Bernstadt, KY 40729
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