The Golden Candlestick (The Holy Place) – Prayer – Part 13

The golden candlestick or menorah (Exodus 25:31-40) represents light and illumination, so it symbolizes divine understanding of the Word, the next level of insight and revelation where Word and Spirit are one.  At this point, you are becoming able to see and apply the Word whenever and wherever it is needed.

The menorah was made of solid gold.  There was no wood in this piece of furniture and there were no measurements given.  Since there was no wood, humanity wasn’t represented in the candlestick.  The function of the candlestick and what it symbolized has nothing to do with humanity.

In studying Jewish culture, it is said that when God instructed Moses to make the menorah, Moses lamented because the dimensions, details, and curves of the candlestick were impossible for him to envision.  So God showed him a menorah of fire and eventually instructed him to throw the stem into the fire from which the completed menorah emerged.  Moses didn’t have the tools to create the menorah according to God’s specification, so God formed it supernaturally.  This leaves us with the understanding that when you embrace the menorah, you have come to the place where God begins to perform everything He reveals to you in prayer.  You receive the illumination and God does the work.  This means there are no limitations as you embrace the element.  You have access to the mind of the Spirit and are able to discern the deep things of God.

The menorah had a stem (representing God) and six branches (representing the number of man, the church, which was born out of Him) (John 15:5).  The golden candlestick helps us to see that Jesus is the vine (stem) and we are the branches (six candles) coming out of Him (John 15:6). An intercessor who disconnects from the vine goes back to the outer court.  By illumination of the candlestick, the only thing you are going to ask for in intercession is the will of God because in this realm, His will is the only thing you desire.

The branches of the candlestick have the same decorations as the stem, a design that was beaten and shaped by fire.  This design represents the attributes that Jesus gave the church when we were birthed out from Him.

Jesus gave us His glory (Matthew 5:14). Part of being this light to the world is reflecting His image, symbolized by the fine gold that was beaten for the candlestick until it was smooth and reflective.  The design on the candlestick was comprised of almonds and flowers which again was beaten and burned into the menorah by fire.  The almond on Aaron’s rod was the first branch to bud and blossom, bring forth fruit to the nations of Israel (Num 17:8). This speaks of the everlasting resurrection.  As you embrace the work of the menorah, God will make sure to burn the image of the almond into your life. When the image of the almond is in your spirit, it doesn’t matter how many tests you endure or how many trials you go through, you have eternal “getting up power”.  You have life and can speak life into any situation.

The flower represents everlasting beauty.  If people cannot see the beauty of Christ when they look at you, if they cannot experience the sweet anointing of the Holy Spirit, if there’s nothing about your person that others desire, then the image of the flower isnt apparent in your life.

One final aspect of the golden candlestick is the fact that it was lit by the coals from the brazen altar.  The fire of God that lit the altar originally came from glory in the third realm, lighting the golden altar of incense and then the brazen altar.  By revelation this means that if there has never been any sacrifice in your life, and if you fail to willingly put yourself on the altar of sacrifice daily, then there will be no fire to light the golden candlestick in your life.  There will be no reflection of God’s character for others to see.

The fire on the brazen altar will go out unless you continue to sacrifice to put your flesh and your will on the altar of sacrifice.  If this sacrificial fire goes out, the fires of illumination on the golden candlestick will subsequently be extinguished.  Even worse, the coals of the golden altar of incense will smolder and die.

Sacrifice is a vital element. Saying yes to God in your mind and in your spirit continually adds wood to the brazen altar and makes it possible to receive illumination in the holy place, making it easy to worship Him at the altar of incense.  Personal sacrifice safeguards your understanding of what God desires to do in the lives of the people for whom you are praying.  Sacrifice lights the way to prayer.

The golden menorah was crafted of the finest solid gold.  The almond shape represented the resurrected power and the image of the flower represented everlasting beauty.  This means when we go into intercession and the enemy starts shooting fiery darts at you, your love does not change, your joy isn’t hindered, your peace keeps flowing like a river, and your long suffering/temperance kick in as you carry the burden of the Lord. When you reach the golden lamp stand you will have a solid gold encounter with God.

You may wonder what kept the menorah lit.  God instructed Aaron and his sons to keep the lamp stand filled with pure olive oil (Exodus 27:20-21).  The pure oil of crushed olives symbolizes the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When you look into the process they used to make this olive oil, it speaks strongly of the threshing process.  Basically, as the olive grows to maturity, the early fruit falls to the ground.  Then at harvest time, they beat the trees with long sticks to yield the rest of the crop, and then gather all the olives off the ground.  Then the oil was pressed out by crushing the olives in the hollow of a stone or by treading on them by foot.  When the olives were first pressed, two different lots of oil would come forth.  The first press was called extra virgin olive oil, meaning in its purest state.  This was the oil that was used to keep the golden candlestick burning.

When you go to the point of wanting to be used by God, we must receive the anointing of the pure olive oil that illuminates.  This goes beyond just having fire or intensity because the menorah will stay lit continually only if it is filled with the oil of the anointing.

One final aspect is related to the golden candlestick (Acts 2:1-4). As an intercessor, you need the oil of the spirit on a daily basis.  This means that it is an absolute necessity for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit as the disciples were on the Day of Pentecost. Without that infilling, there will be no supernatural utterances from heaven in your prayer closet. Since oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit and oil had to be refilled in the candlestick twice daily to keep the holy place illuminated, there is a strong emphasis on the vital role this experience hold in an intercessor’s life.

(Teachings from Juanita Bynum)

The Holy Place – Prayer – Part 11

As you prepare to enter the holy place, having been washed, dressed, anointed, and consecrated, you must remember that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him”.  You must remember that you came into the outer court through the gate of His finished work.  He became the way for you to see your true reflection in the brazen laver and to sacrifice your will on the brazen altar.  Now at the door of the tabernacle, you are about to enter the realm of intercession.  You have come into a deeper walk with the Lord under the new anointing He has poured upon your life.

But as I said earlier, at this new level you must approach the Father by way of Jesus Christ.  The door has the same four colors that were in the gate: white, blue, purple and scarlet. But now, they have taken on a deeper meaning.  Let’s see how this applies in your daily walk.  According to 1 Corinthians 1:30 and Revelation 19:7-8, the white, fine-twined linen speaks of the Lord, who has become your righteousness.  His righteousness can now be clearly seen in you by others.  It is the foundation and assurance of victory for every burden you receive from God in Prayer.  Blue (turquoise), the color of heaven, speaks of Jesus as the second man, the Lord from Heaven.  He was revealed to you at the gate, and now He’s being manifested in you daily as the living Word.  When people see you standing at the door of the tabernacle, they will begin to see the kingdom and will of God being validated in the earth through you.

Purple is the color of kingship which means you can be clearly identified as an ambassador of the royal family of Jesus Christ.  When people see you in the natural, they see you beyond your title, gender or nationality, all the way to your biblical roots.  Principalities and powers in the Spirit realm will also begin to recognize your heritage and bow to your royal lineage.

The last color is scarlet which speaks of a sacrificial blood that Jesus shed for you to be saved and come into a deeper relationship with Him.  It also signifies that the battle has already been fought and won for you in the Spirit realm.  Now as you begin to make intercession, fully clothed in your priestly garments, you will be able to experience the blood of Jesus going before you and setting the captives free.

In the Holy place, the realm of total truth, God requires that the grace of His Son be made manifest in you. Why? This door, the first veil of the tabernacle was not merely an entrance to an enclosed space.  This door shut out common (natural) men.  Most importantly, it was the only passageway that led to the manifest presence of God on the threshing floor.

Are you ready to enter His marvelous light? Eternal light is your final destination.  Now you must walk knowing that you have come out of the outer court where the light is only temporary.  As an intercessor, the works of Christ must progressively be revealed in and through you.  You can never go back.  As you prepare to enter the holy place, know that you will begin to operate in the supernatural light as you learn to pick up the burden of the Lord.  Remember, God hasn’t called you into the marvelous light just for you to sit there and gaze or to be afraid on this new level and run back to the comfort zone of the outer court.  There is a divine purpose for you and grace to meet every need just beyond that door.

There are two reasons why priests entered the holy place.  The first was to perform the service of the Lord. In performing the temple service, they made sure to replace the shewbread regularly which represented the Word of God.  They kept the menorah filled with olive oil which represented the light of the Lord and the oil of the anointing.  They also kept a constant fire burning on the altar of incense representing the place of worship and total surrender, ensuring that the glory of the Lord was maintained in that whole area.

The second reason they entered was to lay prostrate before God in prayer.  Both purposes speak of a higher degree of separation and devotion to God.  The golden altar represents a place, time, and position in prayer where you are separated from everybody else. Once you have gone through all the stages of altar – you will be able to experience the oil of the anointing.  The Word of the Lord will become alive to you at the golden altar and true worship will begin to rise out of your spirit.

This is your place of separation.  This is also why prayer can be practiced anywhere.  This is how we know that we are on our way to the threshing floor because separation is the heart of the threshing process. To thresh means “to separate grain or seeds from straw by beating the stems and husks”.  The divine threshing process actually begins when you enter the gate to the outer court in prayer.  Then the process of personal repentance in the outer court separates you from a life of sin into a life of obedience to God.  Now that you have moved into the holy place, the separation continues as you begin to live within His purpose.  Each piece of the tabernacle furniture deepens your intercessory experience.

The furniture inside the holy place was positioned with the table of shewbread to the north, the golden candlestick to the south, and the golden altar of incense to the west of the outer elements.

(Teachings from Juanita Bynum)

The Tabernacle Coverings – Prayer – Part 10

As God brings you into the holy place, you must become aware of the tabernacle furniture and how each element relates to you in prayer.  This will be the next part of your learning process, but there is a very important thing you must understand – God will never call you to intercede on behalf of the saints and into battle against the hands of the enemy without protecting and covering  you.

The outer court is open to the winds, storms, and other weather conditions that may blow your way as you learn to submit your life to God.  However, once you walk into the holy place, you are covered.  As we study about each covering, you will see a definite connection to the priestly garments.  God makes a strong point about the garments and the coverings.

Let’s start by looking more closely at the tabernacle.  It has two sections, the holy place and the most holy place.  God originally established the tabernacle through Moses so there would be a place for His presence to rest among His people (Exodus 25:8).  Do you think the enemy could remain anywhere that God has chosen to rest? Absolutely not! The presence of God will cover you as you make intercession – as long as you remain properly clothed, so don’t fall back into the outer court living!

If you were to stand back just before entering into the holy place, and then look up and around, you would see that the holy place and the most holy place were parts of the tabernacle structure that required covering.  Exodus 26:1-14 lists the four layered tabernacle coverings.

The first tabernacle curtain was woven of white “fine twined linen” and three different colors of wool: turquoise, purple and scarlet. This layer of covering was classified as “the tabernacle” and was made from the same basic material that was used to weave the priestly ephod in Exodus 28:6.  The difference between the two can be seen in the fact that the ephod had a gold strand of thread woven in with each of the other four threads, and the tabernacle curtains did not.  The curtains had four, not five, threads that were woven together into an ornate pattern of cherubim, as well as figures of the lion, eagle, and ox, which could be seen on either side of the fabric.

Here in the design of the curtains we once again see the colors of the finished work of Christ, which laid the foundation for the tabernacle coverings.  The first fabric mentioned is the white linen which speaks of the garments of righteousness and salvation that have been given to the saints (Isaiah 61:1-3, 10).

The first covering of the tabernacle in Exodus 26:1 displays not only the four workings of Christ through its colors, but also the images of the cherubim, the lion, the eagle and the ox (Ezekial 1:4-10, Revelation 4:7).  The images of the lion, eagle, and bull correspond to one of the colors in the workings of Christ, and e4ach of these images has significance in prayer.  The is why they were intricately woven into the design of this first (foundational) covering.

Cherubim are very different from angels.  God commanded that cherubim be woven into the fabric because they are a manifestation of everything He is.  Angels work on behalf of God in the service of humanity. Cherubim live around the throne of God, exalting Him continually and reflecting His glory.  The cherubim embroidered on the tabernacle curtains represent the inwrought work of cherubim who cover you in intercessory prayer and manifest the intricate workings and operation of the Holy Spirit on behalf of the Father and the Son.  As you pray, the cherubim remind you of the life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

The image of the lion corresponds to purple in the workings of Christ.  It speaks of the righteousness that has been imputed to you as part of the royal priesthood.  The lion reminds you of your royal lineage and lets you know that you are now operating in authority that transformed you in the outer court.  Because of this you can come boldly to the throne of grace.

The eagle corresponds with blue.  It reminds you that God enables your spirit to touch Him in the heavenly realm.  Blue speaks of operating in the supernatural. When you see the eagle, you are assured that God will mount you up on His wings and show you the mysteries of heaven so that you can bring His kingdom to the earthly realm.

The image of the ox (bull) corresponds to red.  Bullocks were sacrificed for the sins of the high priest or the nation.  This image represents that you are to remain broken before the Lord so that you can receive and carry His intercessory burdens for the church.  A bull charges toward death, so as the Holy Spirit leads you to your final position in prayer at the threshing floor, your spirit will charge toward God knowing that no flesh can see His face and live.

When you walk into the holy place clothed in your priestly garments, a powerful divine match takes place in the heavenlies.  Identifying with the colors and images in the first tabernacle covering identifies you with all the workings of Jesus Christ.

The second layer of covering over the tabernacle was made from black goat’s hair (Exodus 26:7). This layer of the curtains, classified as the “tent” was placed on top of the first covering.  Goats were used to atone for the sins of individuals, from rulers to common people.  This means as a intercessor, you will receive the grace to carry the burden of the Lord for anyone, anywhere, at any time – without becoming offended or affected by the person’s sin. Since the black goat’s hair was laid directly on top of the first tabernacle curtain, it assures you that your sins have been covered; for this reason you should not allow the enemy to remind you constantly of what you used to be.

The third tabernacle covering (Exodus 26:14) is made from ram’s skin dyed red and it was one of the final two layers, which were referred to as “covers”.  The ram was used in guilt offerings.  In addition, two rams were part of the sacrifices presented to Aaron and his sons when they were inaugurated (Exodus 29:15-28).  After sacrificing the first ram as an elevation offering to God, the second sacrificial ram was called “the ram of perfection”.  Every aspect of the ram is powerful. The ram is a sacrifice, a substitute, provision for our table, and a symbol of consecration for divine service.  It confirms and completes the divine pattern.  This represents that you can have perfect victory in prayer as you depend upon the Lord and upon those things that He already established in heaven and in the earth.  Finally through this ram skin covering, God speaks to you from Isaiah 1:18. Remember this when you are entering into intercession.

The fourth and final tabernacle covering was made of badger’s skin (dolphin or porpoise in the Amplified – Exodus 26:14).  This layer was the final cover that provided overall protection for each of the other layers.  The badger skins were considered strong enough to protect every other layer of the tabernacle against heat, storms and dirt.  Nothing could penetrate that skin.  When the badger skin was laid over the tabernacle, it didn’t matter what the weather was like outside – the glory still remained on the inside.  This is a final confirmation that as you guard your garments and make intercession, you will be protected from any outside onslaught of the devil.  The badger’s skin was actually a transitional covering, used not only when the tabernacle was resting in one place, but also while it was being move to a new location.  While you are learning how to move in the things of God and discovering the realm of the supernatural, you must trust that the badger’s skin is there to protect you against the wiles of the enemy – because supernatural experiences can be difficult to comprehend.

There is one final aspect about the tabernacle coverings that really minister to me.  Specific measurements are given for the first two coverings, the linen embroidered curtain and the black goat’s skin.  However, when we read about the skins of the ram and the badger, there are no measurements.  There are no measurements because Christ’s sacrifice cannot be measured.  His divine substitution on your behalf cannot be measured.  His ability to consecrate you in His presence can not be measure.  And finally, His divine protection against the wiles of the enemy cannot be measured.

The price has already been paid for you.  The work has already been done. You have come through the gate, which made the way for you in the outer court.  You are fully clothed.  Now that you have walked through the door of the tabernacle, which is the truth – you are fully covered to become an effectual intercessor.

Now it is time to go deeper into the tabernacle.  It’s time to go one step closer to your final position in prayer on the threshing floor.  So stay tune for Part 11 – The Holy Place.

(Teachings from Juanita Bynum)

The Place of Sacrifice – The Brazen Altar – Prayer Part 6

Once you have washed in the brazen laver, it is time to be purified at the brazen altar.  This is the second stage of our outer court step in God’s pattern of prayer.  The brazen altar is where you let go of your will and embrace everything the Lord wants to do in your life.

Let’s review: You have entered prayer through the gate of Jesus Christ with thanksgiving and praise for what He has done.  You have drawn near to God by moving through every distraction in the outer court.  You have submitted to the “washing of the Word” at the brazen laver, and now you know exactly what “manner of person” you are.  The transformation has begun.  You have come through “the way”” (the gate), but you are still in the outer court realm of prayer.  You have reached the “truth” level for your personal life, but your prayer experience isn’t fully matured; you still have to be broken before the Lord.

What is an altar?  The word “altar” in the Hebrew means “a slaughter place”.  In the Greek, it’s called “a place of sacrifice”.  The brazen altar is the place where natural earthly things that hinder your walk with God are consumed by the fire of God.  It’s the place where you become a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-3).  Everything within you that does not line up with God’s perfect will comes to an end at the brazen altar.  They are set on fire and consumed in the Spirit.

What does it mean to be set on fire and consumed in the Spirit?  This describes what it feels like after you become committed to a life of prayer, when the Lord allows you to be confronted with certain situations that will become the very trying of your faith. You must always remember that once you confess and declare that you believe the works of Christ and what He has done in your life, then every work of the Lord in your life shall be tried by fired (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

For example, gold jewelry is forged by being placed in the fire.  The goldsmith’s purpose for doing this is to draw the impurities and black tar particles to the surface.  Then  he pulls the gold out of the fire, scrapes off the impurities and foreign particles, and puts it back into the fire.  He does this repeatedly until he’s gotten to the deepest interior of the lump of gold.  During this process, everything that would cause this piece of jewelry not to shine, not to be declared as costly pure gold, is burned out so that the value of the gold increases.  God is doing the same purifying work in our lives.  When we allow God to put us “in the fire” we are cooperating with everything He is doing in us.  We are releasing every impurity that would hinder us from becoming a most valuable resource to Him and to His work.  When these impurities are burned out of us, nothing in prayer can be hindered – because the forging process strengthens us to carry the weight in the Spirit.  This makes us valuable instruments in His hands, not shallow believers.

God gave Moses very specific instructions for the construction of the altar in Exodus 27:1-8.  The altar was to be “five cubits square and three cubits high”  Five is the number of grace and three represents the Godhead.  When you go to the brazen altar, you are submitting to (proving) the work of the Godhead – and you will be transformed through His Word.  Jesus has already perfected the fire, meaning He has already tempered the flame to facilitate each and every person that will enter.  No two people go through the same trial.  No one goes through the same fire.  God tempers the flame so that it only burns up what He cannot use.  It will not consume the part of you that He desires to use.  Though the fire gets rid of the bad elements, it allows “that which remains” and “that which is good” to be formed and shaped until it adheres completely to His image.

God gave specific measurements for the altar.  “Make horns for it on its four corner; they shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.  You shall make pots to take away its ashes, and shovels, basins, forks and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze.  Also make for it a grate, a network of bronze; and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.  And you shall put it under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will extend halfway down the altar. And make the poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood overlaid with bronze.  The poles shall be put through the rings on the two sides of the altar, with which to carry it.  You shall make [the altar] hollow with slabs or planks; as shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.”

The brazen altar was made out of wood and then overlaid in bronze.  Wood represents humanity, and whenever humanity is involved, there are limitations.  Bronze symbolizes judgment, so the brazen altar is where God atoned for the limitations of man through the shedding of blood.  (Isaiah 53:5-7)  As you approach the altar of sacrifice, your ability to hold fast to your confession will be tested.  When you die to the flesh in prayer, the laver and altar enable you to rise up in the Spirit and walk into the holy place.  Sacrifice always comes before service.  Put yourself on the brazen altar and God will lead you to the second and third realms in prayer.  You won’t carry thoughts, ways and ideas to His throne – you will receive divine knowledge and revelation from Him as to how you should pray.  That is why you must go beyond outer court prayer.

The brazen altar was three cubits high, which symbolized the Godhead.  It also matched the height of the Ark of the Covenant, which rests behind the veil in the most holy place.  The base of the ark was two and a half cubits, but it extended to three cubits when they mounted the cherubim on top of the cover.   I believe this indicates that the glory of God will be equal to the sacrifice you make on the brazen altar.  If there’s no communion with God at the altar, you won’t have a match or connection in the most holy place.  To be effective in prayer, your sacrifice must measure up to the level of glory you want to experience with God in intercession.  Too many believers want great power with little or no sacrifice.  The danger comes when you think you are operating in the light of God, but in reality you are still functioning in natural light.  In the outer court, in natural light, daylight ends and night comes.  That means sometimes you are able to see your way, and sometimes you cant.  In the third realm, the light is supernatural.  It always shines because it comes from the glory of God.

The original flame that lit the brazen altar came directly from heaven! The Chumash states that the fire “went into the Holy of Holies and from there it went out to the Golden Altar and then to the Outer Altar, causing the incense and the sacrificial parts to go up in smoke.  Do you see the pattern?  In his first service for Israel, Aaron performed the sacrifices according to the pattern of prayer revealed to Moses. He followed Gods pattern and the Glory of God was revealed to all the people.  After this “day of obedience”, the priests were instructed that the “fire upon the altar shall be kept burning on it’ it shall not be allowed to go out (Lev 6:12). Each morning they were to burn wood on it and make a sacrifice.  From that day forward, wood, which represent humanity, kept the fire burning.  God requires us to lay ourselves on the brazen altar every day and say, “whatever doesnt please you, Lord, burn it up.  Consume my will, desires, emotions – anything that doesn’t line up with Your will”.  We are the wood that keeps God’s fire burning on the altar.

Even still, God doesn’t expect you to sacrifice without His help.  He provided for you by putting four horns on the corners of the brazen altar – which represent salvation, strength, and power! So when you lay on the altar of sacrifice, you receive salvation, strength, and power from Him to do His will.  Why?  Your flesh is being consumed in the fire of God, so it can’t hinder your prayer.  When you go into the holy place, you will be fully matured in prayer.

When the fire of purification is consuming your flesh (meaning when you are being challenged to walk in right standing with God in the midst of temptation), you must remember your salvation.  You must go back to the four works of Christ and learn to praise Him in the fire.   This also ties in to the four horns on the altar.  The number four represent the earth and its elements – the four winds and the four corners of the earth.  So Christ’s power to help you in prayer is unlimited! It extends to all four corners of the earth.

Jesus completed the pattern of prayer to help in time of need.  His sacrifice was great and can’t be ignored – we must embrace it.  We must be willing to go into the purifying fire of God with faith that Christ will help us.

(Teachings from Juanita Bynum)

The Place of Washing – The Brazen Laver – Prayer Part 5

I can’t tell you how many times I have read the Bible bypassing a lot of the scriptures that cover the genealogy and construction of the tabernacle.  To me, once read is enough as there wasn’t much I really saw that was important to me, yet years later, I find that the there was so much to learn about the tabernacle.  At first glance, you wouldn’t think so.  This study has so proven this way of thought wrong.  I can only pray that as we walk through each part, you will find that God hid away in these verses patterns for us to go by, even today.  Let’s continue where we left off.

If you remember from our last lesson, we have entered into the outer court, the place where the brazen laver and brazen altar.  Now prepare yourself for your journey through the outer court.  As you begin to walk through the outer court, you enter the brazen laver stage of God’s pattern of prayer. If you recall, you have passed through the gate that represents the works of Jesus Christ: His righteousness, divinity, kingship and sacrifice.  These four works of Christ allow you to enter His “courts” in prayer through expressing praise and thankfulness to God for what He has already done.  You have kept moving forward through the outer court, drawing ever nearer to God, becoming a reflection of Christ, Himself.  The brazen laver is the place of sanctification, where the Word of God cleanses and begins to prepare you to serve in your priestly function as an intercessor.  It is the first piece of furniture in the tabernacle and the first part of God’s nature that embraces your life.

Exodus 30:17-21 (NIV) says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.  Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die.  This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generation to come.”

Exodus 38:8 (NIV) says, “They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

In these times, the priest were required to wash their hands and feet, indicating that prayer is not suppose to stay on the personal level.  By washing, the priest demonstrated their total devotion to God’s service.  So what does this have to do with you?  By receiving Christ you were given access to the outer court.  It is important that you dont stop at entering through the gate.  God wants you to keep moving forward.  Whether you want to realize it, God must take us to another level in prayer, the level that prepares us to pray for others.   Since prayer is not only a personal relationship with God, but also a ministry, you must be taught that washing at the laver prepares you to minister to yourself, to someone else or to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:26 says, “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

So what does the Old Testament Washing at the laver have to do with us today.  We, as priests, don’t worship in a tabernacle the way the Levite priests did in ancient times, yet washing has an important significance in God’s pattern of prayer.  Washing at the laver is symbolic of our washing in God’s Word, which helps you to strip off the “old self” which is your flesh.  Until we wash at the brazen laver, we live “according to the desires of the flesh and are controlled by its unholy effects”.  In the outer court, we are still setting our minds on the things which gratify the flesh.  This is why you must wash.  Our sanctification at the brazen laver is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit, our Life Giver.  God can’t use a fleshly intercessor.  There is no room for a flesh prayer.  You must wash at the laver to get cleansed and prepared for the next level of consecration.

Returning to the Bible, we find that the brazen laver was made of solid bronze, symbolizing God’s judgment – so it reminds us that He’s the final judge of whether we are spiritually clean.  It also reminds us that there’s a final judgment for those who reject the Word (John 3:18, Revelation 20:11-15). It is through the washing of the word that Jesus is able to begin transforming you into the image of God.  You can’t do this for yourself.  I believe that is why the laver had no recorded measurements and no wood in it’s construction.  The Word of God is absolutely unlimited in its ability to wash and cleanse you. Nothing is too deep within for the laver to reach, too far in your past to erase, or too distant in your future to control.  Its cleansing power is unlimited, so you can become exactly who God destined you to be in His kingdom.

In the Old Testament days, the mirrors that women used were made of bronze.  The brazen laver was constructed from the mirrors of the Israelite women.  I think it’s interesting and somewhat cute that women provided the mirrors, because the spirit of vanity is portrayed in women more than men.  It is almost as though God moved upon these women to surrender their vanity and overcome it.  To me, this represents a surrendering of what you think you look like to the Lord.  Do you really know what “manner of man” you are?

When the priests approached the brazen laver, he saw his reflection in the water and a second reflection in the basin.  There could be no mistake about how he looked.  When you go to the brazen laver in prayer, God shows you a true reflection of who you are.  By coming to Him, you are able to see your natural reflection and get a glimpse of what you are becoming as He imparts the Word into your life.  He’s beginning the process of “completing” your salvation (1Peter 2:1-5).  This is where you become conscious of doing the Word that God imparts to you from the basin – where you decide to start living for God and become a true reflection of Him, where you decide to rise up from your prayer and begin to live as you believe.    The Word helps you see yourself as you really are while it enables you to obey the revealed Word.

Many people hear the Word but fail to understand they need to do what it says.  They hang around in the outer court and then wander over to the brazen laver to wash – because everyone else is doing it, but when they can’t endure the washing, they run away from the laver to a place where they feel more comfortable.  No matter how far you run, you can’t escape the washing! If only you would wash at the laver, it would reveal the truth about who you really are by reflecting the Word into your heart.  Then you would understand that it isn’t that people are suppose to wash – we need to wash! We can’t go deeper in God until we are sanctified at the brazen laver.

Though you wash at the lever, you can not remain there.  You are still in the outer court level of praying, so the only person you will be able to pray for is yourself.  Remember that the outer court prayer focuses on self, your wrong doings, your limitations and failures, what you need to overcome and so on.  At this stage, it’s still about YOU.

As a matter of fact, the priests could not stay at the laver for very long each day before they started performing their priestly duties.  In other words, don’t resist God when He deals with areas of your life at the laver! Let the Word do a quick work in you.  You can’t afford to miss one day at the laver.

(Teachings from Juanita Bynum)

The Early Stages of Prayer – The Outer Court – Part 4

Now that we have accepted the works of Christ and are given access through the gate, we will enter into the outer court of the Tabernacle.  Since God is always moving and in transition, we too should be ever moving and always in transition.

As I stated before, the tabernacle of the Old Testament was a physical building, whereas the tabernacle of the New Testament resides in our hearts.  The Old Testament outer court was located just inside the Tabernacle East Gate.  We have a New Testament Outer Court, as well.  We are given access to it at our initial conversion, that is, after we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, as we recognize His four works – His righteousness, holiness, kingship and sacrifice.

In the Old Testament, the Outer Court area was open to the effects of the natural elements and lit by natural sunlight.  The Outer Court was the very place the people of Israel gathered to discuss their opinions about God and other things.  In the New Testament Outer Court, we are offered the eternal light of Christ through our salvation, but we haven’t yet received eternal revelation.  We are still under the influence of natural light, that is, the influence imposed by our worldly views and values.  Though we are saved, we are constantly being exposed to the world around us.  Staying around negative influences for too long will eventually hinder our pursuit of God. We all know that the longer we stay around a particular influence, the more we become what we hang around.  The conversations that take place in the Outer court will eventually begin to hinder our prayers.  Outer court pray-ers are inconsistent, praying whenever, crying out to God in emergencies when it looks like something terrible is going to happen, admiring God, but never coming into a relationship with Him. Outer Court pray-ers never pass through the courts into intercession because they don’t know God well enough to understand His heart and agonize for Him in prayer. Outer court pray-ers are focused on washing, cleansing, and material things because they are still in their own infant state of their spirituality.  Unsure of who they are in Christ, these natural believers spend more time praying for themselves than for others, understand however, God wants us to move from the natural into the supernatural.  To pass through this stage, we must force ourselves to move deeper through the court to the brazen laver and the brazen altar, the place where we begin to lay down our life for God, letting go of anything that is not His will.  This is where God begins to qualify us to serve in intercession.

God has prepared great things if we would only love and seek after Him with all our heart.  The outer court is just the beginning of our journey, but we must move through it to become His ambassador! Staying in the outer court prevents us from finding true intimacy with God.  In the outer court stage you see people who are crippled, sick and depressed in spite of your prayers for healing, deliverance and peace.  What’s wrong? You cant pray effectually in the outer court! You must mature in the spirit by surrendering yourself to God and then His power will begin to fuel your prayer.

God constructs plans by way of a pattern. If you want God to speak intimately with you, if you want to receive divine revelation and impartation from Him, you have to go to the third dimension of prayer, in the Most Holy Place. Though you are saved and in the outer court, God is calling you to a deeper level of prayer. Follow Him. Pass through every level, every piece of furniture in the tabernacle, to enter the third realm of intercession.  This is the level of intimacy with God where anyone whom He has qualified can enter and change the course of this world.   We don’t want to get stuck in the outer court, satisfied with just a glimpse, just an aroma of God’s glorious presence.  In the next lession, we are going to take a close look at the brazen laver and learn to move deeper in prayer through this experience of cleansing.