Exodus and Exaltation (Sacred Sites Part 12)

Just as both the Tabernacle/Temple and Mount Sinai are patterns of the divine plan of progressing the earth and man towards exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom, so also is the Exodus lead by Moses (a type of the Only Begotten) designed to teach the same principle of progression. Egypt, with all of its false gods, can be seen as a representation of the mortal Telestial World in which we live. Pharaoh's opposition to Moses may be seen as Satan and his opposition to Christ's plan of redemption. The ten plagues which cleanses Egypt of her false gods can be seen as the Savior's cleansing of the earth of all wickedness at His second coming. The last plague which was the death of the firstborn to effect the release of the children of Israel from bondage can be seen as pointing to Christ, the firstborn, who dies and sheds his blood to save us all from the bondage of sin.

The children of Israel were spared from this plague because they had sacrificed a lamb and put the blood of the lamb on their doorpost, thus being saved by the blood of the lamb. This was all done at the Telestial level. Israel is now ready to move ahead and exit the Telestial World. They follow Moses and the Cloud to the Red Sea. At this point Pharaoh has changed his mind and is now coming to take them back captive again. The Red Sea parts for the Israelites who are a type of the firstborn of God:

Ex 4:22-23
22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel [is] my son, [even] my firstborn:
23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, [even] thy firstborn.

Here it is clear that even though there are thousands of Israelites, the Lord is dealing with them as if they are all one person, his Firstborn Son. The Exodus pattern is designed to conform Israel to the image of the Son.

As Israel goes through the Red Sea with the light shinning over them, Paul the apostle interprets this as a type of their baptism water and the Spirit:

1 Cor 10:1-4
1 MOREOVER, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Pharaoh and his army followed Israel into the Red Sea on the highway that was cast up in the deep, and were drowned as the water covered them up, just as the waters of baptism wash away those things which have held us bound. Israel is now ready to be led into the Terrestrial World.

They proceed to Mount Sinai to meet with Christ as a type of the second coming. In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to the trump that announces his coming along with the shaking and quaking of the earth as like what happened at Mount Sinai :

D&C 29:13
13 For a trump shall sound both long and loud, even as upon Mount Sinai, and all the earth shall quake, and they shall come forth--yea, even the dead which died in me, to receive a crown of righteousness, and to be clothed upon, even as I am, to be with me, that we may be one.

When they leave Mount Sinai they now have no laws but the Lord's laws as the Savior described for his second coming,

D&C 38:22
22 Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your lawgiver, and what can stay my hand?

Israel will now build the Tabernacle to be the center of their attention for the next forty years. Judah will always camp on the east of the Tabernacle and Ephraim and Manasseh will always camp on the west. This may be seen as pointing to the Millennium when Judah builds a capital and temple in the east (Jerusalem) and Ephraim/Manasseh build a capital and temple in the west (Jackson County, Missouri).

There were other items that pointed to the Millennium in the Exodus such as, their clothes and shoes never wore out, thus they were clothed without labor as in Eden. They ate manna, thus feasting on the bread of life as the righteous will feast on the words of Christ in the Millennium and enjoy His presence (D&C 101:32-35). All of the rebellious died off during the forty year journey, thus they became a new creature in Christ having conformed to the image of the Son by focusing on the Tabernacle and the Laws of God. Just as the Millennium is designed for us to lose all of our Telestial nature and become worthy to dwell in the presence of God.

Israel is now ready for the final step. They will follow Joshua (his name means Jesus) through the Jordan River as it parts for them (like a veil) and they move into the promised land (Celestial Kingdom).

There are many more types in this Exodus, however, this is sufficient to point out that each of us is on an Exodus and our baptism is our first step to leaving the Telestial World and puts us on a path to dwell in the presence of God in the Celestial Kingdom.

Mountain of the Lord's House (Sacred Sites Part 11)

Mount Sinai was a model of the Lord's House or Mountain of The Lord's House or the Lord's Tabernacle. Just as the Tabernacle was a model of the Universe so was Mount Sinai. At the base of the mountain the children of Israel gathered and camped and built an altar. This may be seen as the Telestial level or the world that we live in. Just as Christ came to the Telestial level to be sacrificed, so the Israelites were commanded to offer sacrifices at this level. However a boundry was created at the base of the mountain and they were commanded to not pass that boundry upon the threat of death.

Ex 19:12-13
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, [that ye] go [not] up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether [it be] beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

In order to proceed further up the mountain they had to be purified by having the blood of the covenant sprinkled on them.

Ex 24:8-11
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in [his] clearness.
11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Here we see that seventy four men were now allowed to proceed part way up the mountain where they saw the God of Israel and did eat and drink. This may be seen as entering to a Terrestrial level where the Lord comes to dwell during the Millennium (see Moses 7:62-64).

Moses now proceeds further up the mountain into the midst of the cloud which covered the top of the mountain and spent 40 days and nights communing with God and receiving the law. This appears to be the equivalent of entering into Celestial space where God dwells. Both the Tabernacle and Mount Sinai appear to be models of the Universe which is the Lord's Tabernacle.

Paul speaks of this heavenly tabernacle made by God:

Heb 8:1-5
1 NOW of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore [it is] of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
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:
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 shewed to thee in the mount.

When the Tabernacle was completed and then later the Temple, the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Law, was kept in the Holy of Holies (Celestial space) as a type pointing out that living the Law will bring us back to God to live in Celestial glory. The Ark became a constant reminder that the Law that was given in Celestial space was designed to bring us back to God's presence.

Both the Tabernacle and the Temple can be seen as the Mountain of the Lord's House.

The Plan Built Into The Universe (Sacred Sites Part 10)

On the far left of the above illustration we can see the universe as it is divided up into Telestial space, Terrestrial space and Celestial space. The Universe is the Tabernacle of the Lord through which the earth (The Lord's Temple) traverses as she makes her way to becoming a Celestial Kingdom. We see this explained in the following scripture:

D&C 101:23
23 And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together.

Here the Lord declares that his temple, the earth, is covered by a veil which shall be lifted. The next several verses 24-35 describe the Terrestrial order that is created by lifting the veil which moves mother earth into Terrestrial space of his tabernacle.

At the end of the Millennium, mother earth dies and is then resurrected as a Celestial Kingdom as explained in the following verses:

D&C 88:25-26
25 And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law--
26 Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.

Our previous blogs have shown how the Tabernacle is a model of this process of both man the the earth progressing through the atonement of Christ to becoming Celestial beings.

Using the illustration at the top of this posting it will be shown how Mount Sinai, and Exodus are also models of this same plan in the next postings.

Holy of Holies (Sacred Sites Part 9)

On leaving the Holy Place, one pierces the veil to enter the Holy of Holies, which represents the presence of God in the the Celestial Kingdom. The only article in the Holy of Holies is the Ark of the Covenant. The covering for the Ark is the Mercy Seat upon which two angles are perched with their wings touching. This is where God met with Moses. Everything pertaining to the Ark points to Christ. The Mercy Seat points us to the fact that it is because of Christ's atonement that God can have mercy on us and our sins. His atonement allows us to meet with God in his glorious presence. In a sense, Christ is the place where man and God are allowed to meet (see Old Testament Student Manual p. 148).

Inside the Ark is the pot of manna (pointing to Christ as the bread of life). There are the two stone tablets upon which is written the law. Christ is the stone of Israel who stood in front of the Nephites and declared, "... I am the law..." (3 Nephi 15:9). Also in the Ark was Aaron's rod that budded also making it a branch. Christ is the Branch (Zechariah 3:8; 6:12) and the Rod (Psalms 110:2). Moses himself, who was a type of the Only Begotten, and a representation of the law, was taken from an Ark as a type and shadow of Christ.

Conclusion:
We can see in the Tabernacle/Temple the means of becoming conformed to the image of the Son (The Anointed One). We may view the way through the tabernacle as the strait and narrow path of covenants and learning of Christ. Christ is the "Way" and the "Door" back to the presence of God. He is the means of reconciling man and God so that they may once again meet face to face and embrace each other in reconciliation. The breach created between man and God by the Fall of Adam has now been closed.

There are many other interpretations for each item in the Tabernacle/Temple. These postings are simply skimming the surface of symbolism using as a guide Nephi's revelation that all things given by God to man from the beginning of the world typify Christ (2 Nephi 11:4).

The following depicts every aspect of the tabernacle/temple as pointing to Christ:

(click to enlarge)

We Pray In The Name Of Christ (Sacred Sites Part 8)

The Alar Of Incense that stood before the veil of the tabernacle/temple represented the prayers of Israel ascending into heaven. It is a type of Christ inasmuch as we pray unto the Father in the name of the Son. He is also our intercessor with the Father. This is the location where the Angel Gabriel met with Zacharias (the father of John the Baptist) to tell him that his prayers and the prayers of Israel would be answered.

The Institute Student Manual p. 153 states:
The third piece of furniture found in the holy place along with the sacred candlestick and the table of shewbread was the altar of incense. It stood directly in front of the veil (see v. 6). Like the ark of the covenant and the table of shewbread, it was made of shittim wood covered with gold and had rings and staves for carrying. Hot coals were placed on the altar, and each morning and evening (see vv. 7–8) the high priest would burn incense. This ritual seems to signify that one can approach the presence of God only through prayer, for scriptures elsewhere indicate that incense is a symbol of prayer (see Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4; Psalm 141:2).

After the Altar Of Incense came the veil of the temple which had angels portrayed on it. Paul the apostle refers to the veil as the flesh of Christ (Hebrews 10:20). The Savior declares that his is the door in John 10:9. We must enter into the presence of the Father through him. Also, the sacred vestments of the High Priest was made of the same materials as the veil of the tabernacle/temple. In some ways, when he dressed in his sacred vestments he was putting on Christ.

The Institute Student Manual for the Old Testament gives this insight:
Both on the veil, separating the holy place from the most holy, and on the lid of the ark were cherubim, or angels. This use of angels provides a beautiful representation of the concept taught in latter-day scripture that one passes by the angels on his way to exaltation (see D&C 132:19).

Important Message From Elder Busche

I shared this on Facebook but feel it is important to put it on my blog.

Christ Is The Light Of The World (Sacred Sites Part 7)

As we leave the outer court of the tabernacle, having sacrificed our whole soul, and having sacrificed a broken heart and contrite spirit, and also having been cleansed in the pure waters of life, we are prepared to enter the Holy Place. We go from the Telestial world into the Terrestrial world. Our attention is immediately drawn to the Menorah, the only thing giving light in this Holy Place. Some feel that it is a representation of the burning bush where Moses met Christ (Jehovah). Others see in it the Tree of Life. In the Book of Mormon we see that the Tree of Life is associated with Christ and his great atonement (1 Nephi 11). We have truly entered a paradisiacal estate where Christ comes to be the Light and to reveal all things (D&C 101:32-36).

The Old Testament Student Manual p. 150 also states:
Other scriptures indicate that olive oil represents the Holy Spirit, probably because it provided fire, heat, and light when burned in the lamps (see D&C 45:56–57). Thus, the sacred menorah was a type or symbol of the true source of spiritual light, namely the Holy Ghost as He bears witness of the Father and the Son.



Opposite the menorah is the Table of Shewbread. It represents the goodness of the Lord to the House of Israel.

Again, the Institute Manual explains that there is a possible representation of the emblems of the sacrament on this table (p. 149)

Most scholars and old Jewish traditions agree that wine was also placed on the table along with the bread, although it is not mentioned specifically in the biblical account. The spoons were actually vessels or cups, rather than spoons as they are known today, and were probably the containers for the liquid. (See Fallows, Bible Encyclopedia, s.v. “shewbread,” 3:1576; Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. “shewbread,” p. 847.) Thus, the items placed on the table of shewbread have distinct parallels in the emblems of the sacrament.

Nephi seems to be portraying a person or the High Priest going through the Temple in 2 Nephi 31:17-21. The person enters the gate and comes to the altar of sacrifice and repents of their sins, then they are cleansed by the waters of baptism represented by the laver. They are now on the strait and narrow path that now leads them into the Holy Place where they stand between the Holy Lamp Stand and the Shew Bread Table. There, they have a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men (standing before light of the Lamp Stand). They also feast on the words of Christ at the Shew Bread Table. They then press forward until they are at the end (The Veil) where they enter into eternal life or the presence of the Father in the Celestial World.

The Savior Is The Pure Waters Of Life Who Cleanses Us (Sacred Sites Part 6)

Above is a model of the Laver of Water that was in Solomon's Temple. The laver of water in the old Tabernacle made by Moses was much smaller. It is a type of our being cleansed by baptism through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Again, we can see the rule given by Nephi in 2 Nephi 11:4, that all things given by God to man typify Christ.

Here is what the the Old Testament Institute Manual page 155 says about the Laver:

Directly in line next in the courtyard was the laver, or basin of water, which was used for washing and cleansing (see Exodus 30:19–20). As was mentioned, when Solomon built a permanent temple, he placed the laver on the backs of twelve oxen (see 1 Kings 7:25), a symbolism carried on in modern temples and clearly related to baptism. Since the baptismal font itself is a “similitude of the grave” (D&C 128:13), where the “old man” of sin is buried (Romans 6:1–6), the symbolism of the laver seems clear. Once the “natural man” (Mosiah 3:19) is sacrificed (put to death through a broken heart, or sincere and deep repentance), he is cleansed by both the waters of baptism and the fires of the Holy Ghost (see 2 Nephi 31:17). Once this cleansing is done, he is prepared to leave the world, or a telestial way of living, and “be born” (John 3:5) into a higher state of spiritual life.