{"id":241,"date":"2018-04-19T07:20:36","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T12:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/godsvoice\/?page_id=241"},"modified":"2020-05-10T17:19:54","modified_gmt":"2020-05-10T22:19:54","slug":"tabernacles-temples-altars-high-places-and-pilgrimages","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/godsvoice\/hear\/study\/hidden-mysteries\/symbols-signs-types-allegories-parables-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/tabernacles-temples-altars-high-places-and-pilgrimages\/","title":{"rendered":"Tabernacles, Temples, Altars, High Places and Pilgrimages ***"},"content":{"rendered":"

FLESH AND THE PHYSICAL<\/strong><\/span>
\nIn Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 1 <\/a>and Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 2 <\/a>we discussed at length why it is important to always interpret the Bible symbolically. While we say that this principle is always true, we will also say that it is especially true regarding tabernacles<\/a>, temples<\/a> and altars<\/a> because of the frequency with which God uses these physical objects to convey spiritual truth. Because Tabernacles, Temples and Altars, and pilgrimages enjoy such visibility in religion and culture, however, it is very hard to get beyond their physical meaning to their spiritual meaning. Thankfully, the Bible gives us clues that direct us to those spiritual truths.<\/span><\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See Place Where God Will Place His Name\u00a0 <\/a>for understanding of the spiritual place (i.e. heart\/spirit) symbolically represented as tabernacles, temples and altars.<\/span><\/p>\n

We begin by acknowledging that God is spirit and that his people are created in his image. Or, to be more exact, God is in the business of\u00a0 re-recreating flesh-oriented people to spirit-oriented people. This is what Jesus meant by being born again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Being born again, or re-created is not a simple, one-step process as religion teaches. It is a little-by-little process during which faith grows and we look less and less at the physical substance of things and look more and more on the spiritual substance of things<\/a>. In particular, as people become more spiritually oriented, they begin to see temples, altars and high places less and less as physical locations to which they travel. Instead, they see these places as symbolic representations of the heart. This awareness radically changes their religion. This transition from flesh to spirit is the result God’s ongoing work to wean his people from a temporal<\/a> outlook and fleshly pursuits.<\/span><\/p>\n

God’s work is symbolically represented as creation, or, more accurately, recreation. The first six days of creation compare to six days of man’s creative work in trying to reach God through physical effort (i.e. flesh). The seventh day is when man ceases from that work and rests. This is the spiritual equivalent of entering the Promised Land.<\/span><\/p>\n

AUTHORS’ NOTE: See Fourth Commandment<\/a>, and Reason for the Law<\/a> for more about God’s purposes in people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also see Time: Hours, Days, Weeks and Ages <\/a>for understanding of God’s symbolic use of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ultimate goal of God’s transformational<\/a>, creative work is to change their hearts. <\/a>Only after their hearts are changed are they able to\u00a0worship God in spirit and truth<\/a>. Such pure worship is the spiritual — not physical — substance of Pure Religion<\/a>. The place where it all happens is in the Kingdom of God\/Heaven which is within the heart of people<\/a>. In other words, spiritual worship does not happen in the activities of the flesh (i.e. physical body) of people who engage in physical religious activities with their physical bodies. Nor does it happen in physical locations of any kind — whether made by man or not. Rather, it happens within a person’s heart where God writes his laws in New Covenant disciples. <\/a>This is why God is so focused on the heart.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the principles of\u00a0RELIGION<\/a> is that religious activities happen in unique physical places using religious artifacts<\/a> or props that religions always use to carry out their religious theater <\/a>(i.e. hypocrisy<\/a>).\u00a0 Different religions have their own places designated for worship and they employ their own religious devices (i.e. objects and rituals) when they worship. All religions make a point of distinguishing themselves from other religions by the architecture of the places they worship and the forms of the objects and rituals they employ while worshiping. Such physical distinctions are useful in creating and reinforcing a sense of community identity within each religion that helps keep religionists faithful to that religious community. They are a fulfillment of the impulse for religionists in Babylon to make a name for themselves by building a city and a tower to reach God and to be safe within the walls of their city.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

AUTHORS’ NOTE: See Cities, Kingdoms and Nations <\/a>and Egypt and Babylon<\/a> for more about Babylon and spiritual cities.<\/span><\/p>\n

The story of Babylon tells us that God confused the efforts of people to reach to heaven (i.e. God) and create security for themselves through their physical efforts. Another graphic example of this impulse to create religion through buildings is found in the personal palace and temple<\/a> that Solomon built. Although God did destroy Solomon’s temple which is symbolic of man-made religion, he did not destroy the tower of Babylon. Rather, he confused their language so that they could not communicate with each other as necessary to build one large tower (i.e. religion), and he dispersed them throughout the World of Religion<\/a> in many religious forms that we see on the religious landscape today.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The existence of the multitude of religions in the world today is evidence of that inability to speak the same religious language (i.e. share the same religious beliefs). And it also shows that God has effectively scattered religious people as he said he would do. <\/a>What we have as a result is not one group of people building one city and one tower to heaven. Instead, we have many diverse groups of religious people building individual spiritual cites and towers. In effect, they are all individual manifestations of the Babylonian impulse to build a tower and a city that provides security and community in the place where they reach out to touch God in heaven through their physical efforts. They are all mini Babylons.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

PILGRIMAGES <\/strong><\/span>
\nThe tower of Babylon and the temple system of Jerusalem symbolize all the physical and institutional structures that are necessary to support a religious community or city<\/a>. This includes churches, synagogues, denominations, and para-church ministries both large and small.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each religious community brands itself <\/a>with unique beliefs and practices that distinguish it from other religious communities. But they all share the common feature of having a physical place where they conduct their religious business. In Biblical symbolism, these places are represented by tabernacles, temples, altars, and high places<\/a>. These are the locations to which people travel to do God’s business or do business with God. In God’s terminology, the travel to these locations, whether daily, weekly, annually, or once in a lifetime are pilgrimages<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The existence of physical places for worship totally contradicts what God has said about the need to travel to meet with him as reported in these scriptures:<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 24:1-27<\/a>: Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. <\/span> 2<\/span> But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.” <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: Here Jesus uses the temple as the premier example of the religious system of the day. So when he says that the temple will be thrown down, he is prophesying that religious structures and systems will be demolished to make way for the Kingdom of God in people. After this temple is destroyed, there will be no physical place to which people can travel to practice religion. Only then are they ready to worship in spirit and truth as New Covenant disciples.<\/span><\/p>\n

3<\/span> As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” <\/span> 4<\/span> And Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. <\/span> 5<\/span> For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. <\/span> 6<\/span> And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. <\/span> 7<\/span> For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: <\/span> 8<\/span> all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. <\/span> 9<\/span> “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. <\/span> 10<\/span> And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. <\/span> 11<\/span> And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. <\/span> 12<\/span> And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. <\/span> 13<\/span> But he who endures to the end will be saved. <\/span> 14<\/span> And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come. <\/span> 15<\/span> “So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), <\/span> 16<\/span> then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; <\/span> 17<\/span> let him who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house; <\/span> 18<\/span> and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. <\/span> 19<\/span> And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! <\/span> 20<\/span> Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. <\/span> 21<\/span> For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. <\/span> 22<\/span> And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. <\/span> 23<\/span> Then if any one says to you, ‘Lo, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. <\/span> 24<\/span> For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. <\/span> 25<\/span> Lo, I have told you beforehand. <\/span> 26<\/span> So, if they say to you, ‘Lo, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; if they say, ‘Lo, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. <\/span> 27<\/span> For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: In this scripture, Jesus compares God to lightning which cannot be captured or contained in a unique location. This symbolism compare favorably with the qualities of spirit which is like the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n

These qualities of God do not fit with the principles of religion which depends on the belief that God may reliably found in physical places (e.g. temples, churches, shrines, prayer closets, conventions, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n

If religious people did not believe that they needed to go to some holy location, to connect with God, they would not need religion and religion would collapse — which is exactly what God want to happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark 13:16-26: <\/span><\/a>Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.<\/span> 17<\/span> How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!<\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span> 18<\/span> Pray that this will not take place in winter,<\/span> <\/span> 19<\/span> because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now–and never to be equaled again.<\/span> <\/span> 20<\/span> If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.<\/span> <\/span> 21<\/span> At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ !’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: Religion says that God is always present in religious buildings. Jesus said that this is not to be believed.<\/span><\/p>\n

22<\/span> For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect–if that were possible.<\/span> <\/span> 23<\/span> So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.<\/span> <\/span> 24<\/span> “But in those days, following that distress, ” ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;<\/span> <\/span> 25<\/span> the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’<\/span> <\/span> 26<\/span> “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: See “Commentary on Clouds<\/a>” for more on how to interpret clouds in scripture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke 17:20-21<\/a>: Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs<\/a> to be observed<\/a>;<\/span> <\/span>; <\/span> 21<\/span> nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: If God does not come with signs to be observed, he cannot be observed in physical locations like temples, synagogues or churches. He can only be observed spiritually in that mysterious place (i.e. cloud, spirit, heart) within people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Religion always represents, however, that the kingdom of God is primarily present in religious buildings where religion is practiced.<\/span><\/p>\n

We conclude from the above scriptures that God manifests himself only in the hearts\/spirits of people — not in physical buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite God’s instruction about physical places of worship, Christians and Jews insist on having churches and synagogues. In fact, no religions would exist unless people were willing to make pilgrimages<\/a> to religious holy places. Thus, Judaism <\/a>has its special holidays for making pilgrimages and so does Christianity<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

While pilgrimages are commonly considered to be seasonal or even once-in-a-lifetime events, there are other kinds of traveling that people routinely do that also qualify as pilgrimages. Here are a few examples:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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