REBUILDING THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID

     ACTS 15:15] "And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, [16] `AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I [God] WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, [17] IN ORDER THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,' [18] SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM OF OLD.
     AMOS 9:11 "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; [12] That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name," Declares the LORD who does this.
     This restoration of the Tabernacle of David is such a critical issue because God, Himself, has said that He will rebuild it as it was in the days of old. The reason is so that all the Gentiles and all the rest of mankind will seek the Lord.
     The startling question is this; Why the Tabernacle of David rather than the Tabernacle of Moses or the Temple of Solomon? There is much more written about these dwelling places of God than the Tabernacle of David. God provided the measurements, the order of worship, the sacrifices, the priesthood, and all the furniture and nearly every detail of construction.
     The Tabernacle of David was such a crude place of very humble construction and functioned against every law of God. In fact it is amazing that everyone who ministered to the Lord there was not killed. However, this is the dwelling place that God has decided to restore or rebuild. Why was this God’s preferred house over all the other dwelling places of God? What is the purpose of such a prophesy and how does it affect us?
     In the middle 1970's there was a great emphasis among the Spanish churches about the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David. They interpreted it to mean to dance and rejoice in the presence of God. They devised elaborate dance routines with costumes for the leaders and the whole assembly participated by jumping, shouting, dancing and waving the hands and arms. I attended some of these meetings at a Bible school in Chicago where I was sharing.
     There was also great emphasis placed upon the restoration of the Tabernacle of David in Australia and New Zealand in the 1970's. This was interpreted as a personal encounter with God through the intimacy of the torn veil between the Holy and the Most Holy Place. Both “revivals” soon ended.
     David is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as a witness who was a man of faith. We may assume he is mentioned because he slew Goliath or possible because of some other act of faith. However, of all the acts of David I can think of no other act of faith that compares to the tremendous faith it required for David to build this small tent and to place the Ark of the Covenant in it with no veil separating the worshiper from God.
     Since this whole episode of the Tabernacle of David is such a departure from the way God designed His presence to dwell among men it is important to understand the history and what led up to this event. The Ark of God had been lost to the Philistines during the priesthood of Eli and his sons and even though the Philistines had sent it back to Israel it remained near the border in the house of Abinadab.
      2SA 6:1 Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
     We should note that bringing the Ark of His Presence was NOT the job for one man but the entire congregation of 30,000. The Ark is brought to it’s rightful place by the corporate people of God. That doesn’t mean that every single man woman and child had to be in agreement. David’s own wife had no revelation of the importance of the Ark of His Presence or any burden to bring the Ark up. In fact she was offended by the whole procession.
     2 SAM 6:2] And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim. [3] And they placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. [4] So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. [5] Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals.
     This great celebration included David and the whole congregation and THEY put the Ark on a cart and THEY brought it up. The point is that this was a corporate effort.
      2SAM 6:6 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. [7] And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. [8] And David became angry because of the LORD'S outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. [9] So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?" [10] And David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. [11] Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
[This experience is seen again in 1Chron 13.]  
     1CHRON 15:1 Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. [2] Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to Him forever." [3] And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it.[12] and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. [13] "Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance." [14] So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. [15] And the sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders, with the poles thereon as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.
     It was because the Levites didn’t carry the Ark of God on their shoulders that God made an outburst against Uzzah and David realized that they had not sought God after the ordinance given to Moses. It is an amazing thing that nearly everything David did after they brought the Ark to Mt. Zion was not according to the ordinance either but God seemed to be pleased.
     1CHRON 15:25 So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with joy. [26] And it came about because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. [27] Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen. [28] Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres.
     David was there when Uzzah stretched out his hand to steady the Ark of God and was immediately killed by the presence of God. Because of this catastrophe David had to go back to Jerusalem and search out the law and find what they did wrong. It this search he had to discover the separation that God required between Himself and the priests and the further separation between God and the people. The law was very clear about the veils and the uncovering of the Ark every time the Tabernacle of Moses was set up. Even after the Temple of Solomon was built there was this required separation restored. To even touch the holy things meant disaster. It would appear that God is very jealous of His privacy and does not desire the fellowship of man. He required that incense cover His presence on the Day of Atonement when man was permitted to come into His presence for a few minutes to sprinkle the blood on the Mercy Seat. A very heavy veil separated God’s presence from the Holy Place life and ministry and was a safeguard to protect the life of the priests.
     Since David researched the law and the proper method of moving the Ark he had to be aware of the tremendous danger of deviating from these requirements. Then we have to wonder what inspired David to even bring the Ark to Mt. Zion near his house instead returning it to the Tabernacle of Moses where it belonged. Not only that but David somehow had the faith to put the Ark in a little three sided makeshift tent held up by poles. Then he had the tremendous faith to not install any veil at all and left the Ark exposed for all to see. In addition to that David sat directly in front of the Ark and worshiped God and sang songs to Him. In addition to that he ordered all the Levites to stand before the Lord day and night and worship before the Lord continuously singing and playing their instruments. Prior to this time the Levites could only do menial chores in the Outer Court and could never come near the holy things until they were properly covered over with several layers of skins or curtains..
     1CH 16:1 And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
     The ordinances of God required that every sacrifice had to be administered by a priest and at the place that God chose. At this time God had chosen the Tabernacle of Moses that was set up at Gideon. Certainly not on Mt. Zion and certainly not directly before the Ark of the Covenant. The Levites were never authorized to offer sacrifices. We don’t even hear of any altar before the Tabernacle of David on which sacrifices could be offered. All these things add to the perplexity of the Tabernacle of David.
     1CH 16:4 And he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: [5] Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, [6] and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. [:7] Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD.
     Meanwhile the Tabernacle of Moses was at Gibeon but without the Ark of the Covenant. 1CHRON 16:39] And he left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place which was at Gibeon, [40] to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel.
     The law of sacrifice was carried out in the Tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon but the presence of God had departed and His manifested presence resided on Mt. Zion in the Tabernacle of David. The priests after the order of Aaron still carried out the rituals in the Tabernacle of Moses but it was the Levites that ministered to the Lord at the Tabernacle of David. This would have been a serious mistake according to the Law of Moses.
     It appears that David broke every law of God given to Moses concerning the Ark of His Presence and the Shekinah glory of God’s presence. Yet God did not break out against David or kill the Levites with His presence. Man sat directly in the presence of almighty God and lived to tell about it. In fact the Bible description almost describes this as normal and matter of fact. God honored David’s faith and his passionate heart that was seeking God and God’s Presence came and dwelt between the Cherubim.
     David seemed to have the revelation that the true sacrifices of God were a broken and a contrite spirit and that the lifting up of the hands and worship were acceptable sacrifices. It appeared that David’s vision was supernatural and extended to beyond Calvary when the animal and carnal sacrifices were done away with.
     We may recall another similar experience of the 70 elders along with Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and Joshua who went up Mt Sinai in the presence of God, even after certain parts of the law were given..
      EXO 24:9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, [10] and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. [11] Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.
     Just before this event God had invited all of Israel to come up the mountain into His presence to hear His voice so they could obey. In this way God was going to make all of Israel a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Of course when God did appear upon Mt. Sinai the people were full of fear and ran away.
     From these two instances it is clear that God’s desire is for His people to dwell in His presence and fellowship with Him, hear His voice and obey. However, some mechanical coming and going is not the revelation of the Tabernacle of David. It is not just hearing His voice and obeying! It is about a passionate heart seeking after God alone.
     The real question is this; Is God really going to rebuild and restore the Tabernacle of David in our day and at this time? The answer is YES! Still He has been restoring this Tabernacle in the hearts of those who diligently seek Him in past generations. In each generation there have been those who have pursued God with all their heart and passion. Therefore we are not looking for God to restore a literal tabernacle like David’s but the continual worship and praise before His manifest presence that is represented in the Tabernacle of David. That is the intimacy of coming into God’s manifest presence without a veil of separation between us.
     The revealed purpose of God restoring this tabernacle is so that the whole world will “seek the Lord”. Therefore, to share about the Tabernacle of David outside of continual worship and praise in the manifested presence of God is too shallow. The “Tabernacle of David” is not some new denomination or just a “spiritual experience” for some select few but is designed for every nation to seek the Lord. Passionately seeking the Lord is the key to this restoration.
     Worship and praise continually before His presence and according to Psalm 150 is what is in view here. While the Tabernacle of Moses represented “silent and formal worship” the Tabernacle of David was loud and boisterous with dancing and singing and playing all the instruments. While “power” has been interpreted many ways, the Tabernacle of David represents “the Power of His Presence” open to view to those who will stand before the “Ark of God’s Presence” in total surrender of repentance, worship and praise. A new term has been introduced that I believe accurately represents the key to this restoration. It is: The Worship of Repentance. Up until now we have not thought of repentance as “worship” but I believe a careful study of scripture will confirm this fact.
     We could summerize what we have been hearing in these last months as “Rivers, Restoration, Revival, Repentance, Presence, Praise and Worship”. In some ways we could say this is the restoration of the Tabernacle of David. However, I have a feeling that we should be prepared for something altogether new or revolutionary and different from what we have seen in the past. The manifested presence of God has not come to fulness in all His glory as yet. We have not yet seen “all the Gentiles” seeking God’s face and His presence. If this literally happens we will see a great end time revival and the final harvest coming in.
     If the Tabernacle of David is an inward experience rather than an objective, outward experience then we may participate at any time we set our hearts to seek the Lord for Himself alone. In the Toronto Conference we heard the term “The Audience of One”. This was a reference to the Tabernacle of David and the priests and Levites worshiping before the Lord which is that “Audience of One”. In other words we are not worshiping to be seen of men but we worship to the “Audience of One” and Him, alone. This has nothing to do with performance or entertainment or even singing professionally but worshiping God alone with unleashed passion.
     ACTS 3:19] "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; [20] and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, [21] whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
     This “restoration” begins with repentance and the wiping away of sins before the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. It is then that the manifested presence of Jesus becomes a reality,
      The Tabernacle of David must be included in the restoration of all things before the second coming of Christ. We surely haven’t experienced the fulness of that restoration yet. While we have seen the “beginnings” of these things in the Charismatic Restoration I doubt that we have seen the fulness or the heavens would have released Jesus to come again. Restoration means to make whole or complete and we still see a lot of fragmentation in the church and in worship and praise and in the manifested Presence. Cold formalism is still very common among believers, even in Charismatic and Pentecostal churches. “Cold formalism” has no place in the Tabernacle of David. We should ask ourselves if we have even been restored to the power and presence of the early church in the Book of Acts. His manifested presence and miraculous power in the Book of Acts is strange to the stereotype church we see today. Was this “the church” as it was meant to be?
     In Eli’s day the “Ark of His presence” was lost because of the backslidden condition of the nation and the priesthood. David’s Tabernacle marked the restoration of His presence within the nation, within the city and specifically on Mt. Zion. . What we are seeing today in the various ministries is the Restoration of God’s Presence. Then we could ask “ When did the Tabernacle of David fall down?” It had to be when the Presence of God departed and went to dwell in the Temple of Solomon. It was there that the priests could not stand to minister because of the manifested presence of God.
     While many are prophesying about a physical temple being rebuilt in Israel, I believe that God is much more interested in doing a spiritual work within each heart and life and create a temple in which He can dwell and manifest Himself today. I am not satisfied that the scriptures clearly teach that “God will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem” but I am sure that He said He would rebuild the Tabernacle of David. At least some of what we are seeing today has to do with that rebuilding process.
     In David’s time the Glory of God and the power and Presence of God had been lost to the nation but was evident in Obed-edom’s house. God was blessing his house. David understood that it was time to bring the Glory and Presence of God back to the nation. The government of the nation was established on Mt. Zion where the throne was and that is where David wanted to bring the Ark of His Presence. Many of the conditions present then are repeated today. The church in general has lost the Glory and Intimate and Manifested Presence of God.
     The rest of the scriptures in Amos 9 shows not one time harvest but many harvests accompanying the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David.  AMOS 9:13 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine, And all the hills will be dissolved. [14] "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. [15] "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God.
     Already God has restored Israel to their land and this is a literal event. However, the harvest and the planting and the hills being dissolved must have a spiritual application with a spiritual fulfillment. There has to be time between the plowman and the one who harvests in the natural. It is not practical to tread the grapes before the vines are planted. Sweet wine doesn’t drip off the mountains either. Many things that before were barren and unfruitful will overflow with God’s blessings. This is evident in Obed-edom’s house and land.
     In Guatemala there is evidence that God pouring out His blessing upon the natural harvest of fruit and vegetables and carrots as large as a man’s arm is reported. Harvest time for carrots is down from 45 days to 28 days. This is accompanying a spiritual harvest of souls where whole cities are being converted.
     There has been a glut of building elaborate and grandiose buildings for the presence of God but God’s actual presence is seldom there. The Tabernacle of David was such a simple tent with nothing grandiose to recommend it as the place of God’s presence but that is where God desired to dwell. The “temple” on Azusa Street was just a stable with the evidence and smell and flies still around but that is where God chose to visit His people. It is not “the place” that is important to God but the open hearts of His people that are diligently seeking Him with a passion for Him alone. Or we could say that “the place” that God seeks to manifest Himself is not physical but spiritual.
     From God’s point of view He could sit enthroned between the Cherubim and above the mercy seat and right in the presence of His people with no veil of separation between Him and His people. His goal obviously was intimacy with His people.
     2 COR 3:14] But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. [15] But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; [16] but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. [17] Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. [18] But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
     The immediate presence of the Lord is transforming and is the key to being changed into His image and likeness and from glory to glory. All the substitute programs that man has devised have failed to accomplish this transformation that only takes place in the manifested presence of God. How different this is from having another “really good church service” with “really good singing” or “really good preaching” followed by “really good fellowship”. Really good is not good enough to substitute for the manifested presence of God. What can we devise to take the place of the SHEKINAH GLORY OF GOD in our midst? Nothing!
      Tommy Tenny , who wrote “The God Chasers”, interprets the Shekinah as “the blue
 flame of God’s presence”. David’s question was “How can I bring the Ark of God to me?” and that is or should be our prevailing question today. How can we recover the manifested Presence of God in our midst? What is the cost of intimacy with God and am I willing to pay it? Are we desperate enough for God, Himself, to seek Him with all our heart at whatever cost to our comfort and self-satisfaction? The unrenewed mind can give a hundred excuses and reasons why that is not convenient at this time but we will surely give it our full attention later.
     To put this in perspective we should look at it from God’s viewpoint. LUKE 13:34] "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! [35] "Behold, your house is left to you desolate;
     One of the things that God desires, far beyond all that we suspect, is that He longs to gather His children to Himself for very close relationship and fellowship. He desires that intimate communion, our worship and His Fatherly relationship with each of His children. His desire is far greater than ours and He has to generate that desire within us before we even are aware of it or seek after it.
     The “normal Christian life” seems to be to seek human fellowship but ignore God and His desire for communion and intimacy with us. That intimacy with God has become secondary and human intimacy has become primary. The church has become the place we come to meet with each other.
     The Tabernacle of David puts all this in proper perspective and is about a face to face intimacy, worship, communion and relationship with God with no veil present. As we worship with all our heart we have “an audience of ONE”! The goal of the Tabernacle of David is to bring joy to God’s heart and to meet His need.
God’s great desire is revealed in the first book of the Bible.  GEN 3:8 And they heard
the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and
 his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the
 garden. [9] Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" [10] And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."  
     God created man to be a companion of God and to walk and talk with God. God used to come in the cool of the day to seek out fellowship with the persons He had created. This reveals the heart of God. Man has his own agenda and wants to do his own thing and his fellowship with God is secondary to his own pleasure. This reveals the heart of man.
     The Tabernacle of David is about returning to fulfill the desire of God’s heart which was to bring David to that intimate place of relationship and fellowship to meet God’s need for fellowship. This is the day that God wants to rebuild the Tabernacle of David because it has fallen down simply because man has been too busy to maintain the intimacy of personal relationship and uninhibited worship and praise of God as the foremost priority.
     Since God speaks from between the Cherubim and above the mercy seat it is obvious why the revelation of the Tabernacle of David is for this day. Those whose greatest desire is to hear His voice are longing for the Tabernacle of David to be restored in personal experience. This is the key to hearing His voice and maintaining an intimate relationship with Him. The fact is we are not waiting for God to act, He is waiting for us to act. He has revealed His heart and His desire and He has revealed in the Tabernacle of David how we are to respond to that which pleases God’s desire.      
     Since the Tabernacle of David was such a crude and common structure that amounted to little more than a canvas stretched up on some poles we should understand it was not the structure itself that God was interested. His interest had to be the unrestrained and passionate worship that accompanied His Presence there. We could coin a phrase here; “The Fellowship of Worship”. Moses Tabernacle had various posts or pillars at the entrance to the Holy Place and also at the entrance to the Most Holy Place. They speak of access or lack of it along with the veils.
     Since the Tabernacle of David had no pillars or veils it had to be the worshipers themselves that became both the pillars and the veils. God is in the process of rebuilding this Tabernacle of David. The revelation that is necessary is this : The chief elements that are needed are “The Worshipers”. “ For such the Father seeks”. WHY? Because He cannot rebuild the Tabernacle of David without them.
     It is the worshipers that replace the curtains that create a buffer zone between the sinners and the terrible Presence and Fire of God. The High Priest could only enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement. He must first take coals and put them into an censor of gold and then place a handful of sweet smelling incense on the red hot coals. This created a smoke or vapor that arose up to shield the High Priest from the Fire of His Glory. This is just a type of the reality. The reality is that true worship is as the incense that shields us from the manifest Fire and Glory of God’s Presence. Worship provides that cloud that lets God’s Glory filter through to us. It is in beholding His Glory in that measure that causes us to be transformed into the same image. As we are changed we can endure more of His glory that will transform us more and more from glory to glory.
     From this we should see that what impresses men is much different than what impresses God. We are not told who it was that tore down the Tabernacle of David and made it into a ruin but it is quite evident that it was not God because His longing desire is for it to be built up again. David’s Tabernacle was sustained and protected by the continual worship and passionate praise that arose before God day and night. When that passion failed the Tabernacle could only fall down because there was nothing to sustain it. If God rebuilds it again then it will be “the true worship”through “the true worshipers” that will sustain it. That is why God is diligently seeking for those true worshipers. His goal is to rebuild the Tabernacle of David and the primary element He needs are true worshipers. Everything else is irrelevant if He can’t find the true worshipers.
     While we all have been busy and particularly concerned with building an appropriate building for God’s Presence, He is just concerned with assembling true worshipers. The building itself is irrelevant. No matter how grand it is, without worshipers it is just a pile of material. The thing that impresses God is not buildings but worshipers.
     True worshipers are those who pursue God’s Presence and cannot rest until God’s manifest Presence is a reality. The Tabernacle of David is the testimony of David’s passion for God’s Presence. The real truth revealed in David’s Tabernacle is that God is very pleased with a “no veil relationship” and that He really does want to dwell in our presence and He wants us to dwell in His presence. David’s Tabernacle shouts out “No Distance between Me and you”. JOHN 17:21] that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. [22] "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; [23] I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity----,
     I hope that we can all see that the Tabernacle of David was a miracle to man but was the normal for God and in type is what satisfied the very heart of God. How David gained the courage to stand directly before the manifested Shekinah Glory of God is a mystery that is not revealed in scripture. However, we can see that God was pleased with David and welcomed his presence into the presence of God. God obviously longs for an intimate relationship with man and wants to reveal His Glory to man. Then the knowledge of that Glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
     GEN 33:18] Then Moses said, "I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!" [19] And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." [20] But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"  
     Seeing the Glory of God and seeing the Face of God is regarded by God to be the same thing. Death is still the result. Feeling the Divine Presence and seeing the Divine Presence and the Face of God are two different things.
     For the church to even consider that the primary experiences of the “outer court” is sufficient or satisfies God’s heart is gross darkness. The redeemed in the very Presence of God is what brings joy to God’s heart. This is revealed in Revelation 3:20] `Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. [21] `He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
     We may wonder why the door to the church was locked to Jesus and He had to pound on the door to try to gain entrance. What was His great desire? For intimacy of eating and drinking together which indicates intimate fellowship. If we can’t fellowship here in intimacy how can we sit together on of the Throne of God? Jesus wasn’t even sure if they even heard His voice because they were too involved with other things to listen. Of course if they couldn’t hear His voice they would not know to open the door and would have missed the day of their visitation. Jesus would have just passed on by still looking for true worshipers. The unenlightened will still think that Jesus will force the door open by His sovereignty if He really wants to come in.
     The doors to the back of our church building have no latches on the outside. When someone wants to come in they have to knock or yell. Since the latch is on the inside someone has to hear the voice or the knock and open.  This is obviously how it was in the church at Laodicea.
     Since the church has lagged behind in high praise and extreme worship we must repent, change our mind and then change our direction and restore what we have lost. This is what is called “ The Worship of Repentance”.
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT AND THE MERCY SEAT

     There is great mystery concerning this combination of the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. There is a lot written concerning this mysterious piece of furniture but very little explained. Whatever accurate interpretation can be received must be by revelation and not by simple logic. Guessing the meanings are of no value but seems to be quite common practice.
     The fact is that God has given us much information concerning these pieces designed exclusively for the Most Holy Place. However, the exact application and what they mean to us is withheld. First to gain an understanding we must assembly all the facts that are provided. Only those who are willing to seek will find. God will usually speak something from the assembled facts that will meet our need for the moment.
     We are seeking revelation of the Ark and the Mercy Seat because that was the only significant thing in the whole Tabernacle of David. The tent itself was insignificant but the Tent along with the Ark and the Mercy Seat is what God has promised to rebuild and restore. The most confusing and also the thing of great significance was that there was no veil of separation between the Ark of His Presence and the worshipers. The first understanding we receive is that obviously God did not want any separation between Himself and the worshipers. If that was true of the Tabernacle of David then it must also be true of present day worshipers.
     First we must find all the different names associated with this Ark. It is called (1) the Ark of the Covenant (2) the Ark of the Testimony (3) The Ark of God (4) the Ark of the Lord (5) The Ark of the Covenant of God (6) The Ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth. (7) the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. (8) "The Ark of the God of Israel       The Ark directly relates us to the Eternal God and to His covenant with man. The Ark of the Covenant is the place of the God of Heaven’s footstool here on earth. 1 CHRON 28:2] Then King David rose to his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it.
     Since we cannot look directly at the Glory or the Face of God "and live” there must be some alternative for us to behold God’s Glory and still live!  EXO 33:21] Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; [22] and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. [23] "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.
     JN 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  [16] For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. [17] For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. [18] No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
     HEB 1:2] in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. [3] And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
     God, the Father, has made Himself known and visible in the Person of Jesus Christ. In Christ we can see His Glory and still live. Jesus Christ, Himself, is the Ark of God, the Presence of God and the Glory of God. This is confirmed (at least to me) in REV 11:19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. This indicates (at least to me) that the Ark of His Covenant is The Person that appears in HIS temple and not just an object made out of natural gold topped with a mercy seat with Cherubim attached.
     If this is true that the Ark was a type and shadow of Jesus Christ Who is the Presence and Glory of God and through Whom God now speaks to His people, then the Tabernacle of David was prophetic of the time that God would appear on earth without a veil. If this is true then the Tabernacle of David makes perfect sense. We are not just speaking of the historic Tabernacle of David but the Spiritual Tabernacle of the Son of David.
     While both the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon speak to us of “secret worship” behind veils, walls and boards the Tabernacle of David speaks to us of “open worship”. This is not entering into your closet to worship but the more open it is and the more expressive the worship is the better it is in the eyes of God. While “secret worship” is acceptable to God what He is rebuilding is open, uninhibited worship. There is very little doubt that Jesus Christ is God’s Mercy Seat for us in this dispensation of grace and truth.  
     HEB 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15] For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
     One of the pictures that are presented to us in the Tabernacle of David is that prayer, praise and worship are far superior to the sacrifice of bulls and goats. However, David didn’t neglect the sacrifice of bulls and goats because of that dispensation but he clearly prophesied of a time ahead when the better sacrifices would be accepted in place of the animal sacrifices.
       ISA 16:5] A throne will even be established in loving-kindness, And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness.
     This scripture is obviously speaking about Jesus Christ but there is no reference to Jesus ever sitting in the “Tent of David”. However, God said that He would raise up the tent or Tabernacle of David and rebuild it’s ruins. Jesus is now seated on the right hand of God in the Temple not made with hands and in the true Tabernacle in Heaven. The throne of God, the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle of David seems to be speaking of the same thing.
     In another study we will relate the Tabernacle of David to the Most Holy Place, the New Jerusalem, the throne of God and the bride of Christ, the perfected church.