Studying the Book of Hebrews | Eternal Vision Ministries, Inc.

Studying the Book of Hebrews
Why has this Eternal Truth been ignored?
How Can We Neglect Our Progressive Salvation?
Why Did Israel Fail to Respond to God?

April 18, 2020

Jesus started out much lower that the angels. Jesus began as a MAN born of God. This made Jesus much different than the first Adam or us before we were “born of God”. When we are “born of God” we are much like Jesus except we are also born of woman in the FLESH.

I think that is why Jesus got baptized by John. He was born by a woman, Mary. When He was baptized that connection was broken. At that point Jesus was no longer connected to the flesh and was free so He could move in the Spirit. Jesus was still a man and was subjected to all the trials and temptations that each of us face each day.

Adam was made from the Earth but Jesus was born by the seaman of God. Jesus was born by the Word of God delivered by the Holy Spirit. Adam was only flesh and never recovered by receiving the Holy Spirit. Every person who is born on this earth is born after the same order as Adam. It is our baptism that breaks out connection to Adam. And then we are free to receive by the Holy Spirit the New Life. At our personal Pentecost we may receive the Holy Spirit to live in us to guide us and to teach us.

Jesus began His ministry as the Son of Man. He was made like His brethren (us) in so many ways. When He died as our sacrifice on Calvary, God raised Him from the dead and brought Him to heaven by resurrection. Jesus carried His Shed Blood into the Most Holy Place in Heaven. Jesus was able to enter into the Most Holy Place, as our Great High Priest, at that time, to sprinkle HIS OWN BLOOD on the Mercy Seat. This was also done in TYPE by Aaron on the Day of Atonement but just into the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle.

First Jesus “shed His blood” on Calvary for “the forgiveness of our sins.” Then He resurrected from death, as our Great High Priest, under the New Covenant Provision and carried His Own Blood into the Most Holy Place in Heaven and made “propitiation” or “atonement” for our sins.

This “act” by Jesus fulfilled what Aaron, the high priest, under the Old Covenant, did on the Day of Atonement in the tabernacle of Moses. We need to be aware of the many other things that Aaron did on that “DAY OF ATONEMENT” that contributed to the “sacrifices.” On the Day of Atonement, Aaron carried the Sprinkled Blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled the Blood on the “mercy seat” to make atonement for Israel. That was the one and only time in one year that Aaron could enter through the Third Veil and enter into the Most Holy Place. Aaron had no access to that Most Holy Place except once a year. However, ONLY the High Priest could carry the sprinkled blood into the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle through out the years, and that was only once a year. Everything that Aaron did in the Seventh Month as a type, Jesus did and fulfilled exactly when He ascended into Heaven as our High Priest. Jesus fulfilled ALL the Seven Feasts. Does that mean that each believer must also fulfill each of the Seven Feasts in their experience? I don’t know! But I am sure that we, each, should be aware of the details of each of these Feasts.

Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, 52 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Jesus is the only one who could accomplish this Sacrifice for us.

This is the time when the Third Veil was torn from Top to Bottom!

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Jesus was the first High Priest that had the ability to enter into the Most Holy Place in Heaven and to stay there in God’s Presence! The priesthood after the order of Aaron had to enter in quickly and then leave the Most Holy Place quickly.

Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place

has not yet been disclosed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.

Hebrews 9 confirms that during the time we live in, the time of Christ in us, we are invited to go on into Christian maturity until we are perfected in our conscience. In fact during the New Covenant times we are invited to come to perfection in many other ways also! It is AFTER we become Priests that we can then qualify to enter the Most Holy Realm of existance!

. Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things have been thus prepared, the priests are

continually entering the outer tabernacle, performing the divine worship, 7 but into the second only the high priest enters, once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.

Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time.

This tells us that Jesus became Our Great High Priest before He carried His Own Blood into the Most Holy Place to make ATONEMENT for us. That is because only the High Priest had access to the Most Holy Place in that period of time between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant! This means that Christ Jesus not only “forgives our sin” but that He also “takes the sin away from us” and remembers it no more. This “act that Jesus accomplished ” brings us into the Last Three Feasts of the year in Israel. These are the Feasts of the Seventh Month which Jesus fulfilled, perfectly.

These Three Feasts are (1) The Blowing of Trumpets, (2) the Day of Atonement, and (3) the Feast of Tabernacles. The Blood of Calvary relates us to the Feast of Passover and to the Passover Lamb. Fifty day later there was the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to earth to live in us! That event when the Holy Spirit comes to “live in us” is a genuine experience.

This Feast of the Seventh Month is a feast that each of us should begin to recognize and investigate because of this unique thing that Jesus did with His Blood. We have heard in the church, some teaching about the shedding of His Blood on Calvary but we know nothing or very little about the Sprinkled Blood. The Blood of Atonement!

This Feast of Day of Atonement is understood from the Scripture in the TYPE held and practiced in the old covenant. This Feast was held first in the time of the Tabernacle of Moses. It is understood by the TYPE of what Aaron did and how he did it and why he did it. It is understood by the response of the people to what he did and when he did it. This is how we investigate the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles, today. That is because God does not give us an Explanation of the Feasts in the New Covenant. We must read the account in the old Covenant and investigate it thoroughly using everything Aaron did and what was the people’s response to it. We must remember what Aaron said during the Feast, even as little as that was. Why? This is how we “see” the Feast of the Day of Atonement that Our High Priest kept by the Sprinkling of the His Own Blood on the Mercy Seat in Heaven.

In studying these Feasts it is important to understand how long each of these Feasts lasted and how many offerings and sacrifices were offered during the Feast. All these are in addition to everything that Aaron did and what he said and how the people responded at the Feast.

Leviticus 23:23 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month, you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 'You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'" 26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.

Leviticus 23:28 "Neither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. 29 "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 "You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 "It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your Sabbath."

Leviticus 23:33 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. 35 'On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 36 'For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.

Leviticus 23:37 'These are the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD --burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and libations, each day's matter on its own day--38 besides those of the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. 39 'On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day.

These Feasts required that NO WORK was to be done on certain days because these were Sabbath Days. No work means that we cannot earn our right to participate in these Feasts. We cannot WORK for our right to participate in these Feasts.

Leviticus 23:28 "Neither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. 29 "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.

Leviticus 23:40 'Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 'You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 'You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'" 44 So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the LORD.

These Three Feasts of the Seventh Month were to be kept solely “to present offerings by fire to the LORD --burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and libations, each day's matter on its own day-- besides those of the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD to present offerings by fire to the LORD --burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and libations, each day's matter on its own day--besides those of the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.”

These Feasts were filled with sacrifices and libations and grain offerings, the peoples gifts and votive offerings and free will offerings, burnt offerings with each days matter on its own day! All these things were done besides the offerings on the Sabbath days and besides the regular gifts and votive and free will offerings which they were required to give to the Lord.

Whether Jesus fulfilled all of these requirements or not is not explained but we assume that these sacrifices and offerings were all covered at Calvary and by the Sprinkled Blood. I don’t know because the Bible is silent!

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Since Jesus did NOT carry the blood of animals or the ashes of the heifer for the cleansing of the flesh of man, we assume that none of these things are necessary today.

This scripture in Hebrews is speaking about the Feast of the Seventh Month. It is this Feast that relates us to our Eternal Inheritance. Since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgression, (our forgiveness of Sins) this means that Calvary relates us to the New Covenant . This is the First Feast of Passover. However, it is this Last of the Seven Feasts that relates to our Eternal Inheritance.

Hebrews 9:16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "THIS IS “THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT” WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU."

Heb 9:21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

This scripture connects us to these old covenant keeping of the Feasts.

I have been struggling for a few years over my lack of reality in the personal offering the Consecration Offering under the New Covenant requirements.

That is because the Consecration Offering under the Old Covenant was in the visible realm with OUTWARD laws and statutes and ordinances and with the sacrifice of animals.

In the New Covenant times, the Consecration Offering, that is kept today, is done and kept wholly INWARDLY! In the New Covenant God puts His Kingdom Laws within us. He puts a New Spirit within us and then He puts His Spirit within us. The New Covenant is invisible and it is not seen visibly in the outward realms. Today, everything in the New Covenant realm must be kept by FAITH! We can do nothing that is visible to keep the New Covenant.

The Consecration Offering is kept by NOT WHAT WE DO OR SAY or in anything that is visible or outward. It seems that today in making our Consecration Offering, it is what we perform in the Inward Invisible Realms and by what WE ARE ON THE INSIDE! Everything in the New Covenant times must be done BY FAITH!

I never related my “Personal Consecration Offering” to the Feasts of the Seventh Month. That is the Feast of Blowing of Trumpets, the Feast of the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Jesus fulfilled these last Three Feasts when He entered into the Most Holy Place as our Great New High Priest carrying His Own Blood to Sprinkle the Mercy Seat. It was at the Calvary Sacrifice that the Third Veil was torn from top to the bottom. This means that NOW in the New Covenant Times we have “access” or “permission” to enter into the Most Holy Place. This is not provided as an automatic “access” to every believer! We must first be developed or matured and be a New Covenant Priest to be “qualified” to enter.

The Kingdom is a “Kingdom of Priests!” Only “the Priests” have this access to the Most Holy Place, today. The Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek has no father, no mother, no genealogy, it has no beginning of days nor end of life. The priesthood after the order of Aaron was done by Mortal Man that received the TITHES. But Melchizedek was not a mortal man and it is witnessed that He Lives on today.

Jesus became our Great High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. This Priesthood of Melchizedek was always in Heaven but it came to earth in Abraham’s time. This is the first time that this Priesthood visited the Earth, that is recorded.

Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 9 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tenth of all. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself."

Genesis 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' 24 "I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share."

It was on the New Covenant Day of Atonement that Jesus appears in the Presence of God, in the Most Holy Place, for us! That means that Our Great High Priest not only had access, but also, entered into the Most Holy Place, to stay!

Matthew 27 says that the Veil was torn from top to bottom at that time.

That Torn Veil means that WE , in the New Covenant, do now “have access” to the Resurrection of the dead but we also have access to the Most Holy Place! This “access” is not automatic when we become “believers”. We must enter the Most Holy Place by being “qualified” as Priests and then “enter” under the exact same order of “Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek”! This is the exact same Order of Priesthood that Jesus holds His Priesthood in today.

All these “Seven Outer Court Tabernacle Experiences” are necessary and can be our experiences today! These are the Seven Foundations for the Priesthood after the Order of Aaron but now apply to the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek! These Seven Foundations are necessary before we can enter through the Second Veil, which was NOT TORN. This means that we have no free access through the Second Veil. Each of the Foundations move us from one level of the Outer Court Experiences to the next level until we arrive, experientially, at the Seventh Level! The next level in our Experience, after we have fulfilled the Seven Foundations, takes us through the Second Veil and into the Holy Place Level or in the Sanctuary. The Second Veil was never Torn so we have no right to enter through that veil except by our outer court experiences! The Tabernacle of Moses is a Earthly Type of the Heavenly Tabernacle of God! Jesus teaches the Lampstand Church in the Most Holy Place! This is found in Revelation 2 & 3.

It is interesting that the term “High Priest”is used many, many, times in the New Testament. It is not until Hebrews 2:17 until we see Christ Jesus is our New Covenant Personal High Priest. In Hebrews 7 we see that Jesus became our Great High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. Jesus began our redemption process at Calvary and as our Passover Lamb. This began His Redemption at first three Feasts. These were (1) Passover (2) Unleavened Bread and (3) the Feast of First Fruits. On the Fifty Day after Passover came the Feast of Pentecost! It was when Jesus was Sacrificed on Calvary that the ground shook and the Veil that covered the Most Holy Place was TORN from top to the bottom. The Jesus ascended and the Holy Spirit came to earth!

Hebrews_2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

From this first mention of our “High Priest” in Hebrews 2:17 there are 12 references to Our High Priest in the Book of Hebrews! These speak of the CHANGE of the New Covenant Priesthood from the Old Covenant high priesthood ! All that took place at Calvary and what followed in the Last Tree Feasts! Each of these references are referring this title of High Priest to Christ Jesus, our great High Priest. I can find no other book in my Bible that uses the term High Priest in reference Christ Jesus. But this CHANGE of Israel’s High Priest is changed to a completely the New Order Of Priesthood. This Priesthood of Melchizedek is a Priesthood of the Most High God.

Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.

Hebrews 7: 4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. 6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

Hebrews 7:9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Hebrews 7:11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

Hebrews 7:15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of Him, "THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

Hebrews 7:18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, 'THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER'"); 22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently.

Hebrews 7:25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever .

The Bible clearly says that the Law of Moses was able to perfect no person under the Old Covenant. That priesthood was after the order of Aaron. But now we, under the New Covenant, have a High Priest that is now Perfect and holds His Perfection forever. That Priesthood is after the Order of Melchizedek. This is the New Priesthood that is able to bring us to PERFECTION. Today the Priesthood has been CHANGED to that which is after the Order of Melchizedek.

That means that there is no valid Priesthood today EXCEPT that which is after the Order of Melchizedek. Remember, the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek is the ONLY Priesthood that exists today! This is a completely new order of Priesthood. Melchizedek was not a Mortal Man that dies but He lives on, even toady. He is, today, a Priest of the Most High God!

The Kingdom is a Kingdom of Priests and not a Kingdom of Believers! It seems that all churches that I have been in, from 1970 until today, no one is making “priests” after the Order of Melchizedek. Most are trying to make “priests” who are just believers in something scriptural. Maybe just in Christ Jesus who died for their sins or just a believer who believes they have received the “forgiveness of sins.” Their belief may just include the Feast of Passover. That amount of FAITH may just get you as high in the Tabernacle of God as “the New Earth” in the next creation of the Tabernacle of God in Revelation 21.”

The Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek is designed to bring all its deciples to Christian Maturity, to the PERFECTION of Christ. That “Perfection” is the requirement for each of us to exist in the New Jerusalem.

The Eternal Heaven is in three places. Either in the (1) New Earth or (2) the New Heaven or (3) in the New Jerusalem. This New Creation in Revelation 21 is called the Tabernacle of God. God will rule from Mount Zion which is in the New Jerusalem. Christ Jesus will be the King of that Kingdom.

Every pastor who is trying to bring his group to that Perfection will surely fail. The “perfecter” has arrived on the Feast of Pentecost and He came as an Eternal King and as an Eternal Priest. He is the Holy Spirit who came to earth when Jesus Ascended to Heaven. The Holy Spirit came as Melchizedek and He arrived as a Priest and as a King to dwell in us. He came to build an Eternal Priesthood and to establish each of us who believe in the Laws of the Eternal Kingdom Government of God.

When God puts His Laws in our hearts and in our minds, He does that through the “King,” The Holy Spirit, that He puts in us and He teaches us these Laws of the Kingdom by the Priest, the Holy Spirit, that He puts in us. This began when we fulfilled the Feast of Pentecost by receiving the “Holy Spirit and the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek.”

This is our time to learn about the Eternal Things and the Laws of the Kingdom of God while we dwell on this earth. The Holy Spirit has come to teach us all things. God does His Teaching through the Priests that He has ordained. The Holy Spirit has come to RULE IN US as a King and to Teach us as an indwelling Priest. To reject HIM, in the New Covenant times, is the greatest cause for non forgiveness by God, I think! Why? Because, God has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell IN US for our whole time that we walk as Christians on this earth.

Of course Christ Jesus is our Great High Priest in Heaven but He holds that Priesthood “After the Order of Melchizedek.” We assume that every Priest, among us, who are in the New Jerusalem will be a Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. They will make up that Kingdom which is a Kingdom of Priests. These will be qualified to exist in the New Jerusalem Realm which is next to the Highest Realm of Heaven. Mount Zion is the Highest Realm of Heaven. The Lowest Realm in Heaven will be the New Earth Realm.

The “Second Realm of the New Heaven” will be reserved for those who achieve to the level of that Realm.

Jesus said that of those who were “born of Woman” there was no one greater than John the Baptist but the LEAST in the Kingdom was greater than he. John died before he could be Born of God or born again. John was just “born of woman” but he was a great man but the “Least in the Kingdom” is greater than John! The Kingdom is those who achieve to the Level of the New Jerusalem! All these are greater that John the Baptist.

This seems to prove that there are degrees of qualifications from the lowest to the highest in heaven. There are three general distinctions in the Eternal Heavens. (1) the New Earth, (2) the New Heaven and (3) the New Jerusalem. These Three Heavens will be CREATED by God in Revelations 21.

We can grow from the # 1 level to the #2 level and then we can achieve to the # 3 level by our maturity and our likeness to Christ Jesus. These “Three Heavens” are created entirely New in Revelation 21 and will be the NEW Tabernacle of God. This is the Tabernacle that God showed to Moses from which Moses made an earthly Tabernacle of Moses which the Scripture says were a copy of the one in heaven.

The Earthly Tabernacle was made with (1) an Outer Court (2) A Holy Place and (3) it had a Most Holy Place where God dwelt. The Tabernacle of God is also made with (1) The New Earth (2) The New Heaven and (3) the New Jerusalem.

The Wedding of the Lamb with His Bride will take place in Revelation 19. There are multitudes in Heaven! So many that is would be impossible to count them. But the Bride had already made herself ready to be the Bride and she was given special garments to wear for the Wedding. All that Great Multitude were just invited guests at the Wedding. They were onlookers and they had NOT qualified as the Bride of Christ.

After the wedding Christ and His Bride came to this earth and began to reign. They began the Last Battles of the Tribulation which are recorded in Revelation 20. When those battles were won at the end of Revelation 20 the Thousand Year Reign of Christ and His Bride was finished! At this time the devil and the fallen angles and all peoples on that side are killed. After Revelation 20 there will be another New Creation.

This begins in Revelation 21 when God creates the Tabernacle of God. Here we learn that the New Jerusalem will be only for the Bride of Christ and the Perfection of the City is the Perfection of the Bride!

It is at this time that God will create the New Heaven and He will create a New Earth. It is these Three Heavens or the Entire New Creation that will be the final Kingdom of God. The Center of the Kingdom Government of God will be the New Jerusalem . Those who dwell on Mount Zion will produce the Laws of the Kingdom of God. The New Jerusalem will enforce those Laws of the Government of God on the New Heaven and the New Earth.

This New Creation is supposed to last forever. At least we have no scripture that indicates another creation after Revelation 21. There is no indication that people will be able to make a transition from # 1 realm to the # 2 realm in the Eternal Kingdom. That is from the New Earth to the New Heaven to the New Jerusalem. These positions are all determined by the Maturity and Christ likeness that each of us attain to during our time on this earth.

One of the Messages of the Kingdom of God that the church is supposed to preach is about this Growing Up Into Christ.

Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

This is just one of the scriptures that teach us about our coming to full maturity or to Perfection.

Hebrews 6:4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The New Testament is full of scriptures like these that are meant for our growth and Christian Maturity. All the ministries that God has ordained under the New Covenant are appointed to minister for the result of Ephesians 4: 11-16. That requires all five of God’s appointed ministers in the New Covenant to fulfill this goal.

This goal or result is required of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. That means all of God appointed ministers. The result of Ephesians 4- 11:16 should be able to be seen in the church today. We do not see this maturity today.