Accurate Kingdom Building: The Table and the Bread of the Presence

Next to the Ark was the Table. We saw in the previous topic (The Ark) how the ark symbolized Jesus Christ. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of the Testimony--the Word. The word is Jesus.

Later, the staff of Aaron that budded and a jar of Manna would also be placed in it. Aaron's staff represented the holy priesthood, and Jesus is God's everlasting high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Also, Jesus is the Bread of Life, the real Manna from heaven. 

Thus, we see, accurate Kingdom building is forming Christ in people's bodies, people's lives and character (Gal.4.19). It is all about Jesus Christ. It's really about living the life of Jesus on earth. That's "Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

The Table is for the Bread of His Presence

The table was made of acacia wood and covered thoroughly with pure gold. The poles to carry it with and the rings where the poles were to be attached were similarly of pure gold. The place of rest for the Bread of God's presence should be no less than pure gold--the best. 

In spirit, the best in heaven was the scum of the earth. Jesus, heaven's best, was repugnant in the eyes of the world. We must understand that glimmering pure gold in God's eyes is rejected in the world. What is trash in God's eyes is gold to the world, and what is gold to the world is trash in God's eyes. 

When churches think about giving the best to God, they often think of their material best. They build beautiful church buildings--which are trash to God. What God sees as pure gold are totally surrendered lives living the life of Jesus, transfiguring from glory to glory, but which are rejected by the world and persecuted because of Jesus. To the world, Jesus is trash.

The first thing Christians should totally give up is denominationalism so they can start genuinely building God's non-denominational Kingdom. But they won't give this trophy up; their achievements, titles, and positions make them feel important. They derive respectability from these. The world sees these as gold. But God sees them as trash. Only Jesus is pure gold to God.

My Jesus derived authority and power from the Father alone. Thus, he was crucified. The world will crucify you (including the worldly church), reject and mock you, if you derive authority and power from the Holy Spirit alone.

Only Pure Gold Will Do

Only pure gold in God's eyes is worthy of carrying the Bread of His presence. Pure in the sense that it is not stained by any human additive. Jesus Christ was the pure gold table that carried the Bread of God's presence. We, too, should be that pure gold Table, if Jesus is 100 percent in us. This is accurate Kingdom building.

Utensils that Came with the Table

The utensils (plates, dishes, pitchers, and bowls) were equally of pure gold. Inside the tabernacle anything less than pure gold was a definite no-no. The cloud of God's presence would never descend if anything less was used. Sure, you could use inferior things and get the same look, or something even better in appearance--like using varnished bronze--but no cloud of His presence is going to come down. Remember, the reason for all these scruple and sharp attention to details was to bring down the cloud of His presence, God and His Kingdom. To bring down God, as it were. No God, you got nothing. Zero. Pffft!

Today, churches just want good appearances and programs, the works of their hands—but no God. They have lots of good and attractive gimmicks, but no real presence of God that transforms us from glory to glory. The only thing they enjoy is the omnipresence, which is present even in casinos and motels.

The Bread

The Bread of His presence was made of fine flour. No leaven--no ego, nothing of man that can spoil everything. The amounts of ingredients that went to each loaf were accurate. The same with the amounts of gold for all the furnishings. One slight error and the cloud of His presence would never have descended on the tabernacle. God stressed to Moses that everything should be exactly as the pattern shown him.

There should be no human effort or ingenuity. Even the skill and craftsmanship that molded and hammered pure gold into the tabernacle furnishings were supplied by God. God told Moses that he had given people, led by Bezalel and Oholiab, skill and artistry through the Holy Spirit to do all the work (Exo.31). 

No human effort! It was all God-effort.

There were 12 loafs of equal sizes and weight. These were symbolic of the 12 tribes. These loafs were to be set out regularly. They ought to be fresh daily. The loaf baked yesterday was a definite no-no. It had to be fresh daily. The meaning is that, the 12 tribes should feed on the Bread from heaven--man does not live by earthly bread alone but by every fresh Word, every fresh Bread of His presence, which comes from God's own mouth daily. 

You see, daily and each moment, you have to get the fresh rhema, spoken Word straight from the Father's own mouth. Only this empowers and transforms us from glory to glory. Only this assures accuracy in Kingdom building! Borrowed sermons or human sermon outlines or bible study materials can never give the same. Get the Word straight from God each moment!

The Bread of God's presence was eaten by the priesthood. This was symbolic of how the priests got the Word from God's own mouth and then passed on to the 12 tribes. Jesus did this symbol when he thanked God for the loaves and then set it out to his disciples, and then the disciples to the crowd of 5000 and then 4000 in another instance.

Jesus, the Bread of the Father's presence, is received by his chosen anointed church leaders, passed on to their spiritual sons and daughters, and then to the crowd. 

Each person in ministry, living the Jesus life, should also serve as a likeness of the ark, the table, and the bread of his presence—if Jesus is really in him or her. This is the true meaning of the universal priesthood. This is accurate Kingdom building.