God's House
God gave his people a design for a house for which his presence would inhabit. Surely, this is evidence that God wanted a relationship with man despite man's disobedience and gives us confidence that we can run to Him when we sin, rather than away from Him. Within God's house, there were 7 special items that represented each stage of redemption. Each year, the High Priest was to perform a ceremony using these 7 items. If this was done in accordance with the instructions God gave, God's presence would come down from Heaven dwell within their midst. Truly, this was a remarkable event! Let's take a closer look at each of these 7 items and discover their relationship not only to the significant events of Man's work week, but also their connection with God's holidays.
BRAZEN ALTER
Upon entering into the inner court of God's house, we discover the first item of importance, the Brazen Alter. The first ceremonial act was for the High Priest to slay a lamb and collect its blood. After which, the remains of the lamb were burned on this alter. Remember, that God's first Holiday is Passover, which is the covering of blood over sin. The Passover Lamb is slain over the Brazen Alter.
BRAZEN LAVER
The next item is called the Brazen Laver. Here we find the High Priest washing his hands and cleansing himself before entering the outer room called the Holy Place. God's 2nd Holiday is Unleavened Bread, which also represents cleansing. We once again discover that there is a pattern that God has established between his holidays and the items he prescribed for his house. Let's move forward and see if the pattern continues.
TABLE OF SHEWBREAD
After the High Priest entered into the Holy Place, he was to bring in with him the first of the harvest as an offering to God. In the same way that we worship God on the first day of the week by bringing in our tithes and offerings and putting God first, we find the High Priest making an offering of First Fruits to God. Sound familiar? That's right! God's 3rd Holiday is called First Fruits. The symmetry is right on point.
GOLDEN LAMP STAND
It only makes sense that God's 4th item within his house is a Golden Lamp Stand that lights the entire room with its 7 lamps fueled by it's 7 bowls of oil. Light and oil are both used to represent the Holy Spirit in scripture and here is where we discover the connection between Pentecost, God's 4th Holiday and the Golden Lamp Stand. Remember that Pentecost began when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as flaming tongues. Wow!
ALTER OF INCENSE
The next item is called the Alter of Incense. This is where the High Priest would of offer up prayers to God. In scripture, we discover that the prayers of the saints are received by God as a sweet aroma. Here is where we make the connect between God's 5th Holiday, which is Trumpets and represents the ingathering of the saints, with the prayers that are offered on the Alter of Incense. Once these prayers were offered, the High Priest would move through the veil (representing Jesus) into the inner room called the Holy of Holies.
MERCY SEAT
The High Priest would carry the blood that he received from the slain lamb into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood on the Mercy Seat, making atonement for the sins of the people. God's 6th Holiday is Atonement and is directly connected to the Mercy Seat where the final redemptive act is made complete.
ARK OF THE COVENANT
After the Atonement was made, God's presence would come down from Heaven and fill this room and "tabernacle" with man. God's 7th Holiday is Tabernacles, which clearly connects to the Ark of the Covenant picturing a time when God will dwell with man in the "Day of Rest" or "Sabbath Day" lasting for 1000 years.
