The Last Move of God

The Tabernacle of Moses contains many facets of truth. It can be seen as a picture of the redemption of man; as a picture of Christ and the Church or a picture of the Ages of time relative to the Plan of Redemption.

This message concerns the Ages of time determined by God. From the study of the measurements of the three sections of the Tabernacle we have a picture of the Law Age, the Church Age and the Kingdom (Millennial) Age. The Outer Court speaks of the Law Age; the Holy Place speaks of the Church Age and the Holy of Holies speaks of Kingdom Age. It is beyond the scope of this message to study the entire Tabernacle in any details. We confine our discussion on the Church Age only.

The Church Age

The Holy Place gives a prophetic picture of the Church Age. The Holy Place measured 20 cubits in length, 10 cubits in width, and 10 cubits in height. Thus the cubical volume is 2000. This corresponds to the Church Age of 2000 years. The two entrances of the Tabernacle correspond to the First and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The door was the First entrance and let one into the Holy Place. This corresponds to the First Coming of Christ who opened the Door to the 2000 years of the Church Age. The Second Veil corresponds to the Second Coming of Christ. This Veil opens at the close of the Church Age and lets the true believer into the Holy of Holies.

The Holy Place has three articles of furniture which have significance related to the Church Age:
1. The Golden Candlestick points to the Light of the Church, the only light in the Holy Place. The Light speaks of the anointing, illumination, fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

2. The Golden Table of Shewbread typifies the Lord’s Table, the very communion of Christ and the Church which is to be experienced in the 2000 years by the believer-priests (1 Cor. 11:23, 24).

3. The Golden Altar of Incense emphasizes the ministry of prayer, praise and intercession that is to be the characteristic of the Church as they move in Priestly function and administration before the Lord.

It is interesting to note that these three pieces of furniture typify the practices of the early Church.

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42, NKJV).

The order – Apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer has great significance. Without having the same doctrine there is no possibility of fellowship; without fellowship we cannot break bread together; and without having all the first three, there is no harmony in our praying together!

Prophetic Insights of the Golden Altar of Incense

As the Church journeys through time in the Holy Place the last piece of furniture before the second veil is the Altar of Incense. It also corresponds to the last of the three main Jewish feasts – the Feast of the Tabernacle (the In-gathering). The other two main Jewish feasts are the Feast of the Passover and Feast of Pentecost.

The Last Move of God

The last move of God is to prepare the Church for heaven – The Bride “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). At the Second Coming of Jesus the true Church shall go through the second veil (the “veil” of our flesh) and put on the “clothe” of immortality into the Holy of holies, into the presence of God (Revelation 21). We are moving from the dispensation of Grace into the throne of God.

Exodus 30:1 – 10 describes the Altar of Incense.

“And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations” (Verses 6 – 8, NKJV, emphasis added).

The lamps were to be lighted during the evening sacrifice (6 pm) with incense (perpetual) before the ark of Covenant on the other side of the veil.

The End-time Church is a praying Church

Incense is a picture of prayer in both Old and New Testament Scripture:

“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2).

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5:8, emphasis added).

“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand” (Rev. 8:3, 4, emphasis added).

Therefore, God’s will for the the last move of God is that the Church should emphasize on prayer. In other words, prayer is the number one ministry in the Local Church in the last move of God.

Let us look at what Zacharias, a priest, did when he burnt incense in the temple:

“…. According to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:9 – 13, emphasis added).

Here are some observations:

1. Zacharias was a priest. All believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9). We are a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6; Rev. 1:6; 5:10). God will raise up many “Zacharias” in the end-time Church who will burn incense (pray) to the Lord.

2. As the Church prays there will be angelic visitations. Just as there were angelic visitations before the first coming of Jesus we will see angelic visitations and interventions in the lives of believers and the Church just before the second coming of Jesus.

3. There will be tremendous spiritual births of sons and daughters in the last move of God. People, young and old, who we thought would never be saved would come quickly into the Kingdom of God; quickly matured and transformed by the power of God. In other words, there will be a great harvest of souls!

4. There will be tremendous Church growth:

“Before she travailed, she brought for the; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:7, 8, KJV, emphasis added).

The above prophecy will be fulfilled. The word “Zion” speaks of the Church all through Scripture. The word “travail” or “labor” speaks of fervent prayer. As the Church prays many spiritual children (new souls) will be brought forth!

Importance of petition, intercession, prayer, praise and thanksgiving

A Church that embraces the last move of God is a praying Church.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6, 7, emphasis added).

Notice that the above speaks of all kinds of prayers.

Filled with the Holy Spirit

In order to pray effectively you must be led by the Spirit. You cannot be led by the Spirit unless you are filled with the Spirit. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit unless you are baptized in the Holy Spirit first. Believers who embrace the last move of God will be filled with the Holy Spirit:

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18, 19, emphasis added).

The spiritual principle is, when you minister to the Lord, the Lord touches you. When God touches you, you are filled with the Spirit. Then you can touch others. Receptivity comes be activity. No input, no output; more input, more output!

It is not true that a Spirit filled believer leaks as claimed by many Bible teachers. A Spirit filled Christian does not leak! The truth is power goes out of him when he ministers to others with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Look at the healing of the woman “having a flow of blood for twelve years” (Luke 8:43). When she touched the border of the garment of Jesus, He said:

“Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me” (Luke 8:46).

The Power of Intercession

A plague broke out when the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron:

“So Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun’. Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plaque was stopped” (Numbers 16:46 – 48, emphasis added).

Aaron was a perfect example of an intercessor – he stood between God's people and God’s wrath and judgment.

The way to stop any “plague” or wrath of God against our nation or our Church is to go into intercession. Intercession breaks the principality and powers over our country and Church.

The Power of the Evening Sacrifice

At Mount Carmel Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20 – 40). The prophets of Baal would call upon their gods to send fire to consume the prepared sacrifice. Elijah would do the same by calling the name of the Lord. Baal failed in their effort. Elijah then took his turn:

“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:36, 38, NKJV, emphasis added).

The reason why Elijah waited until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice to call upon the Lord because he knew God promised to meet with his people at the evening offering!

Beloved, this is now the evening time for the Church! God is waiting for our evening sacrifice!