Not only did God choose to speak through people, but people often choose to speak on behalf of God. How then do we tell the difference between those entrusted with Divine revelation and those spreading false messages in His name? The test is given in Deuteronomy 18: “You may say to yourselves, “How can we know […]

The Centrality of the Temple under the Old Covenant The importance of the temple to the religion of the Old Covenant cannot be overstated. As ancient maps reveal, Jerusalem was regarded as the navel of the world, the temple its focal point. This was the connecting point between heaven and earth, the unique place that […]

God is Spirit and is invisible in the material world, apart from His moving in and through tangible things. Similarly He abides with us by ‘indwelling’ part of His creation. God allows Satan to exercise power as ‘prince of the world’ and to resist the Divine presence in his earthly domain. Satan directs his efforts […]

(This article was written in response to an address by Penina Taylor to the Sydenham Shul in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 9 August 2008. Her address was entitled: “From destruction of the Temple to destruction of the soul”.) The 9th day of Av is the day on which the Temple in Jerusalem was twice destroyed – […]

Introduction From the beginning of recorded history God has shown man the way to be reconciled to Him and the acceptable way to worship Him (cf. Hebrews 11:4; 12:28 ; Romans 12:1 ; 1 Peter 2:5). Since Cain first tried to bring an offering of his own choosing, man has continually rebelled and tried to […]

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it. Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand–three on one side and three on the other… Command the Israelites to bring […]

This is the third part in the series of teachings on the tabernacle in which we endeavour to show how the temple and the priesthood were symbolic of spiritual truths that were yet to be revealed with the coming of the Messiah. The rites of worship under the old covenant were shrouded in mystery, veiled […]

Some people may wonder what value there is in studying the symbolism contained within the rituals of the old covenant when the reality which they foreshadowed has been revealed through Jesus Christ, but we can still discover precious insights into the mystery of Christ that will greatly encourage us in our faith by exploring the […]

The centrality of sacrifice Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the ritual of sacrifice has been a mysterious but central part of biblical religion. The covering of animal skins which the LORD provided for Adam and Eve after they had sinned conveyed the message that sin could only be atoned for […]