Joseph Prince - Live Protected In Dangerous Times
We are living in a day where there's danger all around. We are living in the days that Paul prophesied about in the last days. Perilous, say perilous. That word means dangerous. Perilous times will come, and we are living in those days that, you know, people are afraid to fly. I meet people and people are afraid to fly, they're afraid to travel, they are afraid to move here, move there. They are afraid. They are afraid of even where they are staying. Fear has come on the world, but you, child of God, you are not of the world. You are in the world, but you are not of the world. You are covered. No, you are covered. I said you are covered under his wings. You are four times covered.
Okay, I'm gonna share with you about how four times covered you are. You want to hear, all right? You are four times covered. So, when you fly, when you travel, when you move, when fear comes into your heart, remember this teaching here today. All right, it's gonna be a deep teaching, so for the next two hours, we're gonna really expound, plumb the depths of Scripture, shall we, amen? But I want to assure your hearts that you are protected, amen. First of all, we're gonna introduce you to the tabernacle and the teachings of... today's teaching, there's a bit of Christmas story in it as well. Also, it's gonna show you the four layers, four curtains that covers the tabernacle, okay? Show them a picture of the four curtains that covers the tabernacle. We have, there you have it. There are four layers.
Now, the thing is this, this is called the tabernacle proper. The parameters, the long parameters around the courtyard is not the tabernacle, okay? Those are the precincts of the outer court, but this is the tabernacle proper. And you find that, can you see the golden boards, the golden boards? Actually it's made of wood, okay? It's made of wood. Now, the golden boards, the acacia wood is overlaid with gold, and it's standing on silver sockets. I have a teaching, an entire teaching on you are covered with gold. Your foundation is solid silver. Silver speaks of redemption. You're not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. It represent the blood of Christ. Silver in the Bible is always redemption. Silver is the means by which they buy a slave out of slavery or whatever it is. They set people free, a silver coin in those days, all right?
So, it's a picture of a form of a barter, a form of exchange their money, but it's silver. Silver speaks of the blood of Jesus. The only economy heaven understands is the blood of Jesus. And you and I are redeemed, we are bought by the blood of Christ. So, we are actually standing boards. We were once upon a time in the wilderness, in the desert. And you know, we were living off the soil of the earth that is dry, arid. And it's the heat is there. You are you're struggling to find water. And finally, the Lord in his mercy says, "I won't plant you on the earth anymore. The earth is cursed. The ground is cursed". And God took you, and you will say, "No, no, no", you know, you thought that being a believer will destroy your life, will steal your fun and all that. And God says, "You haven't seen what I want to do with you".
And then he made you from an ugly acacia tree, he formed you into a beautiful block to fill his house, amen. So, all of us are standing boards and God make us to stand and our feet literally is in the silver sockets. Your feet don't touch the earth anymore, this same cursed earth, amen. It doesn't touch this earth where the devil is, you know, running rampant right now. And one day, the King, the true ruler of this earth will return. Until then, the devil is still going crazy. But you are not of the world, though you are in the world. Your resources don't come from this earth that is cursed. Your resources come from heaven. And yet, you are in this earth, but you are planted on solid silver. Can I have a good amen?
So, let's look at the tabernacle proper. Look up here at the whole tabernacle. This is how they were encamped in Israel. You'll find that where we are looking at from is the east, in the east corner. All right, show them north, south, east, west, all right? That's the east corner. The entrance is facing east because the entrance for God is always getting brighter and brighter. It's where the sun rises. You know what? Sit back. Let's enjoy this ride. We are flying down. Okay, you see you are a heavenly being. We don't work from earth to heaven, we work from heaven to earth. You must always realize your position and then you're able to function here.
This is the tabernacle. You see the where the fire is burning? That's the brazen altar. It speaks of the cross. The four corners speaks of the cross of Jesus Christ. That's where the burnt offering is offered. On the right, can you see the man laying hands, the guy in black? All right, the priest giving worship to God and all that. And that's where your sin offering, your burnt offering rather, not sin offering. Your burnt offering is killed, okay? And can you see the entrance to the Holy Place, the tabernacle? There are five pillars. There are five pillars there, whereas just now when you came in, show them another picture of the gate, all right, the gate. Yeah, you see the gate in front? The gate is extreme left, on your extreme left. Can you see the gate. The first entrance is the gate.
So, you come in, all right, with the gate, then you offer your burnt offering. After that, no one else can go inside the tabernacle except the priests. But that was in the ancient time. Today the Bible says you and I, we're priests of God, amen? So, we go into the... see the five pillars? We go into the place where no one in this world goes into. Today, do you know you are in effect? You are actually in the holy place? You're even in the Holy of Holies because there's no more veil. You are inside the tabernacle. Now, where's the place of protection? Inside the tabernacle. Nobody ever died inside there, that's recorded for us.
Now, there's the place where when you look up, you will see the first layer. You can't see the first layer here. So, show them the covering again, the animation now. I'll show you this animation to help you understand. First of all, the badger skin right on top, right? Okay, and you'll see how beautiful all this illustrates our Lord Jesus Christ. Then you have the ram skin dyed red. You have the goat's hair, you have the fine linen. So, once you go inside, okay, what do you see? Let's say you remove all the curtains, when you look down, what do you see? You see this, all right, the holy place made of three furnitures, the menorah, the seven-branch candelabra opposite the table of showbread.
On the left there before the Holy of Holies is the altar of incense. Then the veil that Jesus has torn when he died on a cross. The veil is no more there. You will see the Ark of the Covenant, the throne of God. So, actually, effectively, we today don't have a veil in front of us. We are now in the Holy of Holies. There's no more holy place and Holy of Holies. We are now in the, entire thing is Holy of Holies. Now, if you are in the holy place, what do you see? You see the fine linen.
And the Bible says, show them Exodus 26, verse 1, Exodus 26, verse 1. It says, "Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains", say ten, "Ten curtains of fine woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet thread", okay? This is the first time every time you have blue, purple, scarlet, linen, always in the tabernacle, blue, purple, scarlet linen, this is the only time fine linen comes first, and then blue, purple, and scarlet. Remind me to tell you why. Let's walk into the holy place, shall we? Okay, you're walking into the holy place. You see the menorah, you see the table of showbread. You look up, what do you see?
All right, stop there. What do you see? You see the roof, the first layer, and it's made of fine woven linen, the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. It has the blue, the gospel of John, the Word became flesh. It has the red, he became a man. It has the purple, amen? That's why the colors make it so beautiful, and purple is his kingship, the gospel of Matthew. And it's fine linen, the gospel of Luke, all right, his perfect man. So, you have this up there. And notice the Bible says just now we read, "it is made of fine woven linen, blue, purple, scarlet, and then with artistic designs of cherubim, you shall weave them". A cherubim has wings.
So, when you look up here, all right, look up. Go back to the, you look up, can you see the wings? That's what it means to be under the wings. The psalm of protection, Psalms 91. Psalms 91 says what? He shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings, under his wings, not over, under his wings, you shall take refuge. And the next verses says no arrow will strike you, amen, no plague will come near your dwelling, why? Because your dwelling is not outside there where the world is exposed to all the curse, all the dangers, all the terror, all the diseases and all that. The Bible says you're in the place of protection. Even when you are sick, stay there, and you'll be healthy, amen? It's the new and living way inside there, people, opened up to us by the blood of Jesus Christ. So, you are under his wings. Go back to the picture again.
All right, we are under his wings. There it is, we are under his wings, and this is what, Psalms 91 was written after the tabernacle was inaugurated. So, they are speaking in terms of the tabernacle. Go back to the tabernacle outside. This is what the world sees. They see the badger skin, the first layer. The first layer was badger skin, am I right? That's what the world see. When Jesus was here, people, it's something very beautiful, when Jesus was here, our Lord was here, you know what they saw? They saw a rugged man. The world cannot see the beauty of the Lord Jesus God made manifest in the flesh. All they see is a rugged man. And you know what they use badger skin for? It's a great material of protection. It covered all the furniture when they traveled.
Okay, let's go to the next layer. The next one, what is it? Ram skin dyed red, okay, ram skin dyed red. All these you can find in Exodus 26. Give them the verse, Exodus 26. Okay, "You shall also make a covering of ram skins dyed red for the tent, and a covering of badger skins above the ram skin dyed red". So, that's where they got it, all right. Ram skin dyed red. What is a ram skin? Ram is a male sheep that has horns. It speaks of power, it speaks of devotion, it speaks of determination. That's why we use the phrase, "a battering ram". Why is the ram skin dyed red? To show his work at the cross. He was covered all with blood.
Now, go back to the four layers again, show them. Underneath the badger skin, you have the ram skin dyed red. This is what the eye of God sees. And do you know something? If you look carefully, the ram skin dyed red, right? Man cannot see this covering, it's what the eye of God see. The eye of God sees his son's devotion, his son's determination, and the ram in the offerings, you know what it's used for? It's used for, listen, a ram of consecration. Have you heard that, the ram of consecration, Exodus 29? No one can fully appreciate his devotion, his consecration the way the Father can, mmm. Thank God for our Lord Jesus Christ.
I love the way... I was reading yesterday that he was in the garden of Gethsemane, and the soldiers came to arrest him, all right, and he wanted to set his disciples free, so he stepped forward, and he asked, "Whom do you seek"? I love it. And you know what the Bible says the way he stepped forward, read your Bible in John 18, I think, or 17. John 18, excuse me, John 18. He says, John 18 says he stepped up, he stepped forward. Before it says that, it says this, "Jesus knowing all things that would happen, stepped forward". I love it. It's like a ram determined to go to the cross, hmm?
One more incident about the ram is very interesting. It's the story of Abraham bringing up his son to Mount Moriah. Remember, he was about to slay his son, and then the angel of the Lord stopped him? And God spoke from heaven and says, "Now I know that you fear me because you have not withheld your son, your only son from me". And the whole thing is done in such a way so that you and I can say to God, "Now I know, God, that you love me because you have not withheld your Son, your only Son, from me". Can I have a good amen? And then the Bible says he looked behind him, very interesting. He looked behind him on Mount Moriah, and there was a ram caught. Show them Genesis, there was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. Then God says, "Offer the ram".
All right, it was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. Now, picture this with me, what happens, because a ram is strong. The bush is not as strong as the ram and the horns. When he pulled out his horns from that, extricate himself from that thorny bush, what do you have? A thorny crown. John 19, verse 5, "Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to everyone there, 'Look, behold the Man!'" Still, majestic, amen? Now, we come to the goat's hair. Look at Exodus 26. "You shall also make curtains of goats' hair, to be a tent over the tabernacle". Look at this. Now, how many curtains, you shall make what? Eleven curtains. Just now we have ten curtains, curtains means like a horizontal shape of curtain joined to another curtain, joined to another curtain, making 11 curtains. Just now we have the fine linen. You know the roof of the holy place, you look up, that is ten curtains. So, you have one extra here, right? You have 11 curtains, am I right?
Okay, now next verse. You shall make, next verse, verse 8. All right, "The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits", underline that, all right, remember that. "The width of each curtain four cubits, eleven curtains shall have one measurement, one measurement". All these are revelation by itself. I feel like stopping here and preaching on one measurement but, "And you shall couple five curtains by themselves and six curtains", That's how they get 11, you couple five and six.
Now, I'm gonna stop here and give you the revelation straightaway. Five is number of grace. Six is a number of man. So, these curtains is five and six, why? There's no insignificant detail. Jesus became a man full of grace to bring grace to us. Now, watch this, it's a curtain of what? Goat's hair. It's a curtain of goat's hair. Does that remind you of something? Goat is always used for the sin offering. Now, let me explain to you, look up here. There are 30 cubits, right, the length, all right, 30 cubits. When I say the length, actually it's the breadth. Watch this now. Okay, the standing boards is ten cubits. "What is cubit, Pastor Prince"? Those days they use the measurement cubits, it's from your elbow here to your middle finger. That's how long a cubit is.
So, ten cubits. You know, the standing boards of gold? All of us are that wood overlaid with gold. You know how tall that standing board is? Ten cubits, okay? So, ten cubits here. The boards are all here, ten cubits. Then you have the width of the holy place which is ten cubits. Then you have the other standing board here, right? Ten cubits. So, all together, what? Thirty cubits, am I right? So, the length of the curtains are 30 cubits, but the curtain of goat's hair is 30 cubits. His entire 30 years was covered. Stop. To be a sin offering, all right, it was the 30 years to prepare him. Watch this, the covered over you can't see of the goat's hair, how many cubits? Thirty cubits. His life was hidden for 30 years, 30 years that prepared him with that body to offer at that tree. That's what he must become, the sin offering.
We will close with this, the last part what we started just now. Show them the ceiling of the holy place. I want to impress on you, you are now in the last or the first layer, fine linen. And after the goat's hair is the fine linen. Am I right? When you look up, you see the wings covering you. I want you to keep this in mind when you travel, wherever you go, you are under his wings, okay? And just now I told you I'll be sharing with you in case you forgot. I didn't forget. It's why is it that for the first time, the order is changed. Instead of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen, fine line is put first, right? Verse 1, Exodus 26, fine linen is put first. Can you see that? Ten curtains of fine linen, then blue, purple, scarlet. This is the first time he goes out of order. You know why?
Listen. That last layer that our roof, again badger skin, what the eye of man saw. Ram skin dyed red, what the eye of God saw that no man sees, not even the priests. Curtain of goat's hair is what God made his Son to be on earth. The last one, the ceiling of the Holy of Holies is what God made his Son in heaven. That's why the fine linen is put first. Do you know something? Have you read your Bible and then all of a sudden, it's always in the gospels, "The Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ"? Then when it comes to Romans, when it comes to Corinthians, it comes to Ephesians, it's "Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus". Because when you look up today, what we see is Jesus in glory, but still the same man. That's why it's inverted. Instead of Jesus Christ, it is Christ Jesus.
When you see the phrase "Christ Jesus", it reminds you of the risen exalted Lord Jesus in heaven at the Father's right hand. And this is the amazing thing, God is saying that that man up there is fine linen. We have a man in glory. Do you understand? When he came to earth, he came to earth to show man what God is like. But now he's in heaven, many of us may make this mistake, he's there as God. No, he's always God, yes, let's not take away from that. But God wants us our comfort, our blessing is knowing that there is a man in glory. There is a man representing us. There is a man in heaven.
Whenever you find that phrase, "in Christ Jesus", that means what is true of that man is true of you. That man in heaven today is your true identity in the eyes of God. That's why there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What does that mean, in Christ Jesus? "Oh, God put you in him". It's not just that. It is this, that that man is the measure of who you are before God. Oh, man, can that man ever be condemned? No, neither can you because God measures you today by him. I'm talking to believers today. God measures you by him. You are strong. You are righteous. You are holy. You are true. You are faithful. You are heavenly. You are princely. You are princessly. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. You're a brand-new creation. You are protected. You are under his cover. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen, amen, amen.