The Variations Of The Collection

The 2 archangels (or Cherubim) of God are Gabriel (which means “Warrior of God” or “Man of God”) and Michael (which means “Who is like God”). They were designed to uphold God’s glory for eternity. In this environment, the archangels are doing exactly that: upholding Jesus as the Sovereign, as the Anointed, as the Messiah.

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Think of Heaven as an enormous mansion. There are many different rooms, floors, and areas to enjoy eternity in. Heaven will always be pushing our understanding of what’s awesome and continuously surprise us with even better. In this environment, the dimensions are meant to pique our curiosity and to expand our imagination.

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Mankind naturally likes to work their way to God’s acceptance. But the truth is that Jesus is the only way to God. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody can get to God except through Him. In this environment, He is standing at the gates of Heaven as the only way to eternal life.

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It’s common knowledge in the study of science that there are four different elements that were needed for the Big Bang of our Universe to happen: time, space, matter, and energy. Interestingly, all of these necessities are found in the oldest writings of the oldest book that the world has ever discovered: “In the beginning (time), God created the heavens (space) and the earth (matter)” and after “God said, let there be light (energy), and there was light (the big bang)” (Genesis verses 1 and 3). In this environment, Jesus created everything in Him, for Him, and through Him.

 

The majestic design that the sky shows us at night points to an ultimate designer. It’s only now more than ever that we can comprehend the complexity, size, and age of our observable universe, not to mention what’s beyond what we can observe under the telescope. In this environment, we see that no situation is too difficult, too complex, or too big for God.

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God made a special place in the Universe where the whole story of His love and salvation would take place. In one of the oldest scriptures of the Bible, God said to Job “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” Today we know that about 4.5 billion years ago, Theia (a celestial body roughly the size of Mars) smashed into what was previously our planet which caused oceans of hot magma to cover the earth and a spatial explosion that would later form today's earth and moon. This would have undoubtedly been a spectacle for anyone watching. In this environment, Jesus is the king of kings over our entire world.

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After Jesus’s arrest, persecution, and crucifixion, He was placed in a tomb wrapped in cloth with spices which would have weighed about 100 pounds. Then He was placed in a carved rock burial tomb with a very large stone secured in a trench at the entrance of the tomb. Even then, soldiers were deployed to guard the tomb in the case that His followers would try to recover the body and proclaim His resurrection. I mean, even Houdini would have found that one difficult to get out of! In this environment, God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and He appeared to his disciples and followers in His resurrected body to transcend matter, space, and time.

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We’ve all heard the story of Jesus walking on water before, haven't we? “About three o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. (Matthew chapter 14 verses 25 to 33). In this environment, we know that as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, and keep away from looking at our situation (such as Peter saw the strong wind and waves), then we can stand on the surface of any circumstance (and not drown in the sea in this case), and even if we would become terrified and would begin to despair (such as Peter did after taking his eyes off Jesus), Jesus would immediately reach out and grab us to brings us right back towards Him.

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God opens many opportunities to bring good in our life, and we undoubtedly slam most of those doors shut because we’re afraid or we don’t believe in miracles. In contrast, we also have many areas in our life that we don’t let anybody in because they keep our insecurities and our monsters in the dark. In both directions, Jesus is not only at the door of these rooms, but He’s also the actual door. In this environment, He is ready to welcome us in all of God’s blessings and He’s also the one to clean all of our fears from the hidden parts of our lives.

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God gave His laws and sacrificial doctrine to His chosen nation to symbolize all that Jesus would one day accomplish for us today. There were many different sections to the Tabernacle: outside the curtains around the courtyard, the entrance to the outer courtyard, the courtyard of the tabernacle, the entrance to the tabernacle, the holy place, and through the 30 feet tall veil, the holy of holies where the Lord was with the arc of the covenant. When Jesus gave His life for us at the cross, the veil which separated God from us was ripped from top to bottom. In this environment, Jesus took the veil out of the way so that we can now enjoy our relationship with God.

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Among the Laws of God given to His chosen nation was a grain offering. This was composed of finely crushed wheat into flour. Like everything in the Bible, it is a symbol that Jesus would one day be crushed on our behalf. In this environment, Jesus has abundantly given His body to us for divine health and to be a part of His healthy body.

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When we’re afraid, we run away from what matters. When we’re feeling guilty, we punish ourselves in destructive ways. When we’re feeling ashamed, we keep the reason concealed and hidden from others. There is a better way because Jesus became the payment for all of the wrong in our lives, we can now live life knowing that all has been worked for our good. In this environment, Jesus traveled to the furthest regions to find us and bring us back to the abundant life that was intended for us through Him.

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The color red is associated with mankind. This is because our blood contains the source of life and symbolizes us.

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The color blue is associated with God. This is because the blue sky is a symbol of the heavens that surround us.

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The color purple is associated with Jesus because you get purple when you mix red and blue together. Jesus is entirely human and Jesus is entirely God. He is the intermediary between us and God, approachable for us and approachable to God. Jesus is the reason why we can now have a relationship with God today.

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The material of silver is associated with righteousness. It’s about being just, honest, and vindicated. Man can’t be righteous, but we are righteous because we believe that Jesus gave us his perfect life in exchange for ours. In other words, we are not righteous in it of ourselves, but God has counted us as righteous because we believe in His Son.

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The material of gold is associated with holiness. It directly points to God as being almighty, sovereign, and perfect. Today, we are made holy because we take on the holiness that Jesus gave us when we gave His life.

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The color white is associated with being washed from our shortcomings and made perfect through believing what Jesus did for us. Today, we are made perfectly white because all of our sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus.

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In God’s sacrificial procedures which He gave to His chosen nation, the High Priest had to sacrifice a lamb without blemish for the forgiveness of the nation’s sins for the year. This was a symbol of when God would send His Lamb Jesus as the ultimate and eternal sacrifice to take on all the sins of the world.

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Also in God’s sacrificial procedures which He gave to His chosen nation, people could bring an offering to God. If they couldn’t provide a lamb, they could bring 2 turtle-doves or 2 pigeons instead. The priest would sacrifice one of the birds, dip the other bird in the blood, and release it to be free. This is a symbol of who we are today because of Jesus: covered in His blood and free.

 

Because Jesus lived a perfect life without sin, but took on our sinfulness and died, He could not remain dead. So God raised Him from the grave and gave Him the crown of life.

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After God raised Jesus from the grave, He placed all authority underneath His feet. As Jesus is in Heaven, so are we here on Earth. We have authority over the world because we believe that Jesus has given it to us.

 

The shepherd of a flock leads his flock to green pastures, protects them from danger, and even calls them out by name. The flock is faced with many threats if they are left without a shepherd to take care of them. Likewise, the shepherd is Jesus, and we are His flock. If even one goes missing, He finds it and brings it back home.

 

During the last supper before he would take up our cross, “He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (Matthew chapter 26 verses 27 and 28). Today we know that the “new testament” really started after He shed his blood to make us holy, and not at His birth. When we drink wine, we remember that our sins are forgiven because He sacrificed His life for us out of love.

 

During the last supper as well, “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke chapter 22 verse 19). Today we know that we have divine health and we are a part of His healthy body. When we eat bread, we remember that we have perfect health, safety, and protection because he gave us His body to be pierced in our place.

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Grains of wheat are meant to be crushed, broken, and baked in fire. In the same way, Jesus was meant to be bruised, pierced, and to live God’s burning judgment so that we don’t have to. Today, we don’t have to see ourselves anymore as having to go through the same punishment, because it’s been paid for with Jesus’s life.

 

Many people think that Jesus was poor and needy, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. With the miracle of feeding 5000 men (not including women and children) with 12 baskets full in leftovers, the miracle of turning huge barrels of water into over 500 liters of quality wine, and having one year’s wages worth of exquisite perfumes put on Him, Himself and everyone who followed Him had all of their needs met.

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The Bible is the oldest book ever, the most published book ever, the most quoted book ever, and continuously the best seller year after year. We’ve tried to destroy it more than any other book ever, and even if we did, we could completely reconstruct it using quotes that other books have taken from it. Jesus is the Word of God, and the Bible is the biggest way we can grow our relationship with Him.

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When Jesus had resurrected into His new body, His disciples were highly skeptical at first. After showing himself beyond the grave, “He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched (Luke chapter 24 verses 42 and 43). In His new body, He was able to defy the laws of the universe, yet He could also interact with it. This is a sneak-peek into our new bodies that are waiting for us because we believe that Jesus has worked for us to receive them.

 

The high priest’s role in God’s holy laws was to represent all the people to God because one day Jesus would be our representative forever. Once a year during the Passover festival, the high priest would enter the holy of holies to make an atonement with the blood of the sacrifice for the people’s sins because it was a symbol of the sacrifice that Jesus would do for our sins on the cross. Everything had to be accomplished perfectly according to what the Lord had commanded the high priest because it represents the perfection of Jesus. The high priest wore special garments with distinguishing traits because these traits are signs of who Jesus is today.

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The turban was made of fine linen, with “Holy to the Lord” engraved in the gold medallion. It remained attached with a blue cord at the front of the turban. The high priest wore it on his forehead to take on himself any guilt from the chosen nation of God when their offerings were made sacred. He’d always wear it on his forehead so the Lord would accept the people. In contrast, Jesus had been judged perfect because God raised Him from the grave. God accepts us through Jesus the high priest because Jesus took on Himself all of our guilt at the cross.

 

The ephod was made of finely woven linen and skilfully embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Two onyx stones mounted in settings of gold lacework were engraved with the names of the 12 tribes of the chosen nation. The high priest represents the chosen nation of God as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the Lord because he carries the names of the people on his shoulders. Today we know that Jesus personally carried our cross in our place because He took on our own fate. He took the sins of everyone who ever lived, and who will ever live, and He paid for them in our place because He intimately loved us so much.

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The chest piece was made to match the ephod. It was mounted with 12 gemstones laced in gold and the name of each of the tribes of the chosen nation was engraved on it like a seal. The gemstones were a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, an emerald, a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, a white moonstone, an orange jacinth, an agate, a purple amethyst, a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. Braided cords of pure gold thread and gold rings attach the chestpiece to the ephod.

The chestpiece is to be worn for seeking a decision from God. In this way, the high priest would carry the names of the tribes of the chosen nation on the chestpiece over his heart when he went into the holy place. This was a continual reminder that the high priest represents the people when he would come before the Lord.

Today, we know that Jesus is at the right hand of God and carries over his heart the continual reminder that He died for us to have life. In this way, whoever believes that Jesus has paid for his sins once and for all will be represented perfectly to God and get to enjoy the relationship.

The Urim (which means “Lights”) and Thummim (which means “Perfection”) were also placed into the chestpiece because he carried them over his heart when he went to the Lord. He would do this because it would determine the Lord’s will for His people.

Today, Jesus demonstrated on the cross that the love of His heart shines the perfect light for God to give us His abundant will in our lives.

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The high priest had to perform his duties with bare feet. No one knew why this was one of the Lord’s laws for the high priest. But today, we know that Jesus performs His duties with nothing covering his nail-pierced feet, showing His sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.

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