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Tackling the ControVerse Pastor Sam Manyika
The Old Testament chronicles God’s dealings with man under the Old Covenant. The New Testament informs man of how God relates with or wants to relate with man now, under the new covenant through Christ and in Christ. The old covenant portrayed and presented God as mysterious, unapproachable, distant, discriminating , easily offended and not relational on a personal level. All his interactions with man were through a chosen one, either a prophet or priest, he did not deal with individuals outside that framework. Even for the priests and prophets themselves mediating between God and man was an unpredictable and dangerous business.
God’s presence then would descend into the Holy of Holies or inner sanctuary of the Temple, this is where the High priest would enter into so as to intercede on behalf of the people and also give necessary and appropriate sacrifices. Whenever priests entered the Holy of Holies to communicate with God or make sacrifices to him they had to wear a gown with bells attached at the hem and also have a rope tied to their leg whose length remained outside the inner sanctuary. As the priest moved around performing his rituals the bells would be ringing signifying that he was still alive.
Exodus 28:34-35
34 A gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, round about on the skirts of the robe. 35 Aaron shall wear the robe when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes [alone] into the Holy of Holies before the Lord and when he comes out, lest he die there.
If the bells ceased ringing those outside would know that the priest had offended the Lord somehow and had been struck dead. Since no one except a consecrated priest could enter the Holy of holies, they would then have pulled him out by the rope tied to his leg.
It was an accepted fact that the Priests and prophets were the only ones who could entreat the Lord on behalf of others. There was no direct interaction between God and the generality of man.
Through the substitutionary death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus all that changed. When Jesus died on the cross darkness enveloped the earth, the earth quaked and a significant thing happened. The curtain which separated the holy of holies and the main auditorium occupied by the public in the temple was torn from top to bottom.
Mark 15:37-38
37 And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.38 And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom.
This signified and symbolised an exposure of the mysteries and secrets of the temple and the ushering in of a season of access into the holy of holies or the innermost sanctuary the symbolic dwelling place of God.
There are, however, two very important and central components of this access which are
(1) The Blood of Jesus
(2) The Holy Spirit.
The blood of Jesus is the pacifier of God’s wrath and the qualifier through whom a believer can enter into the presence of God without condemnation. The Holy Spirit is the enabler and the power by whom believers function in a supernatural dimension.
Before his death Jesus kept telling his disciples that it was expedient for him to die and go to heaven. A fact which the disciples could not comprehend or appreciate. Jesus was with them, healing a lot of people, casting out devils and raising the dead, he was the most popular man around at that time, why was he talking of dying or going away.
John 16:7
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
The reason why Jesus made it clear that it was “expedient” or “very necessary” for him to go was because he had taken on the form of a human being while on earth, so even though he was essentially God, he was limited in terms of what he could do. Jesus could only be in one place at a given time. That is why when Lazarus died his sister pointed out to Jesus that if he had been present her brother would not have died.
John 11:32
32 When Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she dropped down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Jesus then, could only minister to a limited number of people at a time. Through his death and resurrection Jesus would be glorified into a spiritual state. He would come back in the form of the person of the Holy Spirit. This way he could indwell anyone who received him as a personal saviour. He would also retain his omnipresence and be unlimited in his dealings with people all over the world at the same time
Jesus with all the power that he demonstrated as he walked the earth broke the middle wall or curtain of partition which separated man and God.
This is very significant. These are not Old Testament times where it was always about the prophet and the priest. Under the new covenant there is direct access to God the father through Jesus.
We can pray directly to the father, make our needs known to him and get direct responses from him.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Jesus has also given all those who have believed in him authority and power over all the power of the enemy. Anything that has to do with our welfare or security can be addressed and dealt with directly through the access that the Father God has given us through Christ Jesus.
So in all real and practical terms, all of God’s children are unlimited in power and authority due to the very real presence of Jesus in them by his spirit. Everyone may need a coach to show them how to play, but it is them who still have to play. In as much as Apostles,
Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers have been availed to show us how to do it, it is still our game and we can determine the outcome.
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