"Shadow of Heavenly Things"

 "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." (Hebrews 8:5 KJV)

  "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave your sins. He canceled the record of charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality." (Colossians 2:13-17 NLT)

 Some have said that they believe God took the Ark of the Covenant away from this earth, and it has been put away in the Tabernacle in Heaven; additionally, that the Tabernacle which Moses was told to build, was a replica of the Tabernacle that is in Heaven. Listening to a couple of Pastor Jon's messages about both of those Tabernacles, there are many similarities between the two. 

 As I have shared before, the furnishings of the Tabernacle that Moses was told to construct were all given very specific measurements; all but the water basin, that was to be used by the priests for ceremonial cleansing and purification. Pastor Jon associated that water basin was a representation of Christ and God's Word, because there no beginning or end and could never me measured! 

 I know that there are some that do not agree or believe those things are true; but there are many things that written which are hard to believe. Let's take the Scripture that Paul shows us in Colossians 2, as we see several examples of what takes place here, that are shadows of Heavenly things. In the first instance, we are shown as being dead, due to the sinful nature, which was not yet cut away. 

 Suppose for a moment that could be a shadow of what it looks like for our transformation, when we are meeting the Lord in the air; being in our earthly bodies, we are transformed into spiritual bodies that will live forever. Furthermore, because He took away all of our sins, we are glorified and holy, totally complete in Christ. Something we are meant to be on this earth, but it's hard to put into practice, which is actually a reality, sealed away in Heaven, where it remains totally pure and undefiled!

 Additionally, the shaming of the devil, that too will be seen in Heaven...

""How are you fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, 'I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb the highest heavens and be like the Most High.' Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, 'Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world's greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?'"" (Isaiah 14:12-17 NLT)

 Another similarity is the judgement day, when all the books are opened; yet our records are canceled and will not be mentioned at all, as if they had never happened! Think about those who knew us, yet were being judged for their own sins, yet remembering ours. Seeing we were not guilty, they will be completely amazed and will which they would have accepted God's free gift of forgiveness, too!