Introduction

Good day to all! Let us delve into the twenty-eighth chapter of Exodus. What is the theme of this chapter? I encourage you to ponder it yourselves. Passive listening is not as effective as actively analysing and understanding. Whether you are listening in English or Mandarin, whether it is the English or Mandarin version of Exodus 28, it does not matter. What do you think Exodus 28 is about?

If you were to ask me, I would title this chapter: Serving as Priests for God. Serving as priests for God is a fascinating matter. God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle, providing him with a blueprint on the mountain. After all the instructions in chapters twenty-five to twenty-seven, and after all the work is done, it is still just a tabernacle, a temple. It needs priests. Thus, God chose Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Serving as priests is a very serious matter. It is not merely a glorious and splendid affair, but also a risky one. We must understand that Christians are, in effect, serving as priests, and this is a very solemn responsibility.

The temple must be built according to God's word, and the church must be built according to God's word. After the construction, what is to be done? With God's presence, there is still a need for priests. Aaron and his sons were chosen for this priestly service. To serve as a priest was the highest honour in Israel. Instead of vying for the presidency, securing a priestly position was the most prestigious thing one could do! Until Jesus came into the world, Aaron and his descendants continued to serve as priests. But remember, the Old Testament is a shadow of the New. What were Aaron and his descendants of the Old Testament to do?

Putting on Jesus Christ for Glory and Splendour

When reading, if you do not know how to read, you will end up in a muddle. If you know how to read, you will find that the writer writes layer upon layer. The text then describes a great deal about the holy garments, the ephod, the breastplate, and other items, including a plate inscribed with "Holy to the Lord" placed on the forehead. In essence, it is all about this one thing.

"And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty." (Exodus 28:2)

We are discussing serving as priests for God. Who was the first to serve as a priest? It was Jesus. He is unlike the Aaron of the Old Testament. The Aaron of the Old Testament, or his descendants, entered the Most Holy Place once a year. At other times, they entered the Holy Place. Their service involved slaughtering bulls and sheep to make them holy. One particularly important aspect of the priestly office is that they had to bear the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on their shoulders.

Bearing the Names of God's People on the Shoulders

The priest had to bear the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulders. According to our New Testament interpretation, the twelve tribes represent the twelve apostles. These twelve tribes merely symbolise the twelve sons of Israel, but Jesus also bore the names of the twelve apostles on His shoulders. As for these twelve tribes and twelve apostles, I have my own interpretation. They are very important people in God's eyes, like pillars in God's temple.

"You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance." (Exodus 28:12)

We must not rigidly view these twelve tribes and twelve apostles. Even within these twelve tribes, some were quite wicked. One, Simeon, was a very bad man and was a key instigator in selling Joseph into Egypt. So, understand that the twelve tribes and twelve apostles are merely symbols. In the New Testament, one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus was Judas, who was later replaced. But these apostles of Jesus later became obscure. Who then came to the fore? It was the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul's name was not among the listed twelve apostles, yet he was a very important apostle in building the church. So, I wonder, why did God do this? There is a clear reason: to prevent people from viewing things rigidly.

Holy to the Lord

Aaron was to bear their names on his shoulders, and what was he to do after bearing these names? In verse 38, Aaron and his descendants were to bear the iniquity connected with the holy things. The priest must be someone who is Holy to the Lord. One who is not Holy to the Lord cannot serve as a priest. You must know what the priestly office is for. It is actually to bear the iniquities of the people.

Who is bearing the iniquities? It is Jesus Christ who later bore our iniquities. Because Jesus Christ bore our iniquities, we can rely on Jesus Christ, put on Jesus Christ for glory and beauty, emulate the footsteps of Jesus Christ, bear the transgressions of others, and then be Holy to the Lord. The priestly office is extraordinary. The hand touches the throne of God, and the feet stand on the earth. It is a mediator between God and man, bringing God's power and blessings down and taking man's problems from earth to heaven. This is the priestly office.

Bearing the names of the twelve tribes and twelve apostles, being Holy to the Lord, carries a very strong connotation. The priest must not be defiled. The defilement of the priest brings very far-reaching problems. We are Holy to the Lord, but if we only dedicate our hands and feet to being Holy to the Lord, while our hearts belong to this world, will that do? It will not! There are many rules for serving as a priest, and what are all these rules for? It is to ensure that the priest keeps them well. Building the temple, building the church, building the tabernacle, must be done according to God's word, and serving as a priest is even more critical. The phrase "Holy to the Lord" is serious!

Aaron had two sons, Nadab and Abihu. Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire when serving as priests. You might say, what is the big deal about unauthorized fire? Isn't fire just fire? God, why are you so picky? Nadab and Abihu thought this way in their hearts: what kind of fire? Isn't any fire good enough? This is called doing things blindly!

The priestly office is no small matter. Do not think that the priest's hand touches the throne of God and his feet stand on the earth. If your feet are not grounded and you fall, you will die without a burial place, and your body will not be found. Falling from 20,000 meters is about the same as falling from 10,000 meters. What happened after Nadab and Abihu were burned to death? Interestingly, God told Moses: Moses, tell Aaron not to mourn. Moses then told Aaron not to mourn, not allowing him to cry. His sons died, and you do not allow him to cry? Oh my goodness! Do not cry. Moses was quite something to be able to say that. Is offering unauthorized fire serious? Very serious. Today, Christians face many disasters. Where do these disasters come from? They come from offering unauthorized fire. Christians often bring worldly things into the realm of God.

Mingding Destiny speaks a very, very important truth: we do as God says. What if we cannot do it? Is it necessary for people to deliberately do something? I can give you many examples of Christians offering unauthorized fire. Once, I attended a prayer meeting where the pastor led everyone in prayer, praying for the local economy. It sounded so discordant to me. I thought, you pray for yours, and I will slowly open the Bible and read. What is this called? Offering unauthorized fire. Some Christians build God's glorious church without following God's word, doing whatever they want, even trying to transform the government, as if they want to participate in politics. I think, transform the government? It would be good if the government did not transform them! Is it not so!

Previously, I worked at a school where the principal was a Hindu. This Hindu was very open-minded. Christians were preaching the gospel, holding fellowships, and doing so enthusiastically. Later, he left, and someone else became the principal. At first, everyone was quite happy because a Christian had become the principal! As a result, the new Christian principal immediately banned the preaching of the gospel in the school. They could not talk about Jesus in the school, but talking about Buddhism was fine. I wondered, what kind of Christian is this? Did the government transform the Christian, or did the Christian transform the government?

I later realised that our kingdom is not to be confused with the kingdoms of this world. I never engage in transforming the government, and the government does not worry about me. Even today, I tell you, a Christian was arrested. Why was he arrested? Because he insisted on opposing the government. Why oppose the government? Is it not so? I really do not see these things in the Bible.

This world will become increasingly defiled, but God's church must become increasingly holy. Our responsibility is to manage God's temple. Our responsibility is not to oppose legislation or anything like that in this world. These are things that contemporary Christians like to do, but we do not do them. The question is, what exactly should we do? Jesus never rose up in rebellion like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. Jesus did not do these things. Jesus Christ said: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." We must know that being Holy to the Lord is a serious matter, and we must ponder it well. Have we truly been Holy to the Lord?

The above are all examples of others. There are many like that among us as well. So, we must gradually begin to be Holy to the Lord, presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, holy and pleasing to Him. This is our priestly service. This office is noble, glorious, and splendid, and we bear the twelve tribes and twelve apostles, who are the people of God. Today, our responsibility is to build God's glorious church and bring God's people into God's kingdom. We do not want those who do not belong to God. If you bring those who do not belong to God into God's kingdom, will God not hold you accountable?

We must carefully ponder and examine whether what I say is true or not. I may not be right, but God's revelation should not be wrong. God's revelation, Jesus Christ's teachings, and the Old Testament are consistent. Why are the names of the seven Canaanite nations and the various nations of the world not on the priest's shoulders? Why are there only the twelve tribes and twelve apostles? Because they are the key figures in building the temple of the Lord. Therefore, being Holy to the Lord is serving as a priest. The priestly office is glorious and splendid because it requires wearing holy garments.

Christians putting on holy garments means putting on Jesus Christ. When we put on Jesus Christ, we have the likeness of Jesus Christ. God builds the temple and His church according to the pattern in heaven, and God also establishes His priests according to the pattern in heaven. Therefore, as priests of the Lord God, we must know to put on Jesus Christ for glory and beauty. Secondly, we bear the names of the twelve tribes on our shoulders. Why are they called the twelve tribes of Israel? Not because of how the sons are, but because their father, Israel, that is, Jacob, was willing to give up everything for God's Mingding Destiny, but he could not be without God.

He was not supposed to get it, but he got it later, so his twelve sons became the people of God. You will find that God cares about His own people. I do not talk about red agate, diamonds, purple jade, etc. There are indeed many such descriptions, but it is essential to be Holy to the Lord.

A Breastplate of Decision

The fourth is to have a breastplate of decision, and inside this breastplate of decision are the Urim and Thummim. This breastplate of decision has the names of the twelve tribes on the chest. When Aaron comes before the Lord, he shall always wear the breastplate of decision of the Israelites on his chest. What is this? Actually, the breastplate of decision is a judgment. How are the Urim and Thummim used? It's a bit like those things in temples, like two jujube pits. When thrown on the ground, one has a bottom and one has a face. Two faces up mean auspicious, two bottoms up mean very ominous.

Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastplate of decision over his heart, whenever he goes into the Holy Place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. And you shall put in the breastplate of decision the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the decision of the people of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually. (Exodus 28:29-30)

When the Israelites came to the temple, they often used the Urim and Thummim in this breastplate of decision to judge them, meaning that this judgment is also a kind of trial! Don't play games when you come before God. If you play games, just casually throw the Urim and Thummim on the ground, God will reveal the thoughts and intentions in your heart. Therefore, when Jesus Christ comes, He will reveal the secrets of people's hearts. This is quite interesting. Do you want to know how God reveals them?

In the past few years, as I have served, especially serving the sick, I have come to the conclusion that the condition of the illness is closely related to the secrets in their hearts. But the problem is, these people don't know that what they are doing is wrong! They haven't carefully considered how to fulfill the priestly office. Do they have zeal for God? The Israelites certainly have zeal for God, but they do not rely on true knowledge, as the Apostle Paul said. They don't even know that what they are doing is wrong, and then they just do it.

Today, there are many Christians engaged in anti-homosexuality movements, and they still feel that what they are doing is absolutely just. Is this what God wants them to do? So what exactly is it that blinds people's eyes? It is the world that blinds their eyes. Everything that is based on this world, on living this life, on things that belong to the world, is all messed up, and problems arise. The Pharisees are not that they don't want to know God. Would you say they are very bad? They didn't rob anyone; would you say they are good? They are not that good either.

For example, they came to tempt Jesus, asking Him: Should we, the people of God, pay taxes to Caesar? They are confused. To be able to ask this question, you don't even have to think about it, it means they take the matter of taxes very seriously. They feel that if they don't steal a little tax or evade a little tax, how can they make it? So I tell everyone, never steal or evade taxes, understand? According to the law, pay as much as we should. Stealing and evading taxes is not the moral standard that a godly person and someone serving in the priestly office should have.

So how are the secrets in people revealed? Through illness! How does this illness come about? In the past few years, as I have cast out demons, the demons have also distinguished people. I said: You have to leave! Why haven't you left yet? The demon said: Because he loves the world, he belongs to me. Oh my! Even the demon knows who this person belongs to? I said he is a Christian, how can he belong to you? He loves the world in his heart. Do you know from whose mouth this came out? From the mouth of the person who was being delivered, the demon himself was saying it.

But the problem is, a person who loves the world will suffer the punishment he deserves. If you are not a Christian, it is natural to love the world. If you are a Christian, and you are supposed to be set apart, yet you love the world, you are an adulterous person, and this is judged immediately. So when Jesus came into this world, when He was a baby, He went to the temple to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice, and a prophet said that this child was appointed to cause many to fall and many to rise, and to reveal the secrets of people's hearts.

Later, I came to this conclusion: God will not be mistaken, and demons will not be mistaken, only we ourselves make mistakes. When God reveals the secrets in our hearts, we must repent properly. I must tell everyone that my path of repentance is still continuing, realizing one and changing it immediately, realizing two and changing them immediately. Some people say: Your illness is also a revelation of secrets, right? Yes, that's right.

Later, I became more and more eager to be completely sanctified to the Lord. I myself know that there is no such basis in the Bible, so why am I still doing this? Until today, I am still constantly repenting. I have a bad habit, which is a bit of a temper. It has been changed a lot now, especially when I see people's foolishness, my temper comes up, and I am still changing it today.

To Be Anointed

Once all of the above are prepared, what do you do? You anoint them. What does that mean? It means to anoint them with oil, to set them apart, so that they may serve God in the priestly office. Serving God in the priestly office requires oil. Our brothers and sisters must know that we have Jesus Christ ascending to the heavens, serving as our High Priest, offering Himself once and for all, accomplishing the atoning sacrifice, and then an unprecedented and wonderful thing happened, which is the Holy Spirit descending from heaven. A Christian's belief in the Lord must be filled with the Holy Spirit. If you want to serve in the priestly office, you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This filling with the Holy Spirit is just the beginning. I have biblical basis for this, I am not talking nonsense. Many Christians believe in the Lord and blur this matter.

In the Book of Acts, there is such a record that a person must first confess and repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus, and receive the promised Holy Spirit. Are demons powerful? These few things deceive Christians: I have been baptized and have already been saved by grace! They neglect the matter of the Holy Spirit. But if you check the Book of Acts, you will find that whether it is Peter or Paul, after they baptize people, they will lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit. Even so, it is only the beginning, and it is still far from being sanctified to the Lord. Our serving in the priestly office is the simplest description of a Christian. A Christian is a person who serves in the priestly office. To serve in the priestly office, one must be filled with the Holy Spirit, which is an indispensable step.

Covering the Body

What does this mean? It means to make them a pair of shorts. Why wear these pants? You imagine you don't wear these pants, wear a skirt outside, now there is a term called vacuum dress. If you walk down from above, you will be exposed. But serving in the priestly office cannot be exposed. You will find that the entire family of Israel, later, all had one thing, from Abraham onwards, they all underwent circumcision, which was cut on the human genitals. Aaron not only underwent this circumcision, but also had to wear pants so as not to be exposed, which is a very important thing.

And you shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the waist to the thighs; (Exodus 28:42)

Why? I tell you, the human genitals are the strongest manifestation of human carnal desires. Some people will say, shouldn't we have children? After having children, it is called unclean. Why is it called unclean? This is a purely carnal activity. If people don't have children, what about the economy? This is a system of logic for this life. If you want to live a certain kind of life in this world, this is all a system of logic for this life.

Covering the body, not being exposed, what does this mean? It means that God does not like the carnal. A carnal person cannot come before God. A worldly person who wants to love God and also love the world is called an adulterous person. The Chinese call this wanting to be a prostitute and also wanting to erect a monument, which is a concrete portrayal of the history of Israel and the history of Christianity. If people bring carnal things, worldly things, before God, they cannot be sanctified to the Lord. A carnal person cannot please God, nor can he fulfill God's requirements, and can do nothing, and in the end incurs God's wrath.

Summary

How much carnality you have inside you, God will reveal these things. Some people, even when they are revealed, do not repent, let alone those that have not been revealed. Those that have not been revealed, God does not care about, and they wander off to the devil. We who serve as priests must keep the responsibility of the priests, which is a permanent ordinance for Aaron and his descendants. Later, in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was the best at reading the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul understood the Old Testament and wrote the New Testament clearly.

Until today, when we build the church, when we implement it according to what the Apostle Paul revealed, we see the glory of God, the presence of God. So this is not two things, it is not that the Old Testament is the God of the Old Testament, and the God of the New Testament has changed. The New Testament has not changed God either. We must know that the Old Testament and the New Testament are a complete unity. People like the Apostle Peter, and Jesus' brother James, did not understand the Old Testament, and they did not understand Jesus' teachings. When I was pondering, I found that what the Apostle Paul wrote is consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Old Testament. If you have the ability and the conditions, please go and demonstrate it. I will consider this a guess.

We who serve as priests must keep the responsibility of the priests, not only building the temple, building the tabernacle, building the church, but also building according to what God revealed to us on the mountain. When we fulfill the responsibility of the priests, we must also bear the task of the priests according to the responsibility that God has arranged for the priests. In the end, you will be like God, like Jesus Christ, and you will have spiritual authority and power in your hands.

May God bless everyone!