Moses received the plans for the Jewish tabernacle from God on Mt. Sinai. Then the Lord told Moses to make sure that he constructed the temple "after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount." ¹ But we, ourselves, are the "true tabernacle" ² and "temple of God." ³ Therefore we must be careful to make sure that our lives conform to God's plan for us.

The plan begins at salvation when we are introduced to this "city of the living God" ⁴ and "church of the firstborn." ⁵ Jesus is the "minister of the sanctuary." ⁶ He "pitches" our tabernacle ⁷ from His "throne...in the heavens." ⁸ He establishes us after the pattern of the tabernacle which is an "example and shadow of heavenly things." ⁹ Heavenly things can only be created by God Himself, because He is the "builder and maker" ¹⁰ and "except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it." ¹¹ This is why Jesus will "baptize [us] with the Holy Ghost." ¹²

We are to "go on unto perfection" ¹³ and be "perfect, even as [our] Father which is in heaven is perfect." ¹⁴ How do we do this? "This is the work of God, that [we] believe on him whom he hath sent" ¹⁵ and "by him...offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually." ¹⁶ We are then "weaned from the milk" ¹⁷ as the righteousness of God is revealed unto us from "faith to faith." ¹⁸ Then we are "changed into the same image from glory to glory" if we behold Him with "open face." ¹⁹

Solomon's temple illustrates this changing process toward perfection. In the temple "there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward." ²⁰ Jesus has promised that when you and I are baptized in the Holy Spirit "[we] shall receive power...and [we] shall be witnesses." ²¹ This empowering also increases our ability to "worship the Father in spirit and truth." ²²

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is symbolically the second chamber of Solomon's temple because we go from the "lowest chamber to the highest by the midst." ²³ Also, it represents the inner court of the tabernacle of Moses or the holy place. One of the items in the holy place is the lampstand which symbolizes the seven spirits of the Lord. It was this same Holy Spirit Who was poured forth on the day of Pentecost when the disciples were celebrating this "feast of weeks." ²⁴ Therefore, since it was on Pentecost that the Holy Spirit was given ²⁵, we study this event in relation to the Old Testament feasts of the Lord to better understand the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The priest had to go from the outer court through the inner court to enter the holy of holies. That's why the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an important step in our Christian walk. We are to "come boldly before the throne." ²⁶ This is the place in the tabernacle where the ark of God's presence is. We are citizens of God's holy city ²⁷ because He writes the name of that city upon us, "which is New Jerusalem." ²⁸ However, we must continually seek the city, ²⁹ because we have to make ourselves "ready" ³⁰ as a "bride adorned for her husband." ³¹ As the Lord prepares us, the city comes "down from God out of heaven." ³² The shadow of the heavenly tabernacle is transformed into the Bride of Christ.

Our walk begins with being "born again." ³³ We know that we depend upon the Creator for our very life. "The Lord God...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." ³⁴ But He breathes again upon a man if that person will "believe on his name." ³⁵ This is how we receive our "new creature" life. ³⁶

When Jeus appeared to His disciples the first time after His resurrection, "he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." ³⁷ The word breath in Greek is pneuma and means "spirit" or "wind." It is this Holy Spirit which is breathed into our being. In the Bible there are only two times (which represent the two kinds of life) that God breathed upon man in this way.

It is important to see that the disciples were "born again" when they received the Spirit after Jesus breathed upon them. Jesus had the Holy Spirit to give because "being by the right hand of God exalted, [he had] received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost." ³⁸ Jesus told Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father." ³⁹

Up until that time "the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." ⁴⁰ Then "by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." ⁴¹ When He returned after entering the holy place, the disciples could not "touch him" for we read that He said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands." ⁴²

If you remember, Jesus had previously said, regarding His ascension, "Touch me not." ⁴³ Also, He would not have told Mary about His ascension at that time if it had not had meaning for the disciples to be able to receive the Spirit when He appeared to them upon His return. We also remember the disciples discussing Jesus' statement: "A little while, and ye shall see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father." ⁴⁴

Jesus had said, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" ⁴⁵ and "we [the Godhead]...will make our abode with [you]." ⁴⁶ "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." ⁴⁷ "When Jesus returned to them, He came with the Comforter. The "Lord is that Spirit." ⁴⁸ Paul says, "Know ye not...that Jesus Christ is in you...?" ⁴⁹

Up to this point the disciples knew the Holy Spirit because Jesus had told them "for he dwelleth with you." ⁵⁰ But since their names had already been "written in heaven" ⁵¹ when Jesus appeared to them upon His return and breathed upon them, they "received him, [and] to them gave he power to become the sons of God." ⁵²

Therefore, because they had been "born of the Spirit", ⁵³ the prophecy that they would receive the Holy Spirit ⁵⁴ was fulfilled since they now knew Christ no more "after the flesh" ⁵⁵ but "in the Spirit." ⁵⁶

"If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." ⁵⁷ This is the message of salvation. "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body...and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." ⁵⁸ "There is one body, and one Spirit,...one Lord, one faith, [and] one baptism." ⁵⁹

When you are confronted with the baptism of the Holy Spirit you must know what you have to start with at salvation so you can judge what it is that is to be added and how it relates to your position as a believer.

As believers, we are "one body: so also is Christ." ⁶⁰ As members of His body, He has "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." ⁶¹ It is in Christ "in whom we have redemption" ⁶² and "in whom also we have obtained an inheritance." ⁶³ And since it is He "in whom [we] also trusted, after that [we] heard the word of truth, the gospel of [our] salvation", it is He "in whom...[we] were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." ⁶⁴

In other words, "by one Spirit" ⁶⁵ we are "baptized into Christ." ⁶⁶ We are "complete in him" ⁶⁷ at redemption, so the baptism of the Holy Spirit only contributes to our position as believers. These blessings are all available to the person who will "believe on his name", ⁶⁸ who has been baptized into Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.