The Feast of Tabernacles is a collection of teachings by Richard Mikelson.

 

These teachings explore spiritual depths of influential texts of scripture,  and of the human condition.

Abraham and Melchizedek

"Yahweh said to Abram: Go by yourself from your land, from your kindred and from your father’s house to the land that I shall show you.

I shall make you into great nation,

And I shall bless you;

I shall indeed make your name great,

And you will indeed be a blessing;

I shall indeed bless those blessing you,

And I shall curse the one maledicting you.

In you all the families of the ground will be blessed."   

Genesis 12:1-3 concordant

This man Abraham was to become a great nation and his descendants a commonwealth of nations upon the earth. God did bless him. God did make his name great. God will make him become a blessing to all the families of mankind, every generation coming into the earth. God blesses them who are a blessing to Abraham. God leaves a curse on them that curse Abraham, because IN ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED WILL ALL nations and families of the earth be blessed. These were remarkable promises appearing to a man who had no son and in the natural has absolutely NO HOPE of ever producing a son!

Now after a time in Egypt, at Bethel, a strange and wonderful thing takes place to Abraham. God brings out His Priest, king of Salem, king of peace, the king of righteousness, a priest without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God — a priest named Melchizedek. Melchizedek was apparently on the road to meet Abraham, the record states:

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God."   Genesis 14:18

The priest Melchizedek came forth and met with the man Abraham who had received blessed covenant from God. Melchizedek then blessed Abraham with food and drink. In this notable meeting we see the MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD CONNECTING WITH THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. It is imperative to followers of Jesus to know Jesus is now CHIEF of the order of Melchizedek and the HIGH PRIEST assigned and commissioned to completely fulfill every covenant God has put into effect. He is coming forth with the bread and wine of a new day to meet those who have the promises of God.

Abraham’s seed shall bless all the nations and every family of the earth. We are bound together in covenants that will yet be proven. God surely has a Melchizedek Priesthood, a kingdom of priests that has been growing as the sons of God are gathered in each generation unto the fulfilling of His purposes. Abraham was introduced to this priesthood at that mysterious meeting in the vale of Shaveh.

A marvelous thing, most significant in Godly events, has taken place in little noticed places mentioned in the scriptures. Few were there to witness Abraham and Melchizedek, but these two kings were gathered and agreements were confirmed with Abraham, and it was blessed by divine action in the ministry of God’s priest — by Melchizedek. This order is appointed by God to witness the accomplishment of God's promises to Abraham. We Christians are drawn to Abraham’s bosom when, in understanding, we realize what has been placed in his heart.

When Jesus rose from the earth, and ascended to God’s right hand, He rightfully assumed the position of the High Priest of the Melchizedek order. This is an order established by God long ago, of which the temporary priesthood of Aaron was but a poor example. THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD MUST BE REMOVED from the true believer's mind because the law makes nothing perfect. But a new Priesthood of the Melchizedek order has CLAIM on perfection for all humanity.  

Jesus Himself, the Hebrew Messiah, has taken the order of Melchizedek as its Great High Priest. This is the only priesthood that will last throughout all ages to reveal God’s Word and Spirit to a completion. There is no ministering of a dead letter coming from the throne. Kingdom priests operate in a law of life that is coming from a High Priest in the true tabernacle. Our High Priest has brought in a better covenant with better promises in a more excellent ministry, right within our inner spiritual being.

The New Testament upholds the promise given to Abraham’s seed:

"Now to Abraham and His seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ…and if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."    Galatians 3:16,18

Thus, the covenant made to Abraham is still valid and will bless all men who ever lived on the earth. It will take the THE MANY-MEMBERED BODY OF CHRIST, as the seed of Abraham, to reveal God’s great intentions in blessing all men and women with perfect and complete salvation unto gaining the uttermost heavenly characteristics. Hear the words spoken to Abraham, the man of faith, by Melchizedek the priest of lasting peace and righteousness, as they met together over bread and wine:

Blessed be Abram by El Supreme, Owner of the heavens and the earth. And blessed be El Supreme,Who has awarded your foes into your hand. And Abram gave him a tenth of all the booty.” Genesis 14:19-20 concordant

True bread of life and heavenly wine will make the difference in what comes to pass in our lives so today, we can experience both heaven and earth. Melchizedek priests are a true ministry who witness God bringing provision and successful insight to His plans. Melchizedek blessed Abraham with insight into the covenant God had made with him. This priesthood represents a BLESSED exchange and agreement between heaven and earth because an Almighty God interposed upon Himself to do what He said. He swears by Himself as He can swear by no greater.

Under a new covenant, we Christians are sons of God enjoying a measure of faith with the grace of truth extended, fulfilled, and completed by the coming of Christ within us. Fulfilling the redemptive process given the seed of Abraham, Jesus now appears as the High Priest after the order of an endless life. Seeing Him more clearly burns up the dross of our efforts at fulfilling scriptural standards in our own strength.

The Abrahamic covenant was four hundred and thirty years before the covenants given to Moses when making the children of Israel a nation. The covenant God made with Abraham was a COVENANT OF FAITH, NOT WORKS. That covenant is fulfilled today in Christians who are the seed of faith God planted. Jesus has created a people to be a spiritual house. Abraham had faith in a city and now Christ has made these people peaceful and righteous. 

Mature Christians are tested and tried by the faith given them. As we are fully circumcised of heart and renewed in mind, we join members of a great unseen host. The body of Christ now has grown to unknown numbers, and we know we must find our place and experience God in the Kingdom.

Our place is in the New Jerusalem order, our homeland heaven where brethren are grown up into the Head, grown to understand the truths extended to us. These truths have been planted in our inner man and made us free to know the truth of God’s qualities, THE SEED of Abraham, to inherit the promises:

“And these all [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab the prostitute, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, King David, Samuel, the prophets, all died in faith], being testified to through faith, are not requited with the promise of God concerning us (the looking forward is to something better) that apart from us, they may not be perfected. “ Hebrews 11:40 concordant

The bread and wine that Melchizedek served Abraham was a communion over a wonderful covenant agreement. No one partook of the power of this bread and wine communion again until that blessed night in which Jesus told His disciples:

"Take, eat: this is My body...this is My blood of the New Testament [covenant] which is shed for many."   Mark 14:22-24

These wonderful words are saying there is a Godly substance of Christ given those who can learn to spiritually commune with God as a Father today. We eat the bread of heaven and drink deep understandings of the King’s words, being enlightened within to what this High Priest has to offer in His covenant communions.

The Melchizedek order will come to minister to Christians of EVERY rank to reveal more carefully the perfection that is promised by God. He is coming to meet men, bringing His victory into their lives. He comes to bless those who have been given the promises of God with BREAD and WINE, like Abraham and many others. A principle point is this:

"Every High Priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that this High Priest also have somewhat to offer."   Hebrews 8:3

Jesus, as the High Priest of the order of MELCHIZEDEK, HAS SOMETHING BETTER TO OFFER US BELIEVERS THAN WHAT WE HAVE REALIZED, MORE THAN KEEPING LEGALISTIC LAWS IN OUR OWN STRENGTH! We hear that He is offering grace more carefully. Bread and wine are the two offerings that priests of the Melchizedek order have to give. Jesus does for us what Melchizedek did when he came to Abraham with bread and wine.

God offers true precepts to the firstfruits that teaches them the true form and principles of Godly wisdom. Jesus is the High Priest of the MELCHIZEDEK order of priests. This is a KINGDOM of priests He made to bring forth the offering of true spiritual bread and spiritual wine that makes us alive to the reality of God’s intentions. Jesus taught about partaking of a new communion for those raised into the kingdom:

"Jesus, taking the bread, and, blessing, breaks it, and, giving to the disciples, said, ‘Take, eat. This is My body’. And taking the cup and giving thanks, He gives it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it all, for this is My blood of the new covenant, that is shed for many for the pardon of sins. Now I am saying to you that under no circumstances may I be drinking henceforth of this, the product of the grapevine, till that day whenever I may be drinking it new with you in the kingdom of My Father.’"   Matthew 26:26-30 concordant

JESUS BLESSING BREAD AND WINE AT THE LAST SUPPER WAS JUST A TYPE OF THE KINGDOM COMMUNION HE WAS GOING TO OFFER. Now there is a drinking of His kingdom Spirit within us that has bread and wine, giving life to our inner spiritual man and quickening even our body as Christ rules within us.

Our High Priest comes in the Word and the Spirit of God Almighty to feed us and give us drink! Communion with Jesus as the High Priest! His offerings of kingdom bread and wine grant victory for recipients of His instructions. His blessed instructions are being sent into all the earth. The Spirit of God abides in our spirit, making us whole and without flaw in His sight.

We Christians are the spiritual house of our King. HE IS MINISTERING THE BREAD OF KINGDOM TRUTH. HE HAS NEW WINE THAT FREES OUR SPIRIT TO SOAR like an eagle saint. A more excellent ministry of the LIVING WORD is meeting us in the pathways of our life with meat of the word. Spiritual understanding of the scripture reveals and quickens the truth to the body of Christ. Our spirit does well with Christ being within us. He frees us from so much!

God is Fathering all of us to be placed with precious brethren in the unseen who are learning to comprehend the great mysteries and standards of God’s Kingdom order. It goes beyond the orders of church fellowship we have known so well. We are the “feet members” of the body of Christ Jesus standing forth victorious because of the truth He has fed us.

This bread brought life to our spirit. We become sweet like the wine of a higher order where Kingdom truth has been so well refined that its feeding nourishes us with Godly characteristics. We are freed from all those inner conditions holding men back in fearful, greedy states of darkness and death. The Spirit of God is drawing us to closer examination of our inner conditions as compared to the Godliness granted Christ within us. We are drawn to a oneness of spirit. Christians are called to HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING:

“Lo! I stand at the door and am knocking. If ever anyone should be hearing My voice and opening the door, I will also be coming in to him and dining with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 concordant

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? for we being many are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread."   I Corinthians l0:16-17

Please focus on the word COMMUNION. The Greek word means SHARING TOGETHER, PARTICIPATION, PARTNERSHIP. This COMMUNION of the body of Christ and the life of Christ is more than mere mental ideas. It’s more than crackers at a church altar. It is sharing God’s spiritual life in our inner being in a way that feeds us and gives us refreshing drink. His ministry is an excellent ministry touching our spirit with spiritual SUBSTANCE that has power to love and be patient, to be kind, forgiving, and much more through REAL POWER.

He brings real conviction into our inner spiritual man of what He can do to work out His plans. He is sharing inner communion about developing an abiding place within us for His GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS LIFE. His Spirit releases our spirit from every bit of torment found in death, hell, and the grave. Spiritual communion with Christ grants participation in spiritual growth to grow up into the head to a perfection corresponding to and responding to Him.

God creates relationships of fellowship with those Christians who are circulating in His communion. Abraham BELIEVED God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore we BELIEVED God and our COMMUNION has led us to incredible understandings of His Word. It develops an ability to be LED by His Spirit. We thereby are indeed being freed from within to be all God has promised the blessed seed is to be!

"This is the bread which came down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the whole world...verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.

Whoso eats My flesh and drinks My blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed and My blood is drink indeed. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood dwells in Me and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so is he that eats Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead; he that eats of this bread shall live forever."   John 6:50-58

These are declarations that can only be understood by spiritual enlightenment. Being focused, our hearts cry out, "Lord, evermore give us this bread!" "Oh, give that we might SEE and eat that which is right judgment with lasting love.” Yes, we are to know God in the power of sonship life, the life which Jesus Christ has made available. This is the promise offered by our High Priest in offering us life forever. He offers endless life with the power to heal and restore us to be of the right spirit, as one who is qualified and in agreement with the meaning of these words:

"Labor not for the meat that perishes but for that meat which endures unto age lasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you, for Him hath the Father sealed."   John 6:27

"To him that overcomes, will I give to eat of the hidden manna..."   Revelation 2:16

HIDDEN MANNA — that’s LIVING BREAD from the true tabernacle in the Ark realm. The ark contains the tablets of law, Aaron’s rod that budded, and a pot of hidden manna, all in a realm straight from the glory of God. Jesus offers an endless life. Someone needs to possess the promised connection by communion with HIS GLORIFIED BODY OF PEOPLE. It is a sound of a many membered body coming down from heaven’s throne room. GOD's Spirit reveals within our spirit His true tabernacle. His spirit helps us overcome the lukewarm conditions in whichChristian people can dwell.

Here is the best communion service in the universe:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."   Revelation 3:20

Our High Priest offers a quickened inner understanding of His spiritual words, making our spirit free and alive. He addressed the matter when He said to the Samaritan woman:

"I have water to drink, which if a man drink of it, he will never thirst again."   John 4

That Samaritan woman wondered how He could draw such water without a bucket! And today after two thousand years many Christians are no further along in their spiritual understanding than was this startled woman of Samaria.

For centuries now Christians have been "taking communion" in church orders believing they were eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ. We have all seen the natural types of Christian communion. But we have had true communion and fellowship with His body and blood, so we know it represents more than the crackers or holy wafers the churches offer.

The life in the body of Christ now must contain COMPLETION for a people raised to know Him by spirit. They know about the things at the right hand of the Father. They have eaten that truth extended from the unseen, the bread and blood that teaches us the mind of Christ, bringing rule over our earthly members.

Perfected Christians feed on the living BREAD OF GOD! They eat the fruit from the TREE OF LIFE. Rivers of godly characteristics are to bubble up and flow out of our inner being as one truly connected and in communion with God. We trust God's guidance from within. When we are ignorant, He leads us in ways that are past our finding out, coming in a veiled fashion.

Those taught of His Spirit can discern what needs to be developed by spiritual communion. LIGHT, LIFE and LOVE speak of lasting qualities that draw people higher. Our viewpoint is to keep partaking of Kingdom bread and wine. Are WE the people who shall receive that promised blessing of life which God promised to give?

God now grants us insight to a high and holy Priest who offers a spiritual substance, a partaking of incorruptible life, one with no death in it. We believers are blessed with the bread of the Kingdom. It is in the breaking of the bread of heaven that we see Jesus. We see Him BREAKING BREAD, SPEAKING WORDS OF COMFORT to His followers who share in hopes of incorruption.

When Jesus broke the bread of understanding to the travelers on the road to Emmaus, their eyes were opened and they KNEW HIM. When we BEHOLD HIM AS HE IS, it transforms our spirit and we reflect His image from within. Understanding the mysteries of life will well up within us to become a LIFELINE to the quickened of spirit.

Those who sup with Jesus eat and drink from His Kingdom table, where great feasts are prepared for drinking in deeper enthronement of our Lord Jesus Christ. This then would be the state of a person’s affairs if now being an heir of God's promise to Abraham, the true seed of promise. The seed of Christ is the rightful heir of the promises and is still being witnessed by Melchizedek, the priest of God.

Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine that helped Abraham to understand the blessings bestowed upon him. Our faith should be refreshed by knowing that ALL mankind is referred to in this promise of believing the seed of Christ are sons and daughters of God. We shall stand united and see the blessings promised come to pass on all the families and nations of the earth, yes, that ALL SHALL BE BLESSED, THAT ALL SHALL BE SAVED.

Deliver Us from Evil

Into Abraham's Bosom