Participants: David Down
Series Code: DUTP
Program Code: DUTP000016
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00:01 We've arrived in Ancient Shiloh and on the road here
00:05 we pass the sign, which has been here for a very 00:08 long time. It's a track leading through to an Arab 00:11 village, but since the Israelis have constructed 00:14 curbstone, here they have laid a tarseal road. 00:18 The reason where here is that this is the site, 00:20 where the Israelites erected the first sanctuary, 00:23 when they've arrived in the promise land. 00:26 Recently some archeological excavations have found 00:29 some very definite proof to backup the Bible story. 01:09 As recently as 1986, archeologist Israel 01:14 Finkelstein had a report published in the Biblical 01:17 archeology review in which he reported his 01:20 excavations here at Shiloh and they provide us with 01:25 some very interesting evidence especially in 01:28 relationship to the Biblical account, but in order first 01:32 to be able to understand what it's all about, I think 01:34 I better explain to you something about archeology. 01:37 You know, whenever I come to Middle East and, 01:40 I'm involved in the excavations and get back 01:43 home again. I suppose you can guess the question my 01:46 friends asked me as soon as they meet me. Hey, did 01:49 you find anything? What did you find? And I say, 01:52 yes, yes we found lot of things, lot of broken pottery. 01:55 And I said big deal is that or you went to the Middle 01:57 East for? But you see, archeologists are not 02:01 looking for treasures. Okay, it's very nice if you find a 02:05 golden vase or Alabaster God or something, but really 02:09 that's not we are looking for? And that is not what 02:13 provides us with the information we need, we are 02:16 trying to reconstruct history. Archeologists are 02:20 digging up the past and they're trying to 02:23 reconstruct the past. Now, in order to understand just 02:27 how it all works? I'll need to explain it from a 02:30 diagram, but first I have to explain to you what is I 02:34 Tell? The word Tell is the name given to a deserted 02:39 mound or sometimes it's even still occupy in the 02:42 Middle East in those plenty of these Tells. And this is 02:44 how all happen, you see in ancient time's cities or 02:50 villages were usually built on low hills for defensive 02:53 purposes. It was much easier to defend if the 02:56 enemy had to come up the side of a hill, you saved to 02:59 attack a town or city. Well, people living on such a 03:03 low hill would build their houses here, let's illustrate 03:07 it this way and by would have the floor level like 03:12 that and in those days of course there were no 03:15 garbologists or rubbish collectors and so whatever 03:19 rubbish they had broken pottery or bit some pieces, 03:22 dust and rubbish were just thrown at the front door. 03:26 Well, you can imagine what happened? Little by little 03:29 the street level outside began to rise and eventually 03:34 it reached the height of the floor level of the 03:37 house. So, guess what happened when there was a 03:40 downpour of rain. Well, let's when momma caught 03:43 hold of papa, and screwed his ear and said listen you 03:45 got to do something about that because all the rain is 03:47 coming in the front door. So, good obliging papa did 03:50 something what he did was simply to rise the floor 03:53 level bringing some more earth and rise the floor 03:56 level. And that was fine for a while, but of course the 04:00 rubbish still began to accumulate and so the whole 04:03 thing happened again here see. And sometimes the 04:06 wall collapse, sometimes the roof fell in, all they did 04:09 was simply level it off and build on top. And so the 04:14 level of this whole hill began to rise and in 04:19 different periods of the history of this tell or hill. 04:23 We have what we called archeological strata and it 04:27 goes this way. First of all was the period when they 04:31 used stone implements, stone axes, stone knives, 04:36 and stone pots and vessels you see and so it's called 04:38 the stone age or, it is know as the Lithic period. 04:43 Now, usually this is given a date for the beginning of 04:46 this something like 200,000 BC. Some people even 04:51 put it to two million. This is pure supposition and 04:54 identical along with this, but I'm telling you what is 04:56 usually considered to be then man began to discover 05:01 how to use copper milk pot, copper. And so we have 05:06 the beginning of the bronze or copper period and little 05:10 by little we have and in the mingling and so we have 05:12 what is known as the Chalcolithic period when you 05:15 have both copper and stone, and then bronze became 05:21 more common and so we have beginning of what we 05:23 called the Bronze Age. First of all, there was the early 05:27 Bronze Age, which is usually dated about 3100 BC 05:34 and then we have the middle Bronze Age, which 05:38 is usually dated, dated to about 2100 BC and then we 05:44 have the light bronze period, which is usually 05:49 dated to about 1550 BC and then we have the iron 05:55 age, which is usually dated to about 1200 BC 06:02 and then of course we have start of building up on top 06:05 of that. Well, now when an archeologist sink so shaft 06:09 down here or a trench down here, he exposes all these 06:16 different strata and from the type of pottery that he 06:20 sees in each stratum, he can determine which stratum 06:25 he is working in. Now, the why he can do that is 06:28 because of the different pottery styles you see 06:31 fashion is changed and so an archeologist can identify 06:36 the different styles for instance sometimes they 06:39 just had little rounded pots like this with, with flat 06:43 bottoms on them and then by learn they put handles 06:47 on them and make them a little ornamented, 06:50 you know, put scratches and designs on them. 06:53 Then there was a period when they use pots with 06:56 pointed in like this you might say, well they fall 06:59 over wouldn't they? No, they had a little hole in 07:02 the, in the houses floor and it just sat there or maybe 07:07 they had a piece of wood with a hole in it and they 07:09 just sat it like that, you say not very convenient, 07:13 but nevertheless that's the way they did it you see, 07:15 so when an archeologist finds a piece of pottery 07:18 from any of these he can say right I know where it 07:21 is, what age it is you see. Now, another very good 07:24 method of determining it is, if you can find them oil 07:28 lamps. Now at first, there were just round saucers 07:31 with a wick on the side you see and oil there. 07:34 Later on the potters learned to pinch up like that you 07:37 see and put the wick here with the oil in there. 07:41 Then they got a little more refined and they made the 07:44 top enclosed like this with the spout. And then they 07:49 got the idea of making designs on it. So, you see 07:52 how fashion is changed and so when the archeologist 07:56 finds these different pieces of pottery here, he can say 08:00 right, this is the early bronze and this is the 08:02 middle bronze, but what he cannot tell is the exact 08:07 date of these. The only way he can date any of these 08:11 potteries by relating it to the chronology of Egypt. 08:17 And so if he finds something in the early bronze he 08:20 says oh, well the early bronze period in Egypt 08:22 began about 3100 BC and the middle bronze here, 08:27 well the problem is this. If Egyptian chronology is 08:31 correct that's fine, you have got the right dates 08:33 here, but if there is a mistake in Egyptian 08:35 chronology as I believe there is, well in these 08:38 dates are gonna be wrong to and that is why we come 08:41 to Shiloh and notice the interesting discovery that 08:45 was made recently here in the excavations. You see, 08:49 according to this line up here, the Exodus took 08:54 place 1445 BC or the invasion of Palestine 08:59 1405 BC and that would place it in the light bronze 09:04 period, but in the excavations in Shiloh, 09:08 no evidence of occupation was found there during the 09:12 light bronze period. There was however evidence of 09:17 a century during the middle bronze period. 09:21 Now, I consider that is where the Israelite invasion 09:24 took place. In other words, I consider these dates need 09:27 to be shortened and the Israelite invasion took 09:30 place in 2100 BC then if we accept that reconstruction 09:35 we have exactly what we are looking for evidence 09:38 of a sanctuary in Shiloh in the middle bronze period. 09:44 Well, now the important thing about these 09:47 excavations and these men did a wonderful job by the 09:49 way I, I personally think they did a great job here 09:52 in Shiloh and they established the identification 09:56 of the various strata and that's very important. 09:59 You see, by finding pieces of pottery here friends this 10:04 is a piece here of a large jar; they can identify which 10:10 particular period it comes from. And it is my personal 10:13 opinion that the Israelite invasion took place at the 10:18 end of the early bronze period that would be about 10:20 1400 BC and that being the case this just fits in with 10:25 what I found in the excavations. You, you just 10:27 wouldn't believe it, it just so supportive of the Biblical 10:32 record. Now, here in Shiloh, if I'm correct in this 10:36 middle bronze period, we would expect to find 10:38 evidence that there was a sanctuary here, that this is 10:41 where the place of worship was and this is exactly 10:44 what they found. Listen I read it to you from this 10:47 report, which they have made and it says here on 10:52 page 39 of the report, I think it is here, here we 10:55 go. There are accumulating indications of Celtic 11:00 continuity at the site from the middle bronze to period 11:05 onward. A sanctuary probably stood here as early 11:10 as the middle bronze age. Do you see, how that fits 11:13 in. So, if that is correct and of course the 11:16 archeologists right spot on there, if that is correct well 11:20 then that is exactly what we would expect to find. 11:22 A sanctuary here, now somebody might say, yes but 11:26 that was probably a Canaanite sanctuary that 11:28 was here before the Israelites turned up, I don't 11:31 accept that. Do you mean to say that the Israelites 11:34 would choose a place that was already a place of 11:38 worship for Heathen religion and so right we would 11:41 put God sanctuary here. I, I just can't see that and so 11:45 here the first evidence of occupation is in the middle 11:48 bronze period and I would say that is where 11:51 the Israelites came and pitched their sanctuary 11:54 right here. Here is the model of the sanctuary, 11:58 which Mr. Winterton has made, he has done a 12:01 beautiful job, don't you think it's all made 12:02 according to scale and it's according to the Biblical 12:06 dimensions. He himself is laid in the high priest 12:10 robes and they were very beautiful, aren't they? 12:12 And these also according to the Biblical instructions, 12:15 I'll explain all about that in a little while, but first 12:18 of all just let's have a look at the sanctuary and 12:20 its invariance. This was originally erected of course 12:24 at the foot of Mount Sinai, later on as the Israelites 12:27 travel alone, they took this with them, it could be 12:30 completely dismantle and carried by certain priests, 12:33 which were allocated to the task and re-erected it 12:37 each site. Then the Israelites and their twelve 12:40 tribes came around about all in the prescribed place, 12:44 they had their standards under which they assembled 12:47 and pitch their tents all in a very orderly way. 12:51 And then we noticed that on the outside here there 12:55 was linen clothes going right around the outside 13:00 on portable poles and this courtyard was altogether 13:07 a 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide. Now, for your 13:11 information a cubit is approximately half a meter, 13:15 so that meant that you have got a distance of about 50 13:18 meters along here and at the front there was an 13:21 entrance here and the people could come in here, 13:25 priests would come in here daily for their official 13:27 functions and so we now transfer our attention to 13:32 what was inside it. And I will ask Mr. Winterton if he 13:34 just like to remove the gateway or curtain at the 13:38 front there, right thank you very much. 13:41 Now, we can see the altar of sacrifice. This was a big 13:46 bronze altar and on this the daily sacrifice was 13:51 offered a bit, 9 o' clock in the morning 3 o' clock 13:54 every afternoon, there was a lamb or a sheep was 13:58 offered here as a sacrifice and it was completely 14:01 consumed, symbolizing the nations dedication to 14:05 Yahweh or Jehovah and also day by day people who 14:11 felt the sense of guilt and who wanted to show their 14:15 faith in the forgiving love of God would bring along a 14:19 lamb or a goat or some sacrifice here, poor people 14:22 even were allowed to bring along a pigeon and so 14:26 they could bring these sacrifices along here, 14:29 the sinner would lay his hands on the head of the 14:32 sacrifice and then he himself was obliged to slay 14:36 the animal and then the blood was transferred inside 14:39 and the fat of that animal was burnt up on the out of 14:43 the animal itself was disposed of outside the 14:45 sanctuary. Now, beyond that in between the altar of 14:51 sacrifice and the sanctuary itself there was a liver and 14:56 this was a liver that contain water, so that the 14:59 priests before going into the sanctuary very important 15:01 they cleanse their bodies and so before approaching 15:06 God they had to be physically clean as well as 15:08 spiritually pure. And so they washed there and 15:12 then they went into the sanctuary. Now, the 15:14 sanctuary itself was covered by four layers of 15:21 diamonds, cloth what shall we call them and I'm 15:24 going to ask Mr. Winterton to take these off one by 15:26 one. Now, this first one was made of seal skins. 15:31 And this of course waterproof and so it kept 15:34 the sanctuary dry in time of rain because they did 15:37 get rain there you know, and then there was some 15:42 rammed skins died red and that was the next 15:46 covering, thank you, and then the next one was 15:51 of goat hair, the tents are still made of that you know 15:54 in the Middle East today. Palestine, they still make 15:56 their tents of goat's hair and so there was this 15:59 goat's hair covering and finally there was the pure 16:02 white linen garment, which covered the hall of the 16:06 sanctuary. So, there were these four coverings of the 16:09 sanctuary building itself. Now, the building itself was 16:14 30 cubits long and 10 cubits wide and 10 cubits high. 16:21 This building also was made of wood, covered with 16:24 gold plate and this also was portable it could be 16:28 completely dismantled and carried by the appropriate 16:30 priests and then reassembled at the site on which it 16:34 was pitched. And inside the sanctuary incidentally 16:37 there were a curtain, there was a curtain here, 16:40 thank you Mr. Winterton, if you would like to take 16:41 that off. There was two vales or curtains, one was 16:45 at the entrance of the sanctuary and the other 16:48 one was into the inner apartment of the sanctuary. 16:52 Now, there with these two apartments the first one 16:55 was 20 cubits by 10 cubits and it had three articles of 16:59 furniture in and the other one was 10 cubits by 10 17:02 cubits and this just had one item of furniture 17:06 inside. Now, so that we can get a better look at 17:08 this remember it's portable we just gonna lift 17:12 the whole sanctuary building up, thank you, and 17:18 then we can see inside. First we notice a table here 17:21 called the table of showbread. Now, this had 12 17:25 loaves of bread on it, which were replaced every 17:28 Sabbath. They symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel then 17:34 over on this side were the seven golden candle 17:37 sticks and they were burning continuously, 17:41 they had oil in them running from inside and they had 17:45 wicks and high priests came in here everyday and 17:49 trim the wicks and filled up the oil, so as to keep these 17:53 lights burning setup. Then here was an altar of 17:58 incense and here again the high priests came in 18:00 here every morning and every evening at the time of 18:03 the morning and evening sacrifice and he burned 18:07 insects on this altar, this incense used to curl up and 18:11 go into the inner apartment of the sanctuary and so 18:14 the incense here represented the prayers that were 18:18 being offered by the people who are outside waiting 18:21 for the priest to perform his duties. Now, let us look 18:25 at the item on the inside of the sanctuary in the 18:28 inner apartment and that is the ark of the covenant 18:32 or the ark of the testament, it was a 18:34 wooden box gilded with gold and inside where the 18:39 two tables of the law the Ten Commandments that 18:42 had been written with the finger of God on Mount 18:45 Sinai. And on the top of the Ark of the Covenant, 18:49 there were two beautiful golden angels with wings 18:53 outstretched reaching over and touching each other. 18:56 And so that was the only item of furniture in the 19:00 inner apartment of the sanctuary. Now the high 19:02 priest only went in their once a year, but a very 19:07 significant service and will be explaining that in our 19:10 next subject, the next topic. Now, the high priest 19:14 garments were very beautiful and I would like to 19:16 explain them to you. The high priest must have made 19:20 a very impressive side you know, his God given robes 19:23 and they were God given you know, because God 19:25 specified everything that the high priest had to wear, 19:29 it was all given through Moses. On top here it is on 19:32 his head, he had a crown, it's full of mattering the Old 19:37 King James version, but it is simply a covering for his 19:41 head and a band round here, which said holiness 19:44 to the Lord indicating that his thoughts were also to 19:48 be holy and God site. Then he had on here a 19:53 breastplate in which there were 12 beautiful stones 19:58 and on each of those stones was inscribed the 20:00 names of one of the tribes of Israel indicating that he 20:04 bow this on this heart and then we have here a 20:09 Urim and Thummim. Now they were used to indicate 20:13 the good pleasure or the, the negative will of God, 20:18 if one lighted up, it was yes, if the other one had 20:21 a cloud on it, it was no and so answers could be 20:25 found when enquires were made from God. 20:28 Then behind that it is what is known as the Ephod, 20:32 and on the shoulder here there were two stones and 20:36 on these were inscribed the names of the 12 sons of 20:40 Israel. Then down here he had a beautiful blue 20:44 garment and this seems to be God's favorite color you 20:48 know, and I think there is a lot of significance in 20:50 this blue, it indicates a royal color that God has 20:54 and the Israelites also, where suppose to wear a 20:57 band of blue and then those this shashiya it's called a 21:03 curious girdle meaning it's a very special one. 21:07 And then of course he had his incense sensor, 21:12 which he wave before the Lord with the incense in 21:14 it and then right down at the bottom you will notice 21:17 there are some belts and little pompoms that were 21:21 representing pommie granites and as the high 21:24 priest walked, these belts would nod at tinkle, can I 21:27 too this Mr. Winterton, yeah, they must have been 21:30 very nice and so the people would know the high 21:33 priest movements as he moved around the sanctuary. 21:38 So then this is ancient Shiloh and this is where it all 21:41 happened, this is where the sanctuary of Israel was. 21:45 Later on of course when Solomon built his beautiful 21:48 temple on Mount Moriah, this whole sanctuary 21:51 concept was incorporated in Solomon's temple of 21:55 course what is there now, it's not Solomon's temple 21:59 it's the dime of the rock Muslim mosque the first 22:03 part of which was built in the 7 century AD. 22:06 But nevertheless that is where Solomon's temple 22:09 one stood. Now, what was the purpose of the 22:14 sanctuary why all these animals sacrifices, all this 22:18 blood letting, do we assume that God is a sort 22:22 an angry God that has to be appeased by the slang 22:25 of animals, no that's not the idea too. It was all 22:30 symbolic, typical all pointing forward to what 22:34 Jesus Christ was going to do for the human race. 22:38 You know, when Jesus went to the River Jordan, 22:42 John the baptize pointed to him and said, in John 22:45 1:29, "The next day John saw the Jesus coming 22:49 toward him and said, behold the Lamb of God, 22:52 who takes away the sin of the world." And you see 22:55 Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God just the 22:58 sign of the sacrificial Lambs were offered and 23:01 innocent Lamb for a guilty victim, so Jesus 23:04 Christ died for the guilty sins of the world and that 23:09 was the very hard of the sanctuary service, but the 23:13 sanctuary itself was also highly symbolical, typical, 23:17 I'm here in the Book of Hebrews and in chapter 8 23:20 it says, "Now this is the main point of the things we 23:23 are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated 23:28 at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the 23:30 heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true 23:36 tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man." 23:39 Now, that's interesting, isn't it? It tells us that 23:41 God made a sanctuary and really this sanctuary here 23:45 at Shiloh was really just a tiny little insignificant 23:49 model of that great sanctuary of God in heaven. 23:53 Of course, the temple of God in heaven is nothing 23:56 like this one here magnificent immense, 24:01 ten thousand times; ten thousands of angels can 24:03 crowd in there. So, this is gonna be a very small 24:07 model, but the temple is there alright. I'm reading 24:10 in Revelation chapter 15 and in verse 5 where it 24:13 says, After these things I looked and behold the 24:17 temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven 24:20 was opened. So, when John was carried up in the 24:23 heaven in vision, he saw this temple opened he 24:27 looked inside, it was a real temple I personally think 24:30 it was just as real and solid as the sanctuary that was 24:33 picture right here in Shiloh where that was built in 24:35 the temple of God in Jerusalem, it's a real place 24:39 heaven is very real to me. The things of eternity mean 24:42 something, they are very meaningful, very real, 24:46 alright. Now, John not only saw the temple opened, 24:49 but just the sign as the sanctuary on earth had 24:52 various articles of furniture. So, John saw the same 24:56 things in heaven. For instance in Revelation 24:58 chapter 1 and verse in 18 it says, here verse 12. 25:05 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. 25:08 And having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands. 25:12 So, just the same as there are seven lamps stands here 25:15 in the sanctuary on earth. John saw them right there 25:18 in heaven too. Not only that in Revelation chapter 8 25:23 and in verse 3, let's find it, yes. Then another angel 25:28 having a golden censer came and stood at the altar. 25:31 And he was given much incense that he should 25:34 offer, with the prayers of all the saints, upon the 25:36 golden altar, which was before the throne, shall 25:38 okay the sanctuary on earth had a golden altar of 25:41 incense there it was in heaven. So, the one on earth 25:44 was just a copy a little copy of the great altar in 25:48 heaven. And finally we notice the most important 25:51 feature of the earthly sanctuary was a copy of 25:55 that in heaven too listen, Revelation 11 and verse 19, 25:59 "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven and 26:03 the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple." 26:07 So, John saw it up there, there it was. So, you see 26:10 this sanctuary on earth was just a little model a type 26:15 of the great temple of God in heaven. I want you 26:19 to see the significance of what is here? Here is the 26:22 high priest wearing the names of the 12 types of 26:27 Israel on his heart. He has a responsibility for them. 26:31 He carries them on his heart and now remember this 26:35 high priest is a type or a symbol of a great high 26:39 priest in heaven Jesus Christ, who day by day is 26:43 looking after us and offer his sacrifice on our behalf 26:47 and he bares our names on his heart. Every one of you 26:53 he has got your name written there if you believe 26:55 in him, he has got your name there. You see it's 26:57 says here in Hebrews chapter 7 and in verse 25. 27:02 "Therefore he is able to save to the outermost those 27:06 who come to God through him, since he ever lives to 27:10 make intercession for us. You see, we need somebody 27:15 to intercede on our behalf we are sinners, we've done 27:19 things that are wrong, we deserve to be put to death, 27:22 but Jesus Christ died for our sins and so he steps in 27:26 between a loving God and the sinner and says, 27:30 I died for that person intercedes on our behalf 27:34 and it's not that God has reluctant to forgive us, 27:37 he is so happy when Jesus Christ is able to confess us 27:41 as his children. And the result, well it tells us here 27:45 in Hebrews chapter 4 and in verse 15. 27:49 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot 27:53 sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all 27:56 points tempted as we are yet without sin." 27:58 He knows what it is to be tempted he lived in this 28:01 world of temptation. "Let us therefore come boldly to 28:05 the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, 28:08 and find grace to help in time of need." 28:12 Don't be afraid to come to Christ. You might say, 28:14 oh yes, but I am a sinner, I have done so many bad 28:17 things I'm ashamed. Okay, you're the person who 28:20 needs Christ you can come pleading that Christ died 28:24 on your behalf and you can come boldly with your 28:26 prayers, you can say I stand before God just as if 28:29 I have never seen because Christ died for 28:32 my sins. This is what it means to 28:35 have a great high priest in heaven. 28:38 Well, that sounds encouraging maybe the 28:40 sanctuary truth is the key that unlocks the old Bible 28:44 prophecy in Daniel chapter 8, where it was told that 28:47 until 2300 days, and then shall the sanctuary be 28:51 cleansed. Daniel was given this prophecy in the 28:54 Old Persian town of Shushan and that's were we 28:57 will be taking you in the next program. |
Revised 2014-12-17