The duty of the Mediator was to stand in between the LORD and the congregation of Israel, to receive the Word of God on their behalf and deliver it them, because it was too dangerous for the people to receive it for themselves.
Biblical Theology·Oct 7, 2024·Updated Sep 3, 2026
The Congregation of Israel’s Face to Face Meeting with God
The Making of a Mediator
Upon arriving at Sinai, the exodus journey was complete. Israel then set up camp in a suitable place before the holy mountain, not knowing what was on the morrow Moses was then called up the mountain, because the LORD had something to say to Israel Amazingly, the LORD proceeded to speak to Moses with an audible voice Moses then delivered to Israel all the words of God, and upon their agreement to the forthcoming covenant relationship Moses was directed to make arrangements for the LORD to come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai
“And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thickcloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.”— Ex. 19:16-17
The congregation of Israel remained in their camp trembling when God came down upon Sinai. Moses had to go and retrieve the people from the camp, otherwise they would not have come anywhere near mount Sinai. Moses conducted the congregation of Israel to a place very “near” to Sinai even directly at the base of the holy mountain (“they stood at the nether part of the mount” – ), so that it might be said that the people were standing “under the mountain” Israel was brought there to meet with God in a very special way that would never be repeated in Biblical History
“For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the Fire, as thou hast heard, and live?”
— Deut. 4:32-33
“Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great Fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the Fire.”
— Deut. 4:36
The LORD appeared before the congregation of Israel in a visible manifestation of glory. Then, upon coming as close as possible to Sinai, they heard the audible voice of God proceeding directly out of the midst of the Fire Such a thing had never happened before in Biblical History! And somehow even the heathen would come to know about it Categorically, this is what it means for God to talk to people “face to face” Firstly, there was a closeness to the communion. Secondarily, there was a visiblemanifestation of glory. Thirdly, there was an audiblevoice coming out of the glory.
However, in meeting with God "face to face" let the reader understand that the people of Israel "saw no similitude" They saw a consumingfire and clouds of thick darkness, and they heard a voice, but they saw no "similitude" or "likeness" of an image of any kind, neither of men nor animals If the likeness of anything divine could have been seen, it was being vailed by the presence of smoke and fire.
The earth was “trembling” The mountains were moving The fire was exceedingly hot and “devouring” Sinai itself was melting The flames of the consuming fire were rapidly ascending high into the sky Israel was afraid by reason of these things. Upon hearing the thunderous voice of the Living God, in the proclamation of the 10 commandments the Israelites removed themselves from before Sinai and stood at a distance It was then that Moses became the Mediator of the Old Covenant
“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.”
— Ex. 20:18-21
“The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the Fire, (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,”
— Deut. 5:4-5
Mediating became the single most important part of the ministry of Moses. The duty of the Mediator was to stand in between the LORD and the congregation of Israel, to receive the Word of God on their behalf and deliver it them, because it was too dangerous for the people to receive it for themselves before the glory ofGod. In other words, this would necessitate Moses meeting with God “face to face” on the behalf of the congregation of Israel.
“And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it. And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.”
— Deut. 5:23-28
Israel felt that they were in grave danger! They were correct in their assessment. They could not endure the sights and sounds of a meeting face to face with God! It was too dangerous (sight: sound: ). They would have certainly died if it continued any longer! Therefore, Moses became a Mediator.
The Dangerous & Deadly Role of a Mediator Necessitates Face to Face Meetings with God
The Mediator is a Seer!
The congregation of Israel removed themselves, and stood afar off, and requested that Moses would draw near to God on their behalf. Consequentially, Moses proceeded to meet with God in the same characteristic way that they rejected in an ongoing relationship.
“And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face…”
— Deut. 34:10
Israel didn’t know what they were relinquishing, nor what Moses was then undertaking. It was not yet revealed by Law. Moses’ unique relationship with God would become more evident in time. The day soon came for the people to be sworn into the Mosaic Covenant with the sprinkling of blood Over the next 40 days and 40 nights, the parameters of everyone’s relationship with God in how each person would be permitted to have special meetings with the LORD was definitively revealed to Moses. However, in the process, seventy Elders of Israel got a firsthand glimpse of Moses’ unique relationship with God.
“And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.”
— Ex. 24:1-2
“Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.”
— Ex. 24:9-18
The Elders of Israel ascended partway up Sinai to be the witnesses of the solemn occasion. Their duty was to watch their Mediator draw near to the devouring Fire on behalf of Israel. This emphasis was given in Each Elder was responsible to tell the tale about what they beheld on the slopes of Sinai! And their own experience made them competent reporters of these events to their own tribe.
Seeing that the Israel’s fear of death was warranted, legitimate questions were upon on the heart of the people as they beheld their Mediator: Can Moses survive being a Mediator? Entering the cloud of smoke? So close to the consuming fire? Beholden to the unapproachable Light? Without food and water for 40 days & nights?
The Elders of Israel “saw God”, in one sense They definitely saw something that the rest of Israel was not permitted to behold! They momentarily peered beyond the vailing presence of smoke and fire, and apparently, they saw the floor of the throne room of God: “…there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness” Therefore, the Elders knew that a pavilion of glory existed beyond the vail of smoke and fire.
This awesome sight was accompanied with a meal. I doubt anyone among them ascended Sinai with bags of food slung over their shoulders. Nevertheless, a meal was cooked for the Elders of Israel. I assume they went in the strength of that meat for six days They were being prepared to behold something spectacular and ceremonious as Moses undertook the office of a Mediator. They heard the LORD say to Moses, “Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.” Therefore, as witnesses, the Elders were standing by to personally behold the ascent.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thickcloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever...”
— Ex. 19:9
“…he called unto Moses out of the midst ofthe cloud.”
— Ex. 24:16
The Elders of Israel watched as Moses ascended above them, making his way towards the peak of Sinai, but then Moses was made to wait before the devouring fire at the peak of Sinai for six days before he was permitted to enter the cloud of smoke Of course, the Elders stayed there and watched until Moses entered into the cloud of glory on the seventh day, only that they might report the matter back to the people. This was a ceremonious occasion of consecration for Moses, one that would be repeated with the Priests of the Tabernacle in the days to come
The Priests will be required to undergo a ceremonious process of consecration before being permitted to assume the office of a Priest in the Tabernacle of God. All the congregation will be summoned to behold their consecration and upon entering the Tabernacle, the Priests will not be permitted to go out of the door of the Tabernacle for seven days (Note: this would come out to the same number of days depending on which day marks the beginning and ending of the counting ( -9:1), as is demonstrated in the “six” and “eight” days of ). Evidently, the same pattern of consecration was employed for both the Mediator and the Priests of the Old Covenant, only the former was before the glory at Sinai and the latter was before the glory in the Tabernacle.
In being summoned by God for the Mediator’s consecration, the Elders of Israel were brought very close to the God of Israel. They even ascended the untouchable mountain of Sinai But the Elders were “afar off” in comparison to the Mediator Their duty was to watch Moses get much closer to God, even “face to face”, because he “alone” was permitted to go “near” and the Elders reported the matter back to the people. The Elders saw God so that they might know that Moses didn’t die when he entered into the cloud of smoke, as others would assume The Elders knew that Moses went to be with God in a safe and secure pavilion of glory! The Elders ate and drank in the presence of God, and like Elijah, they were miraculously sustained by that food for six days. Therefore, they would have no reason to doubt that Moses would be sustained no matter how long he spent at the peak of Sinai.
Seeing that the cloud of smoke was acting as a vail to cover whatever was behind it, when Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and then proceeded beyond it, what did he see? Did he see any similitudes or likenesses of anything divine?
Firstly, Moses was made to wait six days before the cloud at Sinai’s peak. Secondarily, after being called, Moses “went into the midst of the cloud” Moses went beyond the cloud of glory that was acting as a vail. Therefore, if the likeness of anything divine could be seen beyond the vail, Moses was going to see it. If the Elders of Israel saw the floor of the throne room of God, and it was spectacular to behold it stands to reason that Moses saw many wonderful things when he went into the cloud
We can comprehend what Moses saw through a typological theater of earthly figures (shadows: figures: ). A divine plan was revealed to Moses to bring the glory of Sinai into a Tabernacle, even as God said, “that I may dwell among them” The LORD couldn’t bring Israel up to Sinai, nor did He desire to send Israel away from Sinai, unless divine genius devised a way for the God to dwell in the midst of Israel. In this the heart of God would be satisfied. Clearly, the LORD didn’t want the people to be far away. He wanted the most amount of people to safely abide as close as possible to the throne of God! Moses, the Mediator, received the details of this plan in Exodus 25-31.
The Materials for the Tabernacle and its Instruments:
The Ark, Mercy Seat, & Holy of Holies:
The Table of Shewbread:
The Golden Candlesticks:
The Curtains & Bars of the Tabernacle:
The Vail of the Holy of Holies:
The Vail of the Sanctuary at the Door of the Tabernacle:
The Brazen Altar of Sacrifice:
The Court of the Tabernacle:
The Oil of the Tabernacle:
The Garments of the Priesthood: The Ephod: The Breastplate: The Robe: The Crown:
The Consecration of the Priests:
The Burnt-Offering of Lambs as an Eternal Fire:
Eternal Incense:
Redemption:
The Brazen Laver:
The Holy AnointingOil:
The Holy Perfume:
The Sabbaths & Levitical Cities:
The Mediator is a seer. Apparently, Moses peered into Heaven itself while at the peak of Sinai, according to is quoting from & 27:8. Heaven came down, or Moses went up, or perhaps a mixture of both! Moses had to see the images of real things that exist in Heaven, “heavenly things” to make the figures and shadows of them on earth after the same “pattern” and “fashion”. Therefore, Moses saw the shape, size, and colors of “the sanctuary” being illuminated by seven candlesticks in Heaven Moses saw the shape, size, and colors of the Throne of God in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle of Heaven Moses saw the counterpart of everything that was described in Exodus 25-31.
The most spectacular part of this plan is how God was going to meet and commune with Moses, the High Priest, the Priesthood, and Israel in a very special way, respectively, atthe Mercy Seat, inthe Sanctuary, & atthe Door of the Tabernacle However, before this transition was able to take place, where the glory of God is moved from Sinai to the Tabernacle, the people fell into sin.
The Mediator is an Intercessor!
The 1st Attempt of Intercession
At first, the LORD reacted to the idolatry by deciding to totally annihilate the congregation of Israel This was narrowly averted through the intercession of Moses The Mediator is an intercessor! Moses then descended Sinai to confront the reveling idolaters Moses knew that the Covenant was currently being breached. The broken “tables” of the Covenant at the base of Sinai bore witness An immediate call for repentance was made in the camp, and whoever didn’t repent that day was then slain by the sword. Three thousand souls died Nevertheless, the LORD was still angry with the people.
The 2nd Attempt of Intercession
The 1st Attempt of Intercession was successful to prevent a total annihilation of Israel, but it was unsuccessful to restore the Mosaic Covenant. In distress, Moses ascended Sinai to try to make an atonement for Israel He even tried to offer himself as a sacrifice for an atonement! Moses’ request was denied. Of course, the 2nd Attempt of Intercession failed, but this is an important moment for Christology. This speaks volumes about the Mediator’s incompetency! The news was then broken to Moses that the congregation needed to move on from Sinai. It was time to go!
“Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.”
— Ex. 32:34-35
Israel hadn’t yet built a Tabernacle!Theglory of Sinai had not yet come down into the midst of Israel! And now it was time to go. This implies a total breach of the divine plan revealed to Moses at Sinai. Everything revealed from Exodus 25-31 was being forfeited if Israel packed up then and journeyed to the Promised Land.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: And I will send an Angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.”
— Ex. 33:1-6
For the good of the people, the LORD decided against the original plan, saying, “I will not go up in the midst of thee” This decision was made to preserve Israel from harm. In being so near to God, this would have put the people in grave danger, because the LORD would not tolerate any provocative form of sin. Fearfully, Jehovah spoke of consuming them in a moment This is a sign of great wrath being kindled in the heart of God like fire
The 3rd Attempt of Intercession
Meanwhile, even though the command was given to depart from Sinai, Moses was desperate for the revival of the Mosaic Covenant. Therefore, Moses wanted another opportunity to go before the LORD in intercession, but he was afraid to ascend Sinai again in the current circumstances. Especially, because the last time he was on the holy mountain he was told to “go” and “lead” the people away from Sinai Sinai was no longer an option. Neither would the LORD come into the midst of Israel to give audience to Moses.
Therefore, according to Moses decided to build a makeshift Tabernacle and pitch it outside of the camp of Israel, in hopes that God would come down from Sinai and meet with Moses there for another round of intercession.
“And Moses took the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was without the camp.”
— Ex. 33:7-8
This was not a properly constructed Tabernacle. It was impossible for Moses to suddenly build a Tabernacle according to the instructions given to him in Exodus 25-31. The construction of the Tabernacle was a colossal task that occupied a host of people working together over the space of many days. The real construction process is described in Exodus 35-40. Therefore, this “Tabernacle”, the one serving as a meeting place of intercession outside the camp in was a sudden inadequately constructed makeshift Tabernacle. What a marvel that God would meet with Moses in such a base and unholy construction! Lo, and behold, now we can see the powers of theMediator on full display.
“And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the Tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the Tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.”
— Ex. 33:9-11
These kinds of encounters happened regularly at the peak of Sinai. However, now that the people were much closer, the ministry of the Mediator became much more visible God wanted the people to see this! Moses’ bold and courageous attempt of intercession began here, as Moses began to pour out his heart before the LORD in the Tabernacle, but it didn’t end there.
The 4th Attempt of Intercession
The 3rd Attempt of Intercession would quickly lead into the 4thAttempt of Intercession, where Moses would be required to ascend Sinai, and there Moses would be compelled to fall down before the burning Fire of El-esh-oklah for another 40 days and 40 nights, otherwise the LORD was certainly going to destroy Israel. This is clarified in &
“And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.”
— Deut. 9:18-19
“Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you.”
— Deut. 9:25
“And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.”
— Deut. 10:10
“Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.”
— Psalm 106:23
The Mediator’s success as an intercessor depended upon these “face to face” encounters with the Living God In these encounters, Moses found grace to succeed as an intercessor, and this resulted in the bestowment of sovereign mercy upon Israel Meanwhile, the delinquency and incompetency of Moses was also being manifested to readers indicating the coming of another prophet that would be even greater than Moses Let the reader observe what Moses did and didn’t see when it came to the “face to face” meetings he had with God
The content of Moses’ prayer before ascending Sinai shows how he was esteeming the power of Mediating. Moses was in doubt about the identity of this Angel that the LORD was going to send before Israel, the same one that was spoken about in & 33:1-6. Moses said to God, “…Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me.” Moses didn’t want an Angel to go before Israel, while the LORD refused to come among Israel. Moses pled for more grace! He said, “…shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee” Once again, Moses was praying for the “Presence” of God to go “with” them Basically, Moses was saying to the LORD, “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”
Why did Moses want to see the Face of God?
Moses looked up to Jacob as an exemplary Patriarch of the Israelites. The Mediator remembered how Jacob wrestled with God in the day of his distress, and how a whole night spent in fervent intercession was rewarded with a divine blessing in the morning It was then that Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” Perhaps this very thing was burning upon Moses’ heart when he uttered the prayer, “shew me Thy glory” Clearly, God knew what Moses was asking for in this request.
“And he said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while My glorypasseth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen.”
— Ex. 33:20-23
“And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.”
— Ex. 34:5-9
Readers assume that this isn’t the beginning of an unprecedented episode of intercession. Interpreters suppose that a mountaintop experience like this of seeing the glory of God couldn’t possibly be the start of a long intercessory battle. Rather, interpreters should expect intercession in such cases. Moses was still in the throes of intercession! This was coming out in his prayer recorded in God was still determined to visit Israel with justice! This was communicated to Moses in In a burning desire for justice, the LORD said that He would “by no means clear the guilty” Albeit more was said to Moses in this critical moment.
To comprehend the seriousness of this episode of intercession, readers need to meditatively insert & in between & Putting everything together paints a more complete picture. Seeing that the LORD was still minded to execute justice, and that this would come in a mighty destruction of Israel, Moses said, “I fell down before the LORD” The record of Scripture reflects that “Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.”
Nothing else, but intercession, kept Moses on the mountain for so long a time. This emphasis is given in & It was a long and hard-fought battle of intercession! This episode continued for 40 days & 40 nights until, at last, God repented, and the Mosaic Covenant was ratified. The newly cut “Tables of Stone” rewritten with the 10 commandments bore witness of the restoration This comes as a gracious reward to an unrelenting Mediator, who prayed to God, “go among us” when the LORD had decided against dwelling among Israel
The Mediator, Sinai, & the Unapproachable Light!
“…the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” – 1 Tim. 6:15-16
The 4th Attempt of Intercession was successful. Victoriously, the Mediator descended Sinai, not even knowing that the skin of his face was shining as a result of the terrible glory he encountered in the presence of God.
“And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two Tables of Testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.”
— Ex. 34:29-32
Evidently, Moses saw something! “The similitude of the LORD shall he behold” The look on his countenance bore witness. Moses saw the glory of God, and someone dwelling in the midst of it! Moses saw the “back parts” of God Consequentially, theMediator’s face was branded with brightness! Normally, to see something like this is impermissible and impossible.
What happened at the peak of Sinai?
Impermissible, because Israel was forbidden from seeing any shape, form, part, or image of anything pertaining to the Person of God, nor did the people see any “similitude” or “likeness” of the aforementioned things, even though they were in a meeting “face to face” with the LORD Specifically speaking, Israel didn’t see “the likeness of a Throne”in the midstof the Fire, like Ezekiel did, nor did they see “the likeness as the appearance of a Man”seated upon the Throne Neither did Israel see “the likeness” of any “living creatures” round about the Throne
Impossible, because it is far too dangerous! Ordinarily, these things are covered for our own safety. This is why Moses, the Mediator, hardly survived the wind, fire, earthquake, and light of his own mountaintop experience, and this was only a “pass by” encounter of the Face of God
“And it shall come to pass, while My glorypasseth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by:”
— Ex. 33:22
Theoretically, Moses could have seen the Face of God, but it would have meant certain death So far from seeing the Face of God, Moses needed protection from it! In other words, Moses needed a covering! The cleft of the rock wasn’t enough. Moses needed the hand of God to cover him while he abode in the cleft of the rock! A supernatural covering was necessary because in the “pass by” the mountain was rent and the rocks around Moses were scorched with fire and broken in pieces. These explicit details are provided when Elijah experienced the same thing when “the LORD passed by” at the same location upon Sinai
“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong windrentthe mountains, and brakein piecesthe rocksbefore the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
— 1 Kings 19:11-12
This is a dangerous and deadly revelation! Elijah’s account fills in the lines of Now, imagine Moses in his hiding place as “the LORD passed by before him” Do you see why it was necessary for the LORD to cover Moses with a divine hand? With the mountain rending and the rocks around him being scorched with fire and broken in pieces at the power of God, it was necessary for Moses to be covered, and in covering him, the LORD was hiding him from a deadly onslaught of divine power. Habakkuk brings this same scene into view through a poetic Hebrew song.
Is wind capable of rending mountains and breaking rocks into pieces? For some perspective, read while meditating upon the “wonders” of the Last Days This description is remarkably similar to the things that accompany a flash of thermonuclear light in the explosion of an atomic bomb. After a 180-million-degree flash of thermo-nuclear light that catches everything on fire for miles, the blast of an atomic bomb will create shockwaves causing an earthquake and waves of compressed air above land – terribly destructive walls of strong wind that will essentially rip apart every man-made structure for 5 miles – and then comes a massive fireball a mile in diameter, turning the asphalt streets of the city into molten lava.
“God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had brightbeams coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.”
Hab. 3:3-4 (KJV)
“His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.”
Hab. 3:4 (ESV)
Speaking of the glory of God coming to Sinai, the prophet Habakkuk said, “His brightness was as the light” In other words, the brightness of the glory of God was as the sun. Habakkuk went on to say, “He had bright beams coming out of his hand” Habakkuk did not say, “hands”, as though he was referring to the dispensing of light from the hands of God as a general form of projection all throughout biblical history. Rather, Habakkuk was referring to an instance in history when a single divinehand was being used as a covering to hide or vail the power of divine light from Moses at Sinai.
When the face of the sun passes by a canopy of dark clouds, ones that are thick enough to conceal its brightness, mortal men look up and see beams of light“coming out of” the clouds as the sun penetrates through various holes and crevices in the clouds. Beams of light are also visible along the outer edges of the clouds. This is the normal process of things as the clouds act to hide or vail the brightness of the light! Similarly, the Face of Godpassed by Moses, and in the process, there were beams of light penetrating through the small holes and crevices of the divine hand, and along its edges. The hand was being used to hide or vail the deadly power of divine light! Then, the LORD took away his hand, and this allowed Moses to get a glimpse of the “back parts” of God, who had just passed by. The light of the glory of God then struck the mortal face of the beholder, and immediately, Moses’ face was illuminated with an otherworldly light.
More attention is given to the light that Moses encountered at Sinai, but you have to look for it in the testimony of Holy Scripture. When Israel gathered before Sinai, they must have said, “There is the revealing of divine power!”, not realizing the infinite greatness of the divine power that was being vailed and covered during that revelation. Wisdom speaks about Sinai, saying, “There is the hiding of divine power!”, because the clouds, fire, and smoke were acting as a covering to a deadly force of light. This is not apparent in the account given in Exodus. Other Prophets were moved by inspiration to bring this into view.
“And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”
— Deut. 33:2
& present before readers the northern horizon on the day that the LORD came down in the sight of Israel, as recorded in Before the LORD descended upon Sinai, a great Light was seen coming from the north at a distance of 100 miles, about where mount Paran was located. It resembled the sun in how its brightness illuminated the heavens with glory, as stated in Habakkuk said, “His glory covered the heavens” It was bright like the sun, but it couldn’t have been mistaken for the sun because this revelation came during the daytime. The sun was running its course in the vault of heaven already, rising and setting from east to west, while this other light was coming from the north.
Remarkably, Ezekiel encountered the same thing from “the north” Perhaps the light descended from the celestial north, and then reached the earth 100 miles away from Sinai, therefore, as it was rapidly coming south it passed over the hills and mountains and, consequentially, it “shined forth from mount Paran” Israel knew that it was God This kind of light had been seen before! The Israelites saw it at the Red Sea. Prophetically, David said , “At the brightness that was before Him His thick clouds passed…” Meanwhile, at Sinai, a trail of glory could be seen on earth and in heaven along the route being taken as an angelic trumpet was being blasted louder and longer with each alarm
“The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.”
— Psalm 99:1
The Light could not be seen directly by the people, only because it was being covered by a dropping presence of thick clouds in the sky, and the same dark clouds were pouring down rain upon the earth However, by virtue of its brightness, the heavens above and around the Light were being illuminated with glory, like the presence of the sun can be perceived behind a vail of clouds Meanwhile, there were beams of Light piercing through the clouds in all directions, and as rays of light were proceeding downward, the earth was being illuminating with glory. Speaking of this, Habakkuk said, “the earth was full of His praise” From the vantage point of Sinai, if this Light exceeded the brightness of the sun, the entire northern horizon would have been filled glory as the Light was approaching. It would have appeared like a majestic sunrise of terrible glory, albeit the light“rose up from Seir unto them”
This is “the true Light” The same one that was from the beginning This is a heavenly Light, and directly underneath its path the peaks of nearby mountains were being set on fire and melting and in this sense they were bowing even as the earth beneath them was quaking and trembling insomuch that the mountains were moving out of their locations “Why leap ye, ye high hills?” The same things happened to mount Seir and mount Paran, and the hills and mountains around them, and much more to Sinai and the mountains around it. This is a shocking demonstration of power. Lo and behold, now we know why this Light was normally covered. Evidently, it is extremely dangerous for this light to be partially or completely unveiled. In other words, it was necessary to hide the power of God! Especially before incompetent and inadequate mortals.
Habakkuk’s song informs us that the heathen saw this Light, and were frightened by it, and judging by the path that it took as it moved southward for 100 miles, even sinners were able to recognize that it went to where the Israelites were camped before Sinai. Perhaps this is why Balaam, of all people, was compelled to prophesy about the glorification of Israel in the coming of a Messiah, calling him, “a Star out of Jacob” Balaam, alongside the Moabites and Midianites, were all afraid of the Israelites as they approached their lands, and somehow, they all knew that the LORD had come to the Israelite people and was seen “face to face”
This probably happened in the following order. Firstly, the LORD came down to see if the iniquity of theAmorites had come to the full like how the LORD visited Sodom & Gomorrah to make sure that they were ripe for judgment This would explain why the LORD descended to earth near mount Paran and then proceeded southward toward mount Seir. Secondarily, upon finding the Amorites ready for judgment, and subsequently choosing to destroy the heathen, the Lord then stood and measured the earth, and especially the Promised Land, and in doing so the LORD was marking the boundaries of inheritance for a gift the tribes of Israel Thirdly, and finally, the LORD passed through the land in this way to determine the path that would be best for the congregation of Israel to take when they would eventually depart from Sinai, because the territory covered by God follows the path of the first and second marches of the Exodus Generation and their children.
Face to Face Meetings with God in the Tabernacle
Building a Tabernacle for God was the most comprehensive objective of the Mosaic Covenant. Chiefly, this task was committed to the Mediator. Why? As a Bridegroom, God wanted Israel to safely abide as close as possible to the LORD for as long as possible Considering the circumstances, this was made abundantly clear to Israel.
“Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.”
— Ex. 19:4
Remember, the LORD brought Israel near to Sinai and met with the people face to face, but they were afraid and removed themselves from before the holy mountain for fear of death. Israel then requested that Moses would draw near to God on their behalf because they were sure that they were about to die! And God said that they spoke well They correctly assessed the danger of their situation. Therefore, this event occasioned the making of a Mediator.
Israel’s relationship with God could then be accurately measured by their relationship to the Mediator. Seeing that Israel could not endure face to face meetings with God, it was necessary for the people to come face to face with their Mediator. The people needed to cooperate with their Mediator This relationship was essential to the divine plan of redemption. Also, keep in mind, Moses needed either Sinai or theTabernacle for mediation. Departing from Sinai was inevitable, and this would make mediation impossible in the future, unless a Tabernacle was built to provide a means for Moses to have face to face meetings with God.
Moses descended from Sinai victoriously, with the Tables of the Covenant in hand, and all the people beheld the shining face of their Mediator. The narrator of Exodus then gives a needed qualification in Readers are now filled with anticipation about the construction of the Tabernacle! But many questions remain about what happened to the face of Moses. Originally, the Congregation of Israel was given a Mediator because they were afraid of meeting with God face to face. Now, according to the people were afraid of the face of their Mediator! This was a sign of the times for the Exodus Generation
“And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.”
— Ex. 34:29-32
This reaction of Israel was a strong indication of sin in the people Being afraid to look on the face of their Mediator was extremely problematic and unproductive for their relationship. Therefore, Moses decided to vail his face when speaking to the people.
“And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went inbeforethe LORD to speak with Him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.”
— Ex. 34:33-35
The narrator of Exodus made this statement of clarification anticipating the building of the Tabernacle in Exodus 35-40. It states that Moses, “went in before the LORD to speak with Him” Where did he go? Moses didn’t go “up” Sinai! Moses went into the Holy ofHolies of the Tabernacle. Moses continued to have face to face meetings with God in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle because of a successful transfer of glory from Sinai to the House ofGod.
The Mediator was a Builder!
How did Moses have access to the Holy of Holies? The Mediatorwas the builder! Naturally, the builder of the Tabernacle would have had access to the Holy of Holies. Credit was given to Moses for buildingthe Tabernacle in &
“And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
— Num. 12:6-8
“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses , inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
— Heb 3:1-6
“For if He were on earth, he should not be a Priest, seeing that there are Priests that offer gifts according to the law: 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.”
— Heb. 8:4-5
Finally, the long-awaited transition was going to be accomplished, when the glory of Sinai moves to the Tabernacle, but first the people needed to construct the Tabernacle. Immediately, according to Exodus 35-40, the congregation of Israel began gathering the supplies and constructing the Tabernacle, exactly as the LORD commanded Moses in Exodus 25-31. Skilled workers were empowered for the labor by being filled with the Holy Ghost All the materials and the dimensions of the construction project were clearly communicated by the Mediator.
However, Moses would have to stand beside Bazaleel and other skilled workmen to help them understand the exact “pattern” or “fashion” of “the Tabernacle” and all its furniture and “instruments” Apparently, Moses’ involvement in buildingthe Tabernacle was so significant that he is credited with buildingthe House of God in & Without close instruction from Moses, how else would Bezaleel know the exact shape and appearance of certain things? The most obvious example of this pertained to the making of the Cherubims.
The Materials for the Instruments & the Tabernacle → “the Pattern” (Ex. 25:9)
The Ark, Mercy Seat, Cherubims, Table of Shewbread, Golden Candlesticks → “Pattern” (Ex. 25:40)
The Curtains, Boards, Sockets, and Bars of the Tabernacle → “the Fashion” (Ex. 26:30)
Inner & Outer Vails, the Brazen Altar → “as it was shewed” (Ex. 27:8)
Moses really saw all these things in Heaven! In an effort to bring Heaven to earth, God showed it to Moses The Mediator then comprehensively relayed the details to the workmen. The terminology of & 27:8 is consistent with someone personally beholding something and relaying the details of it so that a copy of it could be built in another location. Similarly, Ahaz saw “thefashion” and “the pattern” of an idolatrous altar of Damascus, and then he relayed the details of it to builders in Israel so that they could make a replica
Moses was there to personally guide the workers as the need required. Obviously, this would have been especially needful for the images of the Cherubims. A divine mandate was given for Cherubims to be made of “cunning work” as sown images on all the curtains the Tabernacle Essentially, the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle was supposed to be surrounded by images of Cherubims on all sides. A divine mandate was also given for Cherubims to be sown into the “vail” of the Holy ofHolies Finally, another mandate was given for “two Cherubims of gold” to be constructed as large statues that would stand in the Holy of Holies on either side of the Throne ofGod, and their wings and faces were to be stretchedout and directed in a certain way so that the Cherubims were acting as a “covering” to “the MercySeat”
Bazaleel had never seen a Cherubim! He would have no idea how to portray their images in the cunning and curious work of the Tabernacle of God. Therefore, Moses needed to carefully direct Bazaleel to correctly portray their images with satisfactory details. Only Moses, the Mediator, was beholden to such things Meanwhile, the face of the beholder was still shining with light! This speaks volumes about the heavenly glory that was manifested at the peak of Sinai.
“Thus was all the work of the Tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.”
— Ex. 39:32
“And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.”
— Ex. 39:43
The day finally came for everything to be put together for the pitching of the Tabernacle so that the operation of redemption could begin to function. However, only Moses could “set up”the Tabernacle for the first time Behold, the ministry of the Mediator! Only Moses could bring the Ark behind the vail into the Holy of Holies Only Moses could set in order the Table of Candlesticks and light the lamps Basically, everyone else was just watching! Only Moses could put the altar of incense in its place The same could be said about the altar of sacrifice, the brazen laver, and the pitching of the outer court
The Mediator was a Patriarchal Priest of the Highest Rank!
Once everything was set up, only Moses could officiate the ceremonious process of consecration. Behold, the ministry of the Mediator! Only Moses could anoint the Tabernacle to hallow it and all its vessels Similarly, once everything was consecrated, it was then time for the Priesthood to be consecrated. Moses then proceeded to “wash” Aaron and his sons with holy water Amazingly, all the congregation was summoned to behold Moses wash them with water Only Moses could “put on” and “clothe” Aaron and his sons with the holy garments that were made for them Only Moses could put the ephod and breastplate on Aaron, the High Priest All the people beheld the solemn moment when Moses put the holy crown upon Aaron’s head Soberly consider it (“…and thou shalt be to him instead of God.” – ). This is the ministry of the Mediator.
“And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;”
— Heb. 3:5
Only Moses could “anoint” the Priesthood with oil to sanctify them Only Moses could make the needed sacrifices and then apply the blood of sprinkling for an atonement on behalf of Aaron and his sons Only Moses could guide the Priesthood to observe the seven days of consecration, where they were forbidden to go out of the door of the Tabernacle All the congregation bore witness to these events while beholding the ministry of the Mediator! A truly staggering testimony
“Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.”
— Ex. 40:16
“…So Moses finished the work.”
— Ex. 40:33
All this should give everyone a new appreciation for the ministry of the Mediator. Nobody could doubt the authority by which Moses was doing these things while the face of their Mediator was still shining with heavenly brilliance Amazingly, no holy garments were required for Moses to perform these exploits of consecration! No anointing oil was necessary. No holy crown was put upon his head. None of the usual requirements were needed, like those placed upon the Priesthood, for Moses to become a minister of the sanctuary, only because Moses was already consecrated to be their Mediator at the peak of Sinai“The Similitude of the LORD shall he behold” Evidently, the builder of the House was more honorable than the building
There is an order of hierarchy when it comes to these holy places: Heaven, Sinai, & the Tabernacle. Understandably, Moses’ consecration at Sinai enabled him to perform these exploits at the Tabernacle. While Sinai was a downgrade from Heaven it is important to remember that the Tabernacleof theCongregation was a downgrade from Sinai. Therefore, Moses was acting as a patriarchal Priest on behalf of the Priesthood who would minister in the Tabernacle. All eyes were on the Mediator! Only because the Mediator’s eyes were fixed upon the LORD! “The Similitude of the LORD shall he behold”
Comprehending the distinct roles of these two Offices, their relationship to each other, and their ability to have face to face meetings with God in the Tabernacle, is essential to Christology.
In the presence of God the Consuming Fire, all eyes were fixed on Moses as a Mediator (Gal. 3:19). Similarly, Abraham said under inspiration, “God will provide Himself a Lamb for a burnt-offering” (Gen. 22:8).
The things revealed to Paul are impressive. Somehow, even Peter was compelled to publicly acknowledge the staggering “wisdom” of Paul’s Epistles (2 Pet. 3:15-16). How were all these things revealed to the Apostle Paul?
Peter was arguing for the equality of Scripture in the Old and New Testaments. The “vision” that Peter was referring to was already written down, canonized, and circulated as Scripture through the Gospels (Matt. 16:21-17:13, Mk. 8:27-9:13, Lk. 9:29-35).
