Stormshore Tabernacle

The Gospel according to John is quite different in character from the three synoptic gospels. It is highly literary and symbolic. It does not follow the same order or reproduce the same stories as the synoptic gospels. To a much greater degree, it is the product of a developed theological reflection and grows out of a different circle and tradition. It was probably written in the 90s of the first century. The Gospel of John begins with a magnificent prologue, which states many of the major themes and motifs of the gospel, much as an overture does for a musical work. The prologue proclaims Jesus as the preexistent and incarnate Word of God who has revealed the Father to us. The rest of the first chapter forms the introduction to the gospel proper and consists of the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus (there is no baptism of Jesus in this gospel—John simply points him out as the Lamb of God), followed by stories of the call of the first disciples, in which various titles predicated of Jesus in the early church are presented. The gospel narrative contains a series of “signs”—the gospel’s word for the wondrous deeds of Jesus. The author is primarily interested in the significance of these deeds, and so interprets them for the reader by various reflections, narratives, and discourses. The first sign is the transformation of water into wine at Cana (Jn 2:1–11); this represents the replacement of the Jewish ceremonial washings and symbolizes the entire creative and transforming work of Jesus. The second sign, the cure of the royal official’s son (Jn 4:46–54) simply by the word of Jesus at a distance, signifies the power of Jesus’ life-giving word. The same theme is further developed by other signs, probably for a total of seven. The third sign, the cure of the paralytic at the pool with five porticoes in chap. 5, continues the theme of water offering newness of life. In the preceding chapter, to the woman at the well in Samaria Jesus had offered living water springing up to eternal life, a symbol of the revelation that Jesus brings; here Jesus’ life-giving word replaces the water of the pool that failed to bring life. Jn 6 contains two signs, the multiplication of loaves and the walking on the waters of the Sea of Galilee. These signs are connected much as the manna and the crossing of the Red Sea are in the Passover narrative and symbolize a new exodus. The multiplication of the loaves is interpreted for the reader by the discourse that follows, where the bread of life is used first as a figure for the revelation of God in Jesus and then for the Eucharist. After a series of dialogues reflecting Jesus’ debates with the Jewish authorities at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jn 7; 8, the sixth sign is presented in Jn 9, the sign of the young man born blind. This is a narrative illustration of the theme of conflict in the preceding two chapters; it proclaims the triumph of light over darkness, as Jesus is presented as the Light of the world. This is interpreted by a narrative of controversy between the Pharisees and the young man who had been given his sight by Jesus, ending with a discussion of spiritual blindness and spelling out the symbolic meaning of the cure. And finally, the seventh sign, the raising of Lazarus in chap. 11, is the climax of signs. Lazarus is presented as a token of the real life that Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, who will now ironically be put to death because of his gift of life to Lazarus, will give to all who believe in him once he has been raised from the dead.

The second book of the Pentateuch is called Exodus, from the Greek word for “departure,” because its central event was understood by the Septuagint’s translators to be the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Its Hebrew title, Shemoth (“Names”), is from the book’s opening phrase, “These are the names….” Continuing the history of Israel from the point where the Book of Genesis leaves off, Exodus recounts the Egyptian oppression of Jacob’s ever-increasing descendants and their miraculous deliverance by God through Moses, who led them across the Red Sea to Mount Sinai where they entered into a covenant with the Lord. Covenantal laws and detailed prescriptions for the tabernacle (a portable sanctuary foreshadowing the Jerusalem Temple) and its service are followed by a dramatic episode of rebellion, repentance, and divine mercy. After the broken covenant is renewed, the tabernacle is constructed, and the cloud signifying God’s glorious presence descends to cover it. These events made Israel a nation and confirmed their unique relationship with God. The “law” (Hebrew torah) given by God through Moses to the Israelites at Mount Sinai constitutes the moral, civil, and ritual legislation by which they were to become a holy people. Many elements of it were fundamental to the teaching of Jesus as well as to New Testament and Christian moral teaching. The principal divisions of Exodus are: Introduction: The Oppression of the Israelites in Egypt The Call and Commission of Moses The Contest with Pharaoh The Deliverance of the Israelites from Pharaoh and Victory at the Sea The Journey in the Wilderness to Sinai Covenant and Legislation at Mount Sinai Israel’s Apostasy and God’s Renewal of the Covenant The Building of the Tabernacle and the Descent of God’s Glory upon It

Dark creatures do as Demorgon bids, and his royal guard keeps order with an iron fist. All gods and temples are suppressed except for his own Dark Tabernacle. But with the re-emergence of the sword, Demorgon’s power may be waning. Evil monsters invade the city, and sections of Targas Adur have fallen to their influence. It’s up to you to slay them.

The Tabernacle was the shadow of Jesus Christ who has forgiven the sins of the Israelites and everyone who believes in Him. Our Lord was the very owner of the Tabernacle. And He was the Savior who has blotted out everyone's sins all at once, and at the same time, the sacrificial offering itself for all mankind. Although the people of Israel sinned everyday, by laying their hands on of the head of the unblemished sacrificial animal in the Tabernacle's court according to the sacrificial system, they could pass their sins onto the offering. This is how anyone who believed in ministry of the priests and the sacrificial offering given according to the sacrificial system could all receive the remission of sin, washing away their sins and turned as white as snow. Likewise, by believing in the baptism and sacrifice of Jesus, the true substance of the Tabernacle, the people of Israel and those of us who are Gentiles have all been clothed in the blessing of the remission of all our sins and of living with the Lord forever. Not only the Israelites, but all the Gentiles also can be freed from all their sins only by believing in Jesus, the Lord of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle teaches us what the gift of the remission of sin that God has given to everyone is. As such, the Tabernacle itself was the very substance of Jesus Christ. Jesus has become the Savior of sinners. Every sinner, whoever he/she is, can become sinless just by believing in the baptism of Jesus, His blood on the Cross, and the truth that He is God Himself. We can be delivered from God's judgment by our faith in the blue, purple, and scarlet thread-in other words, by believing in the baptism of Jesus, His blood, and His divinity. Jesus is the gate to the Kingdom of Heaven. Acts 4:12 says, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." No one else but Jesus can save all the people from their sins. There is no Savior apart from Jesus. John 10:9 says, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." 1 Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus;" and Matthew 3:15 says, "But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.'" All these verses testify to this truth. Jesus came to this earth in the flesh of a man, and by receiving His baptism (blue thread) and shedding His blood (scarlet thread), He has save sinners. As such, Jesus has become the door of salvation for all sinners. Just as the gate of the Tabernacle's court was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, Jesus, coming to this earth, first of all took the sins of the world upon Himself with His baptism received from John the Baptist. He, therefore, became the sacrificial offering, the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Second, after thus taking upon the iniquities of all the sinners with His baptism, He died in their place and has given new life to those who believe. Third, this Jesus was God Himself. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," and Genesis 1:3 says, "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." Jesus was none other than this very God of logos, the One who created the whole universe and everything in it with His Word. .