articlesforchristians

The Tabernacle-Man’s Approach to God

When the Lord gave Moses the plan of the Tabernacle on Mt. Sinai, He admonished Moses to follow His specifications in its construction to the letter (Exodus 25:1-9). The Tabernacle was more than just a place to worship while in the wilderness. Its design and layout was a shadow of the redemptive work of Jesus, as well as a pattern of the salvation experienced in the present church age.

1. The Court of the Tabernacle
   • The court of the Tabernacle was approximately 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. It had one gate on the east side. Four doorposts supported hangings of four colors of cloth: purple, scarlet, blue, and white. There was only one entrance into the courtyard. Likewise, there is also only one way of salvation-through Jesus Christ (John 10:9).
   • Inside the courtyard was the brazen altar, the brazen laver, and the Tabernacle itself. The Tabernacle was approximately 15 feet high, 15 feet wide, and 45 feet long. It consisted of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. These two rooms were separated by a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet. In the Holy Place was the golden candlestick, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense. In the Holy of Holies was the ark of the covenant. There abode the Spirit of God between two golden cherubims located on the lid of the ark, which was called the mercy seat.
     Of course. God is omnipresent, or present everywhere, but He manifested His glory there to show His covenant relationship with Israel. God has always desired to dwell with His people, but sin has always separated humanity from God. From the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after the death of Christ, God has dwelt in the hearts of His people in a new and wonderful way. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16).
2. The Altar of Sacrifice
   • The priest approached the Tabernacle first by way of the brazen altar, and there he offered the sacrifice for sin. The brazen altar was approximately seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high. It was made of acacia wood overlaid with brass. It was a place of death and shedding of blood. It represents the death of Jesus, which purchased our salvation. It also points to repentance, which is our identification with the death of Jesus and our personal death to sin and self-will. Everyone must approach God through repentance. Jesus said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish’ (Luke 13:3).
   • The altar was a prominent feature of the Tabernacle and its worship. It was placed immediately in front of the gate of the court of the Tabernacle. It was the first object that met the eye of the worshiper as he came into the court to present his sacrifice unto the Lord. The altar was not hidden in some remote place in the court, removed from the gaze of the people, nor did it stand inside the Tabernacle where only a few could approach it. It was placed where all could see it and where all could approach it. Only the priests could see the golden lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense, which were inside the Tabernacle itself. No one but the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies and he did so only on the Day of Atonement. By contrast, the altar was plainly visible from without. In fact, no one could enter into the Holy Place except by passing this sacred emblem where the sacrificial blood of the animals was offered. The altar teaches that not one will enter heaven except by the blood of Jesus, who stands as an altar of sacrifice for all who would approach God (John 14:6).

• It was not merely the altar that gave the worshiper access to the Holy Place, by the putting away of his sins, for there had to be a sacrifice upon the altar. The relationship of the brazen altar to every other part of the Tabernacle service and its furniture was like that of the root to a tree, the heart to the body, and the foundation to a building. Everything inside and even the brazen laver in front of the door of the Tabernacle depended upon the work done at the altar.
• Without the brazen altar, all else, no matter how magnificent, was useless. Everyone had to come to God by the way of the altar.
• All the priests, their garments, the sacred vessels, and everything else were unfit for service until the blood shed at the brazen altar touched and sanctified them.
• Here is the story of the Cross of Christ, Calvary. There is no pardon, no righteousness, no peace, no grace, no blessings, and no salvation without the sacrifice of the Cross. The altar represents the shedding of blood and the death of Jesus. And without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:27).
• The fire upon the altar was never to go out (Leviticus 6:13). There is no hour, day or night, that a transgressor cannot find the atonement of Calvary.
  

3. The Laver of Water

• The laver points to the cleansing from sin we have in Jesus – the initial washing at water
  baptism, which is for the remission of sins and the continual cleansing we have thereafter
  • Exo 30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a
    statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
• In the New Testament
  • Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
    of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
    Ghost.
  • 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
    another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
• When we are baptized, God washes away our sins
  • Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,
    calling on the name of the Lord.
• Without believeth, we are not saved. This belief is demonstrated by baptism.
  • Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall
    be damned.
  • 1 Pet 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting
    away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by
    the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
• In the New Testament experience of salvation, repentance comes first, which is a death with
  Christ, a death to sin.
• Then comes water baptism, which is a washing and burial with Christ.
  • Rom 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
    baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
    that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
    also, should walk in newness of life.

4. The Holy Place

• The Holy Place was the golden candlestick (lampstand), the altar of incense, and the table of
  showbread show bread (sh½”brud”) n. The 12 loaves of blessed unleavened bread placed
  every Sabbath in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle as an offering by the Hebrew priests of
  ancient Israel.
• These pieces of furniture point to Jesus and to our life in Christ through the indwelling of
  the Holy Spirit.
• 1. THE GOLDEN CANDLESTICK
  • The candlestick was of pure gold and provided the only light in the Tabernacle. Just as
    Jesus is the light to the world
    • John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that
      followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
• 2. THE TABLE OF SHOWBREAD
  • The showbread provided sustenance for the priest and also points to Jesus who is the Bread
    of Life and to His Word, which is food for the soul.
  • Just as the table exhibited the bread, so the Christian life shows forth Jesus to a dying world
    • John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man cat of this
      bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will
      give for the life of the world.
• 3. THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
  • The Altar of incense represents prayers to God each morning and evening.
    • We also should pray each morning and evening
  • God hears the prayers of a righteous person
    • 1 Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
      people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
      darkness into his marvellous light:
    • James 5:16… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
      • fer vent (für”v…nt) adj. 1. Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent: fervent
        protests; a fervent admirer. 2. Extremely hot; glowing

4. The Holy of Holies (Beyond the Veil)

• The Holy of Holies represents God himself
• By His mercy He saved us
  • Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
    he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;