The
Tabernacle
The tabernacle is a road-map into God's Presence.
The tabernacle speaks of the Church of Jesus Christ
today, which is still in motion; in progression and in growth. As long as we
keep improving in glory and in faith, the Bread of Life—the Resurrection Power
within us is hidden from our eyes, and from the eyes of the world.
Moses built a shadow; a pattern of a true heavenly
tabernacle. He made a material reality of a divine spiritual reality.
There is the outer court; where-in is the altar of
sacrifice, and the brazen laver (a basin filled with water). There is the Holy
Place; where-in stands the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the golden
altar of incense. And behind the second curtain was a room called the Holy of
Holies; where-in is the gold-covered ark of the Covenant.
God gave instructions to Moses on how to build the
ark in Exodus 25:10-16.
And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a
half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof,
and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without
shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in
the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two
rings in the other side of it.
And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them
with gold.
And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the
ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be
taken from it.
And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give
thee.
KJV
God told him to place the gold jar of manna in it
(Exo 16:33-34) and Aaron's staff that had budded. He placed the tablets of the
Law into it in Exodus 25:16.
Throughout the wilderness journeys and in the reign
of David, the manna, the rod, and the tablets of the Law were in the ark. But, in
II Chronicles 5:7-10 we were told that the ark of the Covenant was moved out of
the tabernacle and placed in the temple (this points to the household of
God—the saints in Christ in the Millennium), and then, the manna and the rod
were not seen in it. All that was left in the ark were the two tablets of the
Law.
God told Moses to hide the second tablet of stone
from the people of Israel, and place it in the ark of the Covenant; this ark
represents Christ Jesus, the only One Who can fulfill the Commandment written in
those new two tablets of stone.
Therefore, the Law of Love was hidden from Israel
but hidden in Christ Jesus, until He came and fulfilled it. God has placed the
Law in Christ, and Christ in us; and as long as we have Christ Jesus in us, we
have fulfilled the Law.
We can only obey the Law in Christ Jesus, for He is
the fullness of the Law.
The entire tabernacle is a revelation of Jesus
Christ.
The tabernacle has 60 polls around it, with a fence
made out of white linen. Each poll had a silver cap, and base made of brass.
And there was goat's hair tied to the ground, pinned with nail half way into
the ground. Each of the polls was made of acacia wood [shittim wood]. This wood
speaks of perfect flesh. The only One that lived in a perfect body is Jesus
Christ.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou
suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Ps 16:10 KJV
The silver speaks of redemption, the brass;
suffering. So Christ Jesus is the Perfect Man who suffered and redeemed man. The
rope made of goat's hair signifies sin. The Perfect Man, Redeemer, Savior,
became sin for us.
“The altar of sacrifice” is for the body, while “the
altar of incense” is for the soul.
The laver in the outer court stands as the place of
washing and cleansing by the Word, but the lampstand in the Holy Place
represents the Light of God for illumination. And from this point on, it’s so
easy to understand the spiritual reality.
Still in the Holy Place, the table of showbread,
standing side-by-side to the lampstand, speaks of Jesus the Bread of Life. He
is the Living Word—the Bread of Life which we must eat daily (John 6:32-35).
At this point in our spiritual experience, the Word
comes alive—and revelation knowledge begins. The chapters and verses in your
Bible comes new in the Holy Place. Everything unveils to you like you have never
seen them before. Just give it time, don't rush in.
In the Outer Court, multitude can gather, in the
Holy Place only a few can gather. But, to your amazement, in the Most Holy
Place, only one can enter. You can praise with a crowd, serve with only a few,
but you worship God all alone. You can sing and dance with a million people in
a crusade; but, you can only serve in ministry with a few, whom you can trust.
But, when worship begins, you are all by yourself.
In the Outer Court hundreds can gather, in the Holy
Place, no more than ten can gather—that's tithe. But, the Holy of Holies is a
place for only one. You can praise with a crowd, you can only serve with a
group, but you worship by yourself—alone with God.
The Outer Court is a place of praise and
thanksgiving, the Holy Place; a place of service, and the Most Holy Place; a
place of worship.
The Outer Court receives natural light, while the
lampstand is light in the Holy Place. But only the Glory of God gives Light in
the Holy of Holies.
The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies were covered
with four types of skins. The outer skin was badger’s skin; a very ugly looking
skin. If one stood outside, he could not see beyond the gates, all he could see
is the top of the actual tabernacle which was covered, and he sees the ugliness
outside, rather than the beauty of the Lord.
Remember, when the world sees Him, they see no
beauty in Him they should desire, only those who are in, see the Glory. You
can't see the Glory from outside.
The
road-map into God's Presence:
Introduction
- at the gates of thanksgiving.
Reconciliation
- at the altar of sacrifice—at the Cross.
Sanctification
- at the laver filled with water—by the Word.
Satisfaction
- at the table of showbread—from the Bread of Life.
Illumination
- at the lampstand—from the Light of His Word.
Intercession
- at the altar of incense—in the heart of man [the spirit man].
Worship
- at the place of the ark of the Covenant, in the Holy of Holies.
There were two arks in the Bible: the ark of Noah
and the ark of the Covenant. The ark of Noah, signifies that I am hidden in
Christ; the ark of the Covenant—Christ in me the Hope of Glory.
