The Tabernacle

Parts of the Tabernacle  Holy of Holies (Most Holy)  Separated by a veil  Holy  Outer Court

Structure and Dimensions

Holy of Holies  Holy of Holies Exo 26:33, Heb 9:2  Ark of Covenant Exo 25:10-16  Mercy Seat Exo 25:17-22  Golden Censer Lev 16:13

The Holy  The Table of Showbread  The Golden Lamp Stand  Altar of Incense

The Outer Court  The Altar of Sacrifices  The Bronze Laver  The Gate

The Altar of Sacrifices  Characteristics: Exo 27:1-8

Bronze  Symbol of Humanity  Bronze (Humanity) is able to withstand fire (Divinity)  Symbolizes the legs of Christ  which always works and searches for the lost sheep.  Lk 15:4 - “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”

It Was Great (Big)  Dim.: 5 X 5 X 3  Everyone can see it: (Heb 9:22)  “…without shedding of blood there is no remission”

First Thing To Be Seen

Reminder of the Sacrifice

Fire All the Time (Lev 6:9)  “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.”  Work of the Holy Spirit (Fire) is all the time:  Acts 10:38 (all the time)  John 4:6 (mid-day)  Rev 3:20 (evening)  Matt 14:25 (4th watch)

The Bronze Laver  Characteristics: Exo 30:17-21

Symbol of Repentance  No measurements:  Repentance will be different every time

A Pre-requisite  John 13:5-10:  “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”  Christ washed his disciples' feet BEFORE the Eucharist.  Repentance, confession and the absolution must be BEFORE Communion.

Blood and Water  After the (Altar of Sacrifice), they washed their hands and feet (in the Laver)  Blood and Water: Symbolized the pierced side of Christ: (John 19:34)

The Gate  Characteristics:  Exo 27:16-18

Dimensions  Height: 5 Cu.:  symbolizes man: 5 senses, 5 fingers, 5 toes, etc.  Hung on 4 pillars:  the four corners of the earth

A Screen  Those outside (the church) can not see what's inside, unless they enter  Psa 45:13 - The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace  Gate was a screen  Not a door (wood, bronze, etc.): always open  Not secure: God is the protector:  Psa 127:1 - Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

Christ is the Gate  Jn 10:7-10  Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture…  Symbolizes the feet of the Lord  To offer sacrifices and enter into the Holy, one must enter at the feet  With tears: Lk 7:38 – “She began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head”  With Love: Jn 12:3 – “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.”  When you start with the feet you receive the good part: Luk 10:39- 42

The Tent Represents Christ:  Exo 26:1 - “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them.”  10 curtains of:  Blue – Heaven  Purple – Royalty  Scarlet (red) - Blood, Salvation  Linen (white) – Purity  Christ our pure King brought us into Heaven through His Blood

The Coverings  Three coverings:  Goat’s hair (Exo 26:7)  Ram’s skin dyed red (Exo 26:14)  Badger skin (Exo 26:14)

Goat’s Skin  Ugly, unattractive  The beauty is from within, not without (Psa 45:13)  Christ’s sufferings – unattractive! (Isa 53:1-3)  He was rejected by God and man (or so it seems)  His Commandments are difficult – narrow gate (Mt 7:13-14) – but lead to life.  Christians must also endure sufferings (from the outside) (Lk 14:27) – to gain joy on the inside.

Who Built the Tabernacle?  The people prepared all the articles of the Tabernacle:  Exo 35:10; 36:2-7; 39:32  The believer must be an active member of the church and work in abundance

Which Direction Did it Face?  West (Exo 27:13, Num 3:38)  Man was cast out of the Garden - Gen 3:24  Solomon’s Temple also faced the west  Churches face the East  After Christ’s Sacrifice, we are worthy to look again towards the East.

Building The Tabernacle  The Tabernacle was raised up in the First month of the Second year of the Exodus (Exo 40:17)  It took nine month to finish it.  It was set in the middle of the camp  Surrounded by the tents of the Priests and Levites  Then the 12 tribes – 3 on each side  (Num 2:2-24)

God Dwells Among His People  Exo 25:8  Exo 29:45-46  2Cor 6:16

The Glory of God  When it was set up, the glory of God filled it  Exo 40:33-35  “And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”  2Ch 7:1-2 – Also in the Temple  “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.”

The Glory of God  The cloud and pillar was leading them on their journey: Exo 40:36-38, Num 9:15-23:  “Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.”  They kept the charge of the Lord – complete Obedience

Where is the Tabernacle?  When they completed their journey, it was taken to Gilgal: (Jos 4:19)  Then to Shiloh: (Jos 19:1)  It remained there years  Nob - at the time of King Saul: (1Sam 21:1-6)  Gibeon - at the time of King David: (1Chr 21:29)  It remained there until King Solomon build the Temple in Jerusalem on Mt. Moriah (2Chr 3:1)

Holy of Holies and Holy