The tabernacle was first used by the Israelites while they were wandering in the wilderness after God gave instructions to Moses on how to build it. The Israelites continued to use the tabernacle until the first temple was built by Solomon. The tabernacle and what is in it represents Jesus and things dealing with Jesus. The tabernacle was meant to point the Israelites to Jesus. The tabernacle is a copy of the real tabernacle in heaven. Unlike the temple which was in a permanent location, the tabernacle of the Israelites was made to be portable to travel with the Israelites. It was basically a tent whereas the temple was a stone building.
The tabernacle was the place where God dwelt among the Israelites, who were God’s chosen people. (Exodus 25:8-9 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.) Verse 9 shows that the earthly tabernacle was a pattern of the real tabernacle in heaven. This was why it had to be built exactly as God commanded. It was also because the tabernacle and all that was in it represented Jesus, so it had to be precise as not to destroy the connection to Jesus. We see in the New Testament how Jesus was the living tabernacle that became a man and dwelt among us. [John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.] The word dwelt is from the Greek word skenoo which is only used this one time in scripture. It means to tent or tabernacle or dwell. It is showing how Jesus tabernacled among the people just as he did in the tabernacle in the old testament. God was giving us a clue in this verse showing Jesus was our tabernacle for today. Revelation shows that after the new heaven and earth is created, Jesus as our tabernacle will dwell with us once again here on earth. (Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.)
The high priest offered sacrifices to God in the most holy place of the tabernacle, the holy of holies. He did this once a year on the day of atonement. He first made a sacrifice for himself and then for the people. The day of atonement was on the tenth day of the seventh month on the Jewish calendar. (Leviticus 16:29-30 ¶ And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.) The sacrifices made before God made atonement for the people and their sins for one year. The people’s sins were covered by the blood of the animal sacrifice, but not washed away as by the blood of Jesus. A bullock was sacrificed for the sins of the high priest and a goat for the sins of the people. A bullock is a castrated bull. The high priest represented Jesus who is the High Priest in the real tabernacle in heaven. (Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;) Unlike the Israelite high priest who could not forgive the sins of the people, but merely cover them with sacrificed animal blood, Jesus as our High Priest washed away our sins with his sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. The Israelite high priest was in charge of a tabernacle made by the hands of men, whereas Jesus is High Priest of the heavenly tabernacle made by the hand of God. (Hebrews 9:11-12 11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.) The Israelite high priest had to enter into the holy of holies once every year to continually make sacrifices for the people and their sins. Jesus as the High Priest only had to offer the sacrifice of himself and his blood once. Verse 12 clearly shows this and says Jesus made eternal redemption for us unlike the Israelite high priest.
I have already mentioned how the high priest had to perform sacrifices in the tabernacle and how each year the high priest had to offer a blood sacrifice. Jesus as the perfect sacrifice became the final sacrifice for all time never to be repeated unlike what is done with the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church which daily resacrifices Jesus. (Hebrews 10:10-12 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;) The sacrifices in the tabernacle used animal blood, but Jesus used his own blood. Many priests performed sacrifices in the tabernacle which were temporary, but Jesus alone made one sacrifice that was final.
The blood of Jesus is the only sacrifice that can wash away our sins. The yearly sacrifice was offered on the mercy seat which was located on the lid of the ark of the covenant which was located in the holy of holies section of the tabernacle which was separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a blue, purple, and scarlet vail. (Exodus 26:31 ¶ And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:) Blue represents separation, in this case for God. As was everything in the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant including the mercy seat where patterns or copies of the real thing in heaven. Jesus after his resurrection went to heaven to offer his blood on the heavenly mercy seat in order to complete his redemption of man. This is why Mary Magdalene was not allowed to touch Jesus before he had completed his mission so that she would not pollute him with her sin. (John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.) (Hebrews 9:23-24 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:) Ron Wyatt was a Christian man who discovered the ark of the covenant in a tunnel directly under the cross where Jesus was crucified. Many people try to discredit the man, but I think he was led by God. Ron Wyatt said there was a crack in the rocks directly under the cross where Jesus was crucified and went directly over the mercy seat in the tunnel. This crack was caused by the earthquake after the death of Jesus on the cross. (Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;) Ron said the blood of Jesus flowed down through the crack in the rocks and onto the mercy seat that was buried beneath the cross. This is exactly what Jesus would have done. Jesus always fulfilled the law to the letter. As High Priest, he placed his blood on the earthly mercy seat of Israel for forgiveness of the people’s sins before completing the atonement for our sins by placing his blood on the heavenly mercy seat.
The curtains that made up the tabernacle were of blue, purple, and scarlet color. (Exodus 26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.) I believe this represented the blue of separation for God, the scarlet of the blood of Jesus which washes away our sins, and the purple of the royalty of Jesus as the King of kings. (Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.) (I Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;) (Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,) The curtains were attached by fifty gold taches to complete the assembly of the tabernacle. (Exodus 26:6 And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.) The gold represented the deity of Jesus and the number fifty represents the Holy Ghost and the fact that he dwells in believers who are a temple of the Holy Ghost. (I Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?) Boards were attached to the corners of the tabernacle with silver sockets. Silver represented purity through Jesus Christ’s redemption. The tent was covered with ram’s skins dyed red which represented Jesus as our sacrificial passover lamb. (Exodus 36:19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers’ skins above that.) (I Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:) Goat skins were also used in places as were other places which used gold, silver, and brass.
The ark of the covenant was placed in the holy of holies section of the tabernacle and could only be carried by Levitical priests. The mercy seat was the lid on top and had a cherub placed on each end of the mercy seat with each facing towards the seat. This is representive of God’s heavenly throne which has cherubim surrounding it. It is possible that there were two cherubim since one of the meanings of the number two is union and this was to point to the fact that man can reunite with God due to sin through his Son Jesus if they call upon Jesus to save them. God would appear here on the mercy seat to Moses. (Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.) The ark of the covenant was made of shittim wood and covered with pure gold. (Exodus 25:10-11 10 ¶ 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.
11 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.) The shittim wood represented Jesus as a man and the pure gold represented the deity of Jesus. The ark represented Jesus as the God-man. (Philippians 2:6-7 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:)
The ark of the covenant contained the tables of stone or the ten commandments, the budding rod of Aaron, and a pot of manna. (Hebrews 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;) Because the ark of the covenant contained the ten commandments, it was also known as the ark of testimony. (Numbers 7:89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.) The ten commandments represent the law and pointed people to realize they were sinners in need of a Saviour. The ten commandments pointed people to their need for Jesus. Jesus said he came to fulfill the law. (Matthew 5:17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.)
Aaron’s budding rod represented the high priest chosen by God. The people of Israel said that they were as good as Aaron and why should he be the only high priest and not someone from their tribe. God told Moses to have the prince or leader of each tribe give Moses a rod. All twelve rods, one from each tribe plus Aaron’s rod were to be placed inside the ark of the covenant and the one that budded was to be the high priest chosen by God. Aaron’s rod was the one that was budded as he was the man chosen by God. God chooses his leaders, not man and this includes preachers. (Numbers 17:4-5 4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.) (Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.) Notice that the rod had buds, blossoms, and almonds. It had all the different stages of growth. Normally all would be in the same stage or close to the same. This budding rod not only showed God chose his man, not man, but the miraculous power that God can bring life to a dead stick and in various stages of growth. Jesus will also bring life to a dead stick (people) if they call upon him to save them.
The manna was the food the Israelites ate during their time of wandering in the wilderness. It represented Jesus as the bread of life who came from heaven to be a man and fell from heaven each morning to the people. The manna was contained in a golden pot since Jesus is God and gold represents deity. (Exodus 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.) (John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.) The people had to gather it up to be able to eat it just as a person must individually call upon Jesus as the bread of life for salvation. The manna was white in color representing the purity of Jesus as the sinless man and tasted like honey showing the sweetness of Jesus. Honey also destroys disease just as Jesus does. (Exodus 16:31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.) (II Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.)
The tabernacle also contained the sanctuary which was on the other side of the holy of holies and was separated by the vail. This contained the table of shewbread, the golden candlestick, and the altar of incense. (Hebrews 9:2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.) The table of shewbread was located on the north side of the sanctuary. The table of shewbread was made of shittim wood and covered in gold again representing Jesus as the God-man. The table contained the shewbread eaten daily by the priests and represents Jesus as the bread of life. It was replaced weekly on the sabbath and eaten daily as we need to read God’s word daily and keep it fresh in our lives and one needs to attend church at least weekly. The table is where one eats. The shewbread was only for the priests. Twelve loaves were placed on the table representing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles along with the number twelve representing governmental perfection of Jesus that will come during the millennium. There were also gold pans, dishes, pitchers, and bowls. The golden candlestick was made of one piece of gold and had six branches and seven candle holders. It was the only light available in the sanctuary for the priests and represented Jesus as the light of 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.) Jesus is the only true light and the only light that a person needs. We see again the gold of deity and that God is one God in the fact that the candlestick is one piece. Seven represents perfection or completeness just as Jesus is perfect and one is complete if they receive Jesus as their Saviour. The priests burnt a special sweet incense daily on the altar of incense. Jesus is sweet. God would take the life of anyone who burnt anything else. God killed Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-2 for offering strange fire on the altar of incense. The altar of incense was also made of shittim wood covered in gold showing Jesus as the God-man. The horns on the altar of incense which were on each top corner were sprinkled with blood from the sin offering on the day of atonement. (Leviticus 10:1-2 1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.)
The tabernacle was surrounded by a courtyard which had a fence around it. The fence helped people from accidentally touching the tabernacle as only the Levites could touch the tabernacle. Sacrifices were done inside the courtyard. The fence was made of curtains held together by brass. Brass represents judgment as we must be judged for our sins before a holy God. This is why the sacrifices were done. Only flawless animals were sacrificed just as Jesus was flawless and perfect. The altar was made of shittim wood covered by brass, again representing judgment. The offerings were made on this altar such as meat, burnt, peace, and sin offerings. The brass laver was where the priests washed themselves after making sacrifices and purified them so they could enter the tabernacle. God will only allow purity inside his tabernacle and in heaven.
The tabernacle was in three sections: the holy of holies, the sanctuary, and the courtyard just as our bodies are three parts: spirit, soul, and body. The tabernacle was reassembled after moving starting with the holy of holies and then working outward. God also starts with the conviction of a person’s spirit and their need for salvation through Jesus. This represented a person who would enter the courtyard which represented entering the gate of Jesus and then sacrifice their will on the altar [get saved] and get baptized in the wash basin. The outer court was exposed to weather just as we encounter storms in the Christian life. The outer court represented our body. After being saved and enduring tribulation as a Christian they could enter the sanctuary which represented the soul and a person trying to get closer to God. The person could go to the altar of incense and pray now according to the will of God and not their own will. The Christian enters the holy of holies when they are ready to sacrifice their life for Jesus and spend eternity in heaven with him. This is represented by the person’s spirit. The three parts represented salvation in Jesus and a person’s path to it.
The Israelites encamped around the tabernacle and never moved unless God directed them, just as we should never move without being directed by God. God placed the twelve tribes in specific locations according to their population with three on each side. The tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali were camped north of the Levites. The tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon were on the eastern side of the Levites. Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were south of the Levites, and Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin to the west. When they encamped in this order they made a giant cross representing the future death of Jesus on the cross and their true future atonement. The directions also represent Jesus or a connection to him. North represents death and Dan brought much idolatry and death to Israel. This also represents the death of Jesus on the cross. East represents Jesus Christ and his then future coming from the tribe of Judah which was located on the east.
No chair was ever found in the tabernacle as the work of the priest was never finished yet Jesus our high priest sits at the right hand of God the father as he completed the work on the cross. (John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.) (Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;) The tabernacle and everything in it was to point the Israelites to the tabernacle of Jesus and the real tabernacle in heaven. (Acts 7:44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.) (Hebrews 8:5 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.) Jesus is to be our tabernacle that we look to for everlasting life. If you are not saved, call upon Jesus today.
