Moses
instructed the people as to how a tabernacle was to be built. He told the
Israelites that it was to be erected exactly as to the plan he had received
from God on Mt Sinai. (Ex 25:9) God said, “You are to make it according to
everything I show you.” Moses “saw” a heavenly tabernacle and was ordered to
build an earthly one exactly the same.
Yeshua
(Jesus) is the complete fulfillment of the tabernacle. How can I say that, you
might well ask. Let me show you some amazing Biblical things to open this up to
you.
In John 14:6 Yeshua said, “I am the Way, the Truth
and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” What did the Jewish people
understand from this statement?
They
were surprised to hear Yeshua describe Himself as the tabernacle. The door from
the outside to the inner courtyard of the tabernacle was called “the Way”. No
one could enter the tabernacle unless they came through “the Way”. There was no
back or side door- it was a one way only entrance.
The
next doorway was the “Truth” that opened into the Holy place. The next doorway
was into the Holy of Holies and it was called “the Life”.
Imagine
that you were in the crowd that day when Yeshua made this statement. You would
try to understand how He was…
1. The
Way to The Most High’s presence
2. The
only One that was the Truth- a necessary step to meet with the Most High
3. The
Life –the final and only entrance to the very presence of God.
Once inside the
tabernacle structure (through the Way), one would come to the altar. No further
entrance was allowed without accepting that a sacrifice had to be made. Yeshua
is our sacrifice. Without Him, we have no access to the Father. “Without the
shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.”
Hebrews 9:22
The
next piece of tabernacle furnishings is the laver. This is a very large basin
made of brass (Ex 30) and lined with mirrors donated by the Israelite
women. Every day that sacrifices were
performed, the priests would come to the laver many times to wash. They would
see themselves through the water and the blood. 1John 5:6 says,” He is the one
who came by means of water and the blood, Yeshua the Messiah-not with water
only, but with water and the blood.” Moving into the tabernacle area called
‘the Holy Place”, one would next see the golden lamp stand called the
“menorah”. It stood on the left (south) side in the Holy Place. This was the
only light in the Tabernacle. Yeshua is our “Light of the world”. (John 8:12)
To
the right of the Holy Place stood the table of Showbread. There were 12 loaves
of un-leavened bread- one for each tribe. Bread is the staff on life. Yeshua is
our true Bread of Life. (John 6) “I am the Living Bread that came down from
Heaven.” He is without sin (Leaven). He was even born in the town of Bethlehem
(Beit Lechem- “House of Bread”).
The
Altar of Incense stood directly in front of the Veil that separated the Holy
Place from the Holy of Holies. The sweet smell of incense is a wonderful
picture of Yeshua in all His perfection and grace before God and man. Some of
the incense had to be beaten before the sweet smell would be released. In the same
manner, Yeshua was beaten on behalf of mankind.
The
Veil (the Life) separated man from God. Only the High Priest could enter this
area and but one time a year. When Yeshua died, the veil was torn from the top
to the bottom. This was the work of God and not man. God desired that man have
access into His presence and by His own hand removed the dividing curtain.
Inside
the Holy of Holies stood the awesome Ark of the Covenant. Overhead hovered the
“Glory of God”. In scripture it is called “the Shekinah”.
Inside
the Ark of the Covenant were three things, Aaron’s rod, manna and the tablets
of the Law. The manna was a reminder of how God provided for His people. Yeshua
through his death provided all that we will ever need. Isaiah 53
Aaron’s
rod stood as a reminder that Aaron was appointed to the position of High
Priest. Hebrews 4:14 tell us that Yeshua is our High Priest forever.
Next
to the rod and the manna were the stone tablets on which was written the Law
(Torah). Yeshua’s life and ministry were in direct fulfillment of the Law. He
was “made under the Law.” Gal 4:4 he did not come to destroy the Law but to
fulfill it. Matt 5:17
Believers
many times have asked “But where is the cross?” The line from the altar just inside
the first doorway directly to the Ark of the Covenant is a straight line. From
the menorah to the Showbread is another straight line intersecting the first
line to form a cross.
What
was the reward for honoring the tabernacle and worshipping there? It was to
enter into the “Shekinah” presence of God. The death of Yeshua opened the way
for us to come ‘boldly to the throne of God”. Hebrews 4:16
Next
time, we will look into some more amazing things about the tabernacle.
