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#3 Tabernacle: The Unfolding Scripture

All scripture from Genesis to revelation is an unfolding, progressive revelation of Jesus Christ. The Tabernacle of Moses is also a revelation of Jesus Christ. This revelation progresses from the first curtain to the Ark of the Covenant. Everything in the Tabernacle speaks to us of Jesus Christ. A very large book could be written on this subject alone.

The Tabernacle also speaks to us of the body of Jesus Christ, which is the Church. Many things that apply to Jesus Christ also apply to his body. He said “ I am the light of the world “ and then turning to His disciples He said “ You are the light of the world “. His body is the reflection of Jesus Christ to this world.

Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the L:ife. No one comes to the father except through Me.” The Tabernacle is a revelation of man’s approach unto God through Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews chapters 8 & 9 the writer says the Tabernacle of Moses is a copy of the heavenly Tabernacle. The service of the earthly Tabernacle is a shadow of heavenly, spiritual things. HEB 8:4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; HEB 8:5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned {by God} when he was about to erect the Tabernacle; for, “ See, “He says,” that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. “

Hebrews the 9th chapter explains how the first covenant had an earthly sanctuary with it’s gifts, sacrifices, food, drink and various washings. They offered the blood of bulls, goats and calves and the ashes of a red heifer along with various regulations for the flesh.

Now God has enacted a whole New Covenant and appointed Jesus Christ as the only mediator of God’s New Covenant with man. In the same way the Old Covenant had an earthly sanctuary, the New Covenant has a heavenly sanctuary. In the same way the earthly sanctuary had a priesthood to oversee the divine worship so also the heavenly sanctuary.

The earthly sanctuary had a high priest who was taken from among men so he could have compassion on the weak, the ignorant and the misguided. The heavenly sanctuary also has a high priest who has been taken from among men, for the same reason. Our high priest is God’s son, who has been made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

In the earthly sanctuary the priests approached God with the blood of bulls and goats, which could not remove sin from man. Now our high priest has entered the heavenly sanctuary with his own blood and has obtained eternal redemption. This redemption is able to remove sin from man and provide the promise of an eternal inheritance for those who have been called.

When we understand the shadow we will understand the reality. The earthly Tabernacle is the shadow, the heavenly Tabernacle of God is the reality. The earthly priesthood is the shadow, the heavenly priesthood is the reality. The law of carnal commandments and physical requirements is the shadow. When God puts His laws in our minds and writes His laws upon our hearts we have experienced the reality. The Old Covenant is the shadow, the New Covenant is the reality. Being taught to know the Lord by an earthly priesthood is the shadow. Being taught to know the Lord by God, Himself, is the reality.

The earthly Tabernacle and all it’s appointments, as the shadow, is a clear representation of the reality. Therefore God instructed and warned Moses to construct the Tabernacle exactly according to the pattern shown him at Mount Sinai. Deviating from the pattern will bring us to a wrong conclusion of the reality.

Exodus 25 to Exodus 40 are the details of the pattern Moses was shown on Mount Sinai. This includes the order the Tabernacle was set up. Since this is just the shadow, God must give us the revelation of the reality. Flesh and blood can not reveal this to us. Only our Father who is in heaven. God’s purpose is not to bring us again to the shadow but to bring us to the experience of the reality. The experience, not just the doctrine of reality.

The scriptures are a marvelous combination of history, inspiration, types, shadows, reality, ( both temporal and eternal) and revelation. The Old Testament speaks about Israel but ultimately is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus said “ the scriptures speak of me.”

They contain the prophetic word, the practical word for current application to our lives and the word of revelation for eternity. The scriptures contain God’s eternal purpose for mankind and for the universe. At the same time the scriptures reveal God’s purpose for his people in this age.

The written word of God is like a giant tapestry that has many parallel threads running from one end to the other. These could be compared to the various truths that run from Genesis to Revelation. These would include the blood, the sacrifices, prayer, various means of worship, God’s continuous intervention into the lives of men and nations, unfolding revelation, the Trinity, angels, faith, obedience, authority, etc.

It is the cross threads that lace the vertical threads together and form the designs and beauty of the tapestry. The cross threads are like the New Testament truths that tie all the eternal truths together and give beauty and reality to the word and substance to the revelation.

Too much emphasis on the lengthwise threads without the reality of the crosswise threads produces shallow experience. Too much emphasis on the crosswise threads without the vision and purpose of God’s eternal threads, of His eternal purpose, produces no eternal goals and is only a partial understanding.

It is the reality of eternal truths woven together with practical daily life that makes the scriptures powerful and sharp and something that can divide between soul and spirit in our experience. Even if we know all the eternal truths and understand all the mysteries and have all faith, even to remove mountains, and do not have the practical experience of love, we are nothing.

The tabernacle of Moses, along with the furniture, the sacrifices, the free will offerings, the feast days and priesthood, provide us with both the lengthwise threads and the crosswise threads to form the tapestry and the garments for the work of service. It is obvious we will never come to the end of revelation of scripture. The same is true of the tabernacle of Moses which has it’s fulfillment in the TABERNACLE OF GOD in REV. REV 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them,

While the tabernacle of Moses is only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very reality, it is extremely valuable in understanding God’s eternal purpose.

As we look at church history since the early 1500's we will discover God has restored the church exactly according to the pattern of the tabernacle. The possibilities then of understanding the next emphasis of God’s restoration is exciting because we can see it in the tabernacle.

Since God has called all believers to be a kingdom of priests, it is extremely important that we fully understand the priesthood. The tabernacle gives us more understanding and insight into what priesthood means. We should not make the same mistake of others and pattern the New Testament priesthood after the pattern of Aaron and his sons, along with the lessor priesthood of the Levites. This is why the crosswise threads are essential. HEBS. 7 clearly shows this priesthood has been eliminated and replaced with the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. HEB 7:11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need {was there} for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? HEB 7:12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. This priesthood is not based upon the laws of physical requirements or carnal commandments. HEB 7:15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, HEB 7:16 who has become {such} not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. It is based upon the power of an indestructible life. The basis of priesthood then is “ life “ and is not based upon education and titles as some teach. Neither is priesthood based upon certain physical requirements as some teach. Since the Levitical priesthood with all it’s many requirements was not able to complete God’s purpose, it is important to understand how the New Covenant Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek will complete the purpose of God.

We will also see the sacrifices, the whole burnt offerings, the sacrifices for sin is not what God really wanted. HEB 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. HEB 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, But a body Thou hast prepared for Me; HEB 10:6 In whole burnt offerings and {sacrifices} for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure. HEB 10:7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me) To do Thy will, O God.’” HEB 10:8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and {sacrifices} for sin Thou hast not desired, nor hast Thou taken pleasure {in them}” (which are offered according to the Law), HEB 10:9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Thy will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. God always wanted his people to hear his voice, obey and do his will. The blood is freely applied to sin. It is more rarely applied to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot. These are the crosswise threads that give substance and beauty to the lengthwise threads. Faith is a very important truth that runs from Genesis to Revelation, but without obedience there is very little substance in the experience. Therefore, I Peter 1-2 says “ That you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.” The sprinkled blood on the tabernacle, on the book of the law and on the people takes on fuller meaning when seen in the light of obedience. EXO 24:7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read {it} in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” EXO 24:8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled {it} on the people, and said, “ Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words. “ God tied the people to the book with the sprinkled blood when they pledged their obedience.

God has devoted over 40 chapters in His written word to the tabernacle of Moses. More than any other subject. If we add to that the chapters on the priesthood and the sacrifices, along with the cloud, it is clear God expects us to recognize the importance of studying these scriptures and having a clear understanding of this subject. This earthly tabernacle is a picture for us of the true one, that is in heaven. HEB 9:24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a {mere} copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

When we study the Tabernacle of Moses, we are looking to the reality of the Tabernacle of God.