Christ In The Tabernacle

Feature 2 –November 2016 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Christ In The Tabernacle
“A Sanctuary For Me”

“Christ in the tabernacle” is an amazing topic, vast in scope and with many themes. In this article we limit ourselves to a few introductory remarks for our encouragement and with the desire that these few thoughts may produce worship and praise. He is worthy!

Adam enjoyed communion with God in the garden of Eden (Gen. 2). But then, because of Adam and Eve’s fall (Gen. 3), God could no longer have fellowship with them or their descendants. Only on the basis of a sacrifice acceptable to God – combined with true repentance, faith and obedience – was fellowship restored (see Gen. 3:21, 4:4; Heb. 11:6). In other words, before a holy and righteous God could have dealings with people in this world, the shedding of innocent blood was needed.

Exodus shows that only after their salvation was God able and willing to dwell among His people. This dwelling was introduced right after Israel’s rescue from Pharaoh’s bondage, when Moses and the Israelites, through faith, spoke of God’s habitation, or dwelling, among His redeemed people (Ex. 15:2). In this first song recorded in Scripture, such a place for the Lord among His people was linked with His praise and worship – an important theme throughout the Bible. After some time Moses was with God on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (24:18), where he received detailed instructions for God’s willing people to prepare a dwelling place for Him (25:1-9). However, this project was only realized after the debacle with the golden calf (for more details see Ex. 32-40).

The Materials Used To Build The Tabernacle
Sixteen materials were needed for the construction of the tabernacle, to be contributed by God’s people as free-will offerings. These supplies symbolize specific qualities of Christ when “the Word became flesh” (Jn. 1:14), and they will keep their value forever. These may be divided into four categories:

METALS SUGGESTED MEANING

GOLD Godhead glory displayed in Christ’s life on earth and now in Him in heaven

SILVER God known in redemption; money for atonement and the price of redemption

BRASS God’s rights maintained in Christ’s life and death, and as Judge

CLOTHS AND WOOD SUGGESTED MEANING 1

BLUE Christ’s heavenly character, the Man from heaven (John)

PURPLE Christ’s royal and moral dignity (Luke)

SCARLET/WORM Christ’s humiliation and glory (Matthew, Philippians 2:5-11)

FINE LINEN/BYSSUS Christ’s perfect righteousness in service toward Jew and Gentile (Mark)

GOAT’S HAIR Holy separation as God’s Prophet

RAM SKINS DYED RED Devotion unto death

BADGER SKINS Protection and separation

ACACIA WOOD (SHITTIM) Incorruptible nature

OILS & SPICES SUGGESTED MEANING

OLIVE OIL Entirely in tune with the Holy Spirit

SPICES FOR ANOINTING OIL Public witness as King, Prophet and Priest, for God’s delight

SWEET INCENSE Pleasing to God; the incense was only for God

STONES SUGGESTED MEANING

ONYX God revealed in Christ, reflected in the believers

PRECIOUS Christ’s qualities in the glory displayed in the believers on earth

1. The three metals – gold, silver and brass – represent qualities found in the triune God as revealed through Christ in manhood.
2. The seven materials for cloths display a fullness of perfections of the Lord Jesus in His humanity, on earth and now in heaven. These textiles were made of blue, purple, scarlet, fine twined linen, goats’ hair, ram and badger skins. An eighth material was a very special wood – acacia. Being incorruptible, it represents His sinless nature – one of an entirely new order: He knew no sin, was apart from sin, never committed any sin and in Him was no sin.
3. The third group – olive oil for the light, with spices for the anointing oil and sweet incense – displays qualities in Christ as related to the activities of the Holy Spirit in Him and through Him.
4. The onyx stones and precious stones for the ephod and breastplate represent what the Holy Spirit produces of Christ in the lives of the believers and with His support.

All of these 16 materials display various aspects of Christ’s life and work, including the cross, as well as features of His present work in us through the Holy Spirit. We should not forget that these things were shown to Moses while he was on the mount with God (Ex. 24:18) – an illustration of the Lord Jesus as He is now, a Man in heaven with God.

The number 16 represents a new order of things (number 8) in testimony (number 2), which is in contrast to things linked to the first man. It is striking that the numerical value of the name “Jesus” is 888 – in marked distinction to what man represents, who, created on the sixth day, cannot reach higher than his own glory (666, see Rev. 13:18).

It is important to understand that the qualities in Christ that are listed in the tables refer not only to His perfect life on earth but also to what He is now as a Man in the glory. These qualities are to be reflected in the believers representing Him on earth. Also, we should not separate the four aspects of His life on earth in a manner that is too rigid. Rather, we need to understand that each gospel emphasizes a certain aspect of Him without setting aside other aspects or qualities.

God’s Habitation And His Glory
When all was made ready and set up according to God’s instructions and under Moses’ leadership, the LORD came to dwell among His people (Ex. 40:34). This is also where God would meet His people. These things remind us of Christ in whom the fullness of the Godhead was dwelling while He was on earth (Col. 1:19). Furthermore, since His ascension (Jn. 20:17), the fullness dwells in Him now and forever (Col. 2:9). God’s dwelling on earth was called a tabernacle or tent, and it was covered and filled with the glory of the LORD (Ex. 40:34). God’s grace was evident in the fact that He was willing to dwell with and among His redeemed people. They lived in tents, but at the same time He showed that important differences existed between their tents and His tent – a topic of study I leave with you.

The cloud that filled the tabernacle and covered it is sometimes referred to as the Shekinah – a Hebrew word that is linked to the word for dwelling (mishkan), indicating that God was residing there. The New Testament records that “the Word became flesh, and dwelt2 among us” (Jn. 1:14). The Lord Jesus is God blessed over all (Rom. 9:5) and He is the Creator (Col. 1:15-17). He came to this earth in the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4), sent by God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Lk. 1-2) – an unfathomable mystery (1 Tim. 3:16) – in order to accomplish the work of redemption (Heb. 1:3). Christ is now seated at God’s right hand, from where the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in every true believer (Acts 2:2-4; 11:15) as well as in God’s house, formed by all true believers (Eph. 2:21-22) who are living stones linked with Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-5).

In contrast to the tabernacle in Moses’ day, God’s present dwelling among His people means that He (through the Holy Spirit) has come to live not only among but also in the believers on earth. Acts 2 describes the birth of this other great mystery and it continues until the rapture (1 Th. 4:16-17), after which He will dwell in us forever (Jn. 14:16).

God’s present house is very different from the one Moses prepared, but in both cases God’s glory is linked with His dwelling. God’s glory was mentioned in connection with the Word who became flesh (Jn. 1:14) – which was a great mystery then (1 Tim. 3:16) and forever will be. Today, God’s glory is linked with Christ glorified and with His Assembly (Eph. 5:32) – which is also called a great mystery – based on the incalculable value of His shed blood and the once and forever accomplished sacrifice (Acts 20:28).

God Comes Out – Man Goes In
The tabernacle was God’s dwelling among His earthly people, but it was also a place of meeting between God and Israel. In this context we have two essential points: God comes out to meet man and – on the basis of the sacrifice and through priestly service – man can come into God’s presence where He dwells. Here also everything speaks of Christ.

God in grace comes out to meet the sinner, to save him and to bring him to Himself – a major theme in Scripture. In general we can say that God comes out to meet man where he is, lost in sin and in bondage, not able to free or change himself, and not even willing to do so. When Christ came into the world it was to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15) and to bring them to God (1 Pet. 3:18). Thus the saved sinner meets God revealed in Christ, who is the Word that became flesh.

Christ’s perfect life represents a new order. His holy life by itself would condemn us even more because now God could say to humans in their lost condition, “This is how you should have lived.” On the basis of Christ’s sacrifice, but God can draw us to Himself because He found full satisfaction in a Man – of the same human race as we are, but without sin – who perfectly honored Him. Then He gave Himself, and through this sacrifice, offered once for all – implying that it was absolutely perfect and sufficient – God was fully satisfied in His holy and righteous claims on us. In fact, God received more through the perfect life and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus as a Man than what the first man, Adam, and the whole human race had robbed from Him.

Christ honored God in every way and in all areas where man had dishonored Him. Therefore, God opened the heavens to proclaim His satisfaction in the Lord Jesus as a Man on earth – at the beginning and toward the end of His public ministry, and after Jesus’ accomplished work on the cross (Jn. 19:30). God showed His satisfaction further by raising Jesus from among the dead and giving Him “the name above every name” (Phil. 2:9, literally), for He gave Him the place of honor at God’s right hand (Eph. 1:20-23). This is how the Man Christ Jesus went in and up (4:8-10): How great He is!

Christ’s Sacrifice
Without sacrifice there is no access to God, whether in the old or the new order of things. Many sacrifices were offered according to God’s instructions but they needed to be repeated for they could not bring lasting satisfaction to God. Ultimately, the only sufficient sacrifice was introduced: “... How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14 NASB).

Comparing the Old Testament types with their New Testament fulfillment, we notice both remarkable parallels and tremendous contrasts. One parallel is that a sacrifice acceptable to God is needed, so the problem of sin(s) can be settled and God’s holy and righteous requirements satisfied. The blood of the Old Testament sacrifices covered them for the moment: Even though the offerer brought a sacrifice for his sin as God instructed and was accepted by Him on one day (see Lev. 4), he might have to go back and repeat it the next day. However, Christ’s sacrifice settled the sin question once for all.

Furthermore, all the sacrifices could not bring one repentant person into God’s immediate presence because the entrance was closed. But through Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice believers have been brought to God already. Although we are still on earth we have free access into His presence to serve and worship Him (Heb. 9:14, 10:19-22, 13:15).

The contrasts between the Levitical priesthood and the new priesthood to which we belong are immense. The book of Hebrews explains how Christ is seen in the details of the tabernacle and its service while at the same time it expounds the enormous differences of the two priesthoods. Briefly, through that letter we understand that Christ in heaven is the High Priest, greater than Aaron, but on earth He functioned thus only once: on the cross. Being of the tribe of Judah (7:14) He could not function on earth as a Priest since that line from Israel was through Levi. On the cross He did (2:17-18) and was the Sacrifice – the sin-offering, the burnt-offering and the peace offering (9:14,28, 10:10,12, 14, 13:10,12,20). Therefore, He is the Leader of salvation leading many sons to glory (2:10), and He guarantees their safe arrival because He is the great Shepherd of the sheep (13:20-21). It is through Him that we may offer a continuous sacrifice of praise, and He is the One we present to God in worship and adoration (v.15), now and forever.

Man Going In
This last point applies to Christ, who entered heaven as we just saw. “Man going in” also refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus brings3 many sons to glory (2:10, 12:2). God’s eternal purpose was that redeemed human beings would be adopted as sons for Himself and that they would be with Him forever (Eph. 1:4; compare with Heb. 2:10). In the meantime God provides free access for them (Eph. 3:12-21) so His redeemed ones may enjoy fellowship with Him now. This enjoyment will be perfect after the rapture, when we will be with and like Christ (1 Jn. 3:1-3).

Thus God has brought us to Himself, through His Son and our Lord Jesus, the great Leader who brings us and has brought us to God (Heb. 12:1-2). Our privilege is that we have free access (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18) to enter God’s presence as worshipers (Heb. 10:19; 13:15). Let’s note once again before we close that Christ is the One through whom and with whom we enter into God’s presence as worshipers. He is the One we present to God as a sacrifice of praise.

“Christ in the tabernacle” – the title of this overview – is a blessed reality because many details of the tabernacle which God gave in the Old Testament speak of Jesus the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, whether in parallel or in contrast. Praise God!

ENDNOTES
1. There may be other perspectives as to some of these representations, based on one’s focus.
2. The Greek verb is a transliteration of the Hebrew verb “to dwell,” indicating that the Word became flesh in order to dwell – “to tabernacle” – among His people. The Shekinah glory cloud rested on the tabernacle and filled it, as God dwelt thus among His earthly people at the time. Similarly, God’s glory identified with the Lord Jesus on earth, with Him in heaven and now also with us.
3. The Leader (Captain, Author, Chief) of their salvation is the One who begins and finishes, in contrast to the Levitical priesthood.

By Alfred Bouter