The Gospel of the Tabernacle

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God said,
“I will have my people make me a sanctuary
so that I may dwell among them.”

He said to Moses - of the tribe of Levi,
“There I will meet with the Israelites
And the Tent of Meeting shall be sanctified by My Glory.”

God’s instruction to Moses
in the construction of the structure
and the conduction process,
the tabernacle
was to be made into two compartments -
as the inner sanctum.

The holiest section part
was sanctioned
as the “Holiest of Holies”
or as some describe it - “The Most Holy Place”
containing
“The Ark of the Testimony”
Wherein was placed the tablets
Whereupon were written
The “Ten Commandments of God.”

The Ark was made of wood
of the beautiful yellow flowering Acacia Tree,
referenced to grow in Africa and Australia.
To be overlaid with pure gold.
The Ark symbolized the humanity (the wood)
and the deity (pure gold)
of the Messiah Who was to come.

The Ark’s
craftsmanship
consisted of four acacia wood poles, by which The Ark was carried.
overlaid with pure gold.
And inserted trough golden rings
on the four under-side corners.
The body of The Ark
was made of a one piece unit of gold.

“The Mercy Seat”
was placed on top of The Ark of the Testimony.
It was also made of pure gold,
With two golden cherubim figures on the two ends -
their faces to one another,
their wings spread outward
across The Mercy Seat,
looking in a downward direction.
(Cherubim are ministering spirits manifesting God’s invisible presence
symbolizing His actions and purpose,
and displays God’s majesty).

There was also
"The golden pot of manna (the bread of heaven)."
And "the budding rod of Aaron."
(Aaron's rod was the only Staff that produced buds,
blossoms and almonds.
Indicating God's choice of Aaron and his descendants as priests.)

A veil - to shield,
made of finely twined blue, purple and scarlet linen
and embroidered with cherubim figures,
was hung in the tabernacle upon four acacia wood pillars
overlaid in pure gold.
To separate the Most Holy Place,
from the Holy Place.
Concealing the Divine.

The Holy Place
(Also referred to as the priests’ office, and place of worship)
held a table made of the acacia wood overlaid in pure gold -
where was placed
“The Sacred Bread of the Presence.”
To be set before the Lord always.
It symbolized Christ sustaining us.

Next was “The Lampstand” of pure gold of course.
Made of one piece,
with three branches coming out from The Lampstand on both sides.
A seventh branch was made at the top of the shaft.
The Lampstand,
to be lit every night by the high priest,
symbolized the enlightenment of the coming Messiah.

“The Altar of Incense”
was a small golden altar
placed before The Ark and The Mercy Seat
just outside the veil to the Holiest of Holies.
It was too made of acacia wood overlaid in pure gold,
with horns erected on its four corners - symbolizing strength.
And a golden crown carved upon it.
All made of one piece.
All utensils used were also made of pure gold.

On top of the Altar rested "the golden censor in which
Sacred incense of sweet spices,
was burnt on the altar -
lit every morning and every evening by the priests.
Sacred incense symbolized praise and prayer.
Holy anointing oil was also placed on the altar -
a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Once a year
the offering of blood
was put upon the horns
by the high priest.
As required for the cleansing -
the atonement of sins.

“The Altar of Burnt Offerings” -
the bronze altar
was crafted on a larger scale and scope.
Made of acacia wood
with horns on its four corners overlaid in bronze.
And too made of one piece.
All utensils used here were made of bronze.

This altar
was placed in the courtyard of the tabernacle,
a short distance from and in front of the doorway to the Tent of Meeting.
A laver (a basin for water),
for washing the hands and feet of the priests before entering the tabernacle,
was placed in front of the altar.

Two young unblemished lambs
were offered on the altar
each day.
One in the morning
and one in the evening.
Also a bowl of grain was placed on the altar
in remembrance of God’s favor.

A bull was used for the sacrificial sin offering for the once a year atonement ritual.

The altars symbolized
and foretold
Christ the Messiah Who was
to come.
And Who “was so”
as in being “Immanuel” (God with us)…
interceding on our behalf.
The sacrificial Lamb of God
Whose death and shed blood
was and is the purifying blood shed for the sins of man.

The curtained tent over and about the tabernacle
was made of the finely twined linen
with embroidered cherubim.
Its fasteners to make the curtain one unit,
were made of pure gold
overlaying acacia wood poles.
The tent was over-covered about with goat’s hair, ram and dolphin skins.

The doorway into the Tent of Meeting from the court
was shielded by a screen covering of the same finely twined blue,
purple and scarlet linen.

The courtyard,
where the congregation gathered,
was enclosed round about in fine twined linen.
Its pillars joined together with silver rods.

When all the pieces were assembled,
when all the work was done,
and Moses finished erecting the structure -
in compliance with the rendered composition -
a cloud covered the tabernacle…
“And the glory of the Lord filled the temple…”
as a symphonic sound
I can hear even now.
Hallelujah!

God chose Moses’ brother, Aaron and his sons to be set apart
as ministers unto the Lord.
They were called into holy service
as God’s priests.
Aaron and his sons were sanctified,
anointed and ordained by Moses.
Under God’s precise instructions.
They were robed in specially woven holy garments
of the finest materials (to show dignity and honor),
made of the finely twined linen in gold, blue, purple and scarlet
worn over white linen trunks.
Complete with gold belts and etched pomegranates
circling the skirt of the robe
of the high priest.
A turban with a gold crown plate bearing the words, “Holy unto the Lord,”
was worn on his head.

Two engraved precious stones with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel
were worn on the shoulder straps of the vest
of Aaron as high priest, the only priest allowed to enter into
the Holiest of Holies,
until and when he designated his sons to follow in his stead.
The role to be passed on to their descendants
as the successors of the high priest chain.
As it was directed -
that it be from the tribe of Levi
the priest would come. (See end note 2)

These were the requirements
under the doctrine of the “Old Testament” -
as it is written.

But now, my friends,
as the “New Testament”
testifies -
as it is so -
Christ has acquired a priestly ministry which is far more superior
and far more excellent than the old.
The covenant, of which He is the mediator,
is superior and more excellent
because it is enacted
and rests
upon
higher and nobler promises.
yeshu’ah (in the Hebrew/Aramaic for the name “Jesus” -
so translated by the Greek) descended from the tribe of Judah
in His earthy humanity.
Not from the priestly tribe of Levi.
And it is not recorded in the biblical scriptures that He ever entered
into the Holy Places of the Temple
erected by man’s hands.
Signifying…
a new order in the making.

And Christ the Messiah (the anointed one)
Has come
As our High Priest - forever.
And went once,
and for “ALL,”
into the Holiest of Holies of Heaven
by His own bled, shed, sacred blood -
the sacrifice of His own blessed life,
as a complete atonement,
and everlasting redemption.

Not only that,
upon His death (death for the sins of the world),
the veil which separated the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies
was rent, ripped, split, slit, torn open
from top to bottom
for us -
our access into the holy essence
of God’s very presence.

And we
are the disciples of Christ -
To be followers -
Members of the sonship -
The descendants.
A kingdom of priests.
Under the order of the “Highest Priest forever.”
“You are a chosen race…a royal priesthood, a dedicated holy nation…”

Praise the Lord, Immanuel (God with us)
yeshu’ah/Jesus (the savior, the deliverer)
Praise the Lord Christ Messiah (the anointed one).

As Christ symbolizes all of the components,
compartments, configurations, specifications,
the ingredients,
and the manifestation,
and the revelation
of the tabernacle,
Christ’s Spirit, His Light, dwells within us.

Praise God for building
His tabernacle,
for being the tabernacle,
for sharing the tabernacle,
for the invitation to the tabernacle.
And thank you, Lord,
for giving me understanding
of the tabernacle
at Your supper table. Selah (pause and give thought to this)


Note 1: The Altar of Incense was placed in the Holy of Holies compartment
when Solomon built the actual temple.

Note 2: The priest, Zadok and his sons, were descendants of Aaron of
the tribe of Levi. He bore the Ark of the Covenant under David’s kingship,
serving jointly as high priest with Abiathar.

David also chose Zadok (along with the prophet Nathan)
to anoint Solomon as king of Israel and Judah.
Solomon was to later appoint Zadok as sole high priest.
When God gave the restoration vision to Ezekiel, as recorded in Ezekiel 48,
He outlines the division of the land allotments
according to tribal affiliations;
God said of Zadok,
“The set apart and sacred portion shall be for the consecrated priests of
the sons of Zadok, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when
the the children of Israel went astray, as the other Levites did.
This land offering shall be for the priests as a thing most holy
beside the border of the other Levites.”

(Ex. 25-40; Lev. 8-10; Num. 3, 8; Num. 17:1-10II Sam. 8; I Kings 1,6,7,8:
I Chron. 6,9,24; Ez. 48; Heb. 8-10; I Peter 2)