Introduction to the Tabernacle

Student’s Study Guide

Dr. Stanford E. Murrell

John 5:39

“Search the scriptures; for in them yethink ye have eternal life: and they are

they which testify of me.”

Luke 24:27

“And beginning at Moses and all theprophets, he expounded unto them in all

the scriptures the things concerninghimself.”

Introduction to the Tabernacle

A Glorious IdeaOne of the most important

undertakings in the history of the humanrace is set forth in the book of Exoduswhich records the building of amoveable place of worship called theTabernacle. This beautiful edifice wasconstructed according to divine designunder the general supervision of Moses.

The Historical BackgroundHaving been brought by signs and

wonders out of Egypt, a place of slaveryand suffering the Hebrew people werecamped in the desert when Moses wentto meet with God on Mt. Sinai. Inmatchless grace God gave to Moses Hismoral law summarized in the TenCommandments (Ex. 20:1-17) and Hisjudicial law (Ex. 21-23). Here too Godprovided instruction for sacrifice andworship. Precise information wasprovided for the construction of a specialplace of worship (Ex. 24:18-30; 38).Moses was held responsible to see theTabernacle was built according to theexact specifications give by the Lord.

The Motive of the MajesticGod explained why He desired the

construction of the Tabernacle for He isthe God who is there and He is notsilent. Exodus 25:8 And let them makeme a sanctuary; that I may dwell amongthem.

A Special Place for the Sovereign

The Tabernacle

The word for “sanctuary” describesnot only a physical place but also thespiritual desire under girding theTabernacle. While God is a holy God,reflected in the word “sanctuary” whichspeaks of separation He is also amerciful and just God with the statedobjective that His heart should be ourhome, the ultimate resting place of faithand trust.

Handout 1The Tabernacle

As the first handout is presentedattention is drawn to Exodus 27 wherethe construction of the fence thatsurrounded the Tabernacle is considered.

The Outer Courtof the Tabernacle

Exodus 27:9-219 And thou shalt make the court

of the tabernacle: for the south sidesouthward there shall be hangingsfor the court of fine twined linen ofan hundred cubits long [150 feet]for one side:

27:9 fine line. In Revelation 19:8 finelinen is associated with the righteousnessof the church. “And to her was grantedthat she should be arrayed in fine linen,clean and white: for the fine linen is therighteousness of saints”. Therighteousness of the Christian is noneother than Christ Himself. 1 Corinthians1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,who of God is made unto us wisdom, andrighteousness, and sanctification, andredemption: 2 Corinthians 5:21 For hehath made him to be sin for us, whoknew no sin; that we might be made therighteousness of God in him. Therefore,the fine line of the outer court representsJesus Christ in all of His purity andabsolute righteousness.

27: 9 twisted linen. The linen was madefrom flax and flax is grown in theground. This speaks of the humanity ofChrist Together, the righteousness ofChrist and His humanity displays thedoctrine of the hypostatic union.

10 And the twenty pillars thereofand their twenty sockets shall be ofbrass; the hooks of the pillars andtheir fillets [rods] shall be of silver.

27:10 silver. The brass pillars measuring7 ½ feet in height and the silver rods onwhich the curtain was to be hung speaksof Christians holding up Christ for theentire world to see. Christ must beshared. “It's almost impossible to see arainbow and not point it out to someoneelse. It's the kind of thing that just mustbe shared. You see one and you want totell someone about it. If you are byyourself and see one, it's frustrating. Thegospel is such a beautiful expression ofGod's love that it just must be shared”(Robert C. Shannon).

11 And likewise for the northside in length there shall behangings of an hundred cubits [150feet] long, and his twenty pillarsand their twenty sockets of brass;the hooks of the pillars and theirfillets of silver.

12 And for the breadth of thecourt on the west side shall behangings of fifty cubits [75 feet]:their pillars ten, and their socketsten.

13 And the breadth of the courton the east side eastward shall befifty cubits [75 feet].

14 The hangings of one side ofthe gate shall be fifteen cubits [22½ feet]: their pillars three, andtheir sockets three.

27:14 the gate. The outer court wasdesigned to keep the defiled and theinsincere away from God’s place ofworship.

15 And on the other side shall behangings fifteen cubits [22 ½ feet]:their pillars three, and their socketsthree.

The Gate of the TabernacleThe First Door to the Structure

16 And for the gate of the courtshall be an hanging of twentycubits [30 feet], of blue, andpurple, and scarlet, and fine twinedlinen, wrought with needlework:and their pillars shall be four, andtheir sockets four.

27:16 the gate. The gate of the court wasto measure 30 feet across to indicate thevastness of God’s grace and mercy toreceive all that will come to Himaccording to gospel terms. Jesus said,“Come unto me, all ye that labour andare heavy laden, and I will give yourest” (Matt 11:28). The Lord went on todeclare in John 6:37. “All that theFather giveth me shall come to me; andhim that cometh to me I will in no wisecast out.”

27:16 fine twined linen. Unlike thecurtain that was to hang on theTabernacle doorway leading into theHoly of Holies no cherubim wereintricately woven into the courtyard gate.God has placed no barrier to anyone whocome to worship Him in an acceptablemanner. Neither holy angels or fallendemons, neither the world, the flesh orthe devil can keep a soul from closingwith the Lord provided there ismovement towards the free mercy ofGod through the sacrificial offering.

Oh sinner. There is the door. Run toit. Run through it. Fall upon the altar thatis Christ and there meet with your God.Angels will not bar the way as they didin the Garden of Eden. Let not sin, theworld or Satan be formidable barriersagainst your salvation. If these enemiesof the soul converge to block the wayremember the mercy of God is widerstill and cannot be denied whenappropriated by faith. Call upon thename of the Lord and He will clear thepath for you. Salvation is of the Lord.Fellowship with God is just ahead.Remember, “That if thou shalt confesswith thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shaltbelieve in thine heart that God hathraised him from the dead, thou shalt besaved. 10 For with the heart man

believeth unto righteousness; and withthe mouth confession is made untosalvation” (Rom. 10:9-10).

17 All the pillars round about thecourt shall be filleted with silver;their hooks shall be of silver, andtheir sockets of brass.

18 The length of the court shallbe an hundred cubits [150 feet],and the breadth fifty everywhere[75 feet], and the height five cubits[7 ½ feet] of fine twined linen, andtheir sockets of brass.

The Holy Vessels

19 All the vessels of thetabernacle in all the servicethereof, and all the pins thereof,and all the pins of the court, shallbe of brass.

20 And thou shalt command thechildren of Israel, that they bringthee pure oil olive beaten for thelight, to cause the lamp to burnalways.

21 In the tabernacle of thecongregation without the vail,which is before the testimony,Aaron and his sons shall order itfrom evening to morning beforethe LORD: it shall be a statute forever unto their generations on thebehalf of the children of Israel.”

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The Floor Plan

From the construction of the fencesurrounding the Tabernacle attention isfocused on the floor plan.

Handout 2The Floor Plan

The floor plan will help to visualizewhere all the sacred objects were placed.Notice the Tabernacle faced east.Coming through the single entrance inthe fence the believer priest wouldbehold the following items rich withspiritual significance.

The brazen altarThe laver of ritual cleansingThe Holy Place

Inside thstand wouldShewbreadaltar of inccurtain enterInside the HArk of the Cwould be athat budded

Handout 2

e Holy Place a golden lampbe on the left The Table of

would be on the right. Anense would be before aing into the Holy of Holies.oly of Holies would be theovenant and in side the Arkpot of manna, Aaron’s rod

and the Law tablets.

The Floor Plan

By noticing these items placed bydivine design the heart is reminded thatGod has provided a perfect andacceptable way to worship Him in spiritand in truth. His plan for the Tabernaclewas detailed and yet simple.

Of course even a perfect planbecomes ineffective when it is disgardedor dismissed for an inferior way. InitiallyMoses obeyed the Lord in making surethe Tabernacle was designed as directed.And God was pleased to come and dwellin the midst of His people.

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The Brazen Altar

Moving from observing the floorplan in general a closer look can betaken of the first item a believer priestwould encounter after coming throughthe single entrance. Attention is turnedto the brazen altar.

Handout 3The Brazen Altar

The brazen altar was located justinside the main gate of the court. Theword altar means, “slaughter place”. Tothis place the Exodus generation wasinitially taught to bring their animalsacrifices. In Exodus 27:1-8 a detaileddescription of the brazen altar is given.

Exodus 27:1-81 And thou shalt make an

[brazen] altar of shittim wood, fivecubits [7 ½ feet] long, and fivecubits [7 ½ feet] broad; the altarshall be foursquare: and the heightthereof shall be three cubits [4 ½feet].

27:1 an altar. An altar speaks of worship.The altar is a place of humiliation,submission and death to self. On thealtar of the Cross the Lamb of God gavefirst His blood and then His life toredeem His own. Heb 9:22 explains that“without shedding of blood is noremission.”

27:1 shittim wood. This type of woodwas used first because it can withstand atremendous amount of heat. The body ofChrist withstood the fire’s of divinejudgment. Christ bore the pain andpenalty of sin that should have fallenupon you and me. Because of Christ theChristian can now read with joy andweep with appreciation over the wordsof Romans 8:1. There is therefore nowno condemnation to them which are inChrist Jesus, who walk not after theflesh, but after the Spirit.

Second, shittim wood was usedbecause it was a dessert shrub. Thisshrub possessed a long taproot thatreached down into the subterraneandampness to draw strength. This toospeaks of Christ of whom Isaiah said Hewould be “as a root out of a dry ground:he hath no form nor comeliness; andwhen we shall see him, there is nobeauty that we should desire him”(Isaiah 53:2).

2 And thou shalt make the hornsof it upon the four corners thereof:his horns shall be of the same: andthou shalt overlay it with brass.

27:2 horns. Horns were to be located onthe Brazen Altar and on the Altar ofIncense. Often in Scripture horns speakof power (Dan. 7:24). There is power inthe blood of Christ and there is power inprayer.

“Would you be freefrom the burden of sin?

There’s power in the blood,power in the blood;

Would you o’er evil a victory win?There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power,wonder working power

In the blood of the Lamb;There is power, power,wonder working power

In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be freefrom your passion and pride?There’s power in the blood,

power in the blood;Come for a cleansing

to Calvary’s tide;There’s wonderful power

in the blood.

Would you be whiter,much whiter than snow?

There’s power in the blood,power in the blood;Sin stains are lost

in its life giving flow.There’s wonderful power

in the blood.

Would you do service

for Jesus your King?There’s power in the blood,

power in the blood;Would you live dailyHis praises to sing?

There’s wonderful powerin the blood.”

Lewis E. Jones, 1899~*~

3 And thou shalt make his pansto receive his ashes, and hisshovels, and his basons, and hisfleshhooks, and his firepans: allthe vessels thereof thou shalt makeof brass.

4 And thou shalt make for it agrate of network of brass; andupon the net shalt thou make fourbrasen rings in the four cornersthereof.

5 And thou shalt put it under thecompass of the altar beneath, thatthe net may be even to the midst ofthe altar.

6 And thou shalt make staves forthe altar, staves of shittim wood,and overlay them with brass.

7 And the staves shall be put intothe rings, and the staves shall beupon the two sides of the altar, tobear it.

8 Hollow with boards shalt thoumake it: as it was shewed thee inthe mount, so shall they make it.

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Sins of Ignorance

Turning to Leviticus 4 the procedurefor offering a sacrifice is provided.

Leviticus 4:1-351 And the LORD spake unto

Moses, saying,2 Speak unto the children of

Israel, saying, If a soul shall sinthrough ignorance[unintentionally] against any of thecommandments of the LORDconcerning things which ought notto be done, and shall do againstany of them:

4:2 sin through ignorance. MatthewHenry helps to understand the graciousprovision for sins of ignorance. Simplyput, if a transgression was donepresumptuously, and with an avowedcontempt of the law and the Law-maker,the offender was to be cut off, and thereremained no sacrifice for the sin, Heb10:26-27; Num 15:30. But if theoffender were either ignorant of the law,as in divers instances we may supposemany were (so numerous and variouswere the prohibitions), or were surprisedinto the sin unawares, the circumstancesbeing such as made it evident that hisresolution against the sin was sincere,but that he was overtaken in it, as theexpression is (Gal 6:1), in this case reliefwas provided by the remedial law of thesin-offering. And the Jews say, "Thosecrimes only were to be expiated bysacrifice, if committed ignorantly, forwhich the criminal was to have been cutoff if they had been committedpresumptuously."

3 If the priest that is anointed dosin according to the sin of thepeople; then let him bring for hissin, which he hath sinned, a youngbullock without blemish unto theLORD for a sin offering.

4 And he shall bring the bullockunto the door of the tabernacle ofthe congregation before theLORD; and shall lay his handupon the bullock's head, and killthe bullock before the LORD.

5 And the priest that is anointedshall take of the bullock's blood,and bring it to the tabernacle of thecongregation:

Sprinkling of the Blood

6 And the priest shall dip hisfinger in the blood, and sprinkle ofthe blood seven times before theLORD, before the vail of thesanctuary.

7 And the priest shall put some ofthe blood upon the horns of thealtar of sweet incense before theLORD, which is in the tabernacleof the congregation; and shall pourall the blood of the bullock at thebottom of the altar of the burntoffering, which is at the door ofthe tabernacle of the congregation.

4:1-7 When an Israelite presented asacrifice he first placed his hands on thehead of the animal and made aconfession of sin. By the act of touchingthe animal he was identifying himselfwith the sacrifice for sin. The animalwas then killed as atonement was madefor the penalty of sin is death. The bloodof the animal was then applied as the

animal was placed on the altar. All ofthis anticipated that one day Jesus wouldbe made a sacrifice for sin.

8 And he shall take off from it allthe fat of the bullock for the sinoffering; the fat that covereth theinwards, and all the fat that is uponthe inwards,

9 And the two kidneys, and thefat that is upon them, which is bythe flanks, and the caul above theliver, with the kidneys, it shall hetake away,

10 As it was taken off from thebullock of the sacrifice of peaceofferings: and the priest shall burnthem upon the altar of the burntoffering.

11 And the skin of the bullock,and all his flesh, with his head, andwith his legs, and his inwards, andhis dung,

12 Even the whole bullock shallhe carry forth without the campunto a clean place, where the ashesare poured out, and burn him onthe wood with fire: where theashes are poured out shall he beburnt.

13 And if the whole congregationof Israel sin through ignorance,and the thing be hid from the eyesof the assembly, and they havedone somewhat against any of thecommandments of the LORDconcerning things which shouldnot be done, and are guilty;

14 When the sin, which theyhave sinned against it, is known,then the congregation shall offer ayoung bullock for the sin, and

bring him before the tabernacle ofthe congregation.

15 And the elders of thecongregation shall lay their handsupon the head of the bullockbefore the LORD: and the bullockshall be killed before the LORD.

16 And the priest that is anointedshall bring of the bullock's bloodto the tabernacle of thecongregation:

17 And the priest shall dip hisfinger in some of the blood, andsprinkle it seven times before theLORD, even before the vail.

18 And he shall put some of theblood upon the horns of the altarwhich is before the LORD, that isin the tabernacle of thecongregation, and shall pour outall the blood at the bottom of thealtar of the burnt offering, which isat the door of the tabernacle of thecongregation.

19 And he shall take all his fatfrom him, and burn it upon thealtar.

20 And he shall do with thebullock as he did with the bullockfor a sin offering, so shall he dowith this: and the priest shall makean atonement for them, and it shallbe forgiven them.

21 And he shall carry forth thebullock without the camp, andburn him as he burned the firstbullock: it is a sin offering for thecongregation.

22 When a ruler hath sinned, anddone somewhat through ignoranceagainst any of the commandmentsof the LORD his God concerning

things which should not be done,and is guilty;

23 Or if his sin, wherein he hathsinned, come to his knowledge; heshall bring his offering, a kid ofthe goats, a male without blemish:

24 And he shall lay his handupon the head of the goat, and killit in the place where they kill theburnt offering before the LORD: itis a sin offering.

25 And the priest shall take ofthe blood of the sin offering withhis finger, and put it upon thehorns of the altar of burnt offering,and shall pour out his blood at thebottom of the altar of burntoffering.

26 And he shall burn all his fatupon the altar, as the fat of thesacrifice of peace offerings: andthe priest shall make an atonementfor him as concerning his sin, andit shall be forgiven him.

27 And if any one of thecommon people sin throughignorance, while he doethsomewhat against any of thecommandments of the LORDconcerning things which ought notto be done, and be guilty;

28 Or if his sin, which he hathsinned, come to his knowledge:then he shall bring his offering, akid of the goats, a female withoutblemish, for his sin which he hathsinned.

29 And he shall lay his handupon the head of the sin offering,and slay the sin offering in theplace of the burnt offering.

30 And the priest shall take ofthe blood thereof with his finger,

and put it upon the horns of thealtar of burnt offering, and shallpour out all the blood thereof at thebottom of the altar.

31 And he shall take away all thefat thereof, as the fat is taken awayfrom off the sacrifice of peaceofferings; and the priest shall burnit upon the altar for a sweet savourunto the LORD; and the priestshall make an atonement for him,and it shall be forgiven him.

32 And if he bring a lamb for asin offering, he shall bring it afemale without blemish.

33 And he shall lay his handupon the head of the sin offering,and slay it for a sin offering in theplace where they kill the burntoffering.

34 And the priest shall take ofthe blood of the sin offering withhis finger, and put it upon thehorns of the altar of burnt offering,and shall pour out all the bloodthereof at the bottom of the altar:

35 And he shall take away all thefat thereof, as the fat of the lamb istaken away from the sacrifice ofthe peace offerings; and the priestshall burn them upon the altar,according to the offerings made byfire unto the LORD: and the priestshall make an atonement for hissin that he hath committed, and itshall be forgiven him.

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The Laver

Following the sacrifice for sin thebeliever priest would move from thebrazen altar to the laver.

Handout 4The Laver

Exodus 30:1818 Thou shalt also make a laver

of brass, and his foot also of brass,to wash withal: and thou shalt putit between the tabernacle of thecongregation and the altar, andthou shalt put water therein.

The word “laver” literally means“lavatory” or “a place for washing.”Sanctification follows salvation. Thedivine order is important. First comesthe sacrifice for sin, first comes theatonement then comes cleansing andsanctification lest a system of salvationby good works be sought. Eph 2:8-9explains the doctrinal teaching. “For bygrace are ye saved through faith; andthat not of yourselves: it is the gift ofGod: 9 Not of works, lest any manshould boast.”

The laver was positioned in thecourtyard after the place where a sin

offering was made for atonement butprior to entering into the holy place forpersonal fellowship with God. 1 John1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithfuland just to forgive us our sins, and tocleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The primary way a heart is cleansedis through the Word. Therefore, the laveralso speaks symbolically of God’s HolyWord.Ps 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young

man cleanse his way? By taking heedthereto according to thy word.

John 15:3 Now ye are clean throughthe word which I have spoken untoyou.

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, notof corruptible seed, but ofincorruptible, by the word of God,which liveth and abideth for ever.

Ephesians 5:26 That he mightsanctify and cleanse it [the church]with the washing of water by theword,

It was essential the priest wash at theLaver before entering into theTabernacle. Failure to do so wouldinduce a pre-mature death.

Exodus 30:20 When they go into thetabernacle of the congregation, theyshall wash with water, that they dienot; or when they come near to thealtar to minister, to burn offeringmade by fire unto the LORD: 21 Sothey shall wash their hands and theirfeet, that they die not: and it shall bea statute for ever to them, even to

him and to his seed throughout theirgenerations.

As the great High Priest, Jesuspersonally washed the hands and feet ofHis disciples thereby preparing them fora life of ministry. This was done justprior to His arrest.

John 13:3 Jesus knowing that theFather had given all things into hishands, and that he was come fromGod, and went to God; 4 He risethfrom supper, and laid aside hisgarments; and took a towel, andgirded himself. 5 After that hepoureth water into a bason, andbegan to wash the disciples' feet, andto wipe them with the towelwherewith he was girded. 6 Thencometh he to Simon Peter: and Petersaith unto him, Lord, dost thou washmy feet? 7 Jesus answered and saidunto him, What I do thou knowest notnow; but thou shalt know hereafter.8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shaltnever wash my feet. Jesus answeredhim, If I wash thee not, thou hast nopart with me. 9 Simon Peter saithunto him, Lord, not my feet only, butalso my hands and my head. 10 Jesussaith to him, He that is washedneedeth not save to wash his feet, butis clean every whit: and ye are clean,but not all. 11 For he knew whoshould betray him; therefore said he,Ye are not all clean.

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The Door

With the life protected by the bloodand the heart cleansed the grand momentcame to enter through the door into theholy place.

Handout 5The Second Door

Entrance into the Holy Place

Exodus 26:3636 And thou shalt make an

hanging for the door of the tent, ofblue, and purple, and scarlet, andfine twined linen, wrought withneedlework.

26:36 make an hanging. There were fourlayers of material for covering theTabernacle.

Two Curtains

The first curtain was an inner curtainmade of fine twined linen andpicturing cherubim. Ex 36:8 Andevery wise hearted man among themthat wrought the work of thetabernacle made ten curtains of finetwined linen, and blue, and purple,and scarlet: with cherubims ofcunning work made he them.

The second curtain was made ofgoat’s hair. Ex 36:14 And he madecurtains of goats' hair for the tentover the tabernacle: eleven curtainshe made them.

Two SkinsA third covering was made of ram’s

skins dyed red. Ex 36:19 And hemade a covering for the tent of rams'skins dyed red…

A fourth covering was made ofbadger’s skin for an outer covering.Ex 36:19 And he made a coveringfor the tent of… badgers' skins abovethat.

37 And thou shalt make for thehanging five pillars of shittimwood, and overlay them with gold,and their hooks shall be of gold:and thou shalt cast five sockets ofbrass for them.

The door to the Holy Place wasmade of fine linen and blue, scarlet, andpurple material intertwined or woventogether. This screen was mounted onfive pillars located at the doorway to theHoly Place. The colors are significant.

Blue speaks of the heavenly nature ofGod.

Purple sets forth His majesticsovereignty and royalty.

Scarlet tells of the blood atonementGod accepts as the basis forfellowship.

The door as a whole speaks of Christthrough whom all must enter if they are

to have fellowship with the Father. John10:9 I am the door: by me if any manenter in, he shall be saved, and shall goin and out, and find pasture. John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, thetruth, and the life: no man cometh untothe Father, but by me.

After going through the door thebeliever priest would be inside the HolyPlace that was 15 feet wide and 30 feetlong and contained the lampstand, thetable of shewbread and the altar ofincense.

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The Lampstand

With the world at one’s backentrance is made into the holy place. Thescared area was illuminated by thegolden lampstand.

Handout 6The Lampstand

Located along the south wall theornate lampstand provided sufficientlight in order to have fellowship withGod.

Exodus 25:31-4031 And thou shalt make a

candlestick of pure gold: of beaten

work shall the candlestick bemade: his shaft, and his branches,his bowls, his knops, and hisflowers, shall be of the same.

25: 31 candlestick. Christ is the light ofthe world who was beaten in that Heendured the punishment of sin for theelect.John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again

unto them, saying, I am the light ofthe world: he that followeth me shallnot walk in darkness, but shall havethe light of life.

The only light radiating in the HolyPlace was from the lampstand. TakeChrist out of the world and there isnothing but moral darkness.

John 9:5 As long as I am in theworld, I am the light of the world.

32 And six branches shall comeout of the sides of it; threebranches of the candlestick out ofthe one side, and three branches ofthe candlestick out of the otherside:

25: 32 six branches. Central to thecandlestick was the shaft or central stemfrom which three branches on each sidewere attached. Jesus said in John 15:5, Iam the vine, ye are the branches: Hethat abideth in me, and I in him, thesame bringeth forth much fruit: forwithout me ye can do nothing. InRevelation 1:12, 13 we read, And Iturned to see the voice that spake withme. And being turned, I saw sevengolden candlesticks; 13 And in the midstof the seven candlesticks one like untothe Son of man, clothed with a garment

down to the foot, and girt about thepaps with a golden girdle.

33 Three bowls made like untoalmonds, with a knop and a flowerin one branch; and three bowlsmade like almonds in the otherbranch, with a knop and a flower:so in the six branches that comeout of the candlestick.

34 And in the candlestick shallbe four bowls made like untoalmonds, with their knops and theirflowers.

35 And there shall be a knopunder two branches of the same,and a knop under two branches ofthe same, and a knop under twobranches of the same, according tothe six branches that proceed outof the candlestick.

36 Their knops and theirbranches shall be of the same: all itshall be one beaten work of puregold.

37 And thou shalt make theseven lamps thereof: and they shalllight the lamps thereof, that theymay give light over against it.

38 And the tongs thereof, and thesnuffdishes thereof, shall be ofpure gold.

39 Of a talent of pure gold shallhe make it, with all these vessels.

40 And look that thou make themafter their pattern, which wasshewed thee in the mount.

The purpose of the lampstand was togive the light needed by the priest asthey administered their sacred duties andworship in the Holy Place.

No dimensions are given for thelampstand but it was made of pure gold.The lampstand speaks of the person andwork of God the Holy Spirit whoilluminates hearts and mind as He guidesand directs.

The pure gold of the lampstandindicated the intrinsic value of the Spiritwho is very God of very God.

As the Spirit gave light to the priestsso the Spirit endwells the believer so theChristian can become the light of theworld through whom God shines forth.Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of theworld. A city that is set on a hill cannotbe hid.

As the church lives by the power ofthe Holy Spirit and shines forth thegospel light the glory of Christ isrevealed. John 12:36 While ye havelight, believe in the light, that ye may bethe children of light. These things spakeJesus, and departed, and did hidehimself from them.

While the church lives by the powerof the Holy Spirit it is guided by theWord of God also typified by thelampstand. The Psalmist understood thisand wrote, “Thy word is a lamp unto myfeet, and a light unto my path” (Ps119:105).

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The Altar of Incense

As the eyes of the believer priestadjusted to spiritual realities by means ofthe illuminating work of the Holy Spiritsymbolized by the lampstand the altar ofincense would be revealed.

Handout 7The Altar of Incense

Exodus 30:1-101 And thou shalt make an altar to

burn incense upon: of shittim woodshalt thou make it.

2 A cubit [1 ½] shall be thelength thereof, and a cubit [1 ½]the breadth thereof; foursquareshall it be: and two cubits [3 feet]shall be the height thereof: thehorns thereof shall be of the same.

3 And thou shalt overlay it withpure gold, the top thereof, and thesides thereof round about, and thehorns thereof; and thou shalt makeunto it a crown of gold roundabout.30: 3 horns. Horns speak of power.There is power in prayer. James 5:16Confess your faults one to another, andpray one for another, that ye may behealed. The effectual fervent prayer of arighteous man availeth much.

30:3 a crown of gold. A crown speaks ofpower and exaltation. Matthew 28:18And Jesus came and spake unto them,saying, All power is given unto me inheaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore,and teach all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father, and of the Son,and of the Holy Ghost:

4 And two golden rings shaltthou make to it under the crown ofit, by the two corners thereof, uponthe two sides of it shalt thou makeit; and they shall be for places forthe staves to bear it withal.

5 And thou shalt make the stavesof shittim wood, and overlay themwith gold.

6 And thou shalt put it before thevail that is by the ark of thetestimony, before the mercy seatthat is over the testimony, where Iwill meet with thee.

7 And Aaron shall burn thereonsweet incense every morning:when he dresseth the lamps, heshall burn incense upon it.

8 And when Aaron lighteth thelamps at even, he shall burnincense upon it, a perpetualincense before the LORDthroughout your generations.

9 Ye shall offer no strangeincense thereon, nor burntsacrifice, nor meat offering;neither shall ye pour drink offeringthereon.

10 And Aaron shall make anatonement upon the horns of itonce in a year with the blood ofthe sin offering of atonements:once in the year shall he makeatonement upon it throughout yourgenerations: it is most holy untothe LORD.

The Altar of Incense was 1 ½ feetsquare and 3 feet high. Made of acaciawood overlaid with pure gold, it had

rings on the corners in which to placelong staves or poles for transportation.The priest would burn incense on thealtar twice a day as an act of worship. Inthe book of the Revelation incensespeaks of prayerful worship.

Revelation 5:8 And when he hadtaken the book, the four beasts andfour and twenty elders fell downbefore the Lamb, having every one ofthem harps, and golden vials full ofodours, which are the prayers ofsaints.

Revelation 8:3 And another angelcame and stood at the altar, having agolden censer; and there was givenunto him much incense, that heshould offer it with the prayers of allsaints upon the golden altar whichwas before the throne. 4 And thesmoke of the incense, which camewith the prayers of the saints,ascended up before God out of theangel's hand.

~*~

The Table of Shewbread

Illuminated by the golden lampstand,with prayerful worship indicated by thealtar of incense the believer priest wouldbe free to notice the table of shewbread.

Handout 8The Table of Shewbread

Exodus 25:23-3023 Thou shalt also make a table

of shittim wood: two cubits [3feet] shall be the length thereof,and a cubit [1 ½ feet] the breadththereof, and a cubit [27 inches] anda half the height thereof.

24 And thou shalt overlay it withpure gold, and make thereto acrown of gold round about.

25 And thou shalt make unto it aborder of an hand breadth roundabout, and thou shalt make agolden crown to the border thereofround about.

25:25 the border. As the table ofshewbread speaks of fellowship with theLord, so the border indicates afellowship that is secure. The security ofthe believer is not based on who or whathe is or does but who and what the Lordis and has done. Revelation 3:20 Behold,I stand at the door, and knock: if anyman hear my voice, and open the door, Iwill come in to him, and will sup withhim, and he with me. He who promisesto fellowship has said, “Come and dine”(John 6:32,35).

“Come and dine,”the Master calleth,“Come and dine”;

You may feast at Jesus’

table all the time;He Who fed the multitude,turned the water into wine,To the hungry calleth now,

“Come and dine.”

Charles B. Widmeyer, 1906

~*~

26 And thou shalt make for itfour rings of gold, and put therings in the four corners that areon the four feet thereof.

27 Over against the border shallthe rings be for places of the stavesto bear the table.

28 And thou shalt make thestaves of shittim wood, andoverlay them with gold, that thetable may be borne with them.

29 And thou shalt make thedishes thereof, and spoons thereof,and covers thereof, and bowlsthereof, to cover withal: of puregold shalt thou make them.

30 And thou shalt set upon thetable shewbread before me alway.

25:30 set upon the table. There was notplace to set at the table. The priests werealways standing as they administeredtheir duties in contrast to Jesus who hasfinished forever the sacrifice for sins.Hebrews 10:11 And every prieststandeth daily ministering and offeringoftentimes the same sacrifices, whichcan never take away sins: 12 But thisman, after he had offered one sacrificefor sins for ever, sat down on the righthand of God. While the symbols of the

Old Testament economy were wonderfultypes of the Person and work of Christhow much more wonderful is the NewTestament revelation that the Realty hasgiven way to ritual and the Substancehas overcome the shadow.

The Table of Shewbread wasconstructed from acacia wood andoverlaid with pure gold. The table wasrather low measuring only 2 ½ feet high.Its outside dimension including theborder was 1 foot wide by 3 feet inlength. Twelve small cakes of breadwere placed on the Table of Shewbreadalong side utensils made of pure gold.

The bread served as food for thepriests the consumption of which was anact of worship. 1 Cor 10:31 Whethertherefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoeverye do, do all to the glory of God.

The spiritual application regardingthe shewbread suggest two thoughts forthe Christian. First, Christ is the Breadof Life that will nourish the soul. John6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am thebread of life: he that cometh to me shallnever hunger; and he that believeth onme shall never thirst. Second, thebeliever must have a daily diet ofspiritual food in order to have fellowshipwith the Lord. Therefore, the Christian isto be nourished by the Word. Theprophet Jeremiah said, “Thy words werefound, and I did eat them; and thy wordwas unto me the joy and rejoicing ofmine heart: for I am called by thy name,O LORD God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16).

~*~

The Veil

As the believer priest in the HolyPlace finished becoming familiar withthe lampstand, the altar of incense and

the table of shew bread his curiositywould be drawn to the veil or curtaininside the holy place separating it froman inner area called the Holy of Holies.

Handout 9The Veil

The Third DoorEntrance into the Holy of Holies

Exodus 26:31-3731 And thou shalt make a vail of

blue, and purple, and scarlet, andfine twined linen of cunning work:with cherubims shall it be made:

26:31 make a vail. This veil, four inchesthick according to Jewish tradition, wasunrent both in the Tabernacle and latterthe Temple until it was torn by God atthe death of Christ. Matt 27:51 And,behold, the veil of the temple was rent intwain from the top to the bottom; and theearth did quake, and the rocks rent.

Tabernacle Chain of Command

Grand Purpose Redemption andworship throughGod the Son

Supreme Architect God the FatherGeneral Supervisor God the Holy SpiritGeneral Contractor MosesMain foreman BezaleelChief Administrator Aaron

32 And thou shalt hang it uponfour pillars of shittim woodoverlaid with gold: their hooksshall be of gold, upon the foursockets of silver.

26:32 four pillars. These pillars weredifferent in four ways from those at theouter gate.

They were twice as long.They were based in silver.They were covered with gold and not

brass.They were cut off at the top just as

Christ was “cut off out of the land ofthe living” (Isa. 53:8).

33 And thou shalt hang up thevail under the taches [fasteners],that thou mayest bring in thitherwithin the vail the ark of thetestimony: and the vail shall divideunto you between the holy placeand the most holy.

34 And thou shalt put the mercyseat upon the ark of the testimonyin the most holy place.

35 And thou shalt set the tablewithout the vail, and thecandlestick over against the tableon the side of the tabernacletoward the south: and thou shaltput the table on the north side.

36 And thou shalt make anhanging for the door of the tent, ofblue, and purple, and scarlet, andfine twined linen, wrought withneedlework.

37 And thou shalt make for thehanging five pillars of shittimwood, and overlay them with gold,and their hooks shall be of gold:and thou shalt cast five sockets ofbrass for them.

26:37 five pillars.

Five Names for JesusIsaiah 9:6

WonderfulCounselorThe Mighty GodThe Everlasting FatherThe Prince of Peace

A veil from the Holy Place separatedthe Holy of Holies. The veil, like thedoor, was made of fine liner interwovenwith blue, purple and scarlet. Woveninto the fabric were images of cherubim.Anchored to four pillars, the heavy veilbecame a partition to keep separate theplace where God dwelt.

Exodus 25:22 And there I will meetwith thee, and I will commune withthee from above the mercy seat, frombetween the two cherubims whichare upon the ark of the testimony, ofall things which I will give thee incommandment unto the children ofIsrael.

Only the high priest could passthrough the veil to enter into the mostholy place and this could be done onlyone time a year on the Day ofAtonement.

Symbolically, the veil typified thebody of Christ. Heb 10:19-21 explains.

“Having therefore, brethren,boldness to enter into the holiest bythe blood of Jesus, 20 By a new andliving way, which he hathconsecrated for us, through the veil,that is to say, his flesh; 21 And

having an high priest over the houseof God.”

At the moment Christ died the veil ofthe temple, a later and large veil than theone in the Tabernacle, was torn in two,from top to bottom thereby allowing anyand all to come into the direct presenceof God through Christ.

Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veilof the temple was rent in twain fromthe top to the bottom; and the earthdid quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; andmany bodies of the saints which sleptarose, 53 And came out of the gravesafter his resurrection, and went intothe holy city, and appeared untomany.

~*~The Ark of the Covenant

Inside the Holy of Holies thebeliever priest would see a single itemcalled the Ark of the Covenant.

Handout 10The Ark of the Covenant

Exodus 25:10-2210 And they shall make an ark of

shittim wood: two cubits and a half

[3 feet 9 inches] shall be the lengththereof, and a cubit and a half [3feet 3 inches] the breadth thereof,and a cubit and a half [27 inches]the height thereof.

25:10 In giving the directions for theconstruction of the Tabernacle Godbegan first by revealing His planconcerning the Ark of the Covenant.There is a divine principle set forth, Godalways begins with the heart and worksoutward. It was because God so lovedthe world that He gave His only begottenSon, that who so ever believeth in Himwill never perish but have everlastinglife (John 3:16). Here then is the order ofsalvation. Regeneration precedessalvation.A life principle of mercy must first beinstill before there can be any worship orsacrifice.

Two Views of Salvation

God’s View Man’s View

Mercy Seat The worldHoly of Holy Veil Door to tentAltar of Incense Altar for OfferingLampstand LaverTable Shew bread Tent CurtainCurtain of Tent LampstandLaver Table shewbreadBurnt offering Altar IncenseDoor to tent Holy of Holy VeilThe world Ark of Covenant

25:10 an ark. From man’s perspectivesalvation follows the order of Christianin Pilgrim’s Progress. From the worldthe individual is called to come to theplace of divine presence where anacceptable sacrifice is offered,cleansings is sought and acts of worshipare enjoyed signified by eating the Bread

of Life and offering prayers that arepleasing to heaven while being guidedby the illuminating light of the HolySpirit. The movement is always inwardtowards the Holy Place and the Holy ofHolies.

However, from a divine perspectiveGod, who dwells in the Holy of Holies,first accepts the blood of His Sonsprinkled on the mercy seat. Then, thereis a divine outward movement in thePerson of Christ through the veil of theHoly of Holies and on through the HolyPlace into the courtyard area to meet andgreet the sinner coming to worship. Atthe altar, where Christ is the Sacrifice.love and mercy unite to kiss the soul thatlongs to be saved.

“The mercy of God is an ocean divine,A boundless and fathomless flood.

Launch out in the deep,cut away the shore line,

And be lost in the fullness of God.”

Albert B. Simpson, 1891~*~

11 And thou shalt overlay it withpure gold, within and without shaltthou overlay it, and shalt makeupon it a crown of gold roundabout.

12 And thou shalt cast four ringsof gold for it, and put them in thefour corners thereof; and two ringsshall be in the one side of it, andtwo rings in the other side of it.

13 And thou shalt make staves ofshittim wood, and overlay themwith gold.

14 And thou shalt put the stavesinto the rings by the sides of the

ark, that the ark may be borne withthem.

15 The staves shall be in therings of the ark: they shall not betaken from it.

16 And thou shalt put into the arkthe testimony which I shall givethee.

The Mercy Seat

17 And thou shalt make a mercyseat of pure gold: two cubits and ahalf [45 inches] shall be the lengththereof, and a cubit and a half [27inches] the breadth thereof.

Two Cherubim

18 And thou shalt make twocherubims of gold, of beaten workshalt thou make them, in the twoends of the mercy seat.

19 And make one cherub on theone end, and the other cherub onthe other end: even of the mercyseat shall ye make the cherubimson the two ends thereof.

20 And the cherubims shallstretch forth their wings on high,covering the mercy seat with theirwings, and their faces shall lookone to another; toward the mercyseat shall the faces of thecherubims be.

21 And thou shalt put the mercyseat above upon the ark; and in theark thou shalt put the testimonythat I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet withthee, and I will commune with thee

from above the mercy seat, frombetween the two cherubims whichare upon the ark of the testimony,of all things which I will give theein commandment unto the childrenof Israel.

25:22 God will meet with Moses, notonly in judgment but also in mercy.

The Ark of the Covenant was 54inches long, 27 inches wide and 27inches high. Constructed of acacia woodit was overlaid with pure gold withprovisions made for it to be transported.Two cherubim, with outstretched wingstouching and head bowed to look uponthe mercy seat were placed on the lidabove the Ark. Here, on the mercy seatthe high priest would sprinkle the bloodof the sacrifice on the Day ofAtonement. Here God promised to meetwith Moses to give him additionalinstruction.

~*~

Handout 11The Articles of the Ark

Inside the Ark of the Covenant werethree precious items.

Exodus 25:1616 And thou shalt put into the ark

the testimony which I shall givethee.Hebrews 9:2-4

2 For there was a tabernaclemade; the first, wherein was thecandlestick, and the table, and theshewbread; which is called thesanctuary.

3 And after the second veil, thetabernacle which is called theHoliest of all;

4 Which had the golden censer,and the Ark of the Covenantoverlaid round about with gold,wherein was the golden pot thathad manna, and Aaron's rod thatbudded, and the tables of thecovenant

The tables of the Law would remindthe people that God the Father has awill to be obeyed.

The manna would remind the peoplethat as individuals depend upon theLord Jesus Christ for life itself, bothspiritual and physical. And He willsupply every need.

Aaron’s rod that budded wouldremind the people of the intrinsiclife-giving ministry of the HolySpirit.

The budding of Aaron’s rod occurredwhen God wanted to confirm His choiceof priest. God commanded the people totake twelve rods, write on them thenames of the twelve tribes of Israel, andplace them before the Ark of theCovenant and leave them overnight. God

promised in the morning one rod wouldhave bloomed and the owner of the rodwould be the priestly leader. His tribewould be the one from whom the priestswould come. In the morning Aaron’s rodhad budded and so the tribe of Levi waschosen to minister before the Lord.

Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass,that on the morrow Moses went intothe tabernacle of witness; and,behold, the rod of Aaron for thehouse of Levi was budded, andbrought forth buds, and bloomedblossoms, and yielded almonds. 9And Moses brought out all the rodsfrom before the LORD unto all thechildren of Israel: and they looked,and took every man his rod. 10 Andthe LORD said unto Moses, BringAaron's rod again before thetestimony, to be kept for a tokenagainst the rebels; and thou shaltquite take away their murmuringsfrom me, that they die not.

Where is the Ark of the Covenanttoday? Where are all the valuablefurnishings of the Tabernacle, thelampstand, the table of shewbread, thealter of incense, the Ark of the Covenantwith the manna, the law and Aaron’srod? The historical answer is that theyare lost. The biblical answer is that Godhas hidden them. Perhaps one day theyshall be found. It is interesting that in thebook of the Revelation, John sees theArk of the Covenant in heaven.Revelation 11:19 And the temple of Godwas opened in heaven, and there wasseen in his temple the ark of histestament: and there were lightnings,and voices, and thunderings, and anearthquake, and great hail. Perhaps,heaven will be most familiar to those

who know the structure and symbolismof the Tabernacle.

~*~

Handout 12The High Priest

The High Priest

Overseeing the work of the ministryin the Holy Place and the Holy of Holieswas the high priest. The duties andresponsibilities of the high priest are setforth in Leviticus 16.

Leviticus 16:1-331 And the LORD spake unto

Moses after the death of the twosons of Aaron, when they offeredbefore the LORD, and died;

2 And the LORD said untoMoses, Speak unto Aaron thybrother, that he come not at alltimes into the holy place withinthe vail before the mercy seat,which is upon the ark; that he dienot: for I will appear in the cloudupon the mercy seat.

3 Thus shall Aaron come into theholy place: with a young bullock

for a sin offering, and a ram for aburnt offering.

4 He shall put on the holy linencoat, and he shall have the linenbreeches upon his flesh, and shallbe girded with a linen girdle, andwith the linen mitre shall he beattired: these are holy garments;therefore shall he wash his flesh inwater, and so put them on.

5 And he shall take of thecongregation of the children ofIsrael two kids of the goats for asin offering, and one ram for aburnt offering.

6 And Aaron shall offer hisbullock of the sin offering, whichis for himself, and make anatonement for himself, and for hishouse.

The Tale of Two Goats

7 And he shall take the twogoats, and present them before theLORD at the door of thetabernacle of the congregation.

8 And Aaron shall cast lots uponthe two goats; one lot for theLORD, and the other lot for thescapegoat.

16: 8 cast lots. God determined which ofthe animals was to live and which was todie. Prov 16:33 The lot is cast into thelap; but the whole disposing thereof is ofthe LORD.

9 And Aaron shall bring the goatupon which the LORD's lot fell,and offer him for a sin offering.

10 But the goat, on which the lotfell to be the scapegoat, shall bepresented alive before the LORD,to make an atonement with him,and to let him go for a scapegoatinto the wilderness.

11 And Aaron shall bring thebullock of the sin offering, whichis for himself, and shall make anatonement for himself, and for hishouse, and shall kill the bullock ofthe sin offering which is forhimself:

12 And he shall take a censer fullof burning coals of fire from offthe altar before the LORD, and hishands full of sweet incense beatensmall, and bring it within the vail:

13 And he shall put the incenseupon the fire before the LORD,that the cloud of the incense maycover the mercy seat that is uponthe testimony, that he die not:

16: 13 mercy seat. The basic concept ofthe mercy seat was that it was placewhere God was propitiated or satisfied.

1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiationfor our sins: and not for ours only,but also for the sins of the wholeworld.

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath setforth to be a propitiation throughfaith in his blood, to declare hisrighteousness for the remission ofsins that are past, through theforbearance of God;

14 And he shall take of the bloodof the bullock, and sprinkle it with

his finger upon the mercy seateastward; and before the mercyseat shall he sprinkle of the bloodwith his finger seven times.

Blood on the Mercy Seat

15 Then shall he kill the goat ofthe sin offering, that is for thepeople, and bring his blood withinthe vail, and do with that blood ashe did with the blood of thebullock, and sprinkle it upon themercy seat, and before the mercyseat:

16 And he shall make anatonement for the holy place,because of the uncleanness of thechildren of Israel, and because oftheir transgressions in all theirsins: and so shall he do for thetabernacle of the congregation, thatremaineth among them in themidst of their uncleanness.

17 And there shall be no man inthe tabernacle of the congregationwhen he goeth in to make anatonement in the holy place, untilhe come out, and have made anatonement for himself, and for hishousehold, and for all thecongregation of Israel.

18 And he shall go out unto thealtar that is before the LORD, andmake an atonement for it; and shalltake of the blood of the bullock,and of the blood of the goat, andput it upon the horns of the altarround about.

19 And he shall sprinkle of theblood upon it with his finger seventimes, and cleanse it, and hallow it

from the uncleanness of thechildren of Israel.

20 And when he hath made anend of reconciling the holy place,and the tabernacle of thecongregation, and the altar, heshall bring the live goat:

21 And Aaron shall lay both hishands upon the head of the livegoat, and confess over him all theiniquities of the children of Israel,and all their transgressions in alltheir sins, putting them upon thehead of the goat, and shall sendhim away by the hand of a fit maninto the wilderness:

The Scapegoat Sent Away

22 And the goat shall bear uponhim all their iniquities unto a landnot inhabited: and he shall let gothe goat in the wilderness.

23 And Aaron shall come intothe tabernacle of the congregation,and shall put off the linengarments, which he put on whenhe went into the holy place, andshall leave them there:

24 And he shall wash his fleshwith water in the holy place, andput on his garments, and comeforth, and offer his burnt offering,and the burnt offering of thepeople, and make an atonement forhimself, and for the people.

25 And the fat of the sin offeringshall he burn upon the altar.

26 And he that let go the goat forthe scapegoat shall wash hisclothes, and bathe his flesh inwater, and afterward come into thecamp.

27 And the bullock for the sinoffering, and the goat for the sinoffering, whose blood was broughtin to make atonement in the holyplace, shall one carry forth withoutthe camp; and they shall burn inthe fire their skins, and their flesh,and their dung.

28 And he that burneth themshall wash his clothes, and bathehis flesh in water, and afterward heshall come into the camp.

29 And this shall be a statute forever unto you: that in the seventhmonth, on the tenth day of themonth, ye shall afflict your souls,and do no work at all, whether itbe one of your own country, or astranger that sojourneth amongyou:

30 For on that day [the Day ofAtonement] shall the priest makean atonement for you, to cleanseyou, that ye may be clean from allyour sins before the LORD.

31 It shall be a Sabbath of restunto you, and ye shall afflict yoursouls, by a statute forever.

32 And the priest, whom he shallanoint, and whom he shallconsecrate to minister in thepriest's office in his father's stead,shall make the atonement, andshall put on the linen clothes, eventhe holy garments:

33 And he shall make anatonement for the holy sanctuary,and he shall make an atonementfor the tabernacle of thecongregation, and for the altar, andhe shall make an atonement for thepriests, and for all the people ofthe congregation.

34 And this shall be aneverlasting statute unto you, tomake an atonement for thechildren of Israel for all their sinsonce a year. And he did as theLORD commanded Moses.

16:34 everlasting statute. The concept ofan everlasting statute is qualified inScripture with the end of one spiritualeconomy and the beginning of another.In as far as the Mosaic economy was tolast so this statue was to endure.

The Holy Garments

The coloring of the clothing of thehigh priest was the same as that of theveil and door: blue, purple and scarlet.The garments are described in Exodus28.

Exodus 28:2-432 And thou shalt make holy

garments for Aaron thy brother forglory and for beauty.

3 And thou shalt speak unto allthat are wise hearted, whom I havefilled with the spirit of wisdom,that they may make Aaron'sgarments to consecrate him, thathe may minister unto me in thepriest's office.

28: 3 spirit of wisdom. Without Christno religious undertaking for God cansucceed. Jesus said, “I am the vine, yeare the branches: He that abideth in me,and I in him, the same bringeth forthmuch fruit: for without me ye can donothing” (John 15:5). Without Christthe believer can do nothing that is

spiritual or of lasting value. His spirit ofwisdom is needed.

4 And these are the garmentswhich they shall make; abreastplate, and an ephod, and arobe, and a broidered coat, a mitre,and a girdle: and they shall makeholy garments for Aaron thybrother, and his sons, that he mayminister unto me in the priest'soffice.

5 And they shall take gold, andblue, and purple, and scarlet, andfine linen.

The Ephod

6 And they shall make the ephodof gold, of blue, and of purple, ofscarlet, and fine twined linen, withcunning work.

28: 6 ephod. This was an outer garmentof line and gold.

7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the twoedges thereof; and so it shall bejoined together.

The Curious Girdle

8 And the curious [device] girdleof the ephod, which is upon it,shall be of the same, according tothe work thereof; even of gold, ofblue, and purple, and scarlet, andfine twined linen.

28:6 girdle. The believer is instructed tobe girdled with the truth. Eph 6:13

Wherefore take unto you the wholearmour of God, that ye may be able towithstand in the evil day, and havingdone all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore,having your loins girt about with truth,and having on the breastplate ofrighteousness; 15 And your feet shodwith the preparation of the gospel ofpeace; 16 Above all, taking the shield offaith, wherewith ye shall be able toquench all the fiery darts of the wicked.17 And take the helmet of salvation, andthe sword of the Spirit, which is the wordof God: 18 Praying always with allprayer and supplication in the Spirit,and watching thereunto with allperseverance and supplication for allsaints.

9 And thou shalt take two onyxstones, and grave on them thenames of the children of Israel:

10 Six of their names on onestone, and the other six names ofthe rest on the other stone,according to their birth.

11 With the work of an engraverin stone, like the engravings of asignet, shalt thou engrave the twostones with the names of thechildren of Israel: thou shalt makethem to be set in ouches of gold.

12 And thou shalt put the twostones upon the shoulders of theephod for stones of memorial untothe children of Israel: and Aaronshall bear their names before theLORD upon his two shoulders fora memorial.

28: 9-12. onyx stones. The priests wereto bear the spiritual burdens of the

people. So Christ, as our High Priestbears our burdens as He knows ournames for they are written in the Lamb’sbook of life.

The names of the twelve tribes ofIsrael were all engraved on the onyxstones for there is only one commonground of salvation. They were writtenaccording to the order of their births (Ex.28:10) as names are written in theLamb’s book of life on the basis ofrebirth (John 3:7).

13 And thou shalt make ouchesof gold;

14 And two chains of pure goldat the ends; of wreathen work shaltthou make them, and fasten thewreathen chains to the ouches.

The Breastplate

15 And thou shalt make thebreastplate of judgment withcunning work; after the work ofthe ephod thou shalt make it; ofgold, of blue, and of purple, and ofscarlet, and of fine twined linen,shalt thou make it.

Exodus 28: 15 breastplate of judgment.In the New Testament we read of theBreastplate of Righteousness (Eph.6:14). The breastplate won by the HighPriest held twelve precious stones set inpure gold and placed in uniform rows.Each stone was different. Each stonecontained the name of a tribe of Israel.Not only is the believer close to the heartof God but precious in His sight as welland secure.As there was one breastplate so there isone Church but many believers.

16 Foursquare it shall be beingdoubled; a span shall be the lengththereof, and a span shall be thebreadth thereof.

17 And thou shalt set in itsettings of stones, even four rowsof stones: the first row shall be asardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle:this shall be the first row.

Twelve Precious StonesFirst Row

Stone Color Name Meaning Sardius Red Judah Praise Topaz Yellow Issachar RewardCarbuncle -- Zebulum Dwelling

18 And the second row shall bean emerald, a sapphire, and adiamond.

Twelve Precious StonesSecond Row

Stone Color Name Meaning Emerald Green Reuben See a son Sapphire Simeon Hearing Diamond Gad Warrior

19 And the third row a ligure, anagate, and an amethyst.

Twelve Precious StonesThird Row

Stone Color Name Meaning Ligure -- Ephraim Fruitful Agate Clear Manasseh Forgetting Amethyst Purple Benjamin Son of my

right hand

20 And the fourth row a beryl,and an onyx, and a jasper: they

shall be set in gold in theirinclosings.

Twelve Precious StonesFourth Row

Stone Color Name Meaning

Beryl -- Dan Judge Onyx Fire-like Asher Blessed Jasper crystal Naphtali Wrestlings

Note. The tribes of Levi and Joseph arenot inscribed upon the Breastplate jewelsor stones. Substituted for them andrepresenting Joseph are Manasseh andEphraim.

21 And the stones shall be withthe names of the children of Israel,twelve, according to their names,like the engravings of a signet;every one with his name shall theybe according to the twelve tribes.

22 And thou shalt make upon thebreastplate chains at the ends ofwreathen work of pure gold.

23 And thou shalt make upon thebreastplate two rings of gold, andshalt put the two rings on the twoends of the breastplate.

24 And thou shalt put the two-wreathen chains of gold in the tworings which are on the ends of thebreastplate.

25 And the other two ends of thetwo-wreathen chains thou shaltfasten in the two ouches, and putthem on the shoulder pieces of theephod before it.

26 And thou shalt make tworings of gold, and thou shalt putthem upon the two ends of thebreastplate in the border thereof,

which is in the side of the ephodinward.

27 And two other rings of goldthou shalt make, and shalt putthem on the two sides of the ephodunderneath, toward the forepartthereof, over against the othercoupling thereof, above the curiousgirdle of the ephod.

28 And they shall bind thebreastplate by the rings thereofunto the rings of the ephod with alace of blue, that it may be abovethe curious girdle of the ephod,and that the breastplate be notloosed from the ephod.

29 And Aaron shall bear thenames of the children of Israel inthe breastplate of judgment uponhis heart, when he goeth in untothe holy place, for a memorialbefore the LORD continually.

Urim and Thummim

30 And thou shalt put in thebreastplate of judgment the Urimand the Thummim; and they shallbe upon Aaron's heart, when hegoeth in before the LORD: andAaron shall bear the judgment ofthe children of Israel upon hisheart before the LORDcontinually.

28:30 Urim and Thummim. The best thatcan be determined is that these words

mean “lights of perfection.” Onesuggestion is that they are equivalent toa “yes” and “no” response to questionsor situations that needed clarification.

The Priestly Robe

31 And thou shalt make the robeof the ephod all of blue.

28:31 robe. This is the first mention of arobe in Scripture.

Three Robes

A robe of dignity Ezekiel 26:16A robe of royalty Matt. 27:18,29A robe of righteousness Isa. 61:10

32 And there shall be an hole inthe top of it, in the midst thereof: itshall have a binding of wovenwork round about the hole of it, asit were the hole of an habergeon,that it be not rent.

The Hem of the Garment

33 And beneath upon the hem ofit thou shalt make pomegranates ofblue, and of purple, and of scarlet,round about the hem thereof; andbells of gold between them roundabout:

34 A golden bell and apomegranate, a golden bell and apomegranate, upon the hem of therobe round about.

35 And it shall be upon Aaron tominister: and his sound shall beheard when he goeth in unto theholy place before the LORD, and

when he cometh out, that he dienot.

The Miter

36 And thou shalt make a plate[band] of pure gold, and graveupon it, like the engravings of asignet, HOLINESS TO THELORD.

37 And thou shalt put it on a bluelace that it may be upon the mitre;upon the forefront of the mitre itshall be.

38 And it shall be upon Aaron'sforehead, that Aaron may bear theiniquity of the holy things, whichthe children of Israel shall hallowin all their holy gifts; and it shallbe always upon his forehead, thatthey may be accepted before theLORD.

A Priestly Coat of Fine Linen

39 And thou shalt embroider thecoat of fine linen, and thou shaltmake the mitre of fine linen, andthou shalt make the girdle ofneedlework.

40 And for Aaron's sons thoushalt make coats, and thou shaltmake for them girdles, and bonnetsshalt thou make for them, for gloryand for beauty.

28:39-40 mitre. While the High Priestwore the mitre the other priests worebonnets.

41 And thou shalt put them uponAaron thy brother, and his sons

with him; and shalt anoint them,and consecrate them, and sanctifythem, that they may minister untome in the priest's office.

Priestly Linen Breeches

42 And thou shalt make themlinen breeches to cover theirnakedness; from the loins evenunto the thighs they shall reach:

43 And they shall be uponAaron, and upon his sons, whenthey come in unto the tabernacle ofthe congregation, or when theycome near unto the altar tominister in the holy place; thatthey bear not iniquity, and die: itshall be a statute for ever unto himand his seed after him.

28: 43 and die. The honor of being aHigh Priest or an associate priest wastempered by the many ways a pre-mature death could be induced such asfailure to be properly dressed whenministering before the Lord. Leviticus22: 9 They shall therefore keep mineordinance, lest they bear sin for it, anddie therefore, if they profane it: I theLORD do sanctify them.

The Present DwellingPlace of God

As magnificent as the Tabernaclewas with its three doors, burnt altar,laver, Holy Place, lampstand, table ofshewbread, altar of incense, Holy ofHolies, Ark of the Covenant where inwas the law, Aaron’s rod and pot ofmanna not to mention the mercy seat andimages of cherubims, it all pales into

insignificance compared to the NewTestament revelation that God is nowpleased to dwell in a new Tabernacle,one not made with hand. 1 Corinthians3:16,17 explains. “Know ye not that yeare the temple of God, and that the Spiritof God dwelleth in you? 17 If any mandefile the temple of God, him shall Goddestroy; for the temple of God is holy,which temple ye are.

The dwelling place for God is still aTabernacle. The most holy and mostsacred place on earth today is still whereGod resides. Is it any wonder theChristian becomes the most importantperson on planet earth? Oh what honorand dignity God has bestowed uponthose who name the name of Christ.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner oflove the Father hath bestowed uponus, that we should be called the sonsof God: therefore the world knowethus not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons ofGod, and it doth not yet appear whatwe shall be: but we know that, whenhe shall appear, we shall be like him;for we shall see him as he is. 3 Andevery man that hath this hope in himpurifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Because God has chosen the body ofthe believer to be His special dwellingplace it is imperative the Christianpresents his body as a living sacrifice ona spiritual altar of divine dedication.Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore,brethren, by the mercies of God, that yepresent your bodies a living sacrifice,holy, acceptable unto God, which is yourreasonable service. 2 And be not

conformed to this world: but be yetransformed by the renewing of yourmind, that ye may prove what is thatgood, and acceptable, and perfect, willof God.

Because God has torn the veil let thebeliever come boldly before the throneof grace. Hebrews 4:16 Let us thereforecome boldly unto the throne of grace,that we may obtain mercy, and findgrace to help in time of need.

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Questions and Answers on theTabernacle

1. Question. What were the dimensionsof the outer court of the Tabernacle?

Answer.

2. Give the dimensions for thefollowing items.

Outer courtyard gate.Brazen AltarLaverInner curtain to the Holy PlaceLampstandTable of ShewbreadAltar of IncenseArk of the Covenant

Answer.

3. List the three “doors” or entrances inthe Tabernacle.

Answer.

4. On the floor plan of the Tabernaclelist all the major components.

Answer.

5. Explainfollowing

Brazen alLaverTable of SCandlestiAltar of InMercy sea

Answer.

6. What wegarments

Answer.

7. What is tgoats.

Answer.

8. What was

Answer.

9. Describeof salvatio

Answer.

10. What is the true meaning of themercy seat?

Answer.

Handout 2

* *

the symbolism of the.

tar.

hewbreadckcenset

re the various pieces ofworn by the high priest?

he significance of the two

the Urim and Thummim?

the two views of the ordern.

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Memory Word

Exodus 25:21 And thou shalt put themercy seat above upon the ark; and inthe ark thou shalt put the testimony that Ishall give thee. 22 And there I will meetwith thee, and I will commune with theefrom above the mercy seat, from betweenthe two cherubims which are upon theark of the testimony, of all things which Iwill give thee in commandment unto thechildren of Israel.

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Personal Reflection and Application

1. Do you think the Tabernacle is apattern of heaven? Why or why not?

2. Have you spiritually met with God atthe mercy seat of the Cross wherethe blood has been applied? Has yourlife been changed? Is there a newlonging for holiness?

3. How can a person be confident thesymbolism ascribed to various itemsin the Old Testament actually typifywhat is being suggested?

4. What advantage does the NewTestament believer have over the OldTestament saint?

The Floor Plan

5. With so much to do and rememberunder the Old Testament economy itwas good God provided a sacrificefor the sins of ignorance. Has livingthe Christian live proved to be anyeasier in the New Testament era?Why or why not?

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Student’s Supplemental Material

Exodus 27:16

Three Doors to the Tabernacle

First Door CourtyardThe Sacrifice of God the Son

Altar

Second Door Holy PlaceThe Sanctification ofGod the Holy Spirit

Laver

Third Door Holy of HoliesThe Sweet Fellowship of

God the FatherArk of Covenant

Note. For excellent posters of theTabernacle and the various articles of theTabernacle go to Templebuilders.com

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28:43 and die.

Eleven Reasons for a Pre-matureDeath of a Priest

1. Failure to make the proper soundwhen ministering before the Lordcould cause the death of the highpriest.

Exodus 28:33 And beneath upon thehem of it thou shalt makepomegranates of blue, and of purple,and of scarlet, round about the hemthereof; and bells of gold betweenthem round about: 34 A golden belland a pomegranate, a golden belland a pomegranate, upon the hem ofthe robe round about. 35 And it shallbe upon Aaron to minister: and hissound shall be heard when he goethin unto the holy place before theLORD, and when he cometh out, thathe die not.

2. Failure to wear the proper clothingbefore the Lord could induce apremature death.

Exodus 28: 42 And thou shalt makethem linen breeches to cover theirnakedness; from the loins even untothe thighs they shall reach: 43 Andthey shall be upon Aaron, and uponhis sons, when they come in unto thetabernacle of the congregation, orwhen they come near unto the altarto minister in the holy place; thatthey bear not iniquity, and die: itshall be a statute for ever unto himand his seed after him.

3. Failure to be properly cleansed whenministering before the Lord couldinduce a pre-mature death.

Exodus 30:20 When they go into thetabernacle of the congregation, theyshall wash with water, that they dienot; or when they come near to thealtar to minister, to burn offeringmade by fire unto the LORD:

Exodus 30:21 So they shall washtheir hands and their feet, that theydie not: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to hisseed throughout their generations.

4. Failure to abide at the door of theTabernacle for a prescribed numberof days could induce a pre-maturedeath.

Leviticus 8:35 Therefore shall yeabide at the door of the tabernacle ofthe congregation day and nightseven days, and keep the charge ofthe LORD, that ye die not: for so Iam commanded.

5. A show of disrespect to God byuncovering the heard or tearing theclothing could induce a pre-maturedeath.

Leviticus 10:6 And Moses said untoAaron, and unto Eleazar and untoIthamar, his sons, Uncover not yourheads, neither rend your clothes; lestye die, and lest wrath come upon allthe people: but let your brethren, thewhole house of Israel, bewail theburning which the LORD hathkindled.

Leviticus 10:7 And ye shall not goout from the door of the tabernacleof the congregation, lest ye die: forthe anointing oil of the LORD isupon you. And they did according tothe word of Moses.

6. An inappropriate use of alcoholicbeverages while ministering beforethe Lord could induce a pre-maturedeath.

Leviticus 10:9 Do not drink wine norstrong drink, thou, nor thy sons withthee, when ye go into the tabernacleof the congregation, lest ye die: itshall be a statute for ever throughoutyour generations:

7. Failure to be holy at an appointed timecould induce a pre-mature death.

Leviticus 15:31 Thus shall yeseparate the children of Israel fromtheir uncleanness; that they die notin their uncleanness, when theydefile my tabernacle that is amongthem.

8. Coming uninvited into the Holy ofHolies could induce a pre-maturedeath.

Leviticus 16:2 And the LORD saidunto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thybrother, that he come not at all timesinto the holy place within the vailbefore the mercy seat, which is uponthe ark; that he die not: for I willappear in the cloud upon the mercyseat.

9. Failure to put the incense upon the firebefore the Lord so a cloud couldcover the mercy seat would induce apre-mature death.

Leviticus 16:13 And he shall put theincense upon the fire before theLORD, that the cloud of the incensemay cover the mercy seat that isupon the testimony, that he die not:

10. An unauthorized and inappropriatetouching of holy objects or evenlooking at the sacred objects whiletransporting the Tabernacle couldinduce a pre-mature death.

Numbers 4:15 And when Aaron andhis sons have made an end ofcovering the sanctuary, and all thevessels of the sanctuary, as the campis to set forward; after that, the sonsof Kohath shall come to bear it: butthey shall not touch any holy thing,lest they die. These things are theburden of the sons of Kohath in thetabernacle of the congregation.

Numbers 4:19 But thus do unto them,that they may live, and not die, whenthey approach unto the most holythings: Aaron and his sons shall goin, and appoint them every one to hisservice and to his burden:

Numbers 4:20 But they shall not goin to see when the holy things arecovered, lest they die.

11. Excessive murmuring andcomplaining can induce a pre-maturedeath.

Numbers 14:35 I the LORD havesaid, I will surely do it unto all thisevil congregation, that are gatheredtogether against me: in thiswilderness they shall be consumed,and there they shall die.

Numbers 17:10 And the LORD saidunto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod againbefore the testimony, to be kept for atoken against the rebels; and thoushalt quite take away theirmurmurings from me, that they dienot.

Numbers 26:65 For the LORD hadsaid of them, They shall surely die inthe wilderness. And there was notleft a man of them, save Caleb theson of Jephunneh, and Joshua theson of Nun.

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Select Terminology of ScripturalSpiritual Symbolism

Blood is associated with death,sacrifice and substitution. In theRevelation, John sees the King ofkings and Lord of lords dressed witha garment dipped in blood.Revelation 19:13 And he was clothedwith a vesture dipped in blood: andhis name is called The Word of God.

Blue suggests heaven.

Brass speaks of the place ofjudgment. The Hebrews broughttheir sacrifices to a brazen altar. Theserpent Moses made and placed on apole was a symbol of Christ beingjudged for sin. John 3:14 And asMoses lifted up the serpent in thewilderness, even so must the Son ofman be lifted up: 15 That whosoeverbelieveth in him should not perish,but have eternal life.

Cross. This instrument of death hasbeen transformed by Christ into asymbol of grace and glory. Gal 6:14But God forbid that I should glory,save in the cross of our Lord JesusChrist, by whom the world iscrucified unto me, and I unto theworld.

Fine linen indicates therighteousness of the Church throughChrist. Revelation 19:8 And to herwas granted that she should bearrayed in fine linen, clean andwhite: for the fine linen is therighteousness of saints”.

The righteousness of the Christian isnone other than Christ Himself. 1Corinthians 1:30 But of him are yein Christ Jesus, who of God is madeunto us wisdom, and righteousness,and sanctification, and redemption:

Gate (Door). A gate speaks of anentrance. There was one gate to theTabernacle (Ex. 27:16), whichspeaks of Christ, the one Gate toeternal life. Matt 7:13 Enter ye in atthe strait gate: for wide is the gate,and broad is the way, that leadeth todestruction, and many there bewhich go in thereat: 14 Becausestrait is the gate, and narrow is theway, which leadeth unto life, and fewthere be that find it. John 10:10 I amthe door [gate]: by me if any manenter in, he shall be saved, and shallgo in and out, and find pasture.

Gold is often used to indicate theessential nature of God. As gold hasintrinsic worth and value and is pureso God’s attributes are intrinsic toHimself. They are not derived oracquired; they are not transformed ortransferable. God is God. He is thegreat and eternal “I AM” of whomthere is no other. Exodus 3:14 AndGod said unto Moses, I AM THAT IAM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say

unto the children of Israel, I AM hathsent me unto you.

Horns. In Scripture horns speak ofpower. Daniel 7:24 And the tenhorns out of this kingdom are tenkings that shall arise: and anothershall rise after them; and he shall bediverse from the first, and he shallsubdue three kings.

Leaven is spoken of in Scripture as apicture of sin. 1 Cor 5:6 Yourglorying is not good. Know ye notthat a little leaven leaveneth thewhole lump? 7 Purge out thereforethe old leaven, that ye may be a newlump, as ye are unleavened. For evenChrist our Passover is sacrificed forus:

One is the number of unity. Mark12:32 And the scribe said unto him[Jesus], Well, Master [Christ], thouhast said the truth: for there is oneGod; and there is none other but he:

One Thousand is the number ofcompletion. Ps 50:10 For everybeast of the forest is mine, and thecattle upon a thousand hills. Ps 90:4For a thousand years in thy sight arebut as yesterday when it is past, andas a watch in the night.

Purple is the color of royalty. Inmockery Christ was once clothedwith purple. John 19:2 And thesoldiers platted a crown of thorns,and put it on his head, and they puton him a purple robe, 3 And said,Hail, King of the Jews! and theysmote him with their hands. Today,

Christ wears the eternal robe ofroyalty as King of kings and Lord oflord. Rev 19:16 And he hath on hisvesture and on his thigh a namewritten, KING OF KINGS, ANDLORD OF LORDS.

Scarlet points the heart to the bloodysacrifices of redemption and thecross of Calvary.

Seven. Like the number onethousand the number seven speaks ofperfection and completion.

Shittim wood. Better translatedacacia wood this study timber isoften used to teach the humanity ofChrist. When overlaid with gold itportrays the hypostatic union ofChrist in that He was both man andGod. True humanity and true deity isunited in one Person forever.

Silver indicates redemption.Six is the number of man. He was

created on the sixth day. Gen 1:2626 And God said, Let us make manin our image, after our likeness: andlet them have dominion over the fishof the sea, and over the fowl of theair, and over the cattle, and over allthe earth, and over every creepingthing that creepeth upon the earth.27 So God created man in his ownimage, in the image of God createdhe him; male and female created hethem…. 31 And God saw every thingthat he had made, and, behold, it wasvery good. And the evening and themorning were the sixth day.In the Revelation, John sees theBeast with the number of man.Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom.

Let him that hath understandingcount the number of the beast: for itis the number of a man; and hisnumber is Six hundred threescoreand six.

Three is then umber of trinity. 1John 5:8 And there are three thatbear witness in earth, the spirit, andthe water, and the blood: and thesethree agree in one.

Water is essential for cleansing. Thebeliever is washed by the Wordwhich cleanses the heart Christ lovedthe church and gave himself for it;“That he might sanctify and cleanseit with the washing of water by theword” (Eph 5:25-26).

White speaks of holiness and thusrighteousness.

Veil. The veil in the Tabernacle andlater in the Temple spoke of the bodyof Christ which would be torn duringthe days of His humiliation. Heb10:19-20 Having therefore, brethren,boldness to enter into the holiest bythe blood of Jesus, 20 By a new andliving way, which he hathconsecrated for us, through the veil,that is to say, his flesh;

Note. Moody Press publishes a set of 12multi-colored transparences of theTabernacle. The black and white imagesprovided in this study come from ahandout in that set.