The Exodus account of the Tabernacle not only illustrates how the Israelites could make sacrificial offerings but points towards its ultimate fulfillment in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The books of Exodus and Hebrews picture Christ both as the high priest of the Tabernacle as well as its literal features and structures. While we do ourselves a great mis-service to view the Tabernacle solely as pointing to Christ, I think there is much we can learn about Christ's ministry through the lens of the ancient sacrificial system. The Tabernacle thus serves to remind the Church both of God’s gracious work in the past as well as His covenant commitment in the salvation of Man.
The altar of the Tabernacle was the place where the daily offerings of the Israelites were made. Exodus 27:1-8 provides a detailed sketch of how the altar was to be built and positioned. As illustrated in the first five chapters of the book of Leviticus these offerings could serve a variety of purposes from atoning for the sins of the offering to a peace offering of fellowship with God. Whereas these offerings were made repeatedly throughout the year and life of an individual, the book of Hebrews instructs that Christ’s sacrifice stands forever (Heb. 10:1). The author writes, “by this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,” furthermore, “for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified,” (Heb. 10:10,14).
The laver of the Tabernacle was a place of washing and cleansing oneself before the Lord. Having made a sacrifice at the altar this washing represented how the sins of the offerer had been washed away. In order to proceed further in the Tabernacle it was pertinent for the person to complete this cleansing before God. Again, Jesus fulfills the function and purpose of the laver in the perfect washing of sins by His blood. Christ approaches the Father on behalf of the saved, “through His own blood…for 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. 9:12-14).
Inside the Tabernacle God instructed Moses to place the Table of the Showbread (Ex. 25: 23-30). The Table served to remind Israel of God’s provision in the past as well as His faithful commitment to continue to do so in the future. By His lovingkindness God had bound Himself to Israel in His covenants with the patriarchs and Moses. The Table of the Showbread was an illustration of this truth. Christ, however, proves to be the quintessential Table of the Showbread. By His incarnation, death, and Resurrection Christ is the ultimate reminder of the Father’s commitment and provision of salvation for mankind.
The Golden Lampstand, or minora, of the Tabernacle was constructed to resemble the almond tree of the Near East (Ex. 25:31-40). The light it gave off represented the glory of the Lord as the priests’ tending to stood for the consecration of that glory over Israel. The emphasis in verse 40 that the Lampstand of the Tabernacle was only a pattern of that which God provided hints at completion of the consecrating and holy work of God through Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrews instructs that Christ is a forever manifestation of the glory of God and furthermore eternally consecrating Man (Heb. 7:25).
The Altar of Incense symbolized the prayers of the Israelites and communion with God (Ex. 30:7-10). God made special explanation to Moses as to the precise incense to be used so as not to defile or desecrate the Altar. Jesus Christ is the everlasting, undefiled prayer offered to God. Hebrews describes Christ as this prayer recording, “for it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;” (Heb. 7:26). As fully God and fully man Jesus is able to make the complete and perfect intercession between the Father and Man.
Exodus 26 provides specific instruction on the veil and screen that was to divide the Most Holy Place, or Holy of Holies, from the Holy Place. They were to be made of the same material and hung so as to close of the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Tabernacle (Ex. 26:31). The veil of the Tabernacle was a necessary element as in his iniquity no man could enter the presence of the most holy and righteous God. Jesus Christ, however, bridges the gap and makes communion with God possible for sinful man. The Hebrews-author writes, “we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,” (Heb. 10:19-20).
The Ark of the Covenant sat in the Holy of Holies containing a number of items illustrating the presence, holiness, and righteousness of God. The Ten Commandments represented the Law as handed to Moses from God on Sinai. As Paul instructs in the book of Romans the Law made sin known to Israel so that they would refrain from unrighteous acts (Rom. 7:13). The Law was also a manifestation of the glory and wonder of God. Significantly, while God re-wrote the Law on two stone tablets for the Ark He spoke of Himself, “the LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generation” (Ex. 34:6-7). There is no greater commentary in the Old Testament on the Law than this passage, which God provides Himself. It is, furthermore, this message and summary that Christ embodies, fulfills, and imputes to the hearts of the saved. Throughout the Epistles of the New Testament the Apostles testify to the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus Christ and the perfection of the Law written by Christ in the lives of Christians (Rom: 2:13; 3:31; 7:4; Heb. 10:15-18).
Also within the Ark was to be place the mercy seat (Ex. 25:17; 26:34). The mercy seat stood for the propitiating covering of the atoning sacrifice for the people. The presence of it in the Holy of Holies beside the Law within the Ark illustrated both the iniquity of the Israelites in their failure to adhere to the Law as well as God’s graciousness in allowing atonement to be made on their behalf. Jesus Christ serves as that propitiating sacrifice issuing forth the mercy of God over sinful man (Rom. 3:25).
The final two ways that Christ may be seen as the fulfillment of the Tabernacle relate to the Tabernacle as a whole. That God instructed Moses concerning a Tabernacle at all illustrates the extreme, unmerited graciousness He exhibits towards Man. The Tabernacle provided Israel with a means of accessing and approaching God. All the components within the Tabernacle are simply illustrations of the overarching truth of God’s faithfulness in preserving and reconciling Man unto Himself. Jesus Christ, therefore, is the perfect Tabernacle. Enjoying the fullness and perfection of God, Christ became incarnate as a man so that humanity could be permanently and perfectly reconciled to God (Phil. 2:6-11).
Furthermore, within the Tabernacle Christ is the perfect High Priest. The book of Hebrews is littered with references and examples of how Christ fulfills the role of High Priest making forever intercession for man before the Father. Christ, the Son of God, is eternal and capable, therefore, of interceding for man eternally (Heb. 7:25). He does not require an atoning sacrifice for Himself, since He is both perfect and that perfect sacrifice (Heb. 7:27). As High Priest Christ inaugurates a more perfect covenant between God and man enacted by His doing (Heb. 8:6). Furthermore, the atoning work of Christ, the High Priest, is already accomplished and finished. Man no longer needs to wait to come before the Father but rather may approach the throne through Christ’s one-time, perfect and complete sacrifice (Heb. 10:11-12).
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