Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
[ENCAMPMENT.]
Concise Bible Dictionary:
Camp of the twelve tribes of Israel around the Tabernacle.
“The Camp” was a common expression used of Israel in the wilderness: the tabernacle in the center and the twelve tribes, each in its appointed place, arranged around it, composed the camp. Everything was ordered of God, and each tribe must pitch its tents in the places appointed for them (Num. 2). As we might have expected, Moses, Aaron, and the priests were nearest to the door of the Tabernacle, and the Levites surrounded the three other sides.
The order in which the tribes were to march was also specified. In Psalm 80:2 we read “Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us.” This alludes to those three being the tribes which immediately followed the Ark, the symbol of God’s presence. It will be seen that the tribes were grouped under four leaders, each being called a camp. They moved in the order given in Num. 10—
JUDAH, with Issachar and Zebulun,
The GERSHONITES and the MERARITES with the Tabernacle,
REUBEN, with Simeon and Gad,
The KOHATHITES with the “sanctuary,”
EPHRAIM, with Manasseh and Benjamin,
DAN, with Asher and Naphtali.
Certain defilements shut a person out of the camp until he was cleansed, and many things had to be carried outside as being unfit for the place in the midst of which God had His dwelling-place. When the camp itself had become defiled by the golden calf, Moses “took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp.... and called it the tabernacle of the congregation.” This was not really “the tabernacle,” for it had not at that time been erected. The word used signifies “the tent,” and it was doubtless a tent anticipatory of the tabernacle significantly pitched by Moses outside the camp, to show that God’s dwelling could not be where there was an idol, for it is added, “Every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp” (Ex. 33:7).
The bodies of the beasts whose blood was brought into the sanctuary by the high priests for sin were burned without the camp (Ex. 29:14; Lev. 4:11-12; Heb. 13:11). With this is linked the fact that Jesus also “suffered without the gate” (of Jerusalem, which then answered to the camp); on which is based the exhortation to Christians, “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Heb. 13:12-13). The whole earthly religious system adapted to the natural man, as Judaism of old, answers now to “the camp” which Christians are exhorted to leave. Such systems, Judaism and Christendom, stand in direct contrast to the heavenly and spiritual character of the church of God. The camp in Revelation 20:9 refers to the nation of Israel when again gathered into the land of Palestine. There is no “camp” on earth for the church.
From Anstey’s Doctrinal Definitions:
This refers to the religious system of Judaism which the Lord ordained for Israel (Ex. 25-31; Heb. 13:13). It is predominantly an outward way of approaching God in worship through ceremonial forms and rituals. It was an earthly order of religious practice that was given to an earthly company of people in Old Testament times, who had earthly hopes and an earthly destiny in the land of Canaan. “The camp,” therefore, refers to Judaism and all of its related principles and practices. It stands in stark contrast to “the new and living way” of worship in Christianity (Heb. 10:19-22), which is a heavenly way of approach to God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24) ordained for a heavenly company of believers, who have heavenly hopes and a heavenly destiny.
“The camp” is something which the Lord is presently outside of today in these Christian times (Heb. 13:13). The responsible leaders of that Jewish system cast Him out of it and killed Him! (Matt. 21:37-39; John 1:11; Acts 3:13-15; Heb. 13:12) In resurrection, the Lord has remained outside that system and will continue to do so “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). At the present, His gathering believers around Himself for worship, ministry, and Christian fellowship in the place of His appointment outside the camp (Heb. 13:13-16; Matt. 18:20). This, the writer of Hebrews tells us, will be along the lines of the new and living way in Christianity. The point in Hebrews 13:9-16 is that God does not want the two systems of worship (Judaism and Christianity) to be mixed (Heb. 13:10). The passage tells us that Judaism is an order of things which Christians are to separate from, because the Lord is not identifying Himself with it today. They are told to “go forth unto Him without the camp” and to offer their “sacrifice of praise to God” there where He is—without the use of all the outward means of worship used in Judaism (Heb. 13:15).
The problem is that the church denominations in Christendom have not understood the teaching in Hebrews 13:9-16. Nor has the instruction of Hebrews 9:8-9, 23-24 been given its due consideration, which says that the Old Testament tabernacle system (“the camp”) is a figure of the true sanctuary in which Christians can now worship by the Spirit. Instead of seeing it as a figure, Christians have used the tabernacle system as a pattern for their churches, and have borrowed many things in a literal sense from that Judaic order for their places of worship and their religious services.
The following is a short list of some of the things that have been borrowed from Judaism in the formation of modern church groups:
• The use of literal ornate temples and cathedrals for places of worship.
• A special caste of ordained men who officiate on behalf of the congregation.
• The use of musical instruments to aid worship.
• The use of a choir.
• The use of incense to create a religious atmosphere.
• The use of robes on the “Ministers” and choir members.
• The use of a literal (non-sacrificial) altar.
• The practice of tithing.
• The observance of holy days and religious festivals.
• A registry of names of persons in the congregation.
Judaic worship appeals to the natural senses, being an earthly and a sensual religion. In fact, a person does not even need to be born again to appreciate and enjoy it! It is stimulated by:
• Sight—i.e. the grandeur of the temple (1 Kings 10:4-5; Mark 13:1; Luke 21:5).
• Smell—i. e. the burning incense that made a compelling atmosphere (Ex. 30:34-38).
• Taste—i.e. eating the sacrifices (Deut. 14:26).
• Hearing—i.e. beautiful music produced by the orchestra and accompaniment of the choir (1 Chron. 25:1, 3, 6-7).
• Touch—i.e. participating in the offerings in a physical way, by dancing and the lifting up of hands, etc. (2 Sam. 6:13-14; 1 Kings 8:22).
It is true that many of these Judaic things have been altered somewhat by the churches of Christendom to fit into a Christian context, but these places still have the trappings of Judaism. In fact, sadly, this Jewish order has permeated the Church. Much of it has been around in Christianity for so long that it has become accepted by the masses as God’s ideal. Most people today think that it is good and right to have this Judeo-Christian mixture. Unfortunately, the mixing of these two orders of approach to God has destroyed the distinctness of each, and what has resulted from the mixture is something that is not real Judaism, nor is it real Christianity. Both have been spoiled (Luke 5:36-39).
In Christianity, we offer up “spiritual sacrifices” aided by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:5; Phil. 3:3) in contrast to the “carnal ordinances” in the Judaic order (Heb. 9:10). Christian sacrifices of praise are done in the immediate presence of God within the veil (Heb. 10:19-20; 13:15). This is a privilege that Israel did not have. It is significant that we do not find anywhere in the book of the Acts, or in the epistles, that Christians worshipped the Lord in their meetings by using rituals and outward mechanical means, such as musical instruments. The only two mediums that Christians are found using in worship in Scripture are their “hearts” (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19) and their “lips” (Hebrews 13:15). Since Christian worship is “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), we can sit quietly in a chair, and there can be produced in our souls and spirits true praise to God by the Holy Spirit. This is true heavenly (Christian) worship, for in heaven there will be no need for musical instruments and rituals in the worship of God, as in Judaism. Thus, the Christian’s place of worship is:
• Inside the veil in spirit (Heb. 10:19-20).
• Outside the camp as to ecclesiological position (Heb. 13:13).
It is not that the Judaic order of worship is evil; it is not. It was set up and ordained of God for Israel. What Scripture teaches is that it is not for the Church. When Israel will be restored and blessed in their land in a coming day (the Millennium), they will rightly worship God after that Judaic order (Ezek. 43-46).