The tabernacle was constructed by Divine command and according to Divine plan, and when set up in the wilderness became the center of the many thousands of Israel, and the meeting place between Jehovah and His people (Ex. 29:42-46). In it God dwelt, surrounded by His happy and redeemed people, and out of it He addressed them in strains of richest grace (Lev. 1:1). It is several times termed "the tabernacle of witness," as eloquent in its teaching of heavenly and better things to come.
The tabernacle was set up in the wilderness on the first day of the first month of the second year of Israel's departure from Egypt (Ex. 40:17); its flooring was the sand of the desert, unlike that of the temple, which was of pure gold, but the majesty of Jehovah abode thereon, and the glory of Jehovah filled it (Ex. 40:34). The tabernacle and all that pertained to it, even to the cords, pins, and tacks, was intended to teach Christ, to shadow His work and priesthood, and to illustrate various relationships between God and His heavenly and earthly peoples. In its general arrangement and structure, down to the minutest detail recorded, all was planned and constructed by the Spirit of God (Ex. 31), who, many centuries afterward comments upon His own workmanship (Heb. 9:8). The tabernacle was made according to a pattern shown to Moses (Heb. 8:5), and served as a shadow of good things to come (Heb. 9:11); the patterns, too, of things in the heavens (Heb. 9:23, 24), but it figured also the whole scene of creation (Heb. 3.)
The building was divided into three parts, first, the innermost recess, into which the high priest alone could enter once a year, and only with incense and blood—Christ's person and work. Here stood the ark, covered by the pure gold mercy-seat and supported by the golden, overshadowing cherubim, between which, Jehovah sat enthroned in Divine majesty and glory. This apartment is called "the holiest of all," and "most holy," and figures the immediate presence of God—the heaven of heavens. Second, the holy place divided from the "holiest" by the beautiful veil, and from the "court" by the hanging. Here rested the incense or golden altar, the gold-covered table of shewbread, and seven-branched golden candlestick. It was in this holy apartment where the priests daily worshipped and served, which represents the heavenly places, the scene of the church's blessing; there we burn the fragrant incense in the presence of our God—the merits of Christ's person and accomplished sacrifice; there, too, does the Holy Spirit exhibit the varied glories of Christ as the lamps shone upon the beautifully carved shaft of the candlestick, displaying its beauties; and there, too, do we feed upon Christ, as the priests did upon the shewbread. Third, we are now in the "outer court" where stood the brazen altar and the brazen laver filled with water. The former told its own tale of judgment; surely the ever burning fire, fed by continual sacrifice, impressively pointed to the "Lamb of God," bearing sin's judgment on the cross, and the value of which is eternally ascending to God; the brazen laver, on the other hand, which stood between the entrance to the holy place and the altar of burnt-offering, pointed to the necessity of God's priests having clean hands to hold up, and clean feet wherewith to tread the courts of the Lord's house, for both hands and feet were to be constantly cleansed in the laver. The vessels then in the outer court would express the ground, place, and means by which God could righteously meet any sinner coming out of the world, yes, and meet him too in richest grace.
The main design of the tabernacle was two-fold. First, as the scene and manifestation of God to man; and, secondly, as revealing the holy means by which man could be righteously and in grace presented to God. If this two-fold design in the construction of the tabernacle and in the enumeration of its vessels be borne in mind, it will sufficiently account for the singular omission of the laver in the description of the outer court (Ex. 27), and of the incense altar in the account given of the holy place (Ex. 25); both those vessels will be found fully described after the consecration of the priesthood (Ex. 30). Here we are furnished with a fine example of the perfection of Holy Scripture. From Exodus 25 till Exodus 27, we have God manifesting Himself to man through those wondrous types and shadows, hence the marked omission of certain vessels; but from Exodus 28 till Exodus 30, we have the priests, their holy garments, and the vessels previously omitted, as all these refer to the means of man's approach to God.
The studies of the Christian reader on the subject of the tabernacle generally, and of its spiritual teachings, will be considerably facilitated by carefully noting the force of three expressions in Hebrews 9: "The tabernacle," the "first tabernacle," the "second" tabernacle. The first expression refers to the whole structure, as in first clause of Heb. 9:2: "for there was a tabernacle made;" the second expression refers to the holy place, and the third to the most holy. Now, the first tabernacle, or holy place, the scene of constant service and worship, figures the whole Jewish economy, characterized by continual doing, yet unfinished service, and which necessarily kept man at a distance from God (Heb. 9:8-10).
MATERIALS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE AND THE VESSELS, THE PRIESTS' HOLY GARMENTS, &c. (Ex. 35)
1. GOLD-Divine glory; Divine righteousness; Divine nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. SILVER-Jesus in the value of His person and work for the sinners' redemption.
3. BRASS-Christ sustaining the judgment of God against sin.
4. BLUE-Heavenly character of the blessed Lord.
5. PURPLE-Royalty of Christ.
6. SCARLET-Earthly glory of Christ.
7. FINE LINEN-Spotless purity of the blessed One in His person and ways.
8. GOATS' HAIR-Christ's absolute separation from all outward evil and sin.
9. RAMS' SKINS DYED RED-Life-and-death devotedness of Christ to God.
10. BADGERS' SKINS-Absolute holiness of Jesus, repelling every form of outward evil.
11. SHITTIM WOOD-The holy humanity of our Lord Jesus.
12. OIL FOR THE LIGHT-The Spirit of God the efficient power of all true testimony.
13. SPICES FOR ANOINTING OIL, AND FOR SWEET INCENSE-The moral graces and perfections of Christ expressed in the energy of the Holy Spirit (the oil), and also in Christ's intercession for believers.
14. ONYX STONES-The variegated glories of Christ.
15. STONES FOR THE EPHOD AND BREASTPLATE-Moral glories and beauties of Christ.
THE PROMINENT VESSELS, ETC., OF THE TABERNACLE.
1. ARK, made of shittim wood, and covered all over with gold inside and outside, surmounted with a golden crown, and with its rings and staves-Highest type of Christ in the two-fold glory of His person as man (shittim wood), as Divine (gold) and now crowned with glory and honor, and His perfect adaptation to all our wilderness circumstances (the rings and staves).
2. ALTAR of incense, made of shittim wood, and overlaid with pure gold, with its rings and staves, and surrounded with a golden crown-Christ the holy meeting-place between God and the saint in respect to worship. By Him we offer the sacrifice of praise to God (Heb. 13:55). Crowned on high (Heb. 2:9) and seated in the highest
place (Heb. 8:5), He presents the merits of His own glorious person and the infinite perfection of His own accomplished sacrifice before the face of God, and that too for us, who there act as kings and priests to God (Rev. 1:6). In yonder Man, "Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens," my heart doth rest, in Him my affections delight; on Him I feed, and find present, full, and eternal satisfaction. As we gaze on Him, the heart is filled with worship, and we fill the holy place with songs of praise to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
3. ALTAR of judgment, made of shittim wood and overlaid with brass (copper) with its rings and staves, grating, etc.-Christ the righteous meeting-place between God and the sinner in respect to sin.
Christ on the cross measuring the distance and the responsibility of sinner to God. There my need as a sinner is fully met, and my guilty conscience perfectly satisfied. The golden altar in the holy place is the expression of my nearness to God as a happy saint; the brazen altar in the court is the expression of distance from God and of the judgment due to the sinner.
4. BREASTPLATE of judgment, made of gold (divine), blue (heavenly), purple (royalty), scarlet (earthly glory), and of fine-twined linen (spotless humanity), with stones engraved (reflections of the glories of Christ) and set in the breastplate in gold enclosing (Divine securities)-Believers ever borne on the heart of Jesus before God in divine love and righteousness, and according to all that Christ is personally and officially.
5. CHERUBIM (plural) made out of the same piece of gold as the mercy-seat or lid of the ark, one on either side covering, it with outstretched wings-Divine attributes judicially displayed, or the moral supports of Jehovah's throne, as " justice and judgment " (Psa. 89:14).
6. CANDLESTICK, of pure gold, with beautifully carved shaft, and with its branches, bowls, knops, and flowers-The Holy Spirit's perfect display of Christ in the exquisite and variegated glories of His person as the wondrous Light of a heavenly people.
7. GOLDEN BELLS AND POMEGRANATES, of blue, purple, and scarlet, hung alternately round the hem of the blue robe of the ephod worn by the High Priest in the presence of God The "golden bells" set forth the testimony of the Holy Ghost to us as to the acceptance of Christ in all that He is, as now within the veil. The "golden pomegranates" sets forth the fruit Christ has gathered out of this scene, and which He now presents to God in all the glorious efficacy of His person. The "bells" are testimony to us; the "pomegranates" are fruit to God.
8. LAVER, of brass, with its foot also of brass and filled with water-The ability of Christ in meeting His people's defilement, so as to keep them practically clean for priestly service and priestly worship. The water figures the Word of God (Eph. 5:26) as constantly applied to our walk, ways, words, thoughts, and actions.
9. MERCY SEAT, of pure gold; the golden cover of the ark-On this, and between the cherubim, rested the cloud—symbol of Jehovah's presence. It was on the mercy seat, and thus before the eye of God, that the high priest sprinkled the blood once on the yearly atonement day, and before it seven times, as giving us a standing in the Divine presence. The mercy seat was also the trysting-place between God enthroned in Divine majesty and the people represented by the high priest, who entered with incense and blood. Christ is our mercy seat (Rom. 3:25).
10. TABLE OF Show-BREAD, made of shittim wood, overlaid with pure gold, surrounded with a golden crown, and show-bread set before the Lord alway-Christ, now crowned with glory and honor in the double glory of His person as God and man, is the table; and Christ too the food set thereon, and all this He ever is before our God. He is our light—the candlestick; our food—the bread; and our object in worship—the golden altar: all these standing in the holy place. Is not Christ everything in these shadows?