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SHADOW
AND SUBSTANCE
The Tabernacle in the
Wilderness
First
in an occasional series
OF
ALL the
allegories and word-pictures in the Bible, few are more interesting or more
relevant to the Christian than the Tabernacle. It is a goldmine of types, of
which the fulfilment, or antitypes, illuminate the salvific teachings of the New
Testament, and help to fix in the mind the details of the Gospel message. Seen
in this light, the Tabernacle is quite unlike the wilderness environment in
which the literal Tabernacle was often situated – it need not be a dry and dusty
study, but one alive with meaning for the present and the future of the
Christian and will reward attention. We will start off with a quick overview of
the structure and elaborate on related aspects in subsequent
articles.
Many
Christians are inclined to gloss over the Old Testament in favour of the New,
sometimes forgetting that the latter does not render irrelevant the ancient
records of the patriarchs, prophets, and the exploits of Israel in general. It
might be that to modern, Western sensibilities, the Hebrew Testament is
‘unpleasant’ in a number of respects and can raise awkward theological problems.
But there is no ‘Old’ God versus a ‘New’ one. The two Testaments are not
discontinuous, but inseparably linked by a strong chain of purpose and prophecy,
each link of evidence strengthening the assurance of God’s unified plan
of salvation. The Old Testament is centred around Christ, not just in its
prophecies, but in its types, in which the Tabernacle and its related services
play an important role. The writer of the book of Hebrews affirms this in
Chapters 8 to 10, drawing clear parallels between the services conducted in the
Tabernacle and the present and future ministry of Christ and His Church.[fn1]
Nuts and
Bolts
The
architecture of the Tabernacle was stipulated in detail by Jehovah in the
instructions He gave to Moses in Mount Sinai, at the (second) giving of the
Tables of the Law. The complicated account runs from Exodus 35: 4 to Exodus 40:
33.
In this article we are using the New International Version (UK edition). Though
large, the Tabernacle was constructed in modular fashion, and could be
dismantled and packed up when it was time to move on (Exodus 40: 36-38).[fn2]
Illustration
of Tabernacle. Dotted lines represent surrounding curtain. Entrance was located
on right-hand side.
A
Simplified Description of the Tabernacle
As shown
in the illustration, the Tabernacle was made up of several areas. The
Courtyard – the large space inside the curtained area (A). Here was
situated the large main altar and an oversized washbasin on a pedestal. In the
approximate middle of the Court was the Tabernacle proper (B). This
rectangular building was split into two compartments, which for clarity’s sake
we will style as follows: the first, The Holy, and the second, The
Most Holy. These two were separated by a ceiling-to-floor curtain. In The
Holy were several items of furniture: a table containing unleavened bread
(top); an oil-burning lampstand (bottom right); and a small altar
on which incense was burned (bottom left). In The Most Holy there was
just one item of furniture, The Ark. the lid of which was
surmounted by two sculpted figures of angels (cherubim). Inside this large
chest were several items: the two stone slabs of the Mosaic Law, a pot of manna,
and the staff formerly owned by Aaron (Hebrews 9: 1-5[fn3]
To Be
Continued
_____________________
Acknowledgements
Many writers have covered
the subject of the Tabernacle, but perhaps one of the most intimate and
comprehensive treatments of the subject is Tabernacle Shadows of the Better
Sacrifices (IBSA, orig. edition, 1881; revised, 1936, Paul
S.L. Johnson, editor). The elements of this article have been drawn from
this book.
[fn1]
This
phrase, ‘the writer of the book of Hebrews’, is a tentative concession to the
prevailing opinion among Biblical scholars that the author of this epistle is,
firstly, unknown and, secondly, that it was not Paul. However, it is
likely that only Paul could have written this remarkable book, having
been favoured, above the other Apostles, with visions and profound insights into
doctrines essential to the development of the Church during the Gospel
Age.
[fn2] The
original ‘tent of
meeting’ (tabernacle) in Israel was that established by Moses after the
Israelites had left Egypt. We are informed of this in the brief account of
Exodus 33: 7-10.
However, it is the large-scale Tabernacle, precursor to the Temple, which is the
subject of this article.
[fn3] A
description of the main sections of the Tabernacle is at Exodus 40: 17-33; note
that the progression there runs C, B, A. For the purposes of subsequent
explanations this article assumes the structure as one would encounter it coming
in through the curtain at the far right, through the gate (not
shown).
Copyright June 2009
ukbiblestudents.co.uk
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