|
The UK Bible Students Website Christian Biblical Studies
|
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]
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.
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[]
To Be
Continued
_____________________
Acknowledgements
[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
You may reproduce this article in part or in whole, but kindly let us know if you do.
**************************************************
