The Tabernacle Its Design and Purpose Levels of

The Tabernacle Its Design and Purpose

Levels of meaning in OT narrative Eternal Level God & the Human Race: - God’s universal plan unfolding the Kingdom of God (Salvation History) Historical Level God & Israel: - God’s Covenant with Israel as a Nation (“OT”) Personal Level God & the Individual: – learning from individual characters’ life stories

Why the Tabernacle? n Teaching heavenly realities - the nature and character of God n God dwelling with His people Israel n How sinful people may approach a holy God n How God leads His people through the “wilderness” of life

A Key Concept. . . The House of God A Brief History of God living with His people

… a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before throne and in front of the Lamb. Revelation 7: 9 So God created man … male and female he created them. Genesis 1: 27 God dwelling with His People

God dwelling with His People 21: 3 “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ” 22: 4 “They will see his face, …. ”

A Key Concept. . . A Brief History of the House of God: the place of His Name, where God walks and lives among his people The Tabernacle Moses’ Tent of Meeting

The Temple Ø The Temple of Solomon became the Place of the Name 1 Kings 8: 10 -12 Psalm 80: 1, 3, 7, 19

Destruction of Jerusalem & the Temple Ø The Presence of God was lost by the persistent sin and idolatry of the People. Ezekiel 9: 3; 10: 3 ff; 11: 22 -25 Babylonian Empire (Iraq)

The Second Temple Ø The Temple is re-built in the Ezra-Nehemiah & Haggai-Zechariah period Persian Empire (Iran) “Ezra’s” Temple

Herod’s Temple Ø The Post-exile Temple never had the presence of God in or on it Ezra 3: 12 Ø Yet the promise remained that the Lord would return to the Temple. Ezekiel 43: 1 -12; Malachi 3: 1 The question is to which Temple and in what way ? !

GOD LIVING WITH HIS PEOPLE Ø The glory of God returned alright ! Immanuel Luke 2: 9; John 1: 14 Ø The God’s house switches from the temple in Jerusalem to Jesus’ body John 2: 16 -22 Ø Jesus was the Temple of God on earth ! John 2: 19; 14: 9 -11 Ø When Jesus left, what happened to the dwelling place of God? John 14: 23

GOD LIVING WITH HIS PEOPLE - John 14: 23 Ø The in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit: In the New Covenant the Presence of God is in a new Temple in the way that was first demonstrated in Christ Ø We are the “Temple” of God on earth !

Identifying the “House of God” Today The Apostles took the teaching of Christ to mean that the Triune God is to dwell in us: Ø The whole Church as one Body, the Universal Church, Eph. 2: 19 -22 Ø The local body of Christ in any geographic location, local churches, 1 Cor. 3: 16 -17 Ø The individual believer, my own body, 1 Cor. 6: 19 -20

Most Holy Place Courtyard

The Tabernacle

Shape and purpose Communion with God The Pillar of Cloud: Symbol of the real presence of God was in and on the Tabernacle, the House of God. Exodus 40: 34 -38 At the centre of the camp

Shape and purpose Ø As sinners we are unable to approach God

Shape and purpose The Entrance to the Tabernacle There is a way in; n Only one door n The door is wide n Easily entered n Beautiful

Shape and purpose The Bronze Altar n No entry without atoning sacrifice c

Shape and purpose Bronze Laver n The need for regular cleansing c

Shape and purpose Golden Lampstand n Living in the light of God c

Shape and purpose The Bread of the Presence Feeding on the word of God n Eating with God n c

Shape and purpose Altar of Incense n Praise and prayers c

Shape and purpose Veil of the Tabernacle n Absolute Holiness c

Shape and purpose Worship n At the heart of our existence is worship Ark of the Covenant

Construction of the Tabernacle Exodus 35 - Required: n The people’s freewill offerings v 5 – which were actually very generous, and had to be stopped as being too much! n Skilled people’s free offering of time and talent v 10 n All used and carried out “according to the pattern” 25: 9, 40, 26: 30; 27: 8

2 Key Concepts. . . 1. The Presence of God: The Pillar Cloud was the real presence of God in and on the Tabernacle,

2 Key Concepts. . . 2. The House of God: Why a house? n n A dwelling place (security & rest) A point of contact (your address) A testimony to the owner (witness) The domain of the owner (authority)

The “House of God” Today § The whole Church as one Body, the Universal Church, Eph. 2: 19 -22 § The local body of Christ in any geographic location, local churches, 1 Cor. 3: 16 -17 § The individual believer, my own body, 1 Cor. 6: 19 -20 Building up God’s house today. . . Ø What things am I freely giving? Ø What skills am I freely using? Ø Am I following God’s wisdom and plan in the building process?

The Presence of God Ø Guidance & Direction: God’s Spirit used the Pillar of Cloud to guide and instruct the people of God Num. 9: 15 -23; 12: 5 Isaiah 63: 7 -14 Nehemiah 9: 19 -20