In the wake of the Exodus from Egypt, as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, God commanded Moses to construct a portable sacred dwelling place called the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting. This Tabernacle would serve as the center of Israelite worship and the symbolic residence of God among His people during their journey to the Promised Land. Its design, furnishings, and rituals held deep spiritual significance, foreshadowing the coming of Christ and the establishment of the new covenant.
As we explore the Tabernacle's purpose and contrast it with the more permanent Temples in Jerusalem built by Solomon after the Babylonian exile, we gain profound insights into God's progressive revelation of His redemptive plan for humanity.
The Wilderness Tabernacle: A Dwelling Place for God's Glory
God's instructions for constructing the Tabernacle are recorded in exquisite detail in Exodus chapters 25-27. The Lord said to Moses:
"And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst." (Exodus 25:8 ESV)
From the outset, the Tabernacle's primary purpose was to be a visible symbol of God's presence among His covenant people. It was to be a "sanctuary" - a sacred space set apart for encounters with the divine. The Hebrew word for "dwell" (shakan) carries the sense of God taking up permanent residence, making His home with Israel.
The Tabernacle was a remarkable sacred tent, highly portable and designed for transit through the wilderness. Yet its construction materials and furnishings were of the highest quality and workmanship, befitting the glory of the God who would take up residence there.
The frame was made of acacia wood boards overlaid with gold (Exodus 26:15-30). The roof consisted of four layers of coverings - finely twisted linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, and the outer covering of dolphin skins (Exodus 26:1-14). Lavish furnishings included:
- The Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10-22) - A gold-covered wooden chest containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing God's covenant with Israel.
- The Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:17-22) - A solid gold lid on the Ark, with two cherubim facing each other, representing God's throne.
- The Table for the Bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:23-30) - A gold table displaying twelve loaves of bread representing the twelve tribes.
- The Golden Lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40) - A seven-branched golden lampstand providing perpetual light in the Holy Place.
- The Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10) - A gold altar for burning fragrant incense before the Most Holy Place.
- The Bronze Altar (Exodus 27:1-8) - Standing in the courtyard before the tent for burnt offerings of animals.
- The Bronze Basin (Exodus 30:17-21) - For ritual washings of the priests.
The design culminated in the Most Holy Place, the innermost chamber where the Ark of the Covenant was placed, shielded by a veil. In this space, the glory of the Lord took up residence (Exodus 40:34-35). The layout reflected God's holiness and desire to dwell among a redeemed and consecrated people.
Sacrifice, Priesthood, and Atonement
A central component of Tabernacle worship was the sacrificial system mediated by the Aaronic priesthood. Daily offerings of animals, grains, and incense were made on the altars, representing atonement for sin and thanksgiving to God.
Most significantly, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place with the blood of specially sacrificed animals. This blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, making atonement for the people's sins (Leviticus 16).
The sacrifices indicated the need for a perfect, unblemished sacrifice to atone for human sin and guilt truly. They foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah, the Great High Priest, who would offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to reconcile God and man (Hebrews 9:11-14).
A Temporary Tent for a Pilgrim People
Unlike the permanent Temple structures that would later be built in Jerusalem, the Tabernacle was designed for mobility as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness.
"For whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped." (Numbers 9:17 ESV)
As the pillar of the cloud representing God's presence moved, so did the Tabernacle. Its portability reflected Israel's itinerant state as they wandered between Egypt and Canaan.
Just as God had delivered them from slavery, He would continue to travel with them, His Tabernacle a constant reminder that He was making His dwelling among them. This "Tent of Meeting" was where God would speak to Moses and the people (Exodus 33:7-11).
The temporary nature of the Tabernacle foreshadowed the coming of Christ, God's final Word who "became flesh and dwelt (literarily 'tabernacled') among us" (John 1:14). The ultimate fulfillment would be God taking up permanent residence among His redeemed people for eternity (Revelation 21:3).
The Tabernacle and the Jerusalem Temples
After Israel's conquest of Canaan, the Tabernacle was eventually relocated to Shiloh during the period of the Judges (Joshua 18:1). However, it was always intended to be a temporary structure until a permanent temple could be built.
King David's desire to construct a temple for God was approved, but he was not the one to build it because he was a man of war (1 Chronicles 28:2-3). That honor fell to his son Solomon.
Solomon's Temple
With lavish resources and a 183,000-worker labor force, Solomon constructed the first permanent temple in Jerusalem over seven years (1 Kings 6:38). The temple's design followed the pattern of the Tabernacle but on a grander, more permanent scale.
The outer courts featured the bronze altar for sacrifices and the famous molten sea on the backs of twelve bronze oxen for ritual cleansing. The inner sanctuary contained many of the same furnishings as the Tabernacle - the Ark of the Covenant, a table for the Bread of the Presence, and golden lampstands.
However, this was an immense stone complex overlaid with gold and other precious materials instead of a tent. The Most Holy Place alone측pped 20 cubits ꀫ (1 Kings 6:20).
The glory-cloud of God's presence filled the temple at its dedication, as it had the Tabernacle (1 Kings 8:10-11). Yet the temple was always intended to be more than just a replacement dwelling - it became a national symbol of God's covenant with the Davidic kingdom and His promise to establish an everlasting throne (2 Samuel 7:12-16).
The Destruction and Rebuilding
Sadly, the kingdom of Judah and Solomon's Temple fell into idolatry and disobedience, leading to the temple's destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The Ark of the Covenant was lost, and the Jewish people were exiled.
After seventy years of exile, a remnant of Jews returned to Jerusalem and began rebuilding the Temple under leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah (Ezra 1-6). This "Second Temple" lacked the glory and richness of Solomon's but restored the worship practices tied to the Tabernacle rituals.
Around 20 BC, this Second Temple underwent a massive renovation and expansion under Herod the Great. This temple witnessed the Boy Jesus amazing the teachers (Luke 2:41-50) and the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry.
The Ultimate Fulfillment in Christ
The contrasts between the Tabernacle and the Temples highlight the unfolding revelation of God's redemptive purposes. The Tabernacle was glorious but ultimately temporary, mirroring the provisional nature of the Old Covenant.
Solomon's Temple was more permanent but still an earthly, physical structure limited by the sin and frailty of the human kingdom it represented. While restoring proper worship, the Second Temple could never regain the pristine glory of the First.
These sanctuaries, however, pointed to the more significant and final reality - the coming of Jesus Christ, God's ultimate Word and presence among humanity.
In the Gospel accounts, we see themes from the Tabernacle/Temple applied to Christ:
- Just as the Tabernacle was God's first dwelling with His people, John declares of Jesus, "The Word became flesh and dwelt (literally 'tabernacled') among us" (John 1:14).
- At the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), celebrating the re-dedication of the Second Temple, Jesus proclaimed, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), referring to His death and resurrection.
- He identified Himself as the new and more extraordinary Temple that replaces the old (John 4:21-24).
- He decisively cleansed the Temple precincts, quoting Scripture about God's house being for all nations (Mark 11:15-17).
The writer of Hebrews expounds on how Christ is the perfect fulfillment of the Tabernacle/Temple symbols and rituals:
- He is the final, unblemished sacrifice, whose blood obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-14).
- He is the great High Priest who entered the true heavenly sanctuary to make propitiation for sins (Hebrews 9:23-26).
- Through His flesh (His incarnation), He is the true veil granting access to God's presence (Heb. 10:19-22).
- He is both the lampstand giving light and the true bread from heaven that nourishes (John 8:12, 6:32-35).
In Christ, the physical relocates to the spiritual realm. He Himself is the true Tabernacle/Temple, the dwelling place of God among His people. Those united to Him by faith are being constructed into God's spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-5).
When Christ returns, this spiritual reality will take on a new physical dimension. The New Jerusalem will have no temple building, "for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Rev. 21:22). God's unmediated presence will be the everlasting sanctuary for His redeemed people.
The Continuing Significance Today
While the Law's regulations for the Tabernacle/Temples have been fulfilled in Christ, the symbolism remains deeply instructive for believers today:
1) God's Desire for Intimacy - The sanctuaries remind us of God's burning desire to dwell among His redeemed people in intimate communion. We are now His temple by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).
2) The Need for Holiness - Like the outer/inner court divisions, we must continually be cleansed and set apart to approach God's holy presence (Hebrews 10:19-22).
3) Christ Our Access - Jesus is the only way into the heavenly Holy of Holies; He is the veil allowing us access to God (John 14:6).
4) The Beauty of Worship - The lavish materials reflect how our worship should be an extravagant giving of our best to glorify God.
5) Sacrifice and Atonement - The sacrifices vividly depict Christ's supreme sacrifice to atone for sin, which we commemorate in the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
6) Light and Sustenance - We must continually look to Christ as the Light illuminating our path and the Bread nourishing us (John 8:12, 6:35).
7) The Promise of His Presence - Just as God's glory filled the sanctuaries, He promises His abiding spiritual presence among His people always (Matthew 28:20).
As we study the symbolism of the ancient Tabernacle and Temples, we are ushered into Christ's very mystery and beauty. He is the radiance of God's glory and the "true tent" that resolves all the shadows and makes God's presence everlastingly available.
"For Christ has entered...into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf" (Heb. 9:24). In Him, the wilderness wanderings and exiles are over - we can enjoy the reality of God dwelling with us forever.
Conclusion
The Tabernacle and Temples were forerunners pointing to the ultimate revelation of God's dwelling with His people in Christ. The Tabernacle was a portable sanctuary where God's glory rested among the Israelites as they journeyed (Exodus 40:34-38). The more permanent Temple built by Solomon continued this dwelling theme but on a grander scale (1 Kings 8:10-11).
However, these were but shadows of the greater reality to come. As John declares, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" (John 1:14). Christ is the true Tabernacle, the perfect dwelling place of God's presence with man.
He is the fulfillment of the sacrificial system, being the spotless Lamb whose blood obtains eternal redemption as the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-14, John 1:29). He is the great High Priest who entered the true heavenly sanctuary to make propitiation for sins (Hebrews 9:23-26). His flesh is the new veil granting access to God's presence (Hebrews 10:19-22).
The physical Tabernacle and Temples were limited, but reality has become spiritual and eternal in Christ. Believers are being built into God's spiritual house with Christ as the cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-5). When He returns, the New Jerusalem will have no temple building, "for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Revelation 21:22).
Until then, we can experience the wonder of God tabernacling with us through His indwelling Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). As we continue our pilgrimage, may we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, the true light, bread, and radiant glory that the ancient sanctuaries foreshadowed (John 8:12, 6:35, Hebrews 1:3).
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