From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 1997 11:51 PM
To: tomholeman@acci.echlin.com
Subject: The Tabernacle of Moses -- Part I
From Eddie:
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Tom,
Regarding your note about the missing article. Here it is!
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From: Mark Wilson
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: outer court#1
THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES -- PART I
Since the Tabernacle of Moses has three distinct areas, we will look at
the details of each and how the worship was completed and where the
various activities were performed. Since the Tabernacles of Moses is a
type and shadow of the "true tabernacle" in heaven, we must be accurate
in our interpretation.
HEB 8:1-2:
Now the main point in what has been said {is this}: we have
such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the
throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the
sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not
man.
From Heb. 8 & 9 we find that there is the earthly tabernacle that
is a shadow of the heavenly tabernacle. Jesus didn't enter into the
earthly tabernacle but into the heavenly one, which holds the throne of
God, and He took His seat there. We also see that this place is the
real "sanctuary".
The earthly sanctuary had two places which are the
Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Only the Most Holy Place had a
seat, called the mercy seat. Jesus then entered the Most Holy Place in
the tabernacle that is in heaven. The tabernacle which is in heaven is
called the "Tabernacle of God".
REV 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from
the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He
shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself
shall be among them, God, Himself will be in the "Tabernacle of God".
We also learn that which was offered in the Tabernacle of Moses is a
copy and shadow of heavenly things.
HEB 8:4-5:
Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are
those who offer the gifts
according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the
heavenly things, just as Moses was warned {by God} when he was about to
erect the tabernacle; for, " See, "He says," that you make all things
according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
The earthly sanctuary was a part of the first covenant and the various
regulations for the worship of God.
HEB 9:1-5:
Now even the first {covenant} had regulations of divine worship and
the earthly sanctuary. It is very clear that the earthly sanctuary that the
writer is speaking about is the Tabernacle of Moses. For there was a
tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which {were} the lampstand and
the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. And behind
the second veil, there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,
having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all
sides with gold, in which {was} a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's
rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant. And above it
{were} the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these
things we cannot now speak in detail. Only the Tabernacle of Moses meet
these specifications.
Regardlees of the beauty and glory of the Tabernacle of Moses and the
precision of the priesthood and the multitude of gifts and sacrifices
and the profusion of blood, none of these things could perfect the
worshiper. The priesthood could not perfect anyone.
HEB 7:11-12:
Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it
the people received the Law), what further need {was there} for another
priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be
designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the
priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law
also. The Law could not perfect anyone either.
HEB 7:18-19:
For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment
because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing
perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope,
through which we draw near to God.
HEB 9:8 The Holy Spirit {is} signifying this, that the way into the
holy place has not yet been disclosed, while the outer tabernacle is
still standing, HEB 9:9 which {is} a symbol for the present time.
Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the
worshiper perfect in conscience, HEB 9:10 since they {relate} only to
food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed
until a time of reformation. Nothing from the Old Covenant could
cleanse the conscience of the the worshiper. Even all the blood that
was shed under the Old Covenant could only cleanse the flesh but had no
power to cleanse the conscience. HEB 9:13 For if the blood of goats and
bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled,
sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, HEB 9:14 how much more will the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God?
All the earthly things were cleansed with the blood of bulls and goats
etc. However the heavenly things must be cleansed with a better
sacrifice and a better blood.
HEB 9:23 Therefore it was necessary for
the copies of the things in the heavens ( the things we see in the
Tabernacle of Moses) to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things
themselves with better sacrifices than these. HEB 9:24 For Christ did
not enter a holy place made with hands, ( the earthy tabernacle ) a
{mere} copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for us.
AGAIN WE SEE THE EARTHLY TABERNACLE IS A
COPY AND SHADOW OF THE TRUE ONE WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.
Even the Law with all it's requirements could not perfect anyone.
HEB 10:1 For the Law, since it has {only} a shadow of the good things to
come {and} not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices
year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw
near. The problem was that the blood of bulls and goats could not "take
away sins". HEB 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and
goats to take away sins.
Then the writer of Hebrews sums up his study by saying that everything
the Law and the sacrifices could not do under the Old Covenant, Jesus
can now do under the New Covenant. HEB 10:15 And the Holy Spirit also
bears witness to us; for after saying, HEB 10:16 "This is the covenant
that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put
My laws upon their heart, And upon their mind I will write them," {He
then says}, HEB 10:17 "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will
remember no more." HEB 10:18 Now where there is forgiveness of these
things, there is no longer {any} offering for sin. HEB 10:19 Since
therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the
blood of Jesus, HEB 10:20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated
for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, HEB 10:21 and since {we
have} a great priest over the house of God, HEB 10:22 let us draw near
with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled {clean} from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water. HEB 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
Since the earthly tabernacle is a type and shadow of the true
tabernacle that is in heaven, it is a valuable guide for us of how we
may approach God in true worship. The rest of Hebrews 10 is very clear
about the way that is not acceptable to God and the way that puts the
soul in danger.
The law, the statutes, the oridinances and the judgements were
written on stone and upon scrolls and were administered
by the priests. This was all part of the Old Covenant. That is shadow
and type. The reality is the New Covenant which is written upon our
hearts and are put into our minds.
HEB 8:10 "For this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the
Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon
their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people.
Under the Old Covenant the priests taught Israel how to "know God" but
under the New Covenant God, Himself teaches us to "know Him".
HEB 8:11 "And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And
everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' For all shall know Me,
From the least to the greatest of them.
The Old Testament priesthood, after the order of Aaron, was just a
shadow while the New Testament priesthood is after the order of
Melchizedek and is the reality. There is no longer any priesthood that
is patterned after the likeness of Aaron or the Levitical priesthood.
However, it is still God's plan to have a " Kingdom of priests". We are
not priests just because we call ourselves priests. We are priests when
we fulfil the duties of New Covenant priests which are now after the
order of Melchizedek and not after the order of Aaron.
Many teach that if our sins are forgiven we will automatically have a
freedom and access into the Holiest because of the blood of Jesus.
HEB 10:19 Since therefore, brethren, we have "confidence" to enter the holy
place by the blood of Jesus, HEB 10:20 by a new and living way which He
inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
The Greek word that is translated "confidence" is the word "
parrhesia" and means "an out-spokeness", a confidence to speak, or a
freedom of speach. It is used of "to preach boldly". This does not
refer to bodily access but a freedom to speak with God without an
intermediate earthly priest. Our High Priest is now in heaven so we can
draw near.
HEB 10:21 and since {we have} a great priest over the house
of God, HEB 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled {clean} from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. HEB 10:23 Let us hold
fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful; HEB 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to
love and good deeds, HEB 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one another}; and
all the more, as you see the day drawing near.
We certainly have a strong encouragement to lay hold of that hope of
entering! HEB 6:17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to
the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed
with an oath, HEB 6:18 in order that by two unchangeable things, in
which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement,
we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.
HEB 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a {hope} both sure
and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, HEB 6:20 where Jesus
has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
As our study unfolds we will see that only the overcomers, who are
bondservants,
will have access to the New Jerusalem, which is the Most Holy Place where the
throne of God is. That applies to the eternal Tabernacle of God. Now
we have a freedom of speach to enter the Holiest of all.
Our study then begins by looking at the earthly tabernacle made with
hands, which is the Tabernacle of Moses. As we see how the earthly
priests entered into the tabernacle of Moses, we will see the type of
how we enter into the reality, which is the Tabernacle of God.
Both the Levites and the priests, the sons of Aaron, had access to the
outer court. The Levites did not have access into the Holy Place as
only the priests, the sons of Aaron could enter there. The requirements
to minister in the outer court was that you must be of the tribe of
Levi. Of course Aaron and his sons were Levites but God had made Aaron
High Priest and choose his sons as the anointed and consecrated
priests. This is the priesthood that has been replaced by the
priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. (see the study on
Melchizedek).
First, we will see how one of the children of Israel, who was a
covenant believer, could enter into the front part of the outer court,
to the bronze altar, where the sacrifice was offered. God had said that
the soul that sinned must surely die. Sin always brings death. That is
a law of God. Therefore, the person that sinned immediately had the
sentence of death upon him. However, God said that the one who had
sinned was permitted to bring a substitionary sacrifice to die in their
place. It had to be a clean and perfect sacrifice of the kind specified
for sin. They could not bring money or fruit or anything except a blood
sacrifice. If an Israelite sinned and if he was circumcised he had the
oppurtunity to approach the tabernacle with his sacrifice. This gave
him access through the gate or the first curtain to the outer court.
If he were a covenant person and had an acceptable sacrifice he could
bring it to the bronze altar. There he could lay his hand on the head
of the sacrifice and confess his sin. Then the priest gave him a flint
knife and he cut the troat of the sacrifice. By laying his hand on the
head of the sacrifice and confessing his sin he identified his life with
the sacrifice's death. He realized that the sentence of death was upon
him but the lamb or goat was dying in his place. The priest, then,
caught the blood in a basin and dipped his finger in the blood and put
it upon the four horns of the altar and splashed the blood on the side
of the altar and the person's sin was forgiven. Without the shedding of
blood there is no forgiveness.
HEB 9:22 And according to the Law, {one may} almost {say}, all things are
cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
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