A Copy of Heaven-Exodus 26-27

Exodus, Old Testament, Sermons

Video of the Sunday Worship Service on May 8, 2022. Why did God tell Moses to make a tent precisely as stated and shown (Exo 25:8-9, 40; 26:30; 27:8; Heb 8:5)? What does the tabernacle teach us about God?

** In the OT, the one and only place in the entire world to gain access to God was the tabernacle, and later the temple. Thus, the tabernacle was the most important place in the world. It was a little bit of Heaven on earth where people could enter God’s presense.

** Standing between the worshiper and the presence of God in the tabernacle/the tent of meeting was the largest piece of furniture: the bronze altar.

** God wanted his people to see that the tabernacle was a piece of heaven on earth, a copy of Heaven (Heb 8:5), though the structure was made of wood, metal and cloth. Heaven is where God is. So when God came to live with his people (Exo 25:8), he brought Heaven down with him, as confirmed by the way the tabernacle was made. Thus, the tabernacle was an earthly building designed to teach heavenly realities.

  • The ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place represents God’s throne (Exo 25:22).
  • The cherubim–God’s royal attendants–are the mysterious winged creatures who stand guard in the throne room of Heaven (Exo 25:18-20).
  • More cherubim were on the curtains, their images skillfully woven into the walls and veil of the tabernacle (Exo 26:1, 31).
  • So when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place–God’s sanctuary on earth–he caught a glimpse of Heaven, where God sits enthroned above the cherubim (Isa 37:16; Ps 99:1; Rev 5:6).

 

  1. The Most Holy Place was the heart of the tabernacle where God reigned in glory.
  2. The tabernacle in turn was at the heart of Israel, with all 12 tribes surrounding it.
  3. And Israel was the heart of the world, the centerpiece in God’s plan for saving the nations.

Limited access–a hard reality.

  • Most Israelites could never enter. They were never allowed to go inside. They could see it from a distance. They know that God had His dwelling there, but they never even had a chance to see past the door, let alone go inside and meet with God. Everything was concealed under layers of fabric (26:1-14). Most Israelites only saw the curtains and other furnishings when the priests moved the tabernacle from place to place. But they toured the place.
  • Only the priests could enter, and only when they had some priestly duty to perform. As soon as they entered, they were confronted with another curtain–the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place! According to the Talmud, the veil was 4 inches thick and took more than 100 priests to move.
  • The cherubim clearly symbolized Israel’s limited access, as they blocked the entrance to Eden (Gen 3:23-24). Symbolically they guarded the way to God in the tabernacle.
  • This was all designed to show the supreme holiness of God. God is pure, righteous and just, which means that his holiness/”separeteness” precludes and excludes sinners who will die in his presence (Exo 33:20). In effect, God is saying, “I want you to come very close to me but if you do, you‘ll die!” So even when God came close to them in the tabernacle in their very midst as their neighbor, they still had to be separated from him. This might in fact be a relief to them (Exo 20:18-19)!

The only way in. There was one way to enter. The curtains in the tabernacle were doorways designed to let God’s people in (Exo 26:36-37). To enter God’s presence a representative went in for them–first Moses, and later the high priest. To penetrate the veil, the representative was to carry an atoning sacrifice for sin–his sin as well as the sins of his people. The tabernacle did not have a back door. The only way for unholy sinners to enter the presence of a holy God was by means of a blood sacrifice.

The 3 main sections of the tabernacle–the courtyard, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place–separated 3 kinds of worshipers, similar to Mt. Sinai.

  1. Moses only was allowed to go up the mountain to meet with God. He was the mediator, the man who represented the people before God. [Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place as the mediator.]
  2. The elders were allowed to approach God, and even commune with him, but they could only go halfway up. [The rest of the priests could enter the Holy Place.]
  3. The rest of God’s people were down at the bottom, and had to stay off God’s holy mountain. [The people were kept outside. They could enter the courtyard but not allowed to enter the Tent of Meeting. A 4th group, the Gentiles, were generally not allowed to enter at all–unless they bound themselves to God and were circumcised (Lev 17:8-9; 22:18-19).]

Do you wish to go beyond the outer court into the tabernacle, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place? Figuratively, we enter the Outer Court via Jesus the door when we desire to become Christians.  However, if we do not lay down our lives, we will remain in the outer court – it is our choice. Today, many Christians in the church spend their whole lives walking about the outer court without ever entering the Tabernacle. They are enjoying the view of the Tabernacle but have not decided to give up their life so that they can have His life

Solomon‘s temple in Jerusalem replaced the tablernacle and had 2 courtyards: an inner and outer courtyard, while the temple of Herod‘s day had 4 courts [Not all these courtyards were in keeping with God’s law, for God never said anything about keeping the women out, though access to all was limited.]:

  1. The priests were allowed into the innermost court.
  2. Outside was the court for the men of Israel.
  3. Beyond that was the court for women.
  4. The outermost court was for Gentiles.

The way now is wide open through Jesus’ death on the cross, for Jesus “has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:14) and enabled all to enter, for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10:13; Joel 2:32) with no distinction whatsoever to those who are in Christ (Gal 3:28).

A sacrifice for sin was needed so that we sinners might truly know who God is, and truly know who we ourselves are [and perhaps not necessarily because God Himself needs a sacrifice]. Can I truly know who God is [holy] and who I am [sinful] without a blood sacrifice of atonement ?? Would I truly know the cost of my forgiveness without blood being shed on my behalf (Rom 3:24-25), and how far short I’ve fallen of God’s glory (Rom 3:23)?

  • A perfect lamb had to be sacrificed with its blood painted on their doors to get out of Egypt (Exo 12:21-23).
  • Moses sprinkled blood on both the altar and the people at Mt. Sinai (Exo 24:5-6, 8).

The Israelites had to sacrifice many animals on many occasions for many reasons. This was a powerful witness to how sinful we and the Israelites are. The altar was always ready to receive another sacrifice. At least 2 burt offerings were sacrificed every day for > 1,000 years. Imagine how many sacrifices were made on the altar. Think of all the bulls, goats, lambs and pigeons that were required to atone for the sins of a million people. Then imagine continuing to make those sacrifices every day for a millenium. And yet it still wasn’t enough! The people kept committing more sins, so there was always more sacrifices to make. It was a messy, bloody business. The OT sacrifices were intended to overwhelm, and still it wouldn’t deal adequately with their sin (Heb 10:4). Only Jesus’ own blood–the very blood of God–would (Heb 9:24-26).

5 kinds of required sacrifices:

  1. burnt offerings (Lev 1)–a general sacrifice for sin; entire animal burned on the altar; represents not only atonement for sin but also complete surrender / total consecration to God.
  2. grain offerings (Lev 2)–part of the harvest was dedicated to God with thanksgiving for all his blessings; part burnt and part given to the priest.
  3. peace offering (Lev 3)–part of an animal sacrificed to God and the rest was eaten by the worshiper symbolizing reconcilliation with God on the basis of atonement for sin.
  4. sin offering (Lev 4:1-5:13) and
  5. guilt offering (Lev 5)–for atonement of sin for an individual or whole nation, whether the sin was deliberate or not; blood from the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar to show that the price has been paid–the value of the animal’s death applied to the sinner.

God showed what God’s house look like to Moses (Exo 26:30). Exo 25 describes from the inside out: the ark/box/chest [in the Most Holy place–the place of His glorious presence], table and lampstand [in the Holy Place]. God‘s tent –the Tabernacle of God in the wilderness–houses the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Exo 26). It’s a fancy rectangular tent where God lived symbolically in the presence of his people, the place earth touched Heaven–the first earthly residence for Heaven’s King. It was set up in the middle of the Israelite encampment with all the small Israelite tents surrounding it in concentric circles. When they travelled God went out in front of them in the form of his angel (Exo 23:20) or the pillar of cloud/fire (Exo 13:21-22). But when they encamped, His home was in their very midst, and they gathered their homes around His.

Miskan [Hebrew for living place/dwelling place/tabernacle] comes from shakan [to dwell]. The tabernacle was the tent where God lived, and its construction revealed his divine character. It showed what was required for sinners to meet with a holy God. [They deserve careful study and require patience, although in my 40+ years of daily Bible reading since 1980, I’ve just skimmed or not read these chapters at all!]

The interpretation of the incarnation (John 1:14): Jesus Christ is the (true and ultimate) tabernacle of God.

The Tabernacle of God (Exo 26:1-37; 27:1-21). “Dwelt” [eskenosen Gk comes from skene (tabernacle)].

4 sets of curtains for the tent (26:1-14)

  • The fine linen inner curtain (26:1-6). The tabernacle was made of 3 layers of fabric. The innermost 1st layer: 42’x6′ (Exo 26:2) of fine linen [visible to anyone inside]–a superior white or off-white fabric elaborately woven of blue, red and gold colors with cherubin motifs patterned into the weaving (Exo 26:1; 25:18-22; Gen 3:24).
  • The protective curtains and weather coverings (7-14) made of goat hair (Exo 25:7-13; 26:7)–the 2nd layer–giving thickness and protection which completely conceals what’s inside. Goat hair is a sturdy fabric that Middle Eastern nomads use in making tents to this day.
  • Then 2 more layers of coverings–3rd and 4th [ram skins+durable leather] (Exo 26:14)–were put on top to waterproof and protect everything underneath from the elements, almost like a tarp. Only priests, especially prepared by rituals, could enter the tabernacle itself. Other Israelites had to remain in the courtyard to worship.

The framing system (26:15-30)

  • Boards for the sides of the tent (15-25) are the framing uprights that support the curtains. Every good tent needs poles to provide a sturdy frame. They form rigid wall supports for the tabernacle with 48 ladder-like frames sitting on silver bases. They were functional, utilitarian and beautiful [with nothing especially symbolic]. God’s house reflects His glory, and even its frames were lovely in accordance with that glory.
  • The horizontal framing crossbars to join together the boards (26-29). The description is relatively laconic/concise.
  • God shows what His house should look like (Exo 26:30). Moses did not just hear words. He saw pictures/blueprints. It was a precise build-out of a revealed design (Heb 8:5). He knew how to recognize its finished look. He knew exactly what Yahweh wanted for his house. God, in effect, built His own house among the Israelites, though He did it through Moses and the workmanship of Israelite craftsmen. It’s a replica [“copy and shadow”] on a small scale and in earthly material of His heavenly temple. God wanted His people to know that their ultimate purpose was to dwell with Him in heaven, not on earth. Thus, He required them to locate themselves and their homes around His, and thus taught them to belong in close proximity to Him. He projected His presence symbolically among them on earth so that they could learn to long for and live for the time when they would actually dwell in His presence permanently. [No 2 drawings of the tabernacle are the same, because some of the details were left to the craftsmen, and Moses is the only person who ever saw the original model.]

2 barriers: the veil and the screen (26:31-37)

  • The special curtain/veil in front of the Most Holy Place/Holy of Holies (Exo 26:31-33; 39:34; 40:21) matched the curtains that lined the inside of the tabernacle (Exo 26:1) and the entrance curtain (Exo 26:36), so everything in the interior of the tabernacle shared the same general appearance of blue, purple and scarlet yard and finely twisted linen curtains with cherubim motifs worked into them, supported by gilded frames and poles with silver bases.
  • Gaining access to God. That “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Mt 27:50-51; Mk 15:37-38) was a divine miracle. It wasn’t a bedsheep that someone was able to rip it in two. According to the Talmud, this veil was 4 inches thick and took > 100 priests to move. Being 15 feet high, no one could reach the top without a ladder. This curtain curtain could only have been torn by the hand of Almighty God. How shocked the priests were that the sacred place of God’s holy presence was open for all to see! It is not surprising that after Jesus’ ascension “a great many priests became obedient to the fatih” (Ac 6:7), for they had witnessed the miracle confirming that the was was now open to God. Once the curtain was torn it was no longer a barrier but a gateway. It was an open door to fellowship with God. This is possible because of Christ’s sacrifice  of his own blood (Heb 9:12, 24). This gives us confidence to come to God despite our sin (Heb 10:19-20).
  • The arrangement of furniture in the 2 rooms of the tabernacle (Exo 26:34-35).
  • The entrance curtain and its support posts (Exo 26:36-37) is the screen for a door. This entranceway was the farthest point in the tabernacle from the most holy place and its ark. So the bases for the 5 columns were bronze [also the courtyard] rather than silver as all other bases in the tabernacle were.

The altar of burnt offering (27:1-8): The basic structure (1-2). Accessories for the altar (3-8).

  • The bronze altar (27:1-8) is God’s stove, an altar for making sacrifices. It was the biggest piece of furniture in the tabernacle [7.5′ x 7.5′ x 4.5′]. During Old Covenant times, God taught his people the basic principle of salvation from sin: something that God considers a substitute must die in my place so that I may live. Altar sacrifice was the primary way for this substitution to happen. In preparation for Christ’s death on the cross, which was the ultimate sacrifice to which all others pointed, animal sacrifice was required of all Israelites. After killing an animal, God requires that they cook it on the grill in God’s presence [dangerous to eat raw], and eating it in God‘s presence [symbolically sharing the meal with Him]. Thus, they learn over and over again the concept of substitutionary atonement (2 Cor 5:21) and of covenant renewal. The meal always includes a portion of a formerly living animal that had been put to death in the place of the worshiper.

The courtyard and the gate (27:9-21)

  • The hangings for the perimeter of the courtyard (9-15).
  • The gate to the courtyard (Exo 27:16). It was said blue-Christ’s heavenly origin; scarlet-His sacrificial death; purple-His royal character; white-His sinless righteousness and perfection. One scholar says they reveal this message: Heaven’s royal blood purchases purity. This is true but the Bible doesn’t say what these colors symbolize.
  • Other details of the courtyard (17-19).
  • The oil for the lamps of the lampstand (20-21).
  • The courtyard (27:9-19). In many ways God taught His people that He loved corporate worshp. They were not to worship Him separately at their own homes or in family groups at convenient locations as the pagans did. Instead they come together as an entire people, bring their sacrifices to 1 place, cook them all on a single altar, and eat them all at a single location. The altar had to be large enough to accommodate a constant stream of people bringing their sacrificial meat placed on it for grilling.
  • Keeping the lamps lit (Exo 27:20-21).

Outline [chapters]:

  • 25:1-40: I will dwell among them: Materials (3-7), Ark (10-22), Table (23-30) and Lampstand (31-40).
  • 26:1-37: Instructions for making the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle.
  • 27:1-21: Instructions: Altar, Courtyard, Lamp Oil.
  • 28:1-43: Instructions: Priestly Garments.
  • 29:1-46: Instructions: Aaron‘s Consecration, the Altar Consecration, and Daily Sacrifices.
  • 30:1-38: Instructions: Incense Altar, Money, Water, Anointing Oil, and Incense.
  • 31:1-18: Instructions: Bezalel and Sabbath.

Reference:

  1. Douglas K. Stuart. Exodus. The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture. 2006.
  2. Philip Graham Ryken. Exodus. Saved for God’s Glory. Preaching the Word. 2015.
  3. Leon R. Kass. Founding God’s Nation. Reading Exodus. 2021.
  4. James K. Bruckner. Exodus. New International Bible Commentary. 2008.
  5. John Goldingay. Exodus & Leviticus for Everyone. 2010.
  6. Robert Alter. The Hebrew Bible. A translation with commentary. The Five Books of Moses. 2019.
  7. Dennis Prager. Exodus. God, Slavery, and Freedom. The Rational Bible. 2018.

Jesus opened the way to God. The 3 main sections of the tabernacle–the courtyard, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place–was structured to separate 3 different kinds of worshippers [as in Exodus 24]. Limiting access to God was intended to teach the Israelites that they were separated from God’s holy presence by their sin. But by his death and resurrection, Jesus tore the veil that kept sinners out of the Most Holy Place. He opened the way back to God, which is now wide open (Eph 2:14; Rom 10:12-13; Gal 3:28).

Do you want to know God? Or do you mainly want what He can do to bless you? Because God is holy and we’re not, a sacrifice has to be made so that our sins can be forgive and we can be reconciled to God. In the OT, the only place to gain access to God was the tabernacle where sacrifices were made.

Drawing near to God is a blessing to the soul. That’s why it’s better to be in church–even just standing in the doorway–than anywhere else in the world (Ps 84:10).

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