 THE
TABERNACLE OUTER COURT (part 1)
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 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, HEB 8:2 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 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; HEB 8:5 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."
>From verse 6 to verse 13 we learn that Jesus' ministry now is
to mediate the New Covenant which is called a "better covenant" built on
"beter promises". Since this covenant is now in effect, the first covenant is
made obsolete. Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant along with Aaron and the
Levitical priesthood. All that has become obsolete and the New Covenant is what is valid
today.
The earthly sanctuary was a part of the first covenant and the
various regulations for the worship of God.
HEB 9:1 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.
HEB 9:2 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. HEB 9:3 And behind the second veil, there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy
of Holies, HEB 9:4 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. HEB 9:5 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.
Reguardlees 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 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? HEB 7:12 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 For, on the
one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and
uselessness HEB 7:19 (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.
Even though the Law, the priesthood, the gifts, the sacrifices
and all the regulations for devine worship have been made obsolete and have passed away,
they are still a type and shadow for us. For example: 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.
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.
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.
|
