(Exodus) Exodus 25:9 — J. Vernon McGee

The Tabernacle as a Pattern of Heaven

Now, will you notice verse 9, "'According to all that I show thee after the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.'". Now, it was a pattern of the one in heaven.

The Heavenly Tabernacle in Hebrews

We're told that over in the epistle to the Hebrews, and we'll see that later on, that the tabernacle was made like the one in heaven. Now, the question arises, is there a literal tabernacle in heaven?

A Literal Interpretation of God's Word

And I take the position that there is. You're going to find out, those of you that are new to our study, that I take the Bible very literally. I have a very, I suppose, naive notion that when God says something, He means it.

And that if He means something else, He'll make that clear to us also. And I think that He made it very clear that there was one in heaven. And we'll have occasion to refer to that later on, and especially when we get to the epistle to the Hebrews.

The Tabernacle's Dimensions and Outer Court

We come now to the first article of furniture that's mentioned. Now, those of you who have our notes, and I hope all of you get the notes, you're going to find that I have in there a diagram of the floor plan of the tabernacle.

Now, the tabernacle was built 30 cubits by 10 cubits. And outside was a fence around it. And it was 100 cubits by 50 cubits. And in that outer court that was formed by the tabernacle, and this fence that was around it, and it was, by the way, 5 cubits high.

The Furniture of the Outer Court

Why, we find two articles of furniture, the brazen altar and the leva. And then the tabernacle proper was divided into two compartments, the holy place and the holy of holies. And the holy place was 20 by 10 cubits.

The Holy of Holies and the Holy Place

The holy of holies was 10 by 10, and it was 10 cubits high. And this was really the tabernacle proper. These two compartments formed one. And the first compartment was the holy of holies. That was where the ark was.

Then when you moved outside, you have the holy place. And there are three articles of furniture there, the golden lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense. I do hope you'll get the notes and outlines here, friends.

You'll find them extremely helpful. Now, I have the chart that I have with my notes right before me now. I hope many of you have that, and you'll find it extremely helpful. Now, you will notice that the first article of furniture that's given is the ark.

From the Ark to the Mercy Seat

That's in the holy of holies. That's where God is looking out. But if you went outside and man is on the outside, man would come to the gate of the tabernacle there on the east. And the article of furniture that would be before him would be the brazen altar.

So that when man comes into God, he'll have to go by the brazen altar and the leva and the holy place, which is the place of worship. And then in the holy of holies, he'd never go because into that went the high priest, and only he went once a year, and then only with blood and sprinkled it on the mercy seat.