The Tabernacle Pt. 3 Jesus Fulfills the Tabernacle

So tonight we're going to continue our series on the tabernacle in the wilderness and we're going to talk about how the Tabernacle actually points to Jesus. In fact, Jesus fulfills everything that the tabernacle is a shadow of.

So just to review the tabernacle was instituted after the Israelites were delivered from Egypt. So it was on their way out of Egypt into the wilderness that God gives them this tabernacle plan. Then it was instituted after they received the Ten Commandments or the law.

So we're going to see how the tabernacle helps them atone for their sins. Because now they can break the law and they need forgiveness from that. So the tabernacle will help them with that and again, it'll point us to Jesus.

Third it'll show that that it's instituted to teach the Israelites how to approach God. Again, you can't approach a holy God in your sinful condition. Next the tabernacle was requested or commanded by God in Exodus 25.

This was God's plan and pattern for the Israelites. And finally the tabernacle is a shadow that points us to a greater reality to the reality of God's Son Jesus. The tabernacle was a movable tent of meeting that God commanded Moses to build.

God wanted to dwell among his people the Israelites. He wanted to have fellowship with them and be able to communicate with them. The tabernacle is a prototype. It's actually like the Garden of Edom which was a prototype temple that God set up to dwell with his people mankind.

Eden served Functionally as a proto temple as well as a pattern for all future temples and the tabernacle in the Bible. It would find its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus as Messiah. Although the tabernacle may got accessible to the Israelites.

He was only approachable in holiness. The structure and service of the tabernacle showed a sinful people how they could come before a holy God in worship and service. Offer sacrifice for sin and receive instruction and counsel from the Word of God.

Thus it was a graphic portrayal of God's redemptive program for Israel. Every aspect of the tabernacle from the brazen altar where the sacrifices were offered for sin. To the mediating high priest who offered the sacrificial blood on the mercy seat all pointed to God's redemptive plan.

The people could only approach God through a blood atonement and a mediating priesthood. The fact is beautifully typified in the ministry of Jesus the Messiah who left his throne in heaven and tabernacled among his people as per John 1 14 in Christ.

We have a high priest a perfect blood sacrifice and access to God for all who put their trust in him. The tabernacle also prefigured the church. Paul stated that the church is a holy temple in the Lord for a habitation of God through the Spirit.

Ephesians 2 21 the word Temple is not temp not the temple with all its porches and surrounding buildings, but the inner sanctuary the Holy of Holies. Today God does not dwell in a physical structure, but in a spiritual body called the church.

The figure is very impressive. The temple was a holy was holy and set apart for God's service. Likewise, the church is holy and consecrated to his service. Also Collectively God dwells in each believer by the Holy Spirit.

Forming us into his temple the nation of Israel never experienced this privilege. This is only part of the New Covenant. Only the high priest was able to enter into the Holy of Holies and stand in the presence of God and that only once a year.

This privilege should cause each believer in the church to walk Circumspectly before the Lord. What a privilege it is to be part of the New Covenant and have the Lord the Holy Spirit living inside of us.

The tabernacle also prefigures individual Christians. Paul said know you not that your body is a temple sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you. Whom you have had God and you are not your own as a sanctuary where the Spirit of God dwells.

Believers are now not at liberty to allow their bodies to be used outside of his design purposes for them. God designs us for a purpose. It's his purpose that we are to live for and accomplish. The tabernacle with its many symbols and types was a shadow pointing to the Savior who in the fullness of God's time Tabernacled in this world and opened the way for God to bring redemption to mankind.

Again, that's akin to the to the tabernacle, which was the way to get to God. Now Jesus is going to fulfill that we'll see the writer of the book of Hebrews Sums up Christ's ministry when he said stated.

But Christ being be being come a high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle. Made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by the blood of goats and calves.

But by his own blood he entered it once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us.

So.

Let's see what this looks like and again why it matters. All right, remember the gate this is the the piece that allowed us to come into the outer court. This is the gate that gets you into the tabernacle.

And this was the only entrance it was accessible. Attractive and well-supported Christ is the only way he's the gate into the presence of God. Jesus again said to them truly truly I say to you I am the door of the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. So it's not only this gate that Jesus represents.

He also represents this gate and the gate into the holy of holies. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Therefore brothers since we have confidence.

This is the author of Hebrews. We have confidence to enter the holy place by what the blood of Jesus by the new and living way that he opened up for us through the curtain that is through his flesh and.

Since we have a great high priest over the house of God. Let us draw near with the true heart and full assurance of faith. With our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

So we enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus again this is the tabernacle was a type in shadow of Jesus who would come. Later on the gate signifies faith in Jesus Christ as the firstborn Son of God.

It is This precious elemental experience of faith in the anointed one as our Savior that brings new birth into the kingdom of God. The gate of faith provides entrance into the court of the Lord's house.

Again, you only come through Jesus but you don't come to Jesus unless you're drawn by the Father and have faith in. Entrance through the gate of faith offers great reward. The rich treasures of both the court and the tabernacle are available only when one passes through the gate.

This is the first essential requirement belief in the Son of God. To be quickened and awakened in one's soul by the gift of faith opens the gate into the beautiful court of the Lord's house. Keep in mind that the gate consisted of several curtains and therefore it is sometimes referred to in the plural form gates.

You'll see the psalm say we enter your gates with thanksgiving and praise so it's not just one gate. It's all three. Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will go through them. I will praise the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous shall enter and that's someone 18 that's written way before Jesus came on the scene. Obviously it was pointing to him. Therefore your gate shall be open continually.

It shall not be shut day or night that men may bring you the wealth of the Gentiles and their kings in procession. All right, that's Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied that God's gates would be open. That's again Jesus so that Jesus came to ransom people from every tribe every tongue every people and nation.

It was not just for the nation of Israel. They were given special privileges they were given the The temple the tabernacle they were given the covenants they were given special access to God and now Jesus comes to fulfill all that and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia right the words of the Holy One the true one who has the key of David.

Who opens and no one will shut who shuts and no one opens. I know your works behold I have set before you an open door, which is which no one is able to shut. So as Jesus comes on the scene, he now opens salvation to all mankind.

It wasn't just for the nation of Israel. It was for everyone. So here it is Jesus showing that people from every tribe tongue people and nation will be able to come. Okay, remember the brazen altar in Exodus 27 again.

This is a type of Christ our sacrifice the sacrifice stands at the entrance of man's approach to God. And has no access to God except as a sinner. Atoned for by blood all who pass through the door must pass by the blood-stained altar or not at all.

Again, I think this is from last week. The mizvah the slaughter place just within the gate was easily accessible unavoidable and unmistakable. So once you pass through the the first gate You would come right to the brazen altar where you had to make a sacrifice.

If you if you weren't making the sacrifice and putting it on the altar. You were not allowed into the outer court the next day. This was John the Baptist. He said the next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus would be that sacrifice that would go upon the brazen altar to take away our sins and bring us into. Paul says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift.

Through the redemption that is in whom Christ Jesus Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he passed over former sins.

So this word here very important propitiation. Okay, this is to make Satisfactoring for your sins to satisfy God's wrath and that's exactly what would happen When the person came in with the sin offering and put it and the priest put it on the altar to be burned.

He the author of Hebrews says says it this way. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own. For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.

But as it is he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So again, it's not the Sacrifice or of an ox or a goat or a bull or a ram? It's the sacrifice of Jesus himself that brings us into his presence and It's one sacrifice that would be sufficient for all time.

He was sacrificed once for all so that we don't have to continually bring Sacrifices. Jesus was the sack the one sacrifice that would satisfy God's wrath forever the author Hebrews would go on to say for since the law and the tabernacle has.

But a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities. It can never by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered since the worshipers having once been cleansed would no longer have any consciousness of sins.

But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year what is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently when Christ came into the world, he said sacrifices and offerings.

You have not desired but a body you have prepared for me in burnt offerings and sin offerings. You have taken no pleasure. And I said behold I have come to do your will Oh God as as it is written of me.

So we see that the sacrament same sacrifices that were offered continually every year would not make perfect. Anyone who was drawing near to them? I think somebody's got their microphone on that. We have to.

So these sacrifices in the tabernacle would have to be offered every year because they don't perfect anyone. In fact, it would serve as a constant reminder to of sins that you would have to come each week.

What your sacrifice is to God and then once a year as that? Continual cleansing and forgiveness of sins was necessary. Thankfully Jesus comes does it once for all times? There's no longer a reminder of sins, although we do celebrate communion with which reminds us of Christ body and blood on the cross which are the the Elements of the New Covenant.

Remember the bronze altar also represents the earth and earthly things, you know bronze. It's got that brown Color comes from the earth. But there is one God and there's one mediator between God a man the man Christ Jesus Who gave himself as a ransom for all which is the testimony given at the proper time?

So we recognize that Jesus is full truly God and truly man. So when I say that the bronze altar is made of the earth, it also represents mankind. So as human beings, what did God do? He scooped up dirt.

He breathed into it and brought us to life. He created mankind. Jesus comes into this world as a man. So Jesus is the one unique person who can represent God because he's deity and he can represent man because he's humanity so he's the God man and He's the only one qualified to be the mediator because of the bronze Altar was a shadow of the cross upon which Jesus died to take away our sins.

Coming to the cross and trust in Jesus as Savior is the way into the kingdom. The cross like the bronze altar is a place of death a point at which our flesh is put down through the blood covering and atoning grace of God through Jesus.

The cross was a place of physical sacrifice for Jesus. The cross for us is a place of spiritual sacrifice. Yielding any and everything that keeps us from the presence of God at the cross. We yield yield our lives in love devotion and service, you know again, we're called to Pick up our cross and follow die to ourselves pick up our cross and follow him.

It's an intentional act. We each have a cross to bear or carry and offer ourselves up as living sacrifices every day. Onto the bronze labor. This was the the big bowl that the priests had to wash their hands and their faces with.

To get all the blood off of them. So this symbolizes Christ our cleanser, which cleanses us from all defilement. It denotes spiritual renewal we have we have daily cleansing from defilement defilements of life.

And it is accessible only through our priest. We're continually cleansed by Christ through the Spirit and the Word. The labor had no measurements. Symbolic of the limitless cleansing power of God that comes that's of great comfort to us.

I often ask people who are Protestants. I said do you do you need a priest to come to God and most everybody says no. No, we don't we don't go to a priest. You know, that's what Roman Catholics do and I say wrong.

Jesus is our great high priest. We do need a priest we just recognize that he's the final priest the high priest who went into the Holy of Holies and Made atonement for us. We don't have to come to human priests that have to Continually make that sacrifice of Christ's body on the altar over and over and over and over which actually never perfects anybody.

The real sacrifice of Jesus Does perfect those who come to him who know him who trust in him and it's once and for all. The ministry of the labor is of great spiritual significance in our Christian experience in the brazen altar.

We see our justification in the brazen labor. We see our sanctification. The water in the labor typified our cleansing through the Word of God. When Jesus left the upper room and headed toward the Garden of Gethsemane just before his betrayal He stopped in the vineyard of the Kidron Valley and gave the parable of the vine and branches.

He said every branch that brass fruit must be purged so that it might bring forth more fruit. Then he told his disciples now you are clean clean through what the word which I have spoken unto you. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and cleanses us.

Preparing us for service in Christ. Remember what Jesus prays in John chapter 17? Sanctify them in your truth your word is true.

So.

One of the one of the things that cleanses us is the washing of the Word of God. It's very important that we read the scriptures daily as as much as you possibly can but daily at least. Sometimes twice a day if you can so it's only through the reading of the word and the application that the Spirit does.

Through that word on our hearts and in our minds that we're going to be cleansed. This is Jesus he came to Simon Peter who said to him Lord I'm sorry. Simon Peter came to Jesus and Jesus said to him Lord. Do you wash my feet.

Jesus answered him? What am I doing? You what I am doing you do not understand now. But afterward you will. Peter said to him you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered back if I do not wash you you will have no share with me.

Simon Peter said back Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head. Jesus said the one who has bathed does not need to wash except for his feet. But it's completely clean and you are clean, but not every one of you again.

This is Jesus telling them that they need to come to him for cleansing. The need for purification in our walk is beautifully illustrated during the final hours of Jesus's ministry on earth as He gets up from the Passover table.

He takes a towel and a basin of water and begins to wash the disciples feet. When it was Peter's turn to be washed he blurted out You shall never wash my feet and Jesus quickly informed Peter if I want.

If I don't wash your feet you have no part with.

Me.

Remember, it's the last shall be first whoever wants to. We need to live servants lives. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and to be a servant to them. He didn't come to Lord over them and it's the same thing with the followers of Jesus.

We don't Become Christians and start lording ourselves over people we become their servants and that's a very important thing that we need to keep in mind especially in today's age. Jesus was saying that if he did not wash Peter's feet Peter could not have fellowship or communion with him as usual.

The impetuous Peter went overboard and responded Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head. And Jesus answered he that is washed needeth not except to wash his feet. The words washed and washed in Verse 10 have different meanings.

The word washed Luo means to bathe one's body completely. It speaks of the complete ritual cleansing that takes place when we are dedicated declared justified at the moment of salvation. The word wash niptoe is used of those who wash their hands and feet symbolizing sanctification.

So one Jesus does to us the other we do ourselves. The picture is of people returning home from a public bathhouse their bodies being completely bathed. They need only wash the dust from their feet to be clean when they enter into their house.

So once you you you come to faith in Christ and you're washed by the Spirit and continually washed by the word. You keep you keep coming to the word and you cleanse your hands you ask you you you repent and ask God to forgive your sins.

This is the washing that the continual washing that we have to continually walk in. Jesus says this is in Revelation to him who loved us and Washed us from our sins in his own blood and made us kings and priests to his God and father to him be glory and dominion forever.

So as you can see Jesus Fulfills the brazen altar he becomes the sacrifice that it sits on and the old the brazen altar is also made of bronze. So it represents humanity now. We see the bronze laver which the priest would have to come to wash himself.

We see again, we're washed by Jesus in his blood so that the the altar points to him and also the laver. Next we're gonna see the tent of meeting. This tabernacle building was a shadow again of Christ and his church individually and corporately members of Christ's body of the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God as With this as was the tabernacle the Apostle Paul fully understood this years later saying don't you know that you?

Yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit live live in you so he would go on to say. Consequently you are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.

That word household is tabernacle. Built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone in him the whole building again. The tabernacle the temple is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. So God is assembling his people and the same way all the priests and the tribes of Israel Surrounded the tabernacle in the wilderness and God was in in the midst of them in in the center of their camp.

It's the same thing with the church when the church gathers. Jesus is not only in us. But he's in the center of our sanctuary. Each saint of God is a board in the spiritual building that God is constructing our humanity.

Represented in the roughed blemished wood of the original boards is covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. As seen in the gold overlay so each of these boards were made of wood and they were covered in gold.

Refined gold is that from which all impurities have been removed. We can only attain that state of purity and refinement through the inborn nature of Christ our Savior. His righteousness alone covers our filthiness.

So here we see a perfect picture of a human being in his sinfulness who trusted Jesus who's covered by Jesus's righteousness. It's just like that piece of wood the tree. That it's acacia wood that's covered with pure gold on the inside.

The wood represents our humanity. On the outside the gold represents Jesus's divinity and his righteousness. Many boards from oops, sorry many boards from all over the world comprise the church. They stand upright in God's kingdom because of the work on Calvary's cross.

No longer do they have to be ashamed of the past or it is forgiven through God's grace. God has joined them together and caused them to be one. Standing side by side in his love the strength of the body of Christ comes not in the independent members doing their own thing.

But in the unity which is theirs as they allow themselves to be bound together in Christ. When we come together in unity and we work together. There's power when we start going rogue and doing things on our own.

That's where division and Division takes place which is what the enemy wants and here we have the scriptures. Resin one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function so we though many are one body in Christ and Individually members of one another having gifts that differ according to the grace God has given us let us use them in John 17.

I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their word that they may all be One just as you father or me and I knew that they may also be in us. So that the world may believe that you have sent me.

So first Paul's explaining to us that as the church world. We all have different functions. Each one of us is Important to the functioning of the church and we need each other. We're members of one another so the talents gifts and abilities I have I use for the church because those are not your talents gifts.

And abilities and your talents gifts and abilities or for me because I don't have them and together We make one unit which is exactly what Jesus prays in John 17 and his high priestly prayer that we would be unit In unity now, it's real important.

Jesus doesn't pray for conformity. He doesn't want everybody to look exactly alike because that's not our function. Each one of us has Specific and unique gifts that only we have. So God is not looking for conformity, but unity so that no one can no one can walk the walk alone.

You will need your brother and sister each one of us need each other. So that's the way God designed it. Now, of course, I'll use a food illustration. You eat a steak with a steak with a fork and a knife not two forks and not two knives.

You need each one of those things to eat the steak the same way. The church for it to function needs all of its members and all of the talents that we have together. Okay, so we see the priest entered the tabernacle through the curtain at the entrance that's right over here.

And he passed the laver and Continued westward remember the the the the Holy of Holies is pointing west. The gate out here was east. When you walked this way you're walking towards God. When you walked east you were walking away from God.

So as you walked in through the gate, you'd come to the altar then the laver now. You're ready to go into the tabernacle itself. The boards used in the outer walls or 15 feet long and 2 feet wide and Furnishes a massive structure each board rested on and was fixed in the foundation of a socket of silver.

Now the boards represent sinners saved by grace like I said before you're no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with God's people and Members of God's household built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord and in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit. The tabernacle was a Building was a shadow of the body of Christ the church and the true dwelling place of God.

If you're covered with the purity of Jesus through the cross. You are part of the body structure aboard standing side by side with other Christian followers as part of the church. We individually and collectively are the true temple the eternal dwelling place of God the New Jerusalem and the Israel of the Bible.

Also when we understand this in the New Testament this has Ramifications for your eschatology, which is the study of last things or end times? Lots of people. Believe that there's going to be a third temple a physical third temple that's going to be built in Jerusalem where they're going to offer Sacrifices again and those sacrifices although they won't take away since would be a memorial to God.

Now when we read the New Testament, we see that the church is That that tabernacle that temple. Okay, we don't look for a third temple. We are the temple. It's a spiritual fulfillment not a physical. So that's one of the things that you know.

When you read the New Testament, you're gonna see it's it's not a physical temple that that Jesus is looking to rebuild. He's building a spiritual time. Okay on to the Golden Lamp stand. The Golden Lamp stand typified Christ who lights up the walk and fellowship of believers.

The holy place had no windows to allow light to shine into the tabernacle. The light in the holy place was hidden from the world only the priest had the privilege of ministering and enjoying the light of the lamp stand.

So it is with Christians as Believer priests we are able to enter into the light of fellowship and communion with God. This is once you walk through that First curtain into the holy place you would immediately see see the golden lamp stand on the left.

Now the golden candlestick or lamp stand Signifies the sevenfold expression of the Spirit of God is the illumination of the human soul by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The pure gold of the seven lampstick lamps of the candlestick is symbolic.

Pure gold symbolizes the righteousness of God of Christ and seven represents divine completion. Okay that number seven you're gonna see that throughout the scriptures anytime you see the number seven.

Think of completion like the days the seven days of the six days of creation the seventh completes them. The fact that this candlestick is the only source of light in the holy place Indicates our complete reliance upon the Spirit when we enter the temple.

He is the source of light. The seven lamps Upon the golden candlestick are representative of the sevenfold Spirit of God. The Bible explicitly defines the candlestick. The seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne.

Which are the seven spirits of God in Revelation 4 5. Now we're going to take a look at what that means. Keeping in mind that the seven lamps together made one Candlestick like you could see it over here like this three three and one in the middle.

That would be seven. We can discern the seven spirits of God to be seven distinct expressions of one in the same spirit. That's it. This is an important point to get there are not seven separate spirits of God.

Rather there is one spirit with seven profound Expressions. Ephesians 4 tells us there is one spirit in the same passage. We're urged to keep the unity of the Spirit. So the seven expressions of the Holy Spirit are listed in Isaiah 11 to as follows.

First we have the Spirit of the Lord which represents his authority. Then we have the Spirit of wisdom, which is obviously Christ's wisdom the Spirit of understanding. We have the Spirit of counsel the Spirit of might or power the Spirit of knowledge and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord or reverence.

So when we look at the Holy Spirit and the scriptures talk about the seven spirits of the Lord its expressions or Understandings of what that one spirit is and its function. The lampstands purpose was to provide light.

It was a beautiful type of Christ who is what the light of the world. Jesus says I am the light of the world either follows me shall not walk in darkness, but she'll have the light of life. The light of life that Jesus spoke of can be obtained only through faith in his atoning work on the cross.

But Jesus made it very clear that the world in general would not come to know him as the light of life. He says and this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light.

Because their deeds were evil. The light in the holy place was symbolic of Jesus's holiness. John wrote God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. The glory of our Lord will also illuminate the New Jerusalem in eternity.

This is in Revelation and the city had no need of the Sun. Neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did light it and the lamp. The lamb is the lamp of it. So there you can see that Revelation talks about the fulfillment of Jesus being the lamp that lights the tabernacle.

And who is the tabernacle? It's not just Jesus, but it's the church. We form the temple of God. Jesus says. Speaking to the church and his disciples you are the light of the world. The city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. So again here we see that We are called to be the light of the world when we're in union with Christ as his church.