Image of Christ in the Tabernacle
Door (Entrance)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
The Tabernacle court was designed to have only one entrance; this was divinely inspired to be symbolic of Jesus being the one true way to enter God’s presence.
Bronze Altar
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’” John 1:29
The bronze altar was where sacrifices were made to God, provided as a means for Israel’s sins to be forgiven. Bronze is used as a symbol of judgment, so when sacrifices were made on it, it was a picture of sin being judged by God. This points directly to Jesus’ death on the cross, in which all sins of the world were judged once for all eternity.
Lavar / Basin
“Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’”
The basin of water was meant for the priests to cleanse themselves before entering the Tabernacle. Water was a symbol of purity, and the religious teachers of Jesus’ time on Earth went to great lengths in their use of this image. Jesus referred to “living water” in His conversation at the well, referring to the purity He would bring to all who accept Him. The water that flowed from His side following His death on the cross further emphasized this – if Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we have been cleansed by Him and may freely enter the presence of God.
Lampstand / Menorah
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
The lampstand was a symbol of God’s eternal presence among/within His people; it was formed in the shape of a vine with six branches, fueled with oil, and tended to by the high priest. This epitomizes the unity of the Trinity (priest = Father, lamp = Son, oil = Holy Spirit), and Jesus used the physical example several times in His ministry in teaching His disciples. The most famous is when He spoke regarding His relationship to His followers: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Showbread Table
“I am the bread of life.” John 6:48
Twelve loaves of bread (hot from the oven) were daily laid in the Tabernacle as a testimony of God’s provision for Israel. As He provided food (and life) for Israel physically, Jesus provides us with everlasting life through Himself. This is commemorated by Christians everywhere when we partake of communion; we declare how Jesus’ Body was broken for us, and how He provides us with life – both now and in eternity.
Incense Altar
“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:34
In Romans and Hebrews, Jesus is referred to as our “High Priest;” under the Mosaic covenant, the priests of Israel offered incense (a symbol of prayer) to God on behalf of the people. Jesus fulfills the same role for those in His kingdom, interceding on our behalf in the presence of the Father in Heaven.
The Curtain
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13
The curtain represented the division between God’s holy presence and the sinners beyond; only one person (the high priest) was allowed to pass it, and even then only once a year to make atonement for Israel. The curtain was woven so thick that nothing of human invention or effort could tear it, yet torn it was; at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross, God publicly tore it during the evening sacrifice, displaying to all how Jesus’ death removed the barrier and opened the way for us to enter into God’s presence without hindrance.
Ark of the Covenant
“‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:16-18
The Ark of the Covenant was not only an earthly “throne” for God in the midst of the nation of Israel, it was a symbol for His holiness. Within the Ark were kept the two stone tablets on which the Law was written; covering the tablets was the cover or “mercy seat” on which the blood from sacrifices was sprinkled. If the Law was a symbol of judgment, then Jesus is the mercy seat, shielding us from the effects of the Law and giving us grace in the sight of God.