This section of the Torah (Parashah Terumah or Exodus 25:1–27:19) contains YHVH’s instructions to Israel to build a tabernacle or sanctuary so, in his own words, “I may dwell among them” (Exod 25:8). Is this some quaint, archaic and irrelevant historical event that occurred millennia ago, or is there a larger prophetic picture here that points to something much grander that relates to you and me? The answer to the latter question is a most definite and emphatic, “Yes!”
For historical context, YHVH created man in his image for the purpose of raising up a family of glorified sons and daughters to become like him and to live with him forever in a glorified and elevated state of existence. To that end, he placed the first humans in an idyllic garden where he could walk and commune with them in the cool of the day—symbolic of a state of restful or comfortable and relaxed communion. Sadly, this one-on-one relationship did not last long, and man was thrust out of the garden (symbolic of YHVH’s dwelling place on earth) because of sin and the lack of man’s holiness without which no man can come into the presence of Elohim.
Some 3,500 years later in the time of Moses, we find YHVH instructing the Israelites to build a another dwelling place for him that he might abide with his people once more. Instead of a garden, it is a house. In the Tabernacle of Moses, the holy of holies was the one spot where YHVH desired to dwell on earth again with his human children.
But there is one caveat. One cannot merely go tramping casually or cavalierly into the holy presence of YHVH in a state of sinful impurity or unholiness. There is a process of spiritual cleansing that must first occur and the tabernacle (along with the seven biblical feasts) reveals that seven step process, which is YHVH’s plan of redemption or salvation for man.
The tabernacle is a symbolic and metaphorical picture of this process as well as a picture of Yeshua who is the way. Amazingly, the tabernacle is also a picture of each of us, who must follow Yeshua step-by-step if we are to come into the presence of our holy (pure and sinless) Heavenly Father.
To be sure, YHVH desires a personal relationship not only with corporate Israel, but with each of us individually well. The nation of Israel is comprised of individual entities each with his and her own relationship with the Creator. Coming into the inner sanctum of the holy of holies in the tabernacle (representative of YHVH’s heavenly throne room) should be the ultimate goal of each person. YHVH’s desires and plan is to lead us into his presence by way of Yeshua his Son, who is the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the Father.
This process of spiritual cleansing begins to occur when we come to faith in Yeshua, repent of our sin and then allow the Holy Spirit to begin a work on the inside of each of us. The tabernacle is the gospel tract that outlines the progressive steps in this cleansing process. Moreover, the tabernacle outlines the steps required for the indwelling presence of YHVH’s Spirit which activates our personal spirit thus drawing us upward to himself. As such, we become a living Tabernacle of Moses or, as Paul characterizes it, a temple of the Holy Spirit.
To the degree that we allow YHVH to work in us, to cleanse and refine us, is to the degree that we advance along the progressive steps upward toward our Father in heaven as outlined in the Tabernacle of Moses.
If we will be honest with ourselves, most of us are not as far along in this process as we esteem ourselves to be. There for YHVH’s grace go all of us! But at least we have the road map of the tabernacle to show us the way onward and upward. There are no shortcut to Elohim, and this journey will take a lifetime, and even then, we will still need the grace of Elohim as well as the imputed righteousness of Yeshua to make up the lack of how far we fall short of “the mark for the prize of the high calling of Elohim in Messiah Yeshua” (Phil 3:14). This is because the righteous are scarcely saved (1 Pet 4:18), and all of our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). When we finally come to this realization and humble ourselves before YHVH Almighty and allow him to begin cleaning us spiritually (a process called “sanctification”) from the inside out, it is then that he can begin his work in us and lift or raise us up (Jas 4:10) to seat us in heavenly places with Yeshua (Eph 2:6). It is then that we will be fully born again as new, glorified and immortalized children of Elohim and adopted into his eternal family.
This is the ultimate message of the entire Bible of which the Tabernacle of Moses is an illustrative, symbolic and prophetic depiction that even a child can visualize. Sadly, it is also a truth and message that churchianity has largely overlooked!
Now let’s take this whole discussion one step further and to yet a higher level…
Exodus 40:2–7, Set up the tabernacle. YHVH’s instructions to Moses to set up the furnishings in the tabernacle followed a particular order. In fact, if one traces Moses’s footsteps in doing so, it forms an interesting geometric pattern that is highly significant spiritually. Let’s explore this.
In placing the furnishings in the tabernacle, Moses first started in the holy of holies where he set up the ark of the covenant. After this, he went into the holy place and over to the right west side where he set up the table of show bread. He then moved across to the left or east side of the holy place and set up the menorah. Next, he moved to the center of the holy place in front of the curtain or veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies where he set up the altar of incense. After this, Moses made a straight line and exited out of the tabernacle itself into the outer courtyard where he set up the altar of sacrifice. Having done this, Moses then set up the bronze laver, also in the outer courtyard just in front of the door leading into the tabernacle. If you trace Moses’ steps and make a line in the dirt, what is the outline?
The outline of Moses’ movements makes a triangle on a cross with the base of the triangle forming the arm of a cross. The base of cross corresponds to the altar of sacrifice, while apex of the triangle corresponds to the altar of incense and the top of the cross, which extends past the apex of the triangle is where the testimony in the holy of holies is. Why did YHVH instruct Moses to set up the tabernacle’s furnishings in this order, and not another order? What is the spiritual significance of this particular pattern? How does it relate to you and me? Let’s unpack this.
The base of this arrow is at the altar of sacrifice representing Yeshua’s death on the cross atoning for our sins. Next, the arrow points us to the bronze laver picturing a believer’s next step in his spiritual walk which is baptism for the remission of sins and legally identifying with Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection, as well as receipt of Elohim’s Set-Apart Spirit and the washing of our lives by the water of the Word of Elohim. Next we come to the menorah picturing the Spirit of life in Yeshua the Messiah as the new believer begins to manifest evidence of the redeemed life, which is the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, which shine like a light into the dark world around us. Next we come to the table of the showbread picturing the regathering and unification of the tribes of Israel around the table of Yeshua’s body in sweet fellowship and covenantal relationship. Through the Messiah of Israel, the scattered tribes, along with those Gentiles who have been grafted into the tribes of Israel, will be regathered. After this regathering, the tribes will move together and in one accord to the place in the tabernacle of pray and worship which is the altar of incense as they prepare to enter into the eternal kingdom of YHVH Elohim’s presence as pictured by the holy of holies under the glory cloud of YHVH himself.
The way to Elohim through Yeshua the Messiah is laid out in the Tabernacle of Moses making the outline of a cross and an arrow that points heavenward. By starting in holy of holies and going outward toward the altar of sacrifice, this is a clear message that heaven is reaching downward toward sinful man and inviting him to come up to meet his Father in heaven by way of the cross of Yeshua the Messiah.
Conversely, when the tabernacle is viewed from the outside looking in, it is showing man the way upward to the Father through Yeshua the Messiah. So as there are humans who are seeking the way upward, at the same time, our Father in heaven is reaching downward beckoning his wayward children back to him.
This demonstrates to us that the tabernacle is, in reality, a giant gospel tract that shows sinful man the way of salvation leading to his glorification as immortal sons and daughters of YHVH Elohim, our Father in heaven. As we read in Psalms,
Your way, O Elohim, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a El as our Elohim? (Psalm 77:13)
