The Tabernacle and the Deification or Theosis of Man
The Tabernacle of Moses from its front to back represents one’s progression in their spiritual journey starting with their initial salvation leading to the glorification of the physical body and eternal life in YHVH’s eternal spiritual kingdom. This view is from man’s perspective looking into the tabernacle through the front gate.
From YHVH’s view inside the holy of holies above the ark of the covenant in the glory cloud looking outward, the perspective is different. We’ll discus this in a moment.
In the outer court of the tabernacle, all the rituals and furnishings pointed to death, judgment, to washing or cleansing. These prophetically foreshadowed salvation through Yeshua’s atoning death on the cross, with Yeshua being the door to salvation, acceptance of his death on the cross for one’s sins followed by baptism for the remission of sins. In the set-apart (kadosh or holy) place inside the tabernacle, everything pointed to life, light, food, fragrant incense, the fruits and gifts of the Set-Apart Spirit—or life in a spiritual relationship with Elohim subsequent to one’s taking the beginning steps in the salvation process. The outer court speaks of basic salvation for the redeemed believer in Yeshua, while the holy place speaks of spiritual growth and maturity, of moving from spiritual babyhood and growing into spiritual adulthood or maturity.
To understand this process of growing in spiritual maturity, it is necessary to comprehend the tripartite composition of man. Paul speaks of man being subdivided into three parts—body, soul and spirit (1 Thess 5:23). The tabernacle’s outer court seems to relate more to the physical or bodily realm of the person, while the holy place speaks more of the soul or intellectual, volitional and emotional aspects of man’s inner or psychological makeup. Finally, the holy of holies portrays man approaching YHVH through the realm of a person’s inner personal spirit.
As one progresses into the tabernacle, it is as if YHVH is drawing a person into an ever deeper relational walk with him starting at the most basic level progressing upward until one is finally communing with YHVH on a Spirit-to-(human personal)-spirit level (in the most holy place). It is the Father’s desire that his children progressively grow until we are communing with him at the highest spiritual level (see John 4:23–24).
Exodus 29:38–42, In the morning…at twilight.(See also Lev 1:1–17 and Num 28:1–15.) Heb. erev meaning “twilight or between the evenings.” According to Alfred Edersheim, the morning sacrifice was offered at 9 AM and the evening sacrifice was offered at approximately 6 PM, since Israel is closer to the equator making the day and night portions on average closer to twelve hours each (The Temple–Its Ministry and Service, p. 108, by Alfred Edersheim). He then goes on the show that by the time of Yeshua, the Jews had changed the time of the evening sacrifice, so that it commenced earlier. By this time, the lamb was killed at about 2:30 PM with the pieces being laid on the altar about 3:30 PM. The whole evening sacrifice service would last until about 4:00 PM (ibid., pp 108–109).
This twice daily offering was known as the continual burnt offering (Heb. olah tamiyd), and was offered at the door of the tabernacle (verse 42). This sacrificial offering has great spiritual implications for the serious disciple of Yeshua and relates to his or her daily life. The word continual (Heb. tamiyd) means “continually.” The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah meaning “ascent, stairway or steps,” and derives from the basic Hebrew verb, alah, meaning “to go up, climb or ascend.” In this offering, the fire consumes the entire animal, and the word olah refers to the smoke of this whole burnt offering ascending to heaven, which is a “sweet aroma” to YHVH (verse 41). The olah was an offering or gift (Lev 1:2, Heb. qorban)to YHVH and could be a bull, goat, ram, turtle dove or a pigeon as long as it was a perfect specimen without defect (Lev 1). If an Israelite sinned, he could bring this gift-offering to the door of the tabernacle where he would place his hands upon the head of the animal, after which the priests would slaughter it, and sprinkle its blood around the altar of sacrifice just inside the door of the tabernacle (Lev 1:2, 4, 5). The meat was then prepared and arranged on the altar and entirely burnt (Lev 1:6–17). When the sinner laid his hands on the animal, it was as if he were transferring his sins onto the innocent, blemish-free animal, where upon YHVH accepted it as an atonement for the person’s sin (Lev 1:4).
The writer of Hebrews clearly teaches that this offering (along with all the other offerings in the sacrificial system) pointed to Yeshua, our Great High Priest, whose atoning death on the cross fulfilled all the types and shadows of the Levitical, sacrificial system (Heb 4:14–5:7; 7:1–10:18).
Now let’s note the seven steps of consecrating the priests and compare them with the steps a believer goes through to become a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). Notice how these seven steps relate to the steps a new believer takes in his conversion process and how they relate to one’s spiritual journey from outside the mishkan where the altar of the red heifer is located representing the cross of Yeshua, then into the door of the tabernacle (i.e. Yeshua who is the door), to the altar of sacrifice (i.e. a prophetic picture of communion) to the bronze laver (i.e. immersion for the remission of sins and being washed in the water of the Word of YHVH), into the set-apart place where the Ruach (Spirit of Elohim) is and onward and upward spiritually into intimate relationship with the Father. In Exodus chapters 28 and 29 we find the following:
Step One: They were taken from among the children of Israel ( Exod 28:1). This prefigures divine election (see John 15:16). YHVH calls or chooses each person. Yeshua called his disciples. They did not call or choose him, but they had to respond to that call.
Step Two: They were brought into the door of the tabernacle (Exod 29:4). The door of the tabernacle is Messiah Yeshua who is the door to the sheepfold. No man comes to the Father except through Yeshua (John 10:1–5, 7, 9) The door is four colors which speak of the person and work of Yeshua: blue, scarlet, white and purple. It also speaks of the four Gospels, which is the door to understanding the Person and work of Yeshua.
Step Three: They were washed (Exod 29:4). Upon accepting the work and Person of Yeshua one must be immersed for the remission of sins (Acts 2:28) to identify spiritually with the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua (Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3–14), and the washing of the water of the Word (Eph 5:26).
Step Four: They were clothed in their official garments (Exod 29:4–9). The redeemed believer is to put on the robes of righteousness (note Gal 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Messiah have put on Messiah”). Paul talks about fruits of righteousness through Yeshua in Philippians 1:1. Righteousness is Torah obedience (Ps 119:172) and is a mark of the end time believers/saints (Rev 12:17 and 14:12) and of the bride of Messiah (Rev 19:8).
Step Five:They laid their hands on the head of the animals which were sacrificed (Exod 29:10–26, 32–33). The blood of an animal was shed and sprinkled on Aaron and his sons and matzah (unleavened bread) was waved and burnt and they ate the flesh of the ram and the matzah.
Each born-again believer has to take personal responsibility for his own sins. The sacrifice of Yeshua, the Lamb of Elohim, at the cross must become personal to each person (see Heb 10:19; 13:12; 1 Pet 1:2; 1 John 1:17 and Rev 1:5). Each believer has his own personal relationship with Yeshua. Each must eat the flesh and drink the blood of Yeshua individually (John 6:35–58). Communion is a personal and individual matter.
Step Six: They were anointed with oil (Exod 29:21). Each person must receive the Set-Apart Spirit (Ruach) of Elohim (see Acts 8:17; 19:6).
Step Seven: They are sanctified or set-apart for a special, divine purpose (Exod 29:44). Only after going through these steps is one set-apart unto YHVH as a set-apart priesthood doing the set-apart work of YHVH (see Rom 15:16; 1 Cor 1:2; 6:11; Heb 10:10,14; 1 Pet 2:9).
Only on the basis of following YHVH’s steps, as outlined above, can one have fellowship with the Father. And what was the result of this consecration process? Relationship with the Father! Read Exodus 29:44–46 below,
And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their Elohim. And they shall know that I am YHVH their Elohim, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am YHVH their Elohim. (emphasis added)
This is all accomplished through Yeshua living in us spiritually. Yeshua is the Chief Cornerstone of our faith (Eph 2:20). He is the end result or goal of the Torah (Rom 10:4). He is the Author and the Finisher of our Faith, the Beginning and the End, the Aleph and Tav (Alpha and Omega) of everything.
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of Elohim, and precious, you also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a set-apart priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to Elohim by Yeshua the Messiah. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Tzion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he that believes on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of Elohim, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Pet 2:4–10)
Our faith in Yeshua stays alive and vibrant because of the sacrifices of devotion and praise we offer up daily, morning and night. We are called to do the same work the priests of old did, but in a spiritual or fuller sense.
Exodus 27:20,Pure oil of pressed [or beaten] olives.
The Making of Pure Olive Oil , the Menorah and the Believer’s Life
Let’s discuss how this pure olive oil prepared, and how this a picture of the redeemed believer. This is an enlightening subject!
Olive oil is made by crushing and pressing ripe olives. Whole olive fruit consists of 10 to 40 percent oil, and the fruit pulp is 60 to 80 percent oil. Producers use hydraulic presses to squeeze the oil out of the fruit under low pressure. This technique, called cold pressing, generates little heat, and so the oil retains its flavor, color, and nutritional value.
Cold-pressing commonly is carried out in several stages, with only some of the oil being extracted at each stage. The process remains basically the same throughout, but the quality of the oil declines with each pressing. In most cases, olives are cold-pressed at 40 °F (4 °C).
The first pressing gives the highest quality oil, which is usually called virgin olive oil. Virgin olive oil is more expensive than other vegetable oils, so it often is considered a gourmet item. The lower-quality oils from later pressings are often blended in small amounts with such refined oils as soybean or cottonseed oil. Olive oil that comes from the final pressing is inedible. This oil, called olive residue or olive foots, is used in cosmetics, detergents, soap, medicines, and textiles.
The olive fruit may be oval or oblong. As it matures, it turns from green to yellow to red to purple-black. It has a smooth skin, and its flesh surrounds a hard pit. Both the flesh and the seed in the pit contain oil, which makes up 10 to 40 percent of the mature fresh fruit’s weight. Fresh olives contain oleuropein, a bitter substance that makes them unpleasant to eat before processing. During processing, this substance is largely or entirely removed.
The olive tree’s bark and leaves are a soft gray-green, and its trunk becomes gnarled as it ages. Olive trees live longer than most other fruit trees. There are olive trees in Israel that may be more than 2,000 years old.
A mature olive tree may have as many as 500,000 small flowers. Most of the flowers are imperfect, and fruit cannot grow from them. They give off pollen, which is usually carried from flower to flower by the wind. Most varieties of olive trees bear a large crop one season and a small crop the next.
Cultivation of new olive trees occurs through takingcuttings off from an olive tree and rooting them. The trees will grow in many types of soil but need good drainage. To produce large fruit, the grower must irrigate and prune the trees, and thin the fruit. Fertilizers that add nitrogen to the soil can increase yields. The olive tree will grow where the climate is hot and dry. But for bearing good fruit, the tree needs a moderate supply of water. The fruit matures from October to January and is injured if the temperature falls below 26 °F (-3 °C).
Harvesting olives requires careful handling. Olives grown for their oil may be mechanically harvested. Olives grown for eating must be picked by hand. Workers place the fruit in small boxes and haul it to the processing plant.
Most green olives are prepared by the Spanish process. In this process, unripe, yellowish-green olives are placed in lye solution. The lye removes most of the bitter taste of the oleuropein. The olives are washed and then fermented in brine.
Adam Clarke, in his biblical commentary, says regarding Exodus 27:20 that the very ripe and oil-filled olives, after having been picked, when slightly bruised or pressed (before being crushed by mortar stones in a mill) will express the purest, most flavorful and highest quality oil. This oil that flows spontaneously with little or no application of force is called the mother drop.
According to TheStone Edition Chumash, only the purest oil could be used for the lamp (menorah)—the purest of the pure! This was obtained by slightly pressing the very ripe olives, but without crushing them. A minute quantity of oil would be squeezed out—only a drop or so—from each olive. This oil was more pure than any of the other oil subsequently obtained via crushing.
Exodus 27:9–19,Court of the tabernacle.The tabernacle’s outer court was approximately 150 feet long by 75 feet wide (or 11,250 square feet, which is about one-fourth of an acre) in size.
The curtains of the outer court (Exod 27:9–19) were made of fine white linen and was seven-and-a-half feet tall. The linen curtains speak of robes of righteousness the bride of Yeshua will wear on her wedding day (Rev 19:8).
Sixty pillars supported the outer curtain. They were set in heavy bronze (or brass) bases topped by silver capitals. These pillars represent redeemed humanity wearing robes of righteousness. Wood symbolizes humanity, while bronze symbolizes judgment against man because of sin, and silver represents redemption or Elohim’s ransom price for man’s sin.
The Outer Curtain in More Details.
The outer curtain was approximately 150 feet long by 75 feet wide and seven and-a-half feet tall. The curtain was just tall enough so that a tall man could not look over the top and see inside. The curtain was made of fine-twined white linen which stood in stark contrast to the surrounding gray-brown drab desert surroundings. White linen represents robes of righteousness. The priests wore white linen robes (Exod 28:39–43) and the bride of Yeshua is expected to wear such garments (Rev 19:8). YHVH’s people are called a nation or kingdom of priests (Exod 19:6; 1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). Men’s righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa 64:6) and our sins have separated us from Elohim (Isa 59:2), but YHVH has made provision for man’s sins to be washed away and for man to become white as wool or snow (Isa 1:18).
This curtain formed a barrier between man and Elohim, between the profane or polluted and the sacred and pure. The height of the curtain was just a little taller than a tall man to teach unsaved man that the way of salvation is not impossible for him to achieve, yet it is just beyond his reach, as well, without coming through the prescribed way—through the door of the curtain. The curtain was supported by 60 (6 x 10) pillars. Six is the number of man while ten represents ordinal perfection. The pillars were set in bronze bases and capped with silver capitals. Bronze represents Elohim’s judgment against man’s sin and silver represents redemption or sinners being redeemed from deserved judgment (Ezek 18:4; Rom 3:23; 6:23). Examples of bronze representing sin and judgment include the brass serpent on the pole in Numbers 21. This was a picture of Yeshua taking upon himself the judgment for man’s sins (John 3:14-17). The silver capitals represent the ransom price YHVH laid upon each of the children of Israel age 20 and upwards (Exod 30:11-16). The small amount of silver each Israelite paid for a ransom for their sins was but the minimum amount due on each person’s huge and impossible-to -pay sin debt charged on each man’s spiritual credit card. Thankfully, Yeshua redeemed each sinner not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood (1 Pet 1:18-19).
The ropes holding up the posts and pillars were made of goat hair. This is another picture of the redemptive sacrifice of Yeshua and of the price of man’s sin paid by his shed blood.
The outer curtain was white and luminescent from the light of the glory cloud; approximately seven-and-one-half feet tall so that an ordinary man could not peer over the top; the only access in was through the gate. This glowing curtain separated the bleak and drab wilderness outside from the paradise inside; darkness from light, profane from the set-apart (kadosh), death from life, confusion from order. The gate wasa four-colored woven tapestry representing the Person and work of Yeshua: purple for royalty or kingship, white for righteousness, blue for divinity or heaven and red for blood; Yeshua is the door of the tabernacle or sheepfold—he is the way to the Father, the way, life and truth; the gate was wide, but not tall—just above the height of a tall man; it was the only way into the tabernacle.
Exodus 27:1–8, An altar.As we continue our tour of the Tabernacle of Moses, the Torah takes us next to the bronze altar of sacrifice just inside the tabernacle’s door. Everything occurring in the tabernacle revolved around this altar—EVERYTHING! This fact is highly significant, since this altar points to the “altar” of the cross on which Yeshua the Messiah died for our sins. This is one truth that the mainstream church has gotten wonderfully right: the cross and what happened there is the central point of the gospel message. One cannot read the writings of the apostles and fail to see this unless one is sadly spiritually naive and spiritually blind!
Just inside the door of the tabernacle was the altar of sacrifice. It was made of acacia wood overlaid with bronze, which is a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Messiah bearing the judgment for men’s sins on the cross. The blood of the sacrifice was poured out on the ground at the base of the altar symbolically picturing Yeshua shedding his blood at the cross. Two lambs were offered at the altar morning and evening (Exod 29:38–42). This pictures our need to come humbly before our Father in heaven morning and evening in prayerful devotion as living sacrifices to confess our sins, to praise and thank him for saving us from the penalty of our sins, which is death (Ps 51:16–17; Heb 13:15; 1 John 1:7–9; Rom 6:23).
The Altar of Sacrifice in More Details. Upon understanding that the Person and work of Yeshua is the way into spiritual life, light and truth, one must also recognize that one’s sin liability keeps one from a having personal relationship with one’s Creator. The broken fellowship with our Father in heaven due to our uncleanness because of our sin is the reason for this. For one to have a relationship with a sinless, perfect, totally set-apart or holy Elohim,the sin problem has to be dealt with. Sin must be atoned for along with the resulting guilt, shame and penalty (i.e. death) that sin brings. In the Tabernacle of Moses, the liability and effect of sin is dealt with at the altar of the red heifer outside the gate of the tabernacle, which represents the work of Yeshua at the cross (Heb 13:10–13). There one was purified and made ready to come into the actual tabernacle. Upon doing so, the first thing one encountered when entering the tabernacle was the altar of sacrifice where both kosher animals and unleavened bread (made of the finest flour and the purest olive oil) were offered, and a wine libation was poured out twice daily (morning and afternoon, Num 28:1–8). These all picture the body of Yeshua being broken and slain for sinful man and our need to “eat” his body and “drink” his blood in a spiritual sense to which the communion elements of the Lord’s supper taken on the Passover during the seder meal symbolically point (John 6:35–58).
Exodus 26:36–37, Door of the tent.As with every other part of the tabernacle, the door is rich is rich in symbolic and prophetic significance pointing to Yeshua the Messiah and relating to the glorious message of the gospel in its full ramifying panoply.
This door had the same colors as the door to the outer courtyard (blue, crimson, white and purple) and was also woven of fine linen. The door was the same size in area, though it was a different dimension than the first door, for it was taller and narrower. This teaches us that the view of Yeshua becomes higher, and the way to the holiest place becomes narrower and the requirements become more stringent as one draws closer in proximity to YHVH’s glorious presence.
Five wooden pillars covered in gold supported by bronze bases held the curtains up. Again, the wood-covered gold speaks of the righteousness of the saints. Bronze speaks of Elohim’s judgment and five can speak of both the five books of YHVH’s Torah as well as the five-fold ministry the purpose of which is to ground YHVH’s people in his Torah-instructions in righteousness. In so doing, the Saints will become like Yeshua, who was the physical embodiment of the Torah—or YHVH’s Torah-Word made flesh (the Living Torah, John 1:1, 14).
The Door of the Tent in More Detail
This door had the same coloring as the outer door: purple, white, crimson and blue. This door had different dimensions as the outer door, but occupied the same area. This door was about half the width, but twice as high as the outer door. This speaks of the fact that as one grows and matures spiritually, the way of life, the path of righteousness and the way to intimacy with the Father gets narrower and the standards are elevated.
It was held up by five pillars picturing the fivefold ministry (Eph 4:11), which is likened to a hand: The apostle is like the thumb. The other fingers cannot work properly without it. It has more flexibility than the rest and can do things the others can’t. The prophet is like the index finger and points out people’s faults and points the direction people are to walk in, yet he must be very gracious, humble and self-effacing in his activity since he has three fingers pointing back at himself. The evangelist represents the middle finger which extends or reaches outward the farthest to bring people to YHVH. The shepherd (pastor) is the ring finger representing gentleness and love. The teacher, like the little finger that is used to dig stuff out of one’s nose and ears, digs out nuggets of truth in hard to reach places (e.g. ear and nose).
The five pillars were made of acacia wood overlaid in gold, which speaks of Yeshua’s humanity and his divinity. The pillars were set in bases of bronze speaking of YHVH’s righteous judgments and that all judgment will be left up to Yeshua who is over all and has judged and will judge all (Heb 2:8; Eph 1:22). Furthermore, Yeshua as head of the body of believers, the gates of hell will not prevail against his elect (Matt 16:18; Heb 3:6).
