The Sanctuary

Lesson 3The Tabernacle and Its Furnishings

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And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. (Exodus 25:8)

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Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses

was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle:

for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

(Hebrews 8:5)

The Tabernacle

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A period of about half a year was occupied in the building of the

tabernacle. (PP 349)

The Entrance

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Always faced east

The eastern end of the tabernacle had 5 gold-covered pillars, each set in a socket of brass

The pillars were made of shittim wood (Ex. 26:37)

The Roof

Fine-twined linen, woven of scarlet, purple, and blue threads, with angel figures embroidered in pure gold and silver. This was the ceiling to the holy and most holy places. (Ex. 26:1, PP 347.2)

Goats’ hair (Ex. 26:7)

Rams’ skins dyed red (Ex. 26:14)

Badgers’ skins (Ex. 26:14)

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The Walls

The Levites laid the silver sockets in place on the ground for the north, the south, and the west sides of the tabernacle. Then they set the gold-covered boards in place.

Each board had two tenons or projections on the bottom that fitted into the silver sockets.

On the outside of each board there were gold rings through which the workmen placed gold-covered bars to hold the boards together, for they used no nails.

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The boards were made of shittim wood (Ex. 26:15)

20 boards each on the south and north sides; 6 on the west side plus the corner boards (Ex. 26:25)

The hangings of the court being only about half as high as the walls of the tabernacle, the building could be plainly seen by the people without. (PP 347.3)

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On the outside the building did not appear beautiful. The beauty of the tabernacle was within.

The coverings and their arrangements typified Jesus. There was nothing about his outward appearance of his home conditions that made him attractive to the passer-by. It was the beauty of his life and character, hidden like the beauty of the tabernacle, that made him attractive to those that learned to know him.

(The Wonderful Way, 1955, p. 163)

The Curtains

A beautiful curtain separated the holy place from the most holy place. It was similar to the innermost ceiling curtain and had angels embroidered on it. (Ex. 26:31)

This curtain did not extend as high as the walls, so light from the shekinah shone over the curtain into the holy place. The curtain protected the priests from the full brightness of God’s glory, just as Christ veiled his divinity with humanity so he could dwell among men.

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The vail between the holy and the most holy place was hung on 4 pillars (Ex. 26:32)

The door of the tabernacle was a hanging of blue, purple, and scarlet wrought with needlework. (Ex. 26:36)

The gate of the courtyard was a hanging of blue, purple, and scarlet wrought with needlework (Ex. 27:16) and was of costly material and beautiful workmanship, though inferior to those of the sanctuary (PP 347.3)

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The courtyard walls were hangings of twined linen (Ex. 27:9), supported by pillars of brass with hooks and fillets of silver.

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The Furniture

The Candlestick

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On the southern wall

7-branched

Made of one solid piece of gold

Its light never went out

The oil was

The Altar of Incense

Was quite small—only a cubit square and one and a half cubits high

Was shittim wood overlaid with gold and had a crown of gold

Placed in front of the vail before the mercy seat. When the priest offered incense at the altar, he stood facing the ark. He did this morning and evening.

Had 4 rings of gold by which to carry it with rods

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Its horns were touched with the blood of the sin offering and it was sprinkled with blood on the Day of Atonement.

The fire on this altar was kindled by God and was sacredly cherished.

The holy incense diffused its fragrance far around the tabernacle.

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The incense, ascending with the prayers of Israel, represents the merits and intercession of Christ, His

perfect righteousness, which through faith is imputed to His people, and which can alone make the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God. Before the veil of the most holy place was an altar of perpetual intercession,

before the holy, an altar of continual atonement. By blood and by incense God was to be approached—

symbols pointing to the great Mediator, through whom sinners may approach Jehovah, and through whom

alone mercy and salvation can be granted to the repentant, believing soul. {PP 353.2}

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As the priests morning and evening entered the holy place at the time of

incense, the daily sacrifice was ready to be offered upon the altar in the court without. This was a time of intense interest to the

worshipers who assembled at the tabernacle. Before entering into the

presence of God through the ministration of the priest, they were to engage in earnest searching of heart and confession of sin.

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They united in silent prayer, with their faces toward the holy place. Thus their petitions ascended with the

cloud of incense, while faith laid hold upon the merits of the promised Saviour prefigured by the

atoning sacrifice. The hours appointed for the morning and the evening sacrifice were regarded as sacred, and they came to be observed as the set time for worship throughout the Jewish nation. And when in later times the Jews were scattered as captives in

distant lands, they still at the appointed hour turned their faces toward Jerusalem and offered up their

petitions to the God of Israel.

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In this custom Christians have an example for morning and evening prayer. While God

condemns a mere round of ceremonies, without the spirit of worship, He looks with

great pleasure upon those who love Him, bowing morning and evening to seek pardon

for sins committed and to present their requests for needed blessings. {PP 353.3}

The Table of ShewbreadOccupied the north wall

It was a small table—2 cubits long, 1 cubit wide, and 1 and a half cubits high

Shittim wood overlaid with gold, with an ornamental crownlike trimming

Had 4 rings of gold through which rods were placed to carry it

Held 12 loaves of bread; each Sabbath new loaves were placed, and the old bread removed and eaten by the priests.

Bread was sprinkled with frankincense, which was later burned upon the altar.

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It was called showbread, or “bread of the presence,” because it was ever before the face of the Lord. It was an acknowledgment of man’s dependence upon God for both temporal and

spiritual food, and that it is received only through the mediation of Christ. God had fed Israel in the wilderness with bread from heaven, and they were still dependent upon His bounty, both for temporal food and spiritual blessings. Both the manna and

the showbread pointed to Christ, the living Bread, who is ever in the presence of God for us. (PP 354)

The Ark

Acacia wood overlaid within and without with gold and had a crown of gold about the top

Contained the 10 Commandments, Aaron’s rod the budded, and a pot of manna

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The Mercy Seat

The cover of the ark

Made of solid gold

Two cherubim, one standing on each end, with one wing stretched on high and another folded over its body and their faces turned toward each other and looking down

Above the mercy seat was the Shekinah and from between the cherubim he made known his will.

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Divine messages were sometimes communicated to the high priest by a voice from the cloud. Sometimes a light fell upon the angel at the right, to signify approval or

acceptance, or a shadow or cloud rested upon the one at the left to reveal disapproval or

rejection. {PP 349.1}

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No language can describe the glory of the scene presented within the sanctuary—the gold-plated

walls reflecting the light from the golden candlestick, the brilliant hues of the richly embroidered curtains with their shining angels, the table, and the altar of incense, glittering with gold; beyond the second veil

the sacred ark, with its mystic cherubim, and above it the holy Shekinah, the visible manifestation of

Jehovah’s presence; all but a dim reflection of the glories of the temple of God in heaven, the great

center of the work for man’s redemption.{PP 349.3}

The Courtyard

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The Laver

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Between the altar and the door of the tabernacle

Was of brass and made from mirrors that were part of the freewill offerings

Priests were to wash their hands and feet here before going into the tabernacle or before the approached the altar to offer a burnt offering

The Brazen Altar of Burnt Offerings

Stood nearest the courtyard entrance

All the sacrifices made by fire were performed here

Its horns were sprinkled with the atoning blood

Made of brass

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