=
UNDERSTANDING
The Tabernacle,
Its Articles and Ministries
A Portrait of Christ and the Church
by
Vernon Gillispie
First published on Sunday, 17 April 2011 07:05 | Written by Administrator |
Free online tabernacle symbolism study reveals God's plan for; gospel, church, creation's redemption, and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Introduction:
The Tabernacle, known to many as The Tabernacle in the Wilderness, or Moses Tabernacle, was a structure that God told Moses and the Israelites to build as a place of worship. It was portable and they carried it with them on their forty-year trek through the desert as they journeyed from Egypt to the promised-land.
A number of fine scholars have done and excellent job of bringing light upon the symbolism of the Tabernacle. By God's grace, and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, I may perhaps add a few new insights. My real goal, however, is to bring into clear focus the rich fruit of brilliant minds scattered through numerous books, some written many years ago in a style difficult for today's layman to understand.
This book was written for the benefit of anyone who wants to do a more extensive study of scripture -- especially the Old Testament. It is my belief that an understanding of the Tabernacle will enhance the readers understanding of scripture and encourage the believer into more extensive and in depth study of the Bible. Bible study may be the most neglected part of most Christian's life today. It certainly is a critical factor in the spiritual anemia of the modern day church. God's word is the manna upon which we are to feed our spirits and nourish our souls,
"It is written, 'Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Mt. 4:4).
We are instructed to study to present ourselves as
"a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2Ti. 2:15)
Many believers read parts of the Bible with some degree of regularity. How many, though, regularly study the scriptures to clearly understand the deeper truths and correctly interpret their proper application to everyday life? Over the years I have come to believe that much of this failure to study more is due to the difficulty most believers encounter in trying to read and understand the Old Testament, its relationship to the New Testament and how it applies to their lives today.
My real objective, therefore, is to bring the rich truths of the Tabernacle to those who need to know them but have either;
-
just begun to study, or
-
have tried but been unsuccessful in their efforts to study the scriptures, especially the Old Testament.
Gaining an understanding of the symbolism so prevalent in the Old Testament; the spiritual insights they reveal, and how they relate to Christian life today, is exciting. It makes Bible study exciting and challenging.
Trying to read the Old Testament without some understanding of the meaning of the symbols and types it employs is a little like going on a scavenger hunt in a mansion where all the rooms are locked. If you can find the keys it is fun, if not, it is frustrating. This online study may assist you since its easy navigation links allow quick access to references.
Obviously, this one book cannot cover the entire Old Testament. What it can, and I trust, will do is give you some keys that will help you unlock truths all through the scriptures, gain understanding of the relationship of the Old and New Testaments and inspire you to seek out other keys on your own. It is my sincere hope and prayer, that the understanding that God has led me to will benefit others in their search to know more of God's truth and draw them closer to Christ Jesus.
The material covered here will take the reader through the history, construction (including the type and source of materials), the components and the artices of the Tabernacle including the description and the purpose of each. This text also discusses the Levite tribes, the priest's duties, the ordered holy feasts, and the meaning these things for believers today. Scripture references accompany the discussion of each item or concept discussed to aid the reader in checking the authenticity, the accuracy and correctness of my interpretation.
Readers are strongly encouraged to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they study and not take my interpretation or that of any other teacher of scripture at face value. No man or woman is infallible, no matter how spiritual and sincere they may be. We can all be subject to error through our own lack of understanding, our humanity being subject to pride, prejudice, preconceived ideas and other similar weaknesses.
I want to give both credit and thanks to other teachers and authors whose work I studied in my research on this subject. The following are some of the resources I used, in addition to the Bible, as I prepared the material that follows:
Author Book
John Ritchie Tabernacle In The Wilderness
M.R.DeHann, M.D. The Tabernacle
Henry W. Soltau The Holy Vessels And Furniture Of The Tabernacle
Coulson Shepherd Jewish Holy Days Their Prophetic and Christian Significance
John Ritchie Feasts of Jehovah
Martha Zimmerman Celebrate The Feasts
Kevin J Conner Interpreting The Symbols And Types
William Brown The Tabernacle Its Priests and Its Services
David Little The Tabernacle in the Wilderness
Ben M. Ediden Jewish Holidays and Festivals
Harold Kushner To Life A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking
John Hagee Final Dawn Over Jerusalem
I also want to acknowledge the fine work of Paul Kiene in producing the photos of the taberbacle, courtyard, articles and priests from models created to illustrate them. The photos used here are from the transparency series "The Tabernacle of God in the Wilderness" by Paul Kien. The current holder of the copyright for these photos, Verlag, Schulte and Gerth publishing of West Germany,have graciously given their permission for their use in this book.
The photos are, of course, the artists concept of how the actual tabernacle would have appeared. In some instances I have used expanded portions cut from the original photo rather than the entire photo in order to emphasize the feature under discussion.
It is my sincere hope and prayer that you will find this exploration of the Tabernacle interesting and informative and as much of a spiritual blessing as I have. If so, I am confident you will also begin to find new interest in the Old Testament, a deeper understanding of it, and a greater appreciation for the great truths and inspiration contained in both the Old and New Teataments. May God richly bless you on your journey.
