Symbols In The Tabernacle (Exodus 37)

Are there pictures of Jesus in the tabernacle? How did the ark, mercy seat, table, lampstand and altar prepare us for Jesus? Does God desire to dwell with us? Are we reminded of the true bread from heaven, the true high priest, and a better covenant to come? Let’s look at Exodus 37.

The Ark

Does the ark of the covenant and what it contained picture Jesus and God’s plan of salvation?

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and outside, and made a gold molding around it. He cast four rings for it on its four feet, two rings on one side of it and two rings on its other side. He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. (Exodus 37:1-5 ISV)

The Mercy Seat

Is this a seat of judgment or mercy? Does it picture Jesus and God’s plan of salvation? A weakness of the KJV is the double plural attached to cherubs. The Hebrew ending “im” is already a plural and there is no need to add an “s” as in “cherubims.”

And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat; One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims. (Exodus 37:6-9 KJV)

The Table

Does the table of showbread picture Jesus and God’s plan of salvation?

Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding for it all around. He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around and made a gold molding for its rim all around. He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet. Close to the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its offering bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold. (Exodus 37:10-16 LSB)

The Lampstand

Does the lampstand picture Jesus and God’s plan of salvation?

Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs, and its flowers were of one piece with it. There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. And he made its seven lamps with its tongs and its trays of pure gold. He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold. (Exodus 37:17-24 NASB)

The Altar

Does the altar of incense, the oil and incense picture Jesus and God’s plan of salvation?

They made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high—its horns of one piece with it. They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. They made two gold rings below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. They also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense—the work of a perfumer. (Exodus 37:25-29 NIV)