The Tabernacle

The three compartments of the tabernacle are a type of the Godhead.

1) The Most Holy Place pictures God the Father.

God resided above the most holy place and this is where the mercy seat (of the Ark of the Covenant) is found. The 10 commandments are inside the ark. The blood being on top of the ark. God was on the mercy seat. When He looked down into the ark He looked past the blood. Once every year the high priest put the blood on the mercy seat and never wiped it off. The ark held the 10 commandments.

When God looked at the 10 commandments He had to look at them thru the blood. If we broke then we were covered. If there wasn't blood on them He'd behold eniquity in us. This explains why the iniquities of Old Testament saints are looked at as if these iniquities never occurred when these saints are spoken of in the New Testament.

It's called a mercy seat cause God sets up mercy for us by the blood of Christ - breaking the law of God required a payment and when He looks down at the law He sees the payment

2) The Holy Place pictures God the Son.

The candlestick pictures the light of Jesus Christ,

our light of understanding the Word,

seeing our way through the darkness of the world.

3) The Outer Court pictures the Holy Spirit in concrete form.

The sinner is saved at the brazen altar after making a blood sacrifice. The brazen altar is a type of the cross. Salvation itself is a work of the Holy Spirit. When you accept Christ the Holy Spirit resides inside you and you are ¡®sealed until the day of redemption¡¯

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

¡¤ The Brazen Altar is a type of Christ our Substitute and Sacrifice.

Sin had to be dealt with by sacrifice, for the Law thundered ¡°without the shedding of blood is no remission.¡± Here at the Brazen Altar the Israelites¡¯ sin was dealt with in the offering of a lamb, etc.

1Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

¡¤ The Laver is a type of Christ our cleansing and regeneration.

o At the altar, the blood of the sacrifice was shed, typifying the once and for all washing of the whole person in the blood of Christ. At the brazen laver, the washing of hands and feet (not the body) is a type of cleansing by the Word of God, of daily application of God¡¯s Word cleansing heart and conscience for His service in witness and work.

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

¡¤ The Candlestick is a type of Christ the Light of the World.

o The candlestick was beaten out for light for us. This pictures how Christ changed form - pure gold ¡ú man so we could have light, to show us our sins. There were no windows or other means of light inside the Tabernacle except for the Candlestick.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life.

John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

¡¤ The Table of Shewbread is a type of Christ the Bread of Life.

o The priests ate the bread. Each sabbath the priest would take 12 new loaves from the people and the Aaronic priesthood ate the 12 old ones. This pictures feeding off the word of God at His table.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

¡¤ The Incense Altar is a type of Christ our Intercessor and Advocate. The Altar of Incense speaks of the worship of Jesus Christ and God's people through him as our high priest and mediator.

o The Tabernacle priest had to burn incense at this altar in the morning and at twilight. The burning incense stands for prayer rising up to God.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

¡¤ The Ark of the Covenant - An ark is like a chest to preserve things in. The ark of the Covenant contained the golden pot of manna, Aaron's rod that budded and the 10 commandments. These items picture the spiritual necessities Christ provides for the Christian. Blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, which on the top of the ark. God abided on the ark in the Tabernacle cloud, which was directly over the mercy seat. When He looked down into the ark He looked past the blood.