HEBREWS: The Real Tabernacle; "Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands!"

Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. (Hebrews 9:1-5)

 

 

When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. (Hebrews 9:6-10 NLT) 

 

God gave Moses very specific instructions on how the tabernacle was to be constructed and exactly how everything done in the tabernacle was to be carried out, along with specifically what all the items used were to be made from.(Exodus 25-40, Leviticus 1-26, Numbers 1-31).  The holiest part of the tabernacle was the "Holiest of All", in the very back of the tent behind a veil, where the Spirit of God would come.  The priest could only enter that part of the tabernacle once a year, and a rope was usually tied around his leg, so incase the sacrifice he made for the people was unacceptable and God struck him dead, his body could be pulled out by the rope.

 

Moses' brother, Aaron was the first priest and his two sons inherited the priest position also.  They did not take their position seriously or God seriously, Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” So Aaron held his peace. (Leviticus 10:1-3) 

 

As with most sacred practices God instituted, the priests became very corrupt over time and did not do what was pleasing to God, so He prophecied Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. (I Samuel 2:35)  God was prophecying of the coming of Christ.  God made it very clear how He felt about the sacrifices and offerings: For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)  

 

Christ reiterated that when He came: But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13) Things were so bad, that Christ had a violent outburst in the temple: Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ [Jeremiah 7:11]” (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46) 

 

So how was Christ the "real" tabernacle?  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:11-15) 

 

The earthly tabernacle was just a symbol, a shadow of the coming of Christ.  But when Christ came and made the final and perfect sacrifice to God for the sins of man, And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; (Matthew 27:50-51; Mark 15:37-38; Luke 23:45-46)  Why did this happen? For He Himself is our peace, who has made both [Jew and non-Jew] one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,... For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:14, 18) 

 

Because of Christ, we no longer have to fear going to God and being struck dead because of coming to Him in a less than acceptable way, and no longer do we have to worry that whatever we offer Him won't be accepted by Him. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2) AMEN!