The Tabernacle (Part III) (The Holy Place)

Lesson Content

The dimensions of the holy place were 20 X 10 X 10 cubits. Aaron and his sons who were the priests went into it on all the days of the year to minister in it. There were three main instruments in it, namely the candlestick, the incense altar and the table of shewbread.

1. The Incense Altar (Exo.30:1-8): The incense altar was placed before the veil in the holy place. It was made of shittim wood and overlaid with pure gold. It was 1 cubit long, 1 cubit b road and two cubits high. The incense altar signifies the saints who pour out their life in prayer, without counting their lives dear unto themselves. Incense signifies prayer. Being overlaid with pure gold shows that we must pray with faith. The tribulations faced in the ministry of prayer must be overcome through faith and we must boldly wrestle in prayer. It had four horns. Horns show the strength we receive through prayer which preserves us from trials which come from all four sides (I Pet.1:5). Burning of the incense in the morning shows that prayer life begins when the darkness in our life is dispelled.

Burning of incense at the time of the lighting of the lamps shows that prayer life is renewed through revelations received from the Word of God. Burning of incense at the time of the cleaning of the lamps shows that prayer life is renewed when we sanctify our lives.

2. The Candlestick (Exo.25:31-39): The Candlestick is a type of the New Testament Church. It was made of a talent of pure gold, of beaten work. Gold depicts faith (I Pet.1:7). This shows how all the Spirit -baptized people are brought into the unity of the faith (gold) and are made perfect. Base: Without the base the candlestick cannot stand. The base speaks of Christ. He is the Head o f the body, the Church. He bears us and we must be obedient and submissive to Him (Col.1:18; 2:10; Eph.1:22,23). Shaft: On the base there was the shaft. It had four bowls (buds), four knops (fruits) and four flowers. In every one of its six branches there was a lamp, three buds, a fruit and a flower each. The shaft also had a lamp. The shaft represents the apostles and prophets. They must be rooted and grounded in Christ. It is to them that Christ has revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Then oth ers can have fellowship with them and depend on them (Eph.2:19,20). The six branches: The six branches show the other six ministeries (excluding the apostles and prophets) as mentioned in I Corinthians 12:28. All six branches branched off from the shaft. This shows that however gifted the Spirit -baptized people may be, they can be caught up at the coming of the Lord only by abiding in the fellowship of the saints. Fully accepting the doctrines of the apostles and prophets, they must live in fellowship with the servants of God. Everyone who is Spirit -baptized is a member of the body of Christ. The four bowls (buds): We saw that there were four buds in the shaft that represented the apostles and prophets and three buds in everyone of the six branch es. The perfection of doing the will of God is expected from the servants of the Lord. The Spirit - baptized believers must fulfil the will of God revealed through the servants of God. Thus the assembly must learn the life of doing the will of God by being i n fellowship with the apostles and grow to attain perfection in the remaining three aspects of love, faith and holiness. Flower: A bud always opens into a flower. As we grow in these perfections we become a sweet savour unto other people (II Cor.2:15,16). Knop (Fruit): This also speaks of perfection. Lamps: Speaks of gifts and ministeries. If gifts do not shine, the Church will be in darkness. The lamps should burn always — day and night. This means that God wants to work in our lives day and night. Christ cleanses us, pours His Spirit into us and stirs up the gifts in us just as the high priest trims the wicks, pours oil into the lamp and lights the lamps.

The candlestick has only seven lamps totally but the central shaft combines two ministries — that of the apostles and prophets. Thus the candlestick represents eight ministries (I Cor.12:28).

3. The Table of Shewbread (Exo.25:23-30; 40:22,23; Lev.24:5-9) The table of shewbread was made of shittim wood and overlaid with pure gold. It was two cubits long and 1 cubit broad and 1½ cubits high. The table predominantly speaks of the ministry. It is also a type of Jesus and the servants of God. Shewbread: When the table signifies the Lord Jesus Christ, the shewbread speaks of the servants of God. In other words, when the table represents the servants of God, the shewbread is a sign of the revelations or the spiritual food given to those who enter the most holy place, that is, those who are caught up at the coming of the Lord. It had four legs — This s peaks of the four perfections required for the New Testament Church — perfection in love, faith, holiness and in doing the will of God. Twelve cakes — 12 speaks of apostles. Hence the twelve cakes show the spiritual food given by the consecrated apostles. Each cake was made of two tenth deals of fine flour (Lev.24:5). Ten shows the law or the ten commandments. They have been reduced to the two laws of love in the New Testament, namely, love towards God and love towards one’s neighbour (Matt.22:36-40). Arranged in two rows — Two — speaks of a life of witness. We must not only preach the revelations that God gives us but also live according to what we preach because people not only hear what we preach but also closely watch our lives, and we must be a witness to them. Each sabbath fresh cakes were placed and old ones were removed. This shows that the servants of God should wait in the presence of God, receive new messages from God, be themselves fed with it first and then give them to the Church. Aaron and his sons shall eat them. Unlike the manna which both men and women can eat, the shewbread must be eaten only by men. This shows that only those who live a victorious life or the Spirit-baptized servants of God and believers waiting for the coming of the Lord can eat the strong meat given by the servants of God. The crown on the table signifies the crown of glory which faithful servants of God receive (I Pet.5:4).

Moral

Like Jesus we should become bread for others, a light to the world, and victors through powerful, prevailing prayer.