This Tabernacle shows us both the Temple in Heaven and our Lord Jesus, and the way of Salvation. I will only touch on the high points, in the consideration of space here.
When God told Moses to build it, He said to be sure to follow the "pattern" He had showed him, the Heavenly Temple (Exodus 25: 9). It was to be a shadow of the actual worship center in God's dwelling place.
God started from His perspective: the Ark of the Covenant. This box illustrates that Jesus would have a human body (the wooden chest), but continue to be the Lord God (totally gold, inside and out). Guarded by two cherubim, their wings overshadowing it, their faces toward it. (Ezekiel saw cherubim surrounding the Lord God in chapters 1 and 10.)
The Lord God Himself would "sit" there on that Mercy Seat, between or above the cherubim, and speak to Moses. But our God is dangerous--we in our sin cannot approach Him without burning up. God specially equipped Moses, and Aaron and the rest of the Levites, to be able to withstand the very Presence of the Lord God. Everyone had to be protected.
Let's start with our viewpoint, from the outside in.
God had the Tribes of Israel camp around the Tabernacle in a specific order. They were all to be at a distance from the Tabernacle, and the families of the Levites were to camp between them and the Tabernacle, also in a specific order. Sort of as a barrier to protect the rest of the people.
Then there is the court, bounded by the hangings. These curtains were a fence or wall around the whole outside of the Tabernacle comprising an area of 100 cubits by 50 cubits (150 feet by 75 feet). They were 7 1/2 feet tall, too tall to look over, and it had only one gate or door, 30 feet wide. So there was only one way in. Only one way to God.
The people could enter this door, only with their animal for sacrifice, and the Bronze Altar was right there. The first sacrifice each person was to bring was the personal sacrifice (Leviticus 1), because the blood of the sacrifice needed to cover their sins first thing.
This shows us that Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb of God is our personal Sacrifice that does not just cover, but washes away our sins so that we can approach God.
Then the person left. Only the priests could go further. (Today the children of God are His priests, and we have the authority to approach God closer.) They were required to wash their hands and feet in the Laver that was placed between the Bronze Altar and the door to the Holy Place.
We also need to "wash." Jesus' Sacrifice has washed us completely, but we still live in the world, so confession is our Laver. Jesus told Peter that,
He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean (John 13: 10),when He washed his feet at the Last Supper. And we who have been cleansed by His blood need only confess the present sin, and we shall continue to be altogether clean (I John 1: 9).
Tomorrow we'll look at the Tabernacle itself, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, where only the priests were allowed to go and why.
O my Father, thank You for giving us this perfect picture of how You have determined we can approach You and be made fit to be in Your Presence and enjoy sweet fellowship with You and one another.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
