A Better Tabernacle

The holiest place in Judaism is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. If you're a Jew, though, you can't go to top of the Temple Mount because it's controlled by Muslims. The Jewish people value the Temple Mount so highly because they know that's where Solomon's Temple once stood and where they believe the Lord's temple will be built again.

Since the Jewish people aren't allowed on the Temple Mount, they get as close to that as they can. The Jews were able to take control of property nearby on the western side of the Temple Mount grounds. Jews will gather daily at this wall -- known as the Western Wall or Wailing Wall. They go there to pray. One thing they pray for is that their temple will be rebuilt. They want a return to the temple, the Most Holy Place, the sacrifices, and everything they did as part of their Old Testament worship.

The author of the book of Hebrews is writing to Christian Jews in his letter. They had been raised in Old Testament Judaism and converted to Christianity. They believed in Christ but were tempted to return to the religious rites of Judaism. That's why throughout the letter, the author repeatedly reminds them they have A Better Savior. In chapter nine, the author talks about A Better Tabernacle.

After the children of Israel were miraculously brought out of Egypt, the Lord wanted to assure them that he would be with them. The people would all be dwelling in tents as they traveled in the desert. God gave Moses instructions to build a large tent -- a tabernacle -- so he could dwell among his people in the desert. The tabernacle was designed to be a dignified place of worship, and moveable at the same time.

The courtyard of the tabernacle was roughly the size of a quarter of an American football field. It was approximately 150 feet long by 75 feet wide. The courtyard was enclosed by a 7.5-foot-high linen fence. Inside the courtyard was the bronze altar for burning sacrifices. It was 7.5 feet wide and 4.5 feet high. The laver was a large bronze bowl placed between the altar and the tabernacle for priests to wash their hands and feet.

The tabernacle was approximately 45 feet long by 15 feet wide and 15 feet high. It was built with acacia wood frames covered in gold, with multiple layers of curtains (linen, goat hair, rams' skins, and badger skins).

The tabernacle was divided into two rooms, separated by a large curtain. The first room was the Holy Place. On one side of the Holy Place was the Table of Showbread. The Table of Showbread was a sacred, gold-covered acacia wood table on the north side of the tabernacle. It was designed to hold twelve loaves of bread representing the twelve tribes of Israel. It symbolized constant communion between God and his people, with fresh, unleavened bread replaced every Sabbath. Then the old bread was eaten by the priests.

On the other side of the room was the golden lampstand (or menorah). It was a seven-branched, solid gold lampstand on the south side. The lampstand was crafted from a single piece of hammered gold. It featured almond blossom-shaped cups to hold pure olive oil. It was to provide light for the priests in the windowless, covered tent and to serve as a symbol of God's presence, the tree of life, and spiritual illumination.

The third item in the Holy Place was the Altar of Incense. It was a sacred, gold-covered acacia wood structure located directly before the veil separating it from the Most Holy Place. The altar featured four horns on its corners and gold rings for carrying poles. Once a year, during the Great Day of Atonement, the blood of the sin offering was applied to the horns of the altar. Priests burned a special, holy incense mixture daily upon the altar -- morning and evening -- symbolizing prayers ascending to God. Incense could only be burned upon the altar. Incense was forbidden to be used by the people as personal perfume.

The Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, was the restricted part of the tabernacle. It had four pillars holding a veil that went from top to bottom, and from the north to the south sides of the tabernacle. Inside the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments, Aaron's staff that had budded, and a jar of manna. The Ark was about 4 feet long and a little over 2 feet wide and high. On the edges were rings where two gold poles would be inserted to move the Ark. Upon the Ark were two large angels or cherubs facing each other with their wings touching. This was the atonement cover. This was the dwelling place of God's presence on earth. The high priest could enter the Most Holy Place only once a year on the Great Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

God gave specific directions for the tabernacle and everything within and around the tabernacle. Everything was designed to point the people to the presence of God dwelling among his people. But how could people who broke God's covenant -- the 10 Commandments inside the Ark -- approach a holy and righteous God?

The answer was found in what went on within the tabernacle. Blood was demanded by God to atone for sins. The blood of bulls, goats, and sheep was shed upon the altar in the courtyard. The priest sprinkled blood on the tabernacle. Once a year, the high priest passed through the veil and entered the Most Holy Place. He sprinkled blood upon the atonement cover on the Ark of the Covenant. God was symbolically seated upon the atonement cover in a pillar of cloud. When the high priest sprinkled blood there, it symbolized that God couldn't see their sins anymore. The blood covered the people's sins.

The repeated daily actions of the sacrifices and the annual repeated actions of the high priest were pointing to something better. Something that would happen one time for all time. That single event would be permanent. The tabernacle was pointing the people to a Better Tabernacle.

The tabernacle limited the people's ability to dwell with their God. The priests were the ones doing the sacrifices. The high priest could only approach the atonement cover once a year. Even though the tabernacle was a wonderful place to fellowship with God who was dwelling among his people, they had limited access to God.

The author to the Hebrews writes about this Better Tabernacle who is Jesus Christ. "When Christ appeared as the high priest of the good things that were coming, he went through the greater and more complete tent, which was not made by human hands (that is, it is not part of this creation). He entered once into the Most Holy Place and obtained eternal redemption, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood" (Hebrews 9:11-12).

St. Matthew writes, "After Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. Suddenly, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:50-51) When Jesus died, the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two. This symbolized that believers could now enter God's presence. Because God's Son had dwelt with us, we are now able to dwell with God. Because the Son of God had tabernacled with us, now we through faith in him are able to enter his eternal tabernacle of heaven.

The author is referring to heaven when he writes, "Therefore, it was necessary that the copies of the things in heaven be cleansed by these sacrifices, but it was necessary that the heavenly things themselves be cleansed with sacrifices better than these. For Christ did not enter a handmade sanctuary, a representation of the true sanctuary. Instead, he entered into heaven itself, now to appear before God on our behalf" (Hebrews 9:23-24). The Old Testament tabernacle and everything in it were only a picture of the heavenly tabernacle that Jesus entered. God was present in a special way in the Old Testament Most Holy Pace. But it was only a representation of the true sanctuary of the Most Holy Place Jesus entered upon his ascension to heaven.

Because Jesus is the Better High Priest and the Better Sacrifice, he is also the Better Tabernacle. Now, we may enjoy dwelling God within the permanent tabernacle that St. John pictures, "Look! God's dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4).

We are blessed to one day dwell permanently with God within his perfect tabernacle of heaven. We are also blessed to dwell temporally on God's holy days within his tabernacle of the church on earth.

The Old Testament tabernacle and its courtyard had holy furnishings like the altar for burnt sacrifices, the laver for washing, the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, the altar for incense, and the Ark of the Covenant. We have holy furnishings here within our sanctuary.

There is the baptismal font where the Triune God washed you with water and the Word, placed his holy name on you, and made you a baptized child of God. Jesus dwells within you as he has set up his kingdom in your heart.

There is the altar which is the symbol of God's presence. The candles are lit for worship because Jesus is the Light of the world. The two single candles are only lit when we celebrate the Lord's Supper. They symbolize that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. The altar also holds the bread and wine, which become Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. This is where Jesus Christ dwells among his people with forgiveness they can touch and taste.

There is the lectern where the pastor reads God's Word to you. Here is the pulpit where the pastor explains and applies God's Word to you. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh. His words fill your ears, change your mind, and convert your heart. God dwells with his people in worship in his tabernacle here on earth.

Now, we wish to dwell with God within his tabernacle. We heard earlier in Psalm 84, "How I love your dwelling place, O Lord of Armies. My soul grows weak and even wastes away, as I long for the courtyards of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. ... How blessed are those who live in your house. They are always praising you. How blessed is everyone whose strength is found in you. ... Yes, one day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather wait at the doorway of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Psalm 84:1-2, 4-5, 10). We dwell within this tabernacle praising God with our fellow saints, so that one day, Lord willing, we will dwell within the heavenly tabernacle praising God with all the saints and angels. All because Jesus is our Better Tabernacle. Amen.