The Purpose of the Wilderness Tabernacle

A Tabernacle Replica at Timnah Park, Israel

Dwelling With God Through His Son

On Mount Sinai, Moses received more than just the Ten Commandments. He was also given elaborate instructions for building a Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was a temple of worship that involved specific protocols and procedures. These protocols deliberately provided a possible means for God's people to dwell with Him, as God requested.

Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

— Exodus 25:8

From the fall of Genesis until the construction of the Tabernacle, the Bible records people occasionally walking and talking with God, but not dwelling with Him. As we shall see, within the framework of this Old Testament sanctuary, God draws His people closer to Himself through an intricate sacrificial system. Today, this arrangement can speak volumes about the specifics of such a great salvation and indescribable gift.

... how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation ...?
— Hebrews 2:3

Every detail that Christ accomplished to restore our relationship with God can be discovered in the particulars of the wilderness tabernacle.

Moses received God's tablets of ten sayings and the Tabernacle instructions for meeting with God.

The Old Testament Examples

While reading these instructions, it is easy to gloss over them without connecting them to the New Testament concept of a relationship with God through Christ. I hesitate to use the word "relationship" because of its broad and adulterated use in the present culture. Modern interpretations of a relationship often bring many fickle "no strings attached" associations. As we shall see in this structure and throughout the entirety of Scripture, a covenant relationship, by God's standards, is a life-and-death matter worthy of our comprehension and loyal application.

This portion of the temple details can seem redundant and unnecessary if we view it as merely historical and Old Testament. But Paul tells us there are compelling reasons to study the history of God's dealings with His people. First, the Old Testament records illustrate our spiritual journey.

These things (Old Testament) happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the age have come

— I Corinthians 10:11

Secondly, they were written "for our instruction," so we might have hope and encouragement through them.

For whatever was written in the past (Old Testament) was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
— Romans 15:4

"These things" are about the children of Israel's experiences in their wilderness journey to the promised land. These experiences are all related to their relationship with the God who delivered them.

Fifty chapters of the Bible are devoted to the wilderness tabernacle that was central to that relationship, which, I think we can safely assume, makes it a relatively important topic as far as God is concerned.

"These things" also contain the blueprint for faith. Residing within each material and measurement is a lesson in the necessity of fellowship with the God of creation. And Jesus is central to all.

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, it is necessary that this One also has something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
— Hebrews 8:1-5

The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that the Tabernacle is a shadow and a type of heavenly thing. There are divine spiritual lessons and patterns that pertain to our spiritual life that can be discovered within the parameters of this template.

Jesus Himself also made it clear to His followers that He is, in fact, the subject matter of "these things."

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
— Luke 24:27

John, too, makes the connection between Christ and the Tabernacle.

And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.
— John 1:14

The arrangement of the Tabernacle furniture

The Cross Is Key

This structure connects us with Jesus, beginning with the arrangement of the furnishings in the shape of a cross. This iconic shape was evident in the arrangement of the tribes around the Tabernacle, with the tribes in their North, South, East, and West positions.

All things in this meeting place will point to Jesus Christ and His crucifixion so that we might experience a restoration of our relationship with God. Paul, the author of a good portion of the New Testament, considered this His most valuable goal.

I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified

— I Corinthians 2:2

The arrangement of the tribes of Israel around the Tent of Meeting

The Pattern Is Everywhere Throughout Scripture

According to Glen Carpenter in his book Connections, seven physical structures in the Bible are built specifically and obviously for worship, beginning with the Tabernacle of Moses.

1. The Tabernacle of Moses
2. The Tabernacle of David
3. The Temple of Solomon
4. Zerubbabel's Temple
5. The Temple of Herod
6. The Temple of Ezekiel's Vision
7. The Temple, which is the Body of Christ

Dinah Dye, the author of The Temple Revealed in Creation, teaches that seven in Scripture strongly connect with the fulfillment of the house-building theme. This revelation helps correlate the creation account with a less visible macrocosmic temple structure to build a kingdom family.

Thus, the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them were finished. And on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested (took His seat upon the throne) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
— Genesis 2:1-2

Notably, similar language applies to both creation and house- and tabernacle-building in the book of Proverbs.

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. And by knowledge, rooms are filled with all riches, precious and pleasant.
— Proverbs 24:3-4 LEB

The writer earlier connects this same wisdom and understanding clause with creation.

Yahweh in wisdom founded the earth; he established the heavens in understanding. With his knowledge, depths broke open, and clouds dropped dew.
— Proverbs 3:19-20 LEB

This phraseology applies to the prophet Isaiah's prophecy of the coming Messiah.

And a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from its roots will bear fruit. And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest on him— a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.
— Isaiah 11:1-3 LEB

As it applies to the wilderness tabernacle, Bezalel, meaning "in the shadow of God," son of Uri, meaning "light," is assigned by God to design this structure skillfully. Aholiab is also included in this assignment. His name means "tent of my father."

And Bezaleel, and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whom Jehovah hath given wisdom and understanding to know to do every work of the service of the sanctuary, have done according to all that Jehovah commanded.
— Exodus 36:1 YLT98

The meanings of the names of those involved in its construction relate to the Tabernacle's purpose. It was to serve as a shadow of the Son of God, the Light of the world, who would connect us back to the tent (Tabernacle) of the Father.

In rabbinical literature, Bezalel possessed such great wisdom that he could combine those letters of the alphabet with which heaven and earth were created; this being the meaning of the statement (Exodus 31:3): "I have filled him ... with wisdom and knowledge," which were the implements by means of which God created the world.
— Wikipedia on Bezalel

The Bible also ends with this very same purpose. God creates a space and place to dwell and be in a relationship with the man He has made.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
— Revelation 21:3

Everything between these bookends of the Genesis creation and the Holy City in Revelation is the fundamental mechanism of that accomplishment.