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The Tabernacle (ch. 26:1 - 36)   

 

I will not go through chapter 26 verse by verse.  It is a very detailed explanation to how the tabernacle should be build.  Many Bible teachers take every little item that is described here and show how it is prophetically significant. Of course, not all Bible teachers agree on the significance of each little part of the tabernacle.  I will not go into a detailed analysis of this.  I will leave that to others.

 

The one thing I do want to point out concerning this chapter is how detailed God's instructions are.  They are very detailed, so detailed that you and I could build the tabernacle ourselves, and some people actually have.  With this in mind, I'd like to point out that this tabernacle is the place where God lived on earth.  The tabernacle was eventually replaced by the Old Testament temple, the temple was where God dwelt on earth.  Then when Jesus came to earth, His body was the temple of God.  In Jesus God lived.  After Jesus left, the church, or the Body of Christ is now where God lives.  The church is often called the temple of God in the New Testament.  I therefore suggest, that because God was so detailed in the original tabernacle in how it should be built, I believe he would be just as detailed when it comes to the New Testament temple, the church.  To me, it makes no sense that God would go to so much trouble in building the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, then prepare a human body for Himself, and not want the same for His church.  We haven't even mentioned any future temple as seen in the book of Revelation.

 

This is the question.  Should we build the church from our own specifications, or God's specifications?  I think the answer is clear, especially so in light of the details in this chapter.  God has detailed plans for the church.  The New Testament, and especially Paul's writings show the plan.  The church of today does not follow God's New Testament plans for His living temple.  We have departed from New Testament thinking on this matter.

 

Another thing to note about the tabernacle is that Israel camped around the tabernacle. There were three tribes on each side.  It is important to note that the tabernacle was in the very centre of Jewish society, both in a geographical sense, as well as a spiritual and cultural sense.  This should be the same in the church.  God's presence should be central to everything we do.   He should be the centre of church life centre of our lives as Christians, but this is not always the case.    

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