As was stated in our opening blog post:
“The Tabernacle is the key to the divine plan, which alone explains the “mystery” of this Gospel age, which is the church and her special call to the privileges of sacrifice now and of glory by and by." The thought clearly is that the house of servants under Moses, and all which pertained to it was designed by God to be a testimony, or a setting forth by types, of things which would take place later on a much higher and grander scale -- "a shadow (or type) of good things to come (the antitype)." Heb 10:1
In this study we will be taking a look as some of these “shadows”, as they relate to the Tabernacle as well as their anti-types. No other Apostle expressed more the importance in understanding the Tabernacle and its various services and ceremonies than did the Apostle Paul; in fact he considered it key to understanding the means by which entry is made into the body of Christ and into the spiritual phase of the kingdom.
“The Camp, the Courtyard, and Tabernacle distinctly separated and differentiated into three general divisions represent three distinct classes blessed by the atonement.
The two parts of the Tabernacle (The “Holy” and “Most Holy”) represent two conditions of one of these classes.
“The Camp represented the condition of the world of mankind in sin, needing atonement and desiring it and its blessings; however indistinctly it analyzes its cravings and its groaning’s. These were typified by the “Camp,” the nation of Israel, and were separated from all holy things by the curtain of white linen, which represents to those within a wall of faith, but to those without a wall of unbelief which hindered their view of and access to the holy things within. There was only one gateway to enter the “Holy Place” or “Court”; the type thus testifying that there is but one way of access to God—one “gate”—Jesus. “I am the way . . . No man comes unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) “I am the door.” (John 10:9)
In the typical tabernacle picture the camp consisted of the various tribes of Israel encamped about the tabernacle, the professed people of God, outside of this laid the Gentile nations. This condition of things continued even to our Lord’s Day, with all the Jewish people who professed to be in harmony with the Lord constituting the camp while the Gentiles remained without. Today things have changed; today the camp does not consist of the Jewish people but rather the Gentiles, the Lord having cast off his natural people because of their disbelief opened the door to the Gentiles. This situation of matters is of course only temporary, and so we read,
“Blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved” saved from its blinded condition and alienation from God, and placed in a position to attain eternal life under the conditions of the Millennial age.
However as was with respects to the Jews so too with regards to the Gentiles today, the camp consisting predominately of nominal professors, the professed people of God, i.e. the professing Christian Church, “those who proclaim they are Jews (the true “Israel of God”) but who are not…” (Rev 3:9; Gal 6:16).
“The “camp” condition at the present time, we could not think would represent the world in the broad sense, but rather the worldly church. It would represent all those who with more or less desire wish to be in accord with God and who profess his name (believers in general), but through ignorance or superstition or love of the world are not in the proper attitude of heart to receive the deep things of God, the spiritual things at the time in which this spiritual work, the work of Atonement, is being carried on. We do not understand that these were ever begotten of the Spirit. They are merely moral or outward Christians, (i.e. “Nominal Christians”, Christians in name only, "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” 2 Tim 3:5) alas the Christian world, Christendom.” (R4607:2)
Next post.
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“The Tabernacle is the key to the divine plan, which alone explains the “mystery” of this Gospel age, which is the church and her special call to the privileges of sacrifice now and of glory by and by." The thought clearly is that the house of servants under Moses, and all which pertained to it was designed by God to be a testimony, or a setting forth by types, of things which would take place later on a much higher and grander scale -- "a shadow (or type) of good things to come (the antitype)." Heb 10:1
In this study we will be taking a look as some of these “shadows”, as they relate to the Tabernacle as well as their anti-types. No other Apostle expressed more the importance in understanding the Tabernacle and its various services and ceremonies than did the Apostle Paul; in fact he considered it key to understanding the means by which entry is made into the body of Christ and into the spiritual phase of the kingdom.
“The Camp, the Courtyard, and Tabernacle distinctly separated and differentiated into three general divisions represent three distinct classes blessed by the atonement.
The two parts of the Tabernacle (The “Holy” and “Most Holy”) represent two conditions of one of these classes.
“The Camp represented the condition of the world of mankind in sin, needing atonement and desiring it and its blessings; however indistinctly it analyzes its cravings and its groaning’s. These were typified by the “Camp,” the nation of Israel, and were separated from all holy things by the curtain of white linen, which represents to those within a wall of faith, but to those without a wall of unbelief which hindered their view of and access to the holy things within. There was only one gateway to enter the “Holy Place” or “Court”; the type thus testifying that there is but one way of access to God—one “gate”—Jesus. “I am the way . . . No man comes unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) “I am the door.” (John 10:9)
In the typical tabernacle picture the camp consisted of the various tribes of Israel encamped about the tabernacle, the professed people of God, outside of this laid the Gentile nations. This condition of things continued even to our Lord’s Day, with all the Jewish people who professed to be in harmony with the Lord constituting the camp while the Gentiles remained without. Today things have changed; today the camp does not consist of the Jewish people but rather the Gentiles, the Lord having cast off his natural people because of their disbelief opened the door to the Gentiles. This situation of matters is of course only temporary, and so we read,
“Blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved” saved from its blinded condition and alienation from God, and placed in a position to attain eternal life under the conditions of the Millennial age.
However as was with respects to the Jews so too with regards to the Gentiles today, the camp consisting predominately of nominal professors, the professed people of God, i.e. the professing Christian Church, “those who proclaim they are Jews (the true “Israel of God”) but who are not…” (Rev 3:9; Gal 6:16).
“The “camp” condition at the present time, we could not think would represent the world in the broad sense, but rather the worldly church. It would represent all those who with more or less desire wish to be in accord with God and who profess his name (believers in general), but through ignorance or superstition or love of the world are not in the proper attitude of heart to receive the deep things of God, the spiritual things at the time in which this spiritual work, the work of Atonement, is being carried on. We do not understand that these were ever begotten of the Spirit. They are merely moral or outward Christians, (i.e. “Nominal Christians”, Christians in name only, "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” 2 Tim 3:5) alas the Christian world, Christendom.” (R4607:2)
Next post.
Back to Index
