The Book of HEBREWS
James J. Barker
Lesson 21
TYPES IN THE TABERNACLE
INTRODUCTION:
- "The first
covenant" (9:1) refers to the Mosaic covenant (8:7).
- We have already
noted that Christ is a priest after the order of Melchisedec (5:6, 10; 6:20;
7:21; etc.) and His priesthood is better than the Levitical
priesthood.
- It is better
for many reasons; one of the reasons being that the new sanctuary is better than
the old (9:11).
- The "worldly
("earthly" -- margin) sanctuary was modeled after the "greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands" (9:11; cf. 8:2, 5).
- We see here in
Hebrews 9 that the Old Testament tabernacle with its furniture and all of its
ceremonies were typical.
I.
THE TABERNACLE HAD THREE DIFFERENT
SECTIONS
- First, there
was the outer court, surrounded by a linen wall suspended on brazen
pillars.
- The tabernacle
itself was divided into two sections.
The first compartment was called "the holy place."
- In the holy
place were the golden lampstand, a golden table for the twelve loaves of
shewbread, and the golden altar where incense was offered (Heb.
9:2).
- No sacrifices
were made on this altar. It
pictured the Lord Jesus Christ praying for us as our Intercessor (cf.
7:25).
- "And after the
second veil...the Holiest of all" (9:3), or "the Holy of holies," where
only the high priest could enter.
He was only allowed to enter once a year -- on the day of atonement.
- This veil,
separating the holy place from the Holy of holies, was ripped in twain from the
top to the bottom when our Lord died on the cross (Matt. 27:51).
II.
FURNITURE INSIDE THE HOLY OF
HOLIES
- In "Holiest of
all" (9:3) stood the ark of the covenant containing the golden pot of manna
(9:4). This typified the Lord Jesus
Christ, who said in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life."
- Also present
was "Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the (Mosaic) covenant"
(9:4b).
- These were
tables of stone, and on them were inscribed the ten commandments.
- The ark of the
covenant was covered with a golden lid -- "overlaid round about with gold"
(9:4). This lid was called "the
mercy seat" (9:5).
- At the two ends
of the mercy seat were the two cherubims of glory (9:5). They too were made of
gold. These two cherubims
stretched forth their wings -- "shadowing the mercyseat" (9:5).
- The Greek word
translated "mercyseat" is elsewhere translated "propitiation" (cf. Rom. 3:25; I
John 2:2; 4:10).
- The cover of
the ark -- the mercy seat -- in the
Holy of Holies was sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice on the annual day
of atonement. This typified
Christ, who shed His blood as an atonement for sin.
- All your
anxiety, all your care,
Bring to the mercy seat, leave it
there; Never a burden He cannot
bear, Never a
friend like Jesus.
III.
TYPES OF
CHRIST
- The golden
candlestick (9:2) was in the first compartment, the holy place ("called the
sanctuary") and is mentioned first.
This candlestick (lampstand) was very important because there were no
windows in the tabernacle.
- The golden candlestick was a picture and type of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in
John 8:12 and 9:5, "I am
the light of the world."
- The lampstand
was made of pure gold, symbolizing our Lord's
deity.
- The lampstand
had seven branches with bowls shaped like almonds on each tip to hold oil for
burning. In Scripture, oil is
an emblem of the Holy Spirit.
- In the
"sanctuary" (9:2), that is "the holy place," across the room from the golden
lampstand, was the table of shewbread (9:2). The priests ate the shewbread, picturing
believers who feast on Christ, the Bread of
life.
- And Jesus said
unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me
shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst."
- There were two
articles of furniture in the Holy of holies, referred to in Hebrews 9:3 as "the
Holiest of all."
- There was the
ark of the covenant and the mercy seat (9:4).
- The author
(more than likely the apostle Paul) also mentions "the golden censer"
(9:4). This censer would normally
be situated in the holy place, between the golden lampstand and the table of
shewbread.
- This has long puzzled students of Scripture. Why is the golden censer now said
to be in the Holy of holies?
- Here is a possible explanation: The ordinary censers
used in the tabernacle worship were made of brass or copper. But on the Day of Atonement the high
priest used a golden censor when he went into the Holy of holies.
IV.
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
- Nothing in the
Bible is said about the ark of the covenant in the Old Testament after the
return from Babylon, but the Apocrypha states that the Ark could not be found
when the Jewish people rebuilt the Temple at the time of Ezra and Zechariah.
- The explanation
given in the Apocrypha was that the prophet Jeremiah hid the ark in a cave in
Mt. Nebo before the Babylonian invasion, and that its location would not be
revealed until God was ready for it to be found.
- Therefore, the
Holy of holies in the Second Temple (Zerubbabel's temple, built after the return
from captivity) was an empty compartment, without the ark of the covenant.
- When the Roman
General Pompey conquered Jerusalem around 63 B.C., he demanded the privilege of
entering the Holy of holies. When he went into the Holy of holies, he came out
saying that he could not understand what was so important about an empty room.
- About 30 years
ago there was a popular movie entitled, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the
Lost Ark.
- But the ark is
not lost. It is in heaven (cf. Rev.
8:3; 11:19).
- The ark of the
covenant represented the presence of God.
CONCLUSION:
- With or without
the ark of the covenant, a temple will be rebuilt and will be standing during
the coming Tribulation (Matt. 24:5; II Thess. 2:4; Rev. 11:1, 2). The Lord is coming
soon!
- "Even so, come,
Lord Jesus " (Rev. 22:20).
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