By Dr. Bill Jones
Part 2 of a 6-part series
The Messiah in the Temples
In Part 1, we established the background for a deeper understanding of the Temples of Israel by looking at the Wilderness Tabernacle.
We saw that it provided a daily reminder to the Israelites that the God of Israel is the covenant-keeping God. Everything about the Tabernacle pointed to the promised Messiah who one day would come and, once and for all, deal with humanity’s sin problem.
This concept of covering sin would be carried over to the magnificent Temples that one day would stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
How then was the Messiah seen in these structures? Time and space do not allow for a detailed account here, but the typology may be readily seen in the major furnishings of the Tabernacle, and even in the tent itself. Much of this would continue in the Temples, but with a later glory that will be explained in a later part of this series.
God’s Judgment Satisfied
The Tabernacle was erected in a courtyard 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. It was surrounded by a beautiful white linen fence 7½ feet high. Everything about the fence said, “Keep Out!” for there was only one opening, located at eastern end of the courtyard.
While the fence said “Keep Out!” the 30-foot-wide gate said, “Whoever will, may come – that is, if you come the one and only God-ordained way.” Even that gate pointed toward the Messiah, for centuries later the Messiah Jesus would claim, “I am the way” (John 14:6) and “I am the door” (John 10:7).
Once an Israelite entered the court by way of the gate, the first thing he saw was the altar of sacrifice. It was 7½ feet long, 7½ feet wide, and 4½ feet high. It was made of acacia wood and covered with metal plating.
We do not know if the metal covering was brass, bronze, or copper. The Hebrew word for the covering has the root meaning “of copper.” This makes sense in the light of recent experiments conducted in Israel. Acacia was covered in brass, bronze, and copper, and the same heat generated by the altar was applied to the wood.
The wood covered by the bronze and brass smoldered and was burned. However, the wood covered with copper was unharmed. It was explained that copper so easily distributes the heat, as well as dissipating it more quickly, that the wood did not burn.
Actually, which of the 3 metals used was of little importance, for they all typify the same thing – the judgment of God. This is what happened at the altar: God’s righteous judgment. When an Israelite brought the appropriate sacrifice to be offered on the altar, God’s judgment was satisfied (propitiated), and the penitent was safe from the penalty for having violated God’s law.
So, what did this typify in relation to the Messiah? It pictured His death on the cross, where His sacrifice satisfied God’s righteous judgment for all who by faith receive Jesus’ sacrifice on their behalf (Romans 3:25).
Cleansed for Service
The next item in the courtyard was the laver – or basin – of cleansing. It was made from the mirrors of the women (again, highly polished and reflective copper). Each day certain priests were selected to enter the Tabernacle and tend to its furnishings.
However, the dry, dusty floor of the Judean wilderness caused their hands and feet to be dusty, dirty, and gritty. This, in turn, caused them to be ceremoniously unclean. Therefore, they washed their hands and feet at the laver of cleansing to be qualified to minister in the presence of God.
Like the priests, all believers have been set apart (sanctified) to serve the Lord Jesus. And like those priests, we become defiled as we “walk” through this world. But God made a laver of cleansing for us.
We are told in 1 John 1:9 that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (emphasis added). Thus, the laver points to Christ as the One who separates us and cleanses us for service.
This was illustrated in the Upper Room when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet to show us the need believers have for daily spiritual cleaning.
Foreshadowing Christ
Next, there was the Tabernacle itself. It was 15 feet high and wide, and 45 feet long. Divided into 2 rooms and separated by a veil, the first room – the Holy Place – was 30 feet long and contained 3 furnishings.
Along the northern (right) wall was the table of showbread (or the bread of the Presence). Twelve loaves of bread – one for each tribe of Israel – was placed on the table every Sabbath. The priests were to eat the old loaves as they were removed.
Jesus claimed, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). The same way the Lord sustained Israel in the wilderness with the manna, so the Messiah sustains spiritual life through His finished work on Earth. The table of showbread foreshadowed the sustaining ministry of Christ.
Across from the table was the golden menorah (candelabra). It did not burn candles, for they would not be invented for another several hundred years. Bowls atop each of the 7 branches were lighted with oil and wicks made from the soiled garments of priests. It was the only light in the Tabernacle and portrays Jesus as “the light of the world” (John 8:12).
The third item in the Holy Place was the altar of incense. The smoke from the incense always represented prayer ascending to God and, in this case, the prayers of our Lord Jesus. We are told in Hebrews 7:25 that “He always lives to make intercession for” us.
What a joy to know that our Savior makes constant supplication on our behalf.
Satisfaction in Christ
Separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was a veil. The Holy of Holies was a perfect cube, 15x15x15 feet. Inside was the Ark of the Covenant. There the blood was sprinkled annually for the temporary covering (atonement) of the sins of the people.
The Ark represents Christ as our satisfaction, for satisfaction in every area of life is found only in a proper relationship with Him. In Christ the atonement is personal.
Thus, in this brief overview, we see how the main furnishings of the Tabernacle picture the work of the coming Messiah. All of this typology and promise would be carried over to the Temples in Israel.
In Part 3 of this series, we will begin to see how the entire concept was expanded when Solomon’s Temple was built.
Dr. Bill Jones was a longtime teacher / writer with Zion’s Hope.
Zion's Hope 
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