TABERNACLE, The, Symbolism of, Sylvester Hassell The tabernacle represents Christ’s mystical body, the church, in which God dwells, and Israel draws nigh to God through atonement and regeneration, and with offerings, prayers, and praises. The court represents the Jewish dispensation; the Holy Place, the Christian dispensation; the Most Holy Place, the glorified church. In the world’s great wilderness, the church is a little garden inclosed by divine grace. Its aspect is toward the rising Sun of Righteousness. Every one who enters the true church must have the saving application of the Holy Spirit, represented by the holy anointing oil, and must pass by the altar of burnt-offering, and with the eye of faith behold the Lamb of God atoning thereon for his sins; and he must be washed in the laver of his precious blood— cleansed by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. The blood comes first, and then the water; so faith in Christ’s blood should come first, and then the water of baptism, and then admission into the church.
In the midst of the spiritual darkness of his world, the child of God should let his light shine—that light proceeding entirely, not from the candlestick, but from the oil of the grace and Spirit of Christ in his heart. In order for that light to burn well, the snuffs of carnal thoughts, words and deeds will frequently have to be trimmed off with the snuffers of trial, are proof and admonition, and, so as not to defile the sanctuary, be carried off with the snuff-dishes of either repentance or church censure. Having the old leaven of malice and wickedness thus purged out, he is prepared to approach the table of the Lord, and celebrate that sacred and solemn feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, and thus from Sabbath to Sabbath have his spiritual grace renewed.
Though a poor sinner, and feeling himself to be such, he is yet a priest unto God, and therefore every morning and evening, and indeed evermore, should he desire to approach the golden altar, and draw as near as he may to the blessed mercy-seat, and, through the medium of Christ’s prevailing atonement and intercession, pour out his fervent supplications and thanksgivings to the God of his salvation.
His great High Priest and Mediator, after having made a real, an agonizing, and an efficacious atonement for him, passed beyond the veil of the white, scarlet, and purple clouds, and the blue heavens, and entered the true Holy of Holies, and there now successfully pleads the merit of his blood for every member of his mystical body.
The seven branches of the candlestick represent all the different churches of Christ at different times and places, each independent of the other in its local government, but all united in one stem, Christ, and pervaded by the oil or grace of one Spirit, having one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
The twelve loaves of bread represent the twelve tribes of Israel, continually shown or presented before the Lord, dedicated to him, and accepted, with all their offerings by him, through the sweet frankincense of Christ’s mediation, and ever partaking of his blessings. The profusion of gold represents the preciousness, beauty, solidity and purity of the church of Christ.
The perfect cube of the Holy of Holies, 10 by 10 by 10, with squares in every direction, containing the Shekinah in the midst of darkness, symbolizes the perfection, order and stability of the Divine Trinity, dwelling in inaccessible light, enveloped with impenetrable darkness. It is the parable of God’s presence and nature in creation, in providence and in grace. The cherubim represent the highest creaturely life, at once manifesting and concealing God, and glorying in loving submission to him, and interested in his wonderful plan of redemption.
The ark of the covenant is Christ Jesus, who above all others has ever kept the holy law of God, and who has kept that law for his people, so that the mercy of God covers all the violations of the law, and God always looks down upon them in mercy; and Christ also has in his hand the rod of universal and eternal power, and an everlasting sufficiency of heavenly provision for all the needs of his covenant people.
The perpetual preservation of the law in this innermost shrine of the Divine worship represents the infinite and unchangeable holiness of God, also requiring perfect holiness in all those who abide in his presence. None can so abide except the living, as indicated by the blood brought annually into the Most Holy Place by the High Priest; for the blood is the life; and yet, separated from the animal, it also represents death, signifying that in order to worship God aright, the flesh must be slain, the heart must be dead to all creature-worship, and alive unto God.
The duplication of the tabernacle in Solomon’s Temple represented the double emphasizing of all these momentous truths.” (Hassell’s History ppg 87, 88)