RETURN TO SYLLABUS
A STUDY OF THE TABERNACLE
LESSON #17
FURNITURE (THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST) – continued
MEMORY VERSE: 1TIM 2:5
- THE ARK OF THE COVENANT--THE MERCY SEAT EXO 25:10-22
- EXO 37:1-9 HEB 9:4
- THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF FURNITURE BECAUSE IT WAS WHERE
THE HOLY PRESENCE OF GOD DWELT. IT WAS THE ONLY OBJECT THAT OCCUPIED THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
- SCRIPTURAL NAMES FOR THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
- ARK OF THE TESTIMONY
- HOLY ARK
- ARK
- MERCY SEAT
- THE SIGNIFICANCE:
- WOOD = JESUS' HUMANITY
- LIKE OTHER PIECES OF FURNITURE, IT WAS MADE OF WOOD COVERED WITH GOLD.
- PURE GOLD = JESUS' DEITY
- THE DIMENSIONS:
- HEIGHT OF THE ARK WAS THE SAME AS THE HEIGHT OF THE GRATE IN THE BRAZEN ALTAR AND SAME
AS THE HEIGHT OF THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD.
- WHY IS THAT SIGNIFICANT?
- GOD'S JUDGMENT OF SIN ON THE CROSS PRODUCED THE FRUIT OF CHRIST ON THE TABLE OF
SHEWBREAD BRINGING US INTO THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD
- THE GOLDEN WREATH EDGE = GLORY OF JESUS THE CROWNED ONE (THE THIRD TIME THIS DECORATION
IS USED)
- 4 RINGS OF GOLD = LOVE FOR ALL HUMANITY TO THE 4 CORNERS OF THE EARTH.
- 2 CARRYING POLES = CHRIST OUR MEDIATOR AND OUR SURETY (HEB 9:15
1TI 2:5,6 HEB 7:22)
- THE CONTENTS OF THE ARK:
- POT OF MANNA, AARON’S ROD, AND THE TABLES OF STONE.
- WHY THOSE 3 ELEMENTS INSIDE THE ARK?
- GOLDEN POT OF MANNA = MEMORIAL OF FOOD GIVEN TO ISRAEL. IT SIGNIFIES MAN'S REJECTION OF
GOD'S PROVISION (GOD THE SON, AS JESUS SAID HE WAS THE BREAD OF LIFE)
- AARON'S ROD = MEMORIAL OF AARON'S LEADERSHIP. IT SIGNIFIES MAN'S REJECTION OF GOD'S
LEADERSHIP (GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, AS IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT GUIDES US.)
- TABLES OF STONE = MEMORIAL OF GOD'S LAW. IT SIGNIFIES MAN'S REJECTION OF GOD'S LAW (GOD
THE FATHER, AS IT WAS GOD THAT WROTE HIS LAW ON THE TABLES OF STONE.)
- THE MERCY SEAT = CHRIST IS OUR MERCY SEAT 1JO 2:2
- THE OLD KING JAMES WORD "PROPITIATION" LITERALLY REFERS TO THIS PART OF THE
ARK. THE WORDS "MERCY SEAT" MEAN LID OR COVERING, TO COVER SINS, TO MAKE
ATONEMENT FOR.
- THIS LID FORMS THE THRONE OF GOD OVER WHICH THE PRESENCE OF GOD SAT.
- 2 CHERUBIM = JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT PSA 89:13,14
- 2 GOLD ANGELIC BEINGS GUARDED THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND FORM THE SIDES OF HIS THRONE.
- THE WINGS OVERSHADOW = GUARD THE MAJESTY OF GOD.
- MADE OF ONE BEATEN PIECE = JUSTICE,
- JUDGMENT, AND MERCY ARE INSEPARABLE
- THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MERCY SEAT:
- WITHOUT THE MERCY SEAT, WE WOULD BE JUDGED BY THE THREE ELEMENTS WITHIN THE ARK.
- READ ROM 1:18-22
- MAN’S FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST.
- MAN’S FAILURE TO SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE.
- MAN’S FAILURE TO OBEY GOD’S LAWS.
- THE SHEKINAH GLORY EXO 40:34-38
- THIS GLORY CLOUD SIGNIFIED THE GUIDING PRESENCE OF GOD. WHEN THE CLOUD LIFTED, THE
ISRAELITES DISMANTLED THE TABERNACLE, FOLLOWED THE CLOUD UNTIL IT STOPPED, THEN SET UP THE
TABERNACLE AGAIN.
- THE HOLY OF HOLIES
- THIS LITTLE ROOM AT THE BACK OF THE TABERNACLE WAS THE PLACE BEYOND THE VEIL WHERE ONLY
THE HIGH PRIEST COULD GO IN AND ONLY AFTER HE HAD GONE BY WAY OF ALL THE OTHER PIECES OF
FURNITURE AND AFTER OFFERING INCENSE TO CREATE A HEAVY CLOUD COVER. HE OFFERED BLOOD
SMEARED ON THE MERCY SEAT FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT ONCE A YEAR.
- THE WARNING: 1SA 5:1-12 6:1-21 2SA 6:1-11
- DO THINGS GOD'S WAY!
- WHAT WAS THE VIOLATION?
- THEY WERE NOT TO CARRY THE ARK ON A CART. THEY WERE TO CARRY IT BY HAND.
- THEY WERE TO COVER IT WITH A BLUE CLOTH WHEN IT WAS BEING MOVED.
- NO ONE WAS TO LOOK UPON IT, AND NO ONE WAS TO TOUCH IT.
- WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ARK AND THE OTHER SACRED ARTICLES AFTER THE TIME OF MOSES?
- 1491 BC MOSES RECEIVES THE EARTHLY PATTERN FOR THE TABERNACLE FROM GOD. IT TOOK THEM A
YEAR TO BUILD IT.
- 1490 - 1451 BC
- THE ARK TRAVELS THROUGH THE WILDERNESS
- THE ARK GOES OUT TO WAR AGAINST THE MIDIANITES (NUM 31:6-7)
- 1451 BC THE ARK CROSSES THE JORDAN RIVER INTO THE PROMISED LAND (JOS 3:3-4:11)
- THE ARK LEADS THE ARMY OF ISRAEL AROUND THE WALLS OF JERICHO (JOS 6:4-20)
- THE ARK IS IN THE TABERNACLE AT GILGAL FOR 14 YEARS GOING OUT ONLY WITH JOSHUA FOR
BATTLES. (JOS 5:10; 10:9-15)
- THE ARK IS IN THE TABERNACLE AT SHILOH FOR 369 YEARS. SAMUEL SLEEPS NEAR THE ARK. (JOS
18:1) (1SM 3:3-21)
- 1119-1120 BC THE ARK IS CAPTURED BY THE PHILISTINES FOR 7 MONTHS. (1SM 4:1-6:1). THE
PHILISTINES RETURN THE ARK. THE ARK IS BROUGHT TO BETH-SHEMESH (1SM 6:4-18)
- c1121 - 1101 BC THE ARK IS TAKEN TO KIRJATH-JEARIM WHERE ELEAZAR, THE PRIEST, CARES FOR
IT FOR 20 YEARS. (1SM 7:1-2)
- 1095 –1055 BCTHE ARK, IGNORED DURING KING SAUL'S REIGN, IS BROUGHT BY DAVID TO THE
HOUSE OF OBED-EDOM FOR 3 MONTHS. (2SM 6:1-12, 1CHR 13:5-14)
- 1012 BC SOLOMON BUILDS THE TEMPLE AND PUTS THE ARK IN THE TEMPLE ALONG WITH OTHER SACRED
ARTICLES.
- (1KI 6:19-28 2CHR 5:7-14)
- 971 BC SOLOMON’S TREASURES AND TEMPLE TREASURES ARE GIVEN TO EGYPT. 2CHR 12:9
- 713 BC KING HEZEKIAH GIVES THE WEALTH OF THE TEMPLE TREASURIES AS TRIBUTE TO THE
ASSYRIANS (2KI 18:15) BUT PRAYS BEFORE THE ARK (2KI 19:14-15 ISA 37:14-16)
- THEREFORE, THE ONLY PIECE LEFT IN ISRAEL IS THE ARK.
- 695-642 BC KING MANASSEH PLACES IDOLS WITHIN THE TEMPLE. IT IS ASSUMED THE ARK WAS
REMOVED BY FAITHFUL LEVITES. (2KI 21:4-7 2CHR 33:7-9,15)
- c 623 BC KING JOSIAH RESTORES THE TEMPLE TREASURES TO THE TEMPLE. (2KI 22;8 2CHR
34:14-18 ; 35:3)
- AFTER THE DEATH OF JOSIAH, 609 BC, THE LEVITES RETURNED THE ARK TO ITS HIDING PLACE
BECAUSE OF THE PROPHESY OF THE COMING BABYLONIAN INVASION. 2KI 23:19 2CHR 35:23-24)
- 609 BC - 1995 AD
- ACCORDING TO TRADITION, THE TEMPLE TREASURES HAVE REMAINED HIDDEN UNDER THE TEMPLE MOUNT
DURING THE TIME OF THE BABYLONIAN INVASION, THE EXILE, AND THE TIME OF HEROD'S TEMPLE
BECAUSE OF FOREIGN DOMINATION OF JERUSALEM. THEREFORE, THE TEMPLE WHERE JESUS WALKED NEVER
HAD THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IN IT.
- 169 BC ANTIOCHUS EPHIPHANES IV REMOVES THE TEMPLE VESSELS (1MACCABEES 1:21). NEW VESSELS
ARE MADE IN THE RESTORATION UNDER JUDAH MACCABEUS (1MACCABEES 4:49-50 2MACCABEES 10:3)
- 70 AD THE ROMANS DESTROY HEROD'S TEMPLE AND TAKE TEMPLE TREASURES TO ROME (THE
LAMPSTAND, THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD, AND 2 SILVER TRUMPETS). THIS FACT IS DEPICTED IN
SCULPTED RELIEF ON THE ARCH OF TITUS IN ROME.
- IT IS THOUGHT THAT THESE WERE THE DUPLICATES, .NOT THE ORIGINALS.
- THE CURRENT SEARCH FOR THE ARK OF THE COVENANT:
- BECAUSE OF THE INTEREST IN REBUILDING THE TEMPLE BY SOME OF THE ORTHODOX JEWS IN
JERUSALEM, THERE IS A SEARCH FOR THE ARK OF THE COVENANT UNDER THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND OTHER
PLACES IN AND AROUND ISRAEL. HOWEVER, THE SEARCH IS SEVERELY RESTRICTED BY POLITICS AND
THE MOSLEM CONTROL OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT.
- 1910-1911 MONTAGU PARKER EXCAVATES UNDER THE TEMPLE MOUNT IN A SEARCH FOR THE ORIGINAL
TEMPLE TREASURES. HOWEVER, MUSLIM AUTHORITIES INTERRUPTED THE SEARCH.
- THE COPPER SCROLL OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS IS DISCOVERED. IT DESCRIBES 64 SEPARATE HIDING
PLACES OF TEMPLE TREASURES AND PREDICTS THE RECOVERY OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IN THE
LAST DAYS.
- 1967, 1968, 1977, 1979, 1981-1982, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994
- OTHER INCONCLUSIVE SEARCHES AND EXCAVATIONS AT VARIOUS PLACES IN AND AROUND ISRAEL.
- THE ETHIOPIAN MYSTERY
- THE ETHIOPIANS CLAIM THE ARK HAS BEEN IN THE CHAPEL OF SAINT MARY OF ZION CHURCH IN
AXUM, ETHIOPIA FOR CENTURIES.
- THEY DO HAVE AN OBJECT THAT LOOKS LIKE THE ARK. IT IS BROUGHT OUT OF HIDING AND SHOWN IN
A PARADE ONCE A YEAR. (MANY THINK IT IS A REPLICA.)
- THE ETHOIPIAN ACCOUNT SAYS THAT SOLOMON MARRIED THE QUEEN OF SHEBA. THEY HAD A SON,
MENELIK I. WHEN THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND HER SON LEFT ISRAEL, SOLOMON WANTED TO GIVE HIM A
GIFT. HE HAD AN ARK MADE TO LOOK LIKE THE ORIGINAL ONE. HOWEVER, ON THE NIGHT OF
DEPARTURE, THE TRUE ARK WAS STOLEN AND REPLACED BY THE ARTIFICIAL ONE. THE TRUE ARK WAS
THEN TAKEN TO ETHIOPIA BY SHEBA AND MENELIK I. IT HAS BEEN THERE EVER SINCE, SO THEY SAY.
- TABERNACLE SUMMARY OVERVIEW
- THE TABERNACLE AND THE CROSS
- THE PATTERN OF THE POSITIONS OF THE FURNITURE FORMS A CROSS.
- THE ORDER OF TRUTH IN THE BOOKS OF JOHN
- CHRIST OUR SUBSTITUTE JOHN 1:29
- CHRIST OUR CLEANSER JOHN 3:5
- CHRIST OUR BREAD JOHN 6:35
- CHRIST OUR LIGHT AND GUIDE JOHN 8:12
- CHRIST OUR INTERCESSOR JOHN 14:13-14
- CHRIST OUR PROPITIATION (MERCY SEAT) 1JOHN 2:2
- THE BOOK OF JOHN DIVIDES ACCORDING TO THE 3 MAJOR AREAS OF THE TABERNACLE:
- CHAPTER 1-12 = OUTER COURT
- CHAPTER 13-16 = THE HOLY PLACE (WITH DISCIPLES)
- CHAPTER 17-21 = HOLIEST PLACE (THE HIGH PRIEST ALONE)
- THE OLD TESTAMENT TABERNACLE AND THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
- ACCORDING TO OUR STUDY BASED IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS, THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WAS THE ONLY
PIECE OF FURNITURE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO HEB 9:4, THE ARK OF
INCENSE IS ALSO IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. HOW DO WE EXPLAIN THIS
SEEMING DISCREPANCY:
- BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS AUTHORED BY GOD, THERE ARE NO MISTAKES. THEREFORE, THERE
MUST BE A REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR EVERY PROBLEM LIKE THIS ONE.
- THE MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE:
- THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN LOCATION OF THE ARK OF INCENSE IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY WHEN
JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS AND THE VEIL WAS TORN, OPENING UP THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
- REMEMBER THAT THE ARK OF INCENSE REPRESENTS PRAYER. NOW, AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION, OUR
PRAYERS ARE INSIDE THE VERY THRONE ROOM OF GOD. SINCE WE NOW HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD,
OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM OUTSIDE THE HOLY OF HOLIES TO INSIDE THE HOLY OF HOLIES
BY OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST, JESUS CHRIST.
HOMEWORK
HEBREWS 9:6-10
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR
CORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF HEBREWS 9:1-5 AND OUR STUDY OF THE TABERNACLE:
- FROM OUR STUDY OF THE TABERNACLE, WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEANINGFUL PART TO YOU THAT HAS
MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PERSONAL WALK WITH THE LORD?
- PREPARATION OF HEBREWS 9:6-10
- READ HEB 9:6-10
- FOR BACKGROUND CONCERNING THE HIGH PRIEST AND HIS DUTIES
READ:
- EXO 28:1-39
- EXO 39:1-31
- LEV 8:7-9
- EXO 27:20-21
- EXO 29:38-44
- LEV 6:12
- LEV 10:11
- LEV 24:1,5-9
- NUM 4:5-15,21-33
- NUM 10:1-8