REFLECTIONS OF CHRIST IN THE TABERNACLE
Chapter 3
The Ark of the Covenant and the Veil
We read these words in Jeremiah 17:12, “a glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” We recall that the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat along with the entire tabernacle was shown to Moses by God in the mount. God revealed His purpose to Moses — that this sanctuary was to be a place of meeting and an approach to Himself.
Each and every thing that Moses saw in the mount as a pattern was true and real. Moses was to prepare those things from the pattern that he had seen in the mountain. “A glorious and high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” God has had His throne and His sanctuary in heaven from the beginning. God revealed to Moses the pattern concerning His purpose and plan, and this plan was the plan of redemption.
Every article in the tabernacle led up to the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat because this was the throne of God upon earth where He would meet with man. This was a type or picture of the throne in heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ, seateth and abideth forever. He alone has the title deeds to heaven and earth because He purchased them with His precious blood. As Christians we should thank God for our redemption and that our sins are forgiven once and for all in the Person of Christ who is our Mercy Seat. There is far more to the title deeds in the death and resurrection of the Lord than we can possibly absorb, for in it He purchased the kingdoms of the earth and all the glories of heaven with His very own blood. He has the deeds of heaven, and one day He will reign on earth as, “Lord of Lords and King of Kings.” Revelation 19:16. These title deeds have been given to Him by God the Father because of His subjection to the death of the cross. How do we as Christians enter into these title deeds? In Romans 8:17 we read, “And if children, then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; (if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together”). Not only are our sins forgiven, but we have an inheritance in our beloved Saviour. A glorious high throne was from the beginning . . . . . before the foundations of the world.
“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Hebrews 9:24
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh.” Hebrews 10:20
Once a year the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies through the veil. All Israel had to rely on the high priest to take the price of atonement to God, and to place the blood on the mercy seat. The veil separated the holy place from the holy of holies and could not be passed through except by the high priest — to do so meant certain death. It was Jesus Christ who came and rent this veil. As Christ was approaching death on the cross at Calvary he said, “It is finished,” John 19:30 and at these words the Old Covenant and the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom. ” And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit, and the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.” Mark 15:37, 38 This was a divine act by God’s own hand because He had prepared a new and better way of approach through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The veil was colored with blue, purple and scarlet — picture the blue as the heavenlies and the scarlet as the shed blood — mingled together, the blue and red produce the purple of the royal atonement by the Lamb of God. I like to remember the veil in the following manner: as the Son of God, Jesus Christ brought God to man; as the Son of man He brought man to God, and between them both He shed His blood and became the Lamb of God. The blue mingled with the scarlet became the purple of our grand and holy redemption that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us always be reminded that throughout the entire tabernacle God desired to show forth the glories of His beloved Son.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible (KJV)
The Altar of Incense, Chapter 4 coming soon.