How Does Jesus Fulfill The Symbolism Of The Tabernacle?
The Tabernacle: God's Dwelling Among His People
The Old Testament tabernacle was not just a tent for worship, but a carefully designed symbol of God's presence and plan of salvation. Every part of the tabernacle—its structure, furnishings, sacrifices, and rituals—pointed forward to Jesus Christ. As the book of Hebrews declares:
who serve that which is a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses is warned of God when he is about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount. - Hebrews 8:5 ASV
Let’s explore how the tabernacle’s symbolism is ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
1. The Tabernacle as God’s Dwelling: Jesus, the True Tabernacle
The central purpose of the tabernacle was to be the place where God would dwell among His people (Exodus 25:8 ASV). In the New Testament, Jesus fulfills this role perfectly:
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. - John 1:14 ASV
The Greek word for "dwelt" literally means “tabernacled.” Jesus is the ultimate manifestation of God’s presence with humanity, replacing the physical tent with His own person.
2. The Entrance: Jesus, the Only Way to God
The tabernacle had only one entrance, signifying that there is only one way to approach God. Jesus directly applies this to Himself:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. - John 14:6 ASV
Just as there was only one entrance to the tabernacle, Jesus is the only way to enter into a relationship with God.
3. The Altar of Burnt Offering: Jesus, Our Perfect Sacrifice
The first thing one encountered upon entering the tabernacle was the bronze altar, where sacrifices were made for sin. These sacrifices pointed to Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God:
The next day he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world! - John 1:29 ASV
Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross fulfilled all the Old Testament sacrifices, providing complete atonement for sin (Hebrews 10:10 ASV).
4. The Laver: Jesus, the Source of Cleansing
After the altar was the laver, where priests washed before entering the holy place. This symbolized the need for cleansing from sin. Jesus offers this cleansing to all who trust in Him:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 ASV
Through His Word and Spirit, Jesus continually purifies His people (Ephesians 5:26 ASV).
5. The Holy Place: Jesus, the Light, Bread, and Intercessor
- The Lampstand: Provided light in the holy place. Jesus proclaimed,
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. - John 8:12 ASV
- The Table of Showbread: Represented God’s provision. Jesus said,
I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. - John 6:35 ASV
- The Altar of Incense: Symbolized prayer and intercession. Jesus is our ultimate intercessor:
Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. - Hebrews 7:25 ASV
6. The Veil: Jesus Opens the Way to God
A thick veil separated the holy place from the Most Holy Place, signifying the barrier between sinful humanity and God’s presence. At Jesus’s death, this veil was torn:
And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; - Matthew 27:51 ASV
Through Jesus, all who believe have direct access to God:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; - Hebrews 10:19 ASV
7. The Ark of the Covenant: Jesus, Our Propitiation and God's Presence
In the Most Holy Place stood the ark, with the mercy seat on top, symbolizing God’s throne and the place of atonement. Jesus is our propitiation (sacrifice that turns away wrath):
whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; - Romans 3:25 ASV
Through Jesus, we meet with God, receive mercy, and are assured of His presence.
Conclusion: Christ, the Fulfillment of Every Shadow
The tabernacle was a grand illustration, designed by God to foreshadow the coming of His Son. Each part reveals an aspect of Jesus’s person and work. He is the way, the sacrifice, the cleanser, the light, the bread, the intercessor, the access, and the very presence of God among us. As Scripture affirms:
For every house is builded by some one; but he that built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken; but Christ as a son, over his house; whose house are we… - Hebrews 3:4-6 ASV
Let us worship Jesus, who fulfills all the glorious symbolism of the tabernacle and brings us into the very presence of God.