Chapter 12
The tabernacle was built according to the pattern God showed Moses on Mount Sinai. God’s desire was to dwell among men and this was to take place through the tabernacle. He said, “And let them make a sanctuary for Me that I may dwell in their midst. According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its utensils, even so you shall make it” (Exo. 25:8-9).
The tabernacle was not a human invention but was meticulously planned by God. Hence, everything in it is related to heavenly realities. All the items involved in its building, such as the detailed measurements and the quantities and materials used, no doubt, have spiritual significance. As we have seen, some items of the tabernacle represent Christ, whereas others typify the church. It is important to stress that by studying the spiritual significance of these items, we do not intend to merely increase our knowledge of typology or satisfy our curiosity. Our desire and goal in all of our study of the Bible is only this: to know Christ in a more living and intimate way. Every item, every object, every measurement or material that our eyes are unveiled to see ought to increase our love for Christ and for His church.
The tabernacle was constructed of three parts: the outer court (which was a large area in the open air enclosed by linen curtains), the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. In this chapter we are going to consider some aspects of the outer court and their spiritual application.
We can make two kinds of applications based on how the tabernacle was divided. On one hand, it represents man who is tripartite, made up of body, soul and spirit (1 Thes. 5:23). The body corresponds to the outer court, the soul to the Holy Place, and the spirit to the Holy of Holies.
The tabernacle can also represent the church: in the aspect of
its boundary, corresponding to the outer court; in the aspect of
service, corresponding to the Holy Place; and in the aspect of
living in the spirit, corresponding to the Holy of Holies. The
tabernacle had a boundary that was determined by the outer court.
In the same way, the church also has a boundary which is marked
by the city in which it is. According to the Bible, no church is
larger or smaller than a city. Thus in the Bible there is no national
church or more than one church in one city. The New Testament
is clear in the matter of establishing the ground of the oneness of
God’s people: one city, one church.
All the genuine Christians in a city are those who have been regenerated with God’s life and form the church in that city. However, many of them meet in groups that are smaller than the city and take special names; they denominate themselves and become exclusive. For this reason, some Christians need to stand simply as the church in that city without any special name. In this way the church in Sao Paulo, for example, will bear the testimony that in the city of Sao Paulo there are children of God who are standing for the oneness of His people, meeting simply as Christians in that city.
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