Tabernacle

The Tabernacle is known in Hebrew as the Mishkan ( משכן "Place of [Divine] dwelling"). It was to be a portable central place of worship for the Hebrews from the time they left ancient Egypt following the Exodus, through the time of the Book of Judges when they were engaged in conquering the land of Canaan, until the time its elements were made part of the final Temple in Jerusalem about the 10th century BC.

The English word "tabernacle" is derived from the Latin word tabernaculum meaning "tent, hut, booth". Tabernaculum itself is a diminutive form of the word taberna, meaning "tavern". The word Sanctuary is also used as its name, as well as the phrase "the tent of meeting."

The Hebrew word, however, points to a different meaning. Mishkan is related to the Hebrew word to "dwell", "rest", or "to live in", referring to the "[In-dwelling] Presence of God", the Shekhina (or Shechina) (based on the same Hebrew root word as Mishkan), that dwelled or rested within this divinely ordained mysterious structure.

The Hebrew word for a "neighbor" is shakhen from the same root as mishkan. The commandments for its construction are taken from the words in the Book of Exodus when God says to Moses: "They shall make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell (ve-shakhan-ti) among them. You must make the tabernacle (mishkan) and all its furnishings following the plan that I am showing you." (Exodus 25:8-9). Thus the idea is that God wants this structure built so that it may be a "dwelling", so to speak, for his presence within the Children of Israel following the Exodus.

It is a crucial component for understanding many of the foundations of Judaism, such as the Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath), the Jewish priesthood who were commanded to serve in it, and the meaning and atonement of the sin of the Golden calf.

History of the Tabernacle²

Biblical Times

"God spoke to Moses, saying: I have selected Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, by name. I have filled him with a divine spirit, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and with all types of craftsmanship. He will be able to devise plans as well as work in gold, silver and copper, cut stones to be set, carve wood, and do other work. I have also given him Oholiab son of Achisamakh of the tribe of Dan. I have placed wisdom in the heart of every naturally talented person. They will thus make all that I have ordered, the Communion Tent, the Ark of the Covenant, the ark cover to go on it, all the utensils for the tent, the table and its utensils, the pure menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar, the sacrificial altar and all its utensils, the washstand and its base, the packing cloths, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest, the vestments that his sons wear to serve, the anointing oil, and the incense for the sanctuary. They will thus do all that I command." (Exodus 31:1-11)

When King David conquered Jerusalem and his son King Solomon built the first temple known as Solomon's Temple, all the elements of the tabernacle were incorporated into the newly built permanent temple.

The concluding instructions for the Tabernacle's construction are stated at the end of the Book of Exodus, chapter 31, and in that same chapter, immediately following the words about the Tabernacle, God reminds Moses about the importance of the Jewish Sabbath:

"God told Moses to speak to the Israelites and say to them: You must still keep my sabbaths. It is a sign between me and you for all generations, to make you realize that I, God, am making you holy. Keep the Sabbath as something sacred to you. Anyone doing work shall be cut off spiritually from his people, and therefore, anyone violating it shall be put to death. Do your work during the six week days, but keep Saturday as a Sabbath of sabbaths, holy to God. Whoever does any work on Saturday shall be put to death. The Israelites shall thus keep the Sabbath, making it a day of rest for all generations, as an eternal covenant. It is a sign between me and the Israelites that during the six weekdays God made heaven and earth, but on Saturday, he ceased working and rested." (Exodus: 31: 12-17).

The rabbis of the Mishna derive from this juxtaposition of subject-matter, the fact that the commandment to rest on the Sabbath day, as stated in Genesis 2:1-3 "Heaven and earth, and all their components, were completed. With the seventh day, God finished all the work that He had done. He ceased on the seventh day from all the work that he had been doing. God blessed the seventh day, and he declared it to be holy, for it was on this day that God ceased from all the work that he had been creating to function." is not pushed aside by the commandments to construct the Tabernacle. Not only that, but the very definition of what constitutes "work" or "actvity" that must not be done by any Israelite, on pain of death (only when there was a Sanhedrin, and only with acceptable witnesses present), is defined by the 39 categories of activity needed for the construction of the Tabernacle and for its functioning as the center of the sacrifices enumerated in the Book of Leviticus.

Common Era	Key People	City of Jerusalem	Temple Mount
c. 1760/ c. 2000 BCE	Abraham	Abraham visits Melchizedek, King of Salem and Priest of El Elyon ("God Most High") (Genesis 14:18-20, Hebrews 6:20-7:22)
c. 1760/ c. 2000 BCE	Abraham Isaac Jacob/Israel Joseph	Abraham journeys three days from Beershiva or Garet to Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice in obedience to God's command. God provides a substitute. (Genesis 22, Hebrews 11:8-19)	Mt. Moriah is the site of the Temple Mount.
c. 2360/ c. 1400 BCE	Joshua	After setting up the Ark at Shiloh near Shechem (Nablus), Joshua launches foray into Jerusalem. (Joshua 10:23, 15:63)
c. 2760/ c. 1000 BCE	David	David conquers Jebosite stronghold of Zion, builds city f David south of Temple Mount, reigns 33 years in Jerusalem after 7-year reign at Hebron. (2 Samuel 5:1-15)	David returns Ark to Jerusalem and places it in Tabernacle of Moses erected there. (2 Samuel 6:1-18, 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:43). David plans First Temple, but not permitted to build it. (2 Samuel 7:1-17) David purchases Threshing Floor of Araunah, site of First Temple and erects altar of sacrifice on Mt. Moriah. (2 Samuel 24:1-25 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:5)
c. 2810/ c. 950 BCE	Solomon	Solomon builds Royal Palace and enlarges city, 13-year period. (I Kings 7:1-12)	Solomon, with help of Hiram of Tyre and 183,600 workers, builds the First Temple and Royal Palace using local limestone, cedar from Lebanon and great amounts of gold and silver. (Temple built in seven years.) (1 Kings 5-9, 2 Chronicles 2)
c. 2850/ c. 910 BCE	Rehoboam Elijah Elisha Obadiah Jonah	Kingdom divided, 10 northern tribes, 2 southern tribes.	Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt plunders temple carrying off much gold and silver. (1 Kings 14:25-28, 2 Chronicles 12:1-11)
c. 2925/ c. 835 BCE	Joash Amos Hosea	Joash, King of Judah	Joash repairs temple, establishes maintenance fund, and brings period of revival and reforms to southern kingdom. (2 Kings 12:5ff).
c. 3040/ c. 720 BCE	Ahaz Micah	Ahaz, King of Judah	Dismantles Solomon's bronze vessels and places private Syrian altar in the temple. (2 Kings 16:1-20, 2 Chronicles 28ff)
c. 3044/ c. 716 BCE	Hezekiah Isaiah	Hezekiah, King in Jerusalem, with help of God and the prophet Isaiah resists Assyrian attempt to capture Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 32). Wells and springs stopped up.	Restore. Temple and brings period of national reform and revival (2 Chronicles 29-31). Later strips gold to pay tribute to Sennacherib. (2 Kings 18-16)
c. 3120/ c. 640 BCE	Josiah Nahum Zephaniah Habakkuk		Josiah repairs the Temple and brings about national religious reforms. (2 Chronicles 34-35).
c. 3174/ Sunday, 9th of Av, 587 BCE	Jehoichin Zedekiah Gedaliah Jeremiah	Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, burning the city, murdering inhabitants, and carrying a remnant into captivity. (2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36, Josephus)	Temple destroyed and sacred vessels carried off to Babylon. These vessels desecrated in Babylon by Belshazzar. (Daniel 5)
c. 3187/ c. 573 BCE	Ezekiel Daniel	Jeremiah prophesies a 70-year captivity in Babylon. (Jeremiah 29:1-14)	Ezekiel receives a vision from God describing in detail the great Temple to be built during the reign of the Messiah in an age which is yet to come. (Ezekiel 40-48)
c. 3219/ c. 541 BCE	Zerubbabel Ezra Nehemiah Haggai Zechariah Malachi (Esther)	First Jews return from Babylon in small numbers to rebuild the city and its walls. 70 years of exile terminated. (Daniel 9, Haggai 2:18-19)	Second Temple built despite fierce opposition and delays, beginning with erection of an altar of sacrifice on Mt. Moriah. Temple completed after 15-year delay in 515 BCE.
c. 3428/ c. 332 BCE	Alexander the Great (Daniel 8:21-23, 11:2-4)	Priests from Jerusalem meet invading army of Alexander and dissuade him from destroying Jerusalem by showing him Scriptures that predict his rise to power. After the death of Alexander a series of wars between Syria and Egypt subject the Holy Land to multiple distresses. (Daniel 9:24-27, 11:1-35; Zechariah 9:1-10; Josephus)
c. 3585-3597/ c. 175-163 BCE	Antiochus Ephiphanes IV	The "little horn" of Daniel 8:9, a cruel Syrian (Selicid) king plunders Jerusalem, murdering many Jews. (Daniel 11:21-35)	Antiochus desecrates the temple, offers a sow upon the altar and carries off temple treasuries. Worship and sacrifices haIted, 15 December 167 BCE.
c. 3570/ 170 BCE	Maccabees	Godly Jews under Mattathias begin revolt culminating in repossession of Jerusalem. (1 Maccabees)	Temple purified and worship and sacrifices restored in 165 BCE.
c. 3615/ c. 141 BCE		The Roman Akva Fortress is conquered by the Maccabees, thus freeing the Temple from alien supervision.
c. 3697/ c. 63 BCE	Pompey	Roman conquest of the Holy Land. (Daniel 2:40-43)	Pompey brazenly enters Holy of Holies, disappointed to find it empty.
c. 3720/ c. 40 BCE	Herod the Great (d. 4 BCE)	Cruel, despotic Roman ruler, an. Idumean, (who murdered the infants in Bethlehem). Building projects at Jericho, Hebron, and Caesarea to placate the Jews.	Temple Mount vastly enlarged and leveled. Second Temple rebuilt and enlarged, 10,000 workers, 100 priests, 1000 wagons. Temple and courts rebuilt until 63 BCE. City and walls under construction 46 years.
c. 3837/ c. 3 BCE to c. 3822/ 62 CE	Early Christian Era Highlights Located below in separate Section
c. 3831/ 9th of Av,70 CE		Roman General Titus besieges Jerusalem destroying city and murdering inhabitants, terrible suffering and destruction. (Josephus)	Temple set afire, soldiers tear every stone apart to get melted gold. Menorah and vessels carried to Rome. Treasury robbed.
3896/ c. 136 CE	Hadrian	Undertakes rebuilding of Jerusalem as "Aelia Capitolina" provoking unsuccessful Bar Kochba revolt in 135 by devout Jews.	Hadrian erects Temple of Jupiter on Temple Mount and statue of himself facing east in front. Jewish attempt to build Third Temple fails.
c. 4093/ c. 333 CE			"Traveller of Bordeaux" visits Jerusalem and relates Jews praying on Temple Mount.
c. 4090-4400/ c. 330-640 CE	Constantine	Byzantine Period. Christianity made official religion of Roman Empire. Church of the Holy Sepulchre built. Persian conquest in 614 CE. 37,000 Christians exiled to Persia, Jews later banished from Jerusalem also. Byzantine Emperor Herodius recaptures Jerusalem, 629 CE.	Temple Mount neglected, becomes refuse heap. Herodius proposes building near temple.
c. 4122/ c. 362 CE	Julian		Authorizes Jews to rebuild Temple. Work stopped by fire or earthquake.
c. 4160/ c. 400 CE			Heronymus describes Jews mourning onTemple Mount.
c. 4398/ c. 638 CE		Moslem conquest.
c. 4445-4465/ c. 685-705 CE	Abd el-Malik	Extension of the city and rebuilding of walls and roads.	Islamic tradition alleges that Caliph Omar clears rubbish from temple Mount and prays there in 638 CE. Old wooden El Aksa Mosque constructed, 700 CE, and Dome of the Rock by Abd el-Malik, 684-690 CE.
c. 420-4510/ c. 660-750 CE	Umyyads Abbasids	Power struggles, revolts and persecutions of Jews and Christians causes Jerusalem to deteriorate.

Early Christian Era Highlights
c. 3757/ c. 3 BCE	Jesus Simeon Anna	Herod the Great crowned king, 40 BCE.	Jesus presented at the temple and dedicated to God by his parents, doves offered in sacrifice. (Luke 2:21-24)
c. 3768/ c. 8 CE	Jesus Mary Joseph John the Baptist		Jesus at age 12 talks to priests and teachers in the Second Temple while his parents are in Jerusalem for Passover. Family home at Nazareth (Luke 2:41-50)
c. 3790-3793/ c. 30-33 CE	Jesus	Pilate, 26-36 CE Herod Antippas, exiled 39 CE Herod Agrippa, died 44 CE	Jesus tempted by the devil on the pinnacle of the temple, (Luke 4:1-12). Jesus casts out money changers from the temple early in his ministry (John 2:13-16), and again three years later. During his final week of life before the resurrection, he taught in the temple courts and confronted the crowds and Pharisees there. Jesus predicts destruction of the Second Temple. (Matthew 21ff, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 12)
c. 3793-3795/ c. 33-35 CE	Peter John	Jesus leaves his disciples 40 days after the resurrection, ascending from the Mount of Olives. (Acts 1:1-6, John 20-21, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8)	Followers of Jesus gathered in Temple Courts 10 days later on Pentecost Sunday, experience coming of the Spirit of God to give birth to the Church of Jesus Christ. Peter preaches to the crowds and many are healed. (Acts 1ff)
c. 3793-3795/ c. 33-35 CE	Stephen		Martyrdom of Stephen on the Temple Mount, Saul of Tarsus consenting. (Acts 6-7).
c. 3822/ c. 62 CE	James the Just John (d. 100 CE)	Christians driven from Jerusalem by persecution.	James, brother of Jesus and leader of the Church in Jerusalem, martyred by being thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple Mount.

Based upon document prepared by: Lambert Dolphin, for the Jerusalem Temple Foundation. February 1983

Dimensions of the Tabernacle¹
Material - Size - Holy Place

The portable tent-like structure that served the Israelites as a sanctuary during their wanderings in the wilderness and in the early period of their life in Palestine. It is chiefly in Ex. xxvi. and its parallel, ib. xxxvi. 8-38, that the oldest sanctuary of Yhwh is mentioned. Its fundamental part consisted of a framework of acacia-wood. Each board was 10 cubits long and 1½ cubits broad (an old Hebraic cubit measured probably, like the Babylonian, 55.5 cm.). The north and south sides each contained twenty such boards (ib. xxvi. 18, 20). The western side consisted of six similar boards (ib. verse 22), with the addition of two more which were to join the western with the northern and southern sides, respectively, in a manner rather obscurely described (ib. verses 23-25). These forty-eight boards were fixed in silver sockets, two to each board, bymeans of "hands" ("yadot"), i.e., tenons, and they were kept from falling apart by five cross-bars on a side (ib. verses 26-28). The eastern side remained open.

Material

The frame of the Tabernacle proper Since this framework was of course the first part to be set up (ib. xl. 18), it has been mentioned first here; but what really constituted the dwelling of the Lord, according to the express words of the Old Testament (ib. xxvi. 1, 6; xxxvi. 8, 13), were the inner curtains, which gave the structure its characteristic form. The quality and colors of these curtains were chosen accordingly; they were woven from the finest threads, some white, some bluish and reddish purple, and some scarlet. Pictures of cherubim were also woven in them (ib. xxvi. 1-6). A second set of curtains was made of goat-hair, which was the usual material for tents (ib. verses 7-13); these, by synecdoche (comp. König, "Stilistik," etc., p. 64), were called the "tent" (ib. xxvi. 7; xxxviii. 14, 18; xl. 19), inasmuch as they formed the chief part thereof; and upon them were placed two coverings, one of ramskin dyed red, and one of skins of the "taḥash." This latter was probably a seal; in any case it was a less common animal than the sheep, which Friedrich Delitzsch in his "Prolegomena zu einem Neuen Hebräisch-Aramäischen Wörterbuch" (p. 79) understands by "taḥash." With regard to the first-mentioned curtains, some scholars, as Winer("B. R." s.v.) and Holzinger (on Ex. xxvi. 15, in "K. H. C." 1900), have declared that they formed not the walls of the Tabernacle, but merely an inner covering of those walls; but the contrary view is much more probable, and is the one adopted by De Wette, for instance ("Hebräische Archäologie," § 194), by Riehm ("Handwörterbuch des Biblischen Altertums," p. 1559), and by Baentsch ("Handkommentar zum Exodus," 1900, p. 228); indeed, the circumstance that these curtains are called "the dwelling" and that the tent-covering is placed upon them (Ex. xl. 19) is convincing evidence for the opinion that they enveloped the boards almost completely lest they might become soiled; they were not to touch the floor, and so were made only 28 cubits long. This fact would not be so comprehensible had the curtains been merely interior hangings. The objection has been raised, it is true, that cherubim were woven into them, and that in Solomon's Temple cherubim were carved on the inner walls; but the latter case presents a necessary modification which resulted naturally when the dwelling of the Lord no longer consisted chiefly of curtains. Moreover, the text contains no suggestion of hooks or any other appliances by means of which the curtains might have been suspended had they been intended merely to cover the inner surface of the walls.

Size
More about Biblical Measurements >>

The height was undoubtedly 10 cubits; but the length was not simply 20 × 1½ cubits, since there must also be taken into consideration the eight boards on the western side. These measured 12 cubits by themselves; and, in addition, the thickness of the two boards by which the western wall was joined on one side to the southern and on the other to the northern wall (ib. xxvi. 23-25) must be reckoned in determining the exterior length of the Tabernacle. The thickness of these boards may be estimated from the following calculation: The Holy of Holies was 10 cubits high and 10 cubits long, since half of the inner covering, which was 40 cubits long, reached from the lower end of the western wall to the edge of the Holy of Holies (ib. xxvi. 33). This most holy place in all probability formed a cube of 10 cubits (comp. "ka'bah" = "cube"). If so the breadth of the Tabernacle must have been 10 cubits, i.e., the breadth of its inner space, whereas the eight western boards measured 12 cubits; and the southern and northern walls must each have covered one of the 12 cubits of the western wall; i.e., the boards must each have been 1 cubit thick. The outer length of the Tabernacle was, then, 20 × 1½ + 1 cubit = 31 cubits; and its outer width was 8 × 1½ cubits. But the inner length was 30 cubits, and the inner breadth 10 cubits; and since the inner space constituted the dwelling of the Lord, Josephus says ("Ant." iii. 6, § 3), not without reason, "its length, when it was set up, was 30 cubits, and its breadth was 10 cubits."

Holy Place

This tent was divided, by means of a curtain hung 10 cubits from the western wall, into a most holy place ("Ḳodesh ha-Ḳodashim") and a holy place ("Ḳodesh"). This curtain was called "paroket," and was woven from the same four stuffs as the costly curtains which formed the inner covering (Ex. xxvi. 31-35). The eastern entrance to the holy place, which was 20 cubits long, was covered by a curtain ("masak") of the same materials (ib. verses 36 et seq.). Finally a court (ḥaẓer) formed in a certain measure a part of the Tabernacle. This court was 100 cubits long and 50 cubits broad (ib. xxvii. 9-13), and, since the Tabernacle was placed in its western part, it was rightly called a forecourt. The Tabernacle could be taken down (Num. x. 17); and it is therefore called a "tent." Its form does not need to have been that of a house (namely, that of Solomon's Temple), since (despite Holzinger's [l.c. p. 129] and Baentsch's [l.c. p. 231] statements) tents are sometimes made in an elongated form.

Location of Tabernacle Furniture:

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                  A. Outer Court              G. Golden Candlestick
                  B. Brazen Altar             H. Altar of Incense
                  C. Laver                        I. Inner Veil
                  D. Outer Veil                J. Most Holy Place
                  E. Holy Place               K. Ark of Covenant
                  F. Table of Shewbread

Altar

Molten Sea

The Golden Altar

Golden Lamp

TABLE OF SHEWBREAD.

ARK OF THE COVENANT

Tabernacle Furniture and Furnishings⁴

By Carl Schultz, Ph.D.
Houghton College, Houghton, NY

There were six items of furniture with their respective accoutrements in the Sinaitic (wilderness) Tabernacle. Details about these articles can be found in two major sections of Exodus: chapters 25-31, where the specifications of sizes and materials are given, and chapters 35-40, which are largely a repetition of the previous section, but written in the past tense, indicating the actual construction of the articles.¹The specific references are as follows:

Item	Instructions	Construction
Ark Table of shewbread Lampstand Altar of incense Altar of burnt offering Laver	25:10-22 25:23-30 25:31-40 30:1-10 27:1-8 30:17-21	37:1-9 37:10-16 37:17-24 37:25-28 38:1-7 38:8

General Observations

Before considering each item of furniture, the following general observations should be noted:

In most instances, attention is first focused in the biblical text on the items of furniture and then upon the particular area of the Tabernacle where they would be placed. This is particularly true of the court and its furnishings. Such a sequence indicates the importance of the furniture.
While there is a slight difference in the order between these two sections (Instructions and Construction), it is significant that in the chapters dealing with the building of the furniture, the writer moves in his account from the innermost to the outermost parts of the Tabernacle. He begins with the ark located in the holy of holies, continues with the table, the lampstand, and the altar of incense² situated in the holy place, and then concludes with the altar of burnt offering and the laver placed in the court.
This move from the innermost to the outermost parts of the Tabernacle is also seen in the metals used, which are in descending value from the holy of holies to the court. (At the very center the best gold is used, then ordinary gold, then silver, and lastly bronze.³) This seems to reflect a diminishing of holiness as one moves from the inner sanctuary to the outer enclosure.⁴

Description and Purpose of Furniture

The plans given in Exodus are not detailed specifications. They are not blueprints. While they provide us with some definitive information, we are not able to construct the items with absolute certainty. As a result, the many drawn and written descriptions of the furniture will vary in detail.

Our treatment of the respective items of furniture will follow the biblical pattern, moving from the innermost to the outermost furnishings.

Ark. The only piece of furniture in the holy of holies, the ark was an oblong chest of acacia wood⁵overlaid within and without with pure gold, measuring two and one-half cubits⁶ high and one and one-half cubits broad and wide. Two gold-covered poles were left permanently in four rings on its sides, by which it could be carried. On its top was a golden covering called the mercy seat. It was upon this mercy seat that the blood of the slain goat was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:15-16).
At each end of the mercy seat and of one piece with it were the cheribim, facing each other and looking down upon the mercy seat. Between these cherubim and above the mercy seat was the dwelling place of the Lord (Exodus 25:22; Numbers 7:89). Contained in the ark were the tablets of the law (possibly the Decalogue [Exodus 25:16, 22]; hence, the name, ark of the testimony), a pot of manna (Exodus 16:33-34), and Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 17:10).
Table of shewbread. This was located on the north (or right) side of the holy place, opposite the lampstand. Made of acadia wood overlaid with fine gold, it was two cubits long, one cubit broad, and one and one-half cubits high. It was decorated with a gold molding, and had rings and poles for carrying. Gold accessories were provided for the table: plates for holding the 12 loaves of bread, bowls for frankincense, and vessels for wine. This bread was to be changed weekly and was viewed as an expression of gratitude to God.
Lampstand.⁷This article was placed on the south (or the left) side of the holy place. While no dimensions are given, a talent of gold (224.6 grams) was used to make it. Composed of seven branches, it had a central shaft which rested on a pedestal and from which three branches projected on each side. The central stem and the six branches each ended in a lamp which provided light for the holy place. Golden accessories to tend the lamps were provided.
Altar of incense. Located in front of the veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies, this altar was of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold, measuring two cubits high and one cubit square. It had a gold molding around it, horns, and poles and rings for transportation purposes. Incense was to be offered on this altar by the priests every evening and morning. This use of incense may have served as a much-needed deodorizer, but it most likely reflects the oriental love for sweet odors. Incense is a symbol of prayer (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:3-5) and probably signifies the ascending prayer of the officiating priest.
Altar of burnt offering. This item, sometimes called the bronze altar, was located in the court between the entrance and the Tabernacle. It was a hollow box of bronze-plated acadia wood, five cubits square and three cubits high, with a horn projection at each corner.⁸It was upon this altar that the various prescribed sacrifices were burned; their blood was sprinkled against its base through a grating around the bottom half of all four sides of the altar. Various bronze implements were provided for its service: pans and shovels for the ashes, forks for handling the meat, and fire pans. According to Leviticus 6:13, the fire of this altar was never allowed to go out.
The horns of this altar were smeared with blood in the consecration of priests (Exodus 29:12), in connection with the sin offering (Leviticus 4:18, 34), and on the annual Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:18). They may have been places of asylum, as were their counterparts in Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 1:50-51).
Laver. Made from the bronze of mirrors, this basin was placed midway between the altar of burnt offering and the Tabernacle. While no specific dimensions are given, it must have been fairly large.⁹It was round in shape with a shallower bowl beneath it, into which the used water ran. The laver was used by priests for ritual ablutions. Since there is no mention made of a vessel in which the parts of the sacrificial animals could be washed, the laver may also have been used for this purpose.

History

Subsequent Old Testament references to these items of furniture are limited. The table of shewbread can perhaps be traced to Nob, where David and his men ate its bread (1 Samuel 21:1-6; Matthew 12:4). The bronze altar, according to 2 Chronicles 1:3 ff., was located at Gibeon when Solomon became king.

The most frequently mentioned article is the ark. It was carried by the priests in advance of the marching nation (Numbers 10:33); at its presence the waters of the Jordan River separated (Joshua 3:11-17); and it was carried around the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:4-12). After being captured by the Philistines and returned, it was moved by David to Jerusalem and placed in a special tent he had provided for it (2 Samuel 6:12). From there it was moved to Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 8:1-4), where it remained until it was destroyed or lost in 586 B.C. (2 Esdras 10:21-22).

Symbolism

The Tabernacle, its furniture, and its ritual are rich in symbolism. The imagination, however, must be curbed so that effort is not made to discover a symbolic truth (as some have done) in every detail. It must be kept in mind that the choice of furniture and the materials used in construction of the same were dictated at least in part by culture, need, and availability. They had purpose and significance to the Israelite worshipper apart from any hidden meaning, typology, or Christian interpretation. While symbolism may be found in the Tabernacle, the integrity of the Old Testament must never be violated on the altar or fanciful interpretation.

The New Testament writer of Hebrews noted that the Tabernacle was modeled on a heavenly pattern (Hebrews 8:5), and he used it to give meaning to the priesthood and the atoning work of Christ (9:9). His refusal to indulge in excessive symbolism should serve as a guide for us.

The ark was viewed as the throne (pedestal) of God and hence the visibile sign of His presence (cf. 1 Samuel 4:7). Its ultimate counterpoint is to be found in Jesus Christ, who "tabernacled" (John 1:14) among men to make God present and known.

The table of shewbread (literally, "bread of the face of the Lord") suggested the constant (fresh) dedication of the 12 tribes to divine service, indicating that they were always before the face of the Lord. Such a symbolism also pertains to the believer.

The lampstand was the only source of light for the holy place (no provision for natural light -- cf. the heavenly Jerusalem, Revelation 21:23), indicating that God is the ultimate Source of light. This gives meaning to the claim of Jesus to be the Light of the World and to His challenge to believers to allow their light (derived) to shine. This latter dimension is underscored in the Book of Revelation, where the seven churches of Asia are represented by seven lampstands, with Christ standing in their midst (1:12-20).

The altar of incense, as already noted, bespeaks the ascending prayers of men to God.

The bronze altar, with its many sacrifices, symbolizes atonement and reconciliation and points to the ultimate, all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus.

The laver, used for washing, signifies the necessity of purity and cleansing in our approach to God.

The desire of man to draw near to God and God's willingness to be approached are clearly visible in the furniture of the Tabernacle.

Endnotes for Article by Dr. Schultz Ph.D.

1. Additional information can be found in Numbers 3:25 ff.; 4:4 ff.; 7:1 ff. The parallels with Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 6 ff.) and Ezekiel's proposed Temple (Ezekiel 40 ff.) should also be noted.

2. Perhaps on account of its great sanctity, the altar of incense is sometimes considered a part of the holy of holies. Cf. 1 Kings 6:16-22 and Hebrews 9:2-4.

3. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, is preferred over the rendering "brass," an alloy of copper and zinc. The latter is largely a modern material, while the former was used in ancient times.

4. This same phenomenon can be observed in Solomon's Temple.

5. The KJV translation "shittim" is actually a transliteration of the Hebrew word, now known to indicate a kind of acacia tree.

6. The cubit is an ancient linear measurement based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. A cubit is usually figured to be about 18 inches.

7. The KJV renders this word "candlestick" because of the general use of candles in England at the time of this translation. This is misleading since lamps, not candles, were used for light in biblical times.

8. Based on Exodus 20:24, some suggest that the altar of burnt offering was filled with dirt.

9. The laver in Solomon's Temple was rather large, being 30 cubits in circumference (1 Kings 7:23).

Tabernacle Mishkan - Tabernaculum

History of the Tabernacle2

Dimensions of the Tabernacle1 Material - Size - Holy Place

Location of Tabernacle Furniture:

Tabernacle Furniture and Furnishings4

Tabernacle

Mishkan - Tabernaculum

History of the Tabernacle²

Dimensions of the Tabernacle¹
Material - Size - Holy Place

Tabernacle Furniture and Furnishings⁴