The Tabernacle of Moses

Eric Michael Teitelman

Pastor•Teacher•Worship Leader

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Prophetic Study........................................................................................................................................... 3
Prophetic Revelation .................................................................................................................................. 4
The Shechinah ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Israel’s Encampment .................................................................................................................................. 6
The Outer Courtyard .................................................................................................................................. 8
Exile of the Shechinah ................................................................................................................................ 8
The Eastern Gate ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Altar of Burnt Offering ............................................................................................................................. 10

The Bronze Laver ...................................................................................................................................... 11

The Great Contradiction .......................................................................................................................... 12
Melchizedek .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Colors of the Tabernacle.......................................................................................................................... 15
Table for the Showbread ......................................................................................................................... 16
The Golden Lampstand ............................................................................................................................ 16

Altar of Incense ......................................................................................................................................... 17

Ark of the Covenant ................................................................................................................................. 18

Judgment and Mercy ............................................................................................................................... 19

The Red Heifer .......................................................................................................................................... 21

Our Journey of Salvation ......................................................................................................................... 22

Closing ....................................................................................................................................................... 23

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Introduction
A number of years ago I was asked to prepare a teaching on the Tabernacle of Moses—the
Mishkan. I had read the endless narratives in the Torah many times where each part of the
Tabernacle, meticulously detailed by the Lord, commanded the Israelites to only build a copy of
the heavenly image. I had visited several life-size displays, one recently in Pennsylvania, but
none revealed anything of particular magnificence. Even its size looked rather underwhelming—
a small tent perched in the desert surrounded by miles of barren wilderness. From a near
distance the structure would have been hardly noticeable.

I have lived in the desert so I am experienced with its harsh environment. My mind stirred up
images of dust storms continuously pelting the wool curtains, covering everything with a fine
layer of silt. It is not surprising that so many years later King David dreamed up a truly
magnificent structure that would one day adorn the top of Mount Zion. In contrast, the Temple
of Solomon was a colossal structure rising over 50-feet in height. It copied the pattern of the
original Tabernacle, but everything else about it was otherwise upgraded.

I remember a friend of mine telling me that he was planning to teach on the restoration of the
Tabernacle of Moses. What exactly did he mean by that since we were no longer under the law
but under a New Covenant of grace? Still, there was something that resonated with me about
the Tabernacle and its mystical artifacts. I believed that nothing in God’s kingdom was ever
wasted. Just like creation, every detail in the Tabernacle must have been carefully thought out
and meticulously woven together.

So I started my research and was immediately overwhelmed by the volume and depth of
revelation the Lord was giving me. At first I put everything into a slide presentation, but there
was considerably more that I needed to convey. I decided to finally write this teaching, as the
Lord has given me further revelation about the Tabernacle, expanding on its earlier details.

The Tabernacle itself was constructed entirely of materials donated by the Israelites. Nothing
was commanded by the Lord—just a free-will offering of the people. This was a significant
deviation because the Law of Moses had mandated just about everything. Now the structure the
Lord would use to communicate His laws to Israel was entirely funded with donations and
managed by volunteers; sounds like church.

The Tabernacle was called the Tent of Meeting or the Tent of Testimony. A testimony is a divine
decree that is attested in the Scriptures. So what exactly is the testimony of the Tabernacle? It
has to be the spirit of prophesy,i as Yeshua said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think
you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39, NKJV), ii “For the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). Yeshua is therefore the Spirit of Prophesy.

So it appears the key to unlocking the mysteries hidden within the Tabernacle is that everything
in it on some level must prophetically testify of Christ and not of man, Israel, the Levites, or even

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the Aaronic priesthood, but to Yeshua—the Son of God. This is where studying scripture from a
deeper prophetic level is required.

Prophetic Study
The rabbis use four general approaches to studying the Torah. It is called Pardes, which means
“orchard,” and refers to the Garden of Eden or Paradise. Pardes is therefore an acrostic (PRDS)
signifying these four approaches:

1. Peshat – is the simple, literal meaning of the biblical narrative. Other approaches must
always align with the Peshat. Most biblical commentary is based on this method of study.
2. Remez – approaches the Torah from an allegorical or allusional perspective. We see this
in types, shadows, symbolism and numerology.
3. Derash – is the Midrashic or homiletic analysis of the text, or what we might call “story
telling.” This may also include proof texting and narrative expansion of the biblical text.
Yeshua often used this method to teach about the Kingdom of God.
4. Sod – is the esoteric and mystical approach to understanding the Torah. The purpose of
this fourth and deepest level of study is to understand the text on the first three levels,
and then to search out the nuances and subtle connections hidden within the text.
Jewish mystics often used meditative and prayer techniques to encounter the spiritual
realm in dreams and visions similar to those given to biblical prophets such as Ezekiel.

It is important to recognize that Hebrew is God’s holy language. The Hebrew of the Torah was
the language used in creation, thus all created things are directly affected by their Hebrew
names as well as their component letters. iii Jewish mysticism holds that all of creation issued
forth from divine speech and that the Torah contains the wisdom of creation. iv This language
therefore holds God’s authority, given to man to bless, to curse, and conceivably even to call
down fire from heaven. v Hebrew therefore is unlike any other language who’s meaning of words
result from human construct or consensus.

Hebrew is a logical and analytical language whose letters also contain numerical value. One field
of numerology is called Gematria, which is the careful examination and analysis of word and
letter placement and their numerical values to reveal relationships between words and letters.
This finds higher meanings and mystical secrets hidden within the text. Samuel Avital calls
Gematria “spiritual archeology,” suggesting that studying the Torah is akin to excavating an
ancient city that has been hidden for millennia. We will delve into some simple numerology
shortly.

Even at the simplest level of Torah study (Peshat), by understanding the Hebrew language we
are able to unlock deeper spiritual relationships between root words. For example, the Hebrew
word for “desert” is midbar, and the word for “speak” is davar. What incredible faith-building
knowledge we gain by understanding that God speaks to His people in the dry lands. Yeshua

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spent forty-days in the wilderness—fasting, praying, and communing with His heavenly Father.
Are you possibly encountering a desert season in your life? Rejoice, because the Lord is testing
you and deepening your faith, and I believe He is preparing you to hear His voice!

Prophetic Revelation
Prophesy is how the divine will and God’s presence are made known to His people. It helps us
discern the relationships between the seen and unseen—the physical and the immaterial. As the
supreme language of the soul, prophesy is the vehicle by which the Creator instructs and guides
His people to come closer to Him. vi The methods of prophetic study are complex, analytical,
numerical, metaphorical, spatial, visual, relational, poetic, homiletic, etc. Prophetic vision
therefore transforms the wilderness into ranks of order and fruitfulness. vii

True prophets do not add to God’s laws or biblical narrative. They simply discover the Torah’s
hidden mysteries through divine revelation, and then reveal God’s truth to His people. This level
of discovering God’s order is a combination of wisdom and understanding that together create
the right conditions for prophesy. viii Therefore, it is not our responsibility to make order out of
chaos, but rather to discover it. ix

Prophets tell the future, point to the dangers of the past and present (what we call watchmen),
and give others hope and faith in the meaning of life. But most importantly, prophesy is given to
verbally testify that Yeshua is both Lord and Messiah. He is the gate and the gatekeeper that
brings us back into a relationship with our heavenly Father. x

The rabbis tell us that throughout all biblical history the Lord has divinely revealed Himself
through speech, which we call prophesy; phenomena contravening the laws of nature, which are
known as miracles; His management of history, or what we call divine providence (reward and
punishment); and His physical appearance which is the manifestation of His Glory.
Understanding biblical history therefore requires us to recognize God’s ability to speak with
people, especially His prophets, to manage history according to His will, and to contravene the
laws of nature so as to fulfill His objectives.

Prophetic testimony is therefore witnessed through all four divine manifestations. We see this
with John the Baptist, as it is written, “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that
Light” (John 1:7-8). In other words, God does not expect us to simply believe in an invisible and
unknowable God, but He gives us both His word and the physical evidence of His truth. Likewise,
the Tabernacle of Moses was very much at the center of God’s pre-Christ manifestation to the
nation of Israel.

The bible offers various terms for describing the manifestation of God. For example, dreams and
visions can include anthropomorphic images of God, but the most frequently used term to

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describe God’s appearance is His Glory (Kavod). God’s Glory literally means His embodiment or
concretization within some real worldly entity. xi We as Christians recognize this as Christ—the
divine imminence and presence of the Creator. xii

The Shechinah
The word Shechinah comes from the Hebrew root Shachen (‫)שכן‬, which means to descend and
“rest” or “dwell” in lowly levels. xiii The Tabernacle in Hebrew, the Mishkan also originates from
12F

the same root word, and specifically means “the place of dwelling.” God’s promise to Israel was
that He would dwell in their midst, xiv and for this purpose the Tabernacle was built—to create a
13F

place for God to dwell and rest with His people. Therefore, the Tabernacle is the embodiment of
the Shechinah, and are considered one in the same. xv14F

Within the Tabernacle, the supreme divine Glory of God (His Kavod) manifested itself as the
Shechinah—a pillar of cloud of the divine presence by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Interestingly, the Hebrew term Shechinah does not appear in the Torah, but it was used
frequently in early Jewish religious and mystical works. Maimonides xvi believed the Shechinah
was the aspect of the divine that was revealed to the biblical prophets in their visions, such as
Ezekiel. xvii

In Judaism, the Shechinah is viewed as the divine feminine aspect of God. Not that God is
viewed as a woman, but comprised within the Godhead is both the divine male and divine
female, as it is written, “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).

The rabbis also correlate the Shechinah to the Word of God, and since we know that Yeshua is
the Word of God made flesh, Yeshua is therefore both the Glory of God (His Kavod), and His
indwelling presence (His Shechinah)—“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John
1:14); “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to
him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

This does not imply however that Yeshua is a woman. No, the Lord has simply revealed the
divine feminine attribute of the Godhead through Christ, this being His heart of “mercy.” Listen
to the words of Yeshua as we see this attribute revealed to Israel: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the
one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather
your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing”
(Matthew 23:37). We will later expand on the attribute of divine mercy as it directly correlates to
divine judgment.

It is the Shechinah that the Jewish people greet on Friday evening as the Sabbath (Shabbat)
begins. This seventh primordial day signifies the fullness of creation. Jewish mystics regarded

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this divine union with the Shabbat as God’s wedding celebration with Israel. The Shabbat
signifies eternal peace and rest in the Lord, and we know that Yeshua has promised that those
who believe in Him will enter His eternal Shabbat. xviii

In Judaism, each sacred name of God is considered to be a separate and distinct manifestation
of the Godhead. xix In these last days however we know that Yeshua is the embodiment of every
form of God’s manifestations, including His Glory, Kingship, miracles, and the physical presence
of our heavenly Father. As it says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). “In
this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”
(John 14:9). So let us now take a closer look at the Tabernacle and discover how every detail
prophetically pointed to Christ.

Israel’s Encampment
The Tabernacle sat at the very center of Israel’s encampment in the desert—three tribes on each
side, including the half tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, and the Levites and sons of Aaron
camped in the middle (Figure 1). The head of each encampment carried a unique flag. Our early
Sages taught that the banner of Reuben featured the figure of a man, the flag of Judah had the
picture of a lion, the flag of Ephraim showed an ox, and the flag of Dan was decorated with the
picture of an eagle. xx These four symbols appeared in the faces of Cherubim seen by the
prophet Ezekiel, xxi and also appeared in the four living creatures found in the Book of
Revelation. xxii

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In Ezekiel’s vision we see the Cherubim in the midst and around the throne of God, while the
Seraphim stand and fly above it. xxiii It is not that God has set angels to be higher than Himself,
but this vision shows that He is at the center of all things that are heavenly and earthly. The
Seraphim therefore minister to the heavenly realm, while the Cherubim minister to the earthly
realm.

On this basis we can understand the profound significance of the camp of Israel. The Cherubim
and the Tabernacle that Israel built are the chariot that carries the manifest presence of God,
and the nation of Israel—the army of the Lord—is God’s escort; each person within their tribe
encamped around the Tabernacle holding their unique banner of the Lord. xxiv

Seeing God’s throne on high, His feet touching the earth and resting upon a chariot of angels
surrounded by an immeasurable host of God’s people, it is easy to visualize the poetry of God’s
love for Israel—“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The
Figure 1 - The Encampment of Israel and the Tabernacle of Moses Lord his God is with
him, And the shout
of a King is among them” (Numbers 23:21); “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O
Israel! Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens by the riverside, Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters” (Numbers 24:5-6).

We can see there is something unique about the number “four.” Four is signified in the Hebrew
alphabet by the letter Dalet, which translates as “door.” xxv We know that Yeshua is both the spirit
of prophesy and the door to the kingdom of God. From this correlation we can deduct that the
number four numerically represents both God’s testimony to the world about His sovereignty
and character, which is the Kingdom of God, and also represents our witness of Christ to the
world, which is prophesy. xxvi

Lastly, the Gospels contain four accounts of Yeshua’s life and ministry. xxvii These correlate directly
to both the four living creatures and the four encampment flags of Israel (Figure 2).

Figure 2 - The Four Gospels and Four Ministries of Yeshua

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The Outer Courtyard
The following illustration (Figure 3) shows the layout of the Outer Courtyard of the Tabernacle. It
will become evident that every single detail not only points to Christ, but also to our journey of
salvation through Him. It is so detailed that we can actually find spiritual significance for every
artifact—its orientation, placement, material composition, shape, size, and color. Nothing has
been added that is superficial or meaningless.

The Tabernacle presents a mystery that awaits our remarkable discovery, and it activates all five
of our senses— sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. However, the ultimate purpose of the
Tabernacle was really to awaken our sixth sense—our spiritual man. As the Lord said,
“Circumcise the foreskin of your heart” (Deuteronomy 10:16). Our study will explore the details of
the Tabernacle as it points to Yeshua, culminating with our journey of salvation that follows in
the footsteps of our Savior.

Figure 3 - The Outer Courtyard of the Tabernacle

Exile of the Shechinah

The rabbis refer to Mount Zion (also called Mount Moriah and the Temple Mount) as the
gateway to heaven. Here it is believed that Abraham prepared to offer his son, Isaac as a
sacrifice to the Lord. Here it is believed that Jacob dreamed of a ladder connecting heaven and
earth with angels descending upon the son of man (clearly a reference to the Messiah). In
addition, here King Solomon constructed the first Temple (Beit Ha’mikdash) that permanently
established the Tabernacle of Moses in Jerusalem.

We know, however, that Yeshua ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, which is
opposite Mount Zion across the Kidron Valley. Here it was prophesied that He would return to
establish His earthly kingdom—“And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which
faces Jerusalem on the east” (Zechariah 14:4).

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So why does it appear there are two gateways to heaven? The explanation is simply because of
the exile of the Shechinah from the Temple to the Mount of Olives from Israel’s idolatry and
abominations xxviii—“And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the
mountain, which is on the east side of the city” (Ezekiel 11:23). It is taught by the rabbis that the
Shechinah went into exile with the Jewish people, and that God remained with His people
throughout all their persecutions.

It was many years later from this mountain that Yeshua—the Glory of God manifest as His
Shechinah—wept over Jerusalem. xxix However, we rejoice in knowing that He is coming back for
His people, and Israel will cry out, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew
23:39), “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come out of [the
heavenly] Zion [to Mount Zion in Jerusalem], And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob’”
(Romans 11:29).

The Eastern Gate

On the east side of the Outer Courtyard was “the gate.” Notice there are no other gates into the
Outer Courtyard, indicating that we cannot enter the Kingdom of God by any other way, but
only through Christ. xxx Once we are in Him, we are not to depart (exit) to the left or to the right,
but the Lord will make our paths straight before us. xxxi Once we enter the Tabernacle, which is
Christ Himself, we will never leave His presence, “And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1
Thessalonians 4:17).

Situated today on the east side of the

Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the
Eastern Gate (Figure 4), also known as
the Golden Gate, and in Hebrew Sha’ar
Harachamim (the Gate of Mercy). It
was the Shechinah Glory that came
through and later departed from the
Eastern Gate of the Temple. xxxii The
Ottoman ruler, Sultan Suleiman sealed
off the Golden Gate in 1541 to prevent
the Messiah's entrance. The Muslims
also built a cemetery in front of the
gate believing that Elijah, the precursor to Figure 4 - Golden Gate, Old City Jerusalem, Israel
the Messiah would not be able to come
near the dead. This belief was based upon on the Islamic teaching that Elijah, a descendant of
Aaron the High Priest of Israel would be prohibited from entering a cemetery on fear of
death. xxxiii

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However, the Ottoman was only fulfilling the Word of God, as it says, “Then He brought me back
to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. And the LORD said
to me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the
LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut” (Ezekiel 44:1-3).

The Tabernacle was oriented from east to west, with the entrance at the east. This was to signify
the direction from which the Prince, the Messiah would come—“For as the lightning comes from
the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:27).
When Yeshua returns, He will first touch the Mount of Olives, which is east of the Temple Mount,
and then He will enter Jerusalem by way of the Golden Gate. The east-west orientation is also an
allegory to demonstrate just how complete our redemption is in Christ—“As far as the east is
from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

Altar of Burnt Offering

The very first object one saw when entering the Outer Courtyard of the Tabernacle was the Altar
of Burnt Offering (Figure 5). xxxiv The Altar was also called the Brazen Altar, the Outer Altar, the
Earthen Altar, the Great Altar and the Table of The Lord. The Altar was the place of animal
sacrifice, and symbolized the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the day of the Passover. It was
located in the Outer Courtyard outside the Tabernacle, indicating that Christ would be cut off
from His people. xxxv

Three separate piles of wood burned atop the Altar. The largest fire was where the sacrifices
were burned, the second fire provided coals for the Altar of Incense within the sanctuary, and
the third was the “perpetual fire” which constantly burned on the Altar. Nothing was placed on
it, and no coals were taken from it. It existed solely to fulfill the commandment that there would
be a perpetual fire. xxxvi

The Altar was made of wood and covered

with bronze. The bronze represented the
chastisement that Christ took upon
Himself. xxxvii Brass is a different metal than
bronze. Bronze has a darker and more
unrefined appearance, while brass looks
polished and refined. xxxviii The Lord’s
chastisement and Christ’s obedience unto
death was a refining process the Father
placed on the Messiah—“For we do not
have a High Priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but was in all points
tempted as we are, yet without sin” Figure 5 - Altar of Burn Offering

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(Hebrews 4:15). The bronze also represents the Lord’s chastising process He uses to bring His
children to humility. xxxix

The blood of the sacrifices was thrown against the base of the Altar. Drink offerings (libations of
wine) were also poured out there as a symbol of the New Covenant which we know is in Christ. xl
All sacrifices had to be seasoned with salt. Yeshua compared Israel to the salt of the earth.xli If we
are the salt of the earth, then we, like Christ are also a sacrifice and a sweet-smelling aroma unto
the Lord. xlii Our flesh has been crucified with all its passions and desires, but His Spirit is alive
within us xliii—“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s
sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-
13). Like Him, we are also called to live a selfless and serving life; even called to suffer for His
namesake. xliv

The Bronze Laver

The Bronze Laver was the second object
one saw when entering the courtyard of
the Tabernacle (Figure 6). xlv It represented
the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. It
was in this place that Christ’s ministry
began as He prepared to enter the
spiritual Tabernacle of God’s people,
Israel. xlvi

Water symbolized purification—

consecration and sanctification under the
Old Covenant. It could not remove sin,
only cover it. That is why Yeshua Figure 6 – Kohanim washing their feet from The Bronze Laver
demonstrated through His first miracle at
the wedding at Cana that He came to turn water into wine. xlvii Wine symbolized Christ’s
atonement for sin, and only His could permanently remove them. Water Baptism therefore
remains an outward expression of our faith in Christ. xlviii The ritual does not save us. Only the
blood of Christ will.

Scripture tells us that the Laver was made from the bronze mirrors of the women serving at the
door of the Tabernacle. xlix What is prophetically significant about mirrors? We know that
everything in the Tabernacle was a shadow, a mere reflection of the greater things to come, as it
says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2
Corinthians 3:18).

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Since the Altar was the place of sacrifice and the Bronze Laver the place of Baptism, one might
question why the Altar stood in front of the Bronze Laver? After all, wasn’t Yeshua baptized
before going to the cross?

Yeshua’s ministry of sacrifice began before He ever came to the earth, and in fact we know that
He is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Those things that have
been established in the spiritual realm will ultimately see their fulfillment in the natural. Such was
the crucifixion of Yeshua. Therefore, His Baptism in the Jordan River took place after He entered
the world, and for three and a half years He ministered in the Outer Courtyard to the Jewish
people until the time of His crucifixion when He would spiritually enter the Tabernacle itself. The
Tabernacle was the last object one saw when entering the outer courtyard, which we will explore
in more detail shortly.

The Great Contradiction

The very existence of the Tabernacle and the details of its planning and construction in the Book
of Exodus seem to negate the fundamental principles of divine worship introduced at Sinai. l For
the Lord said: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus
20:4). And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your
tool on it, you have profaned it” (Exodus 20:25).

This is the great contradiction. The Lord commanded the Israelites to not make any carved
image or likeness of anything that is in heaven, or in the earth, or that is in the water, and then
He instructed them to build a Tabernacle according to the image of the one He showed them in
heaven.

For the answer to this paradox we

need to look at the story of the Exodus
which gives a glimpse of Israel’s heart
towards God. Near the beginning of
Chapter 19 the Lord declares that
Israel shall be to Him a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation.li Then He
commanded the Israelites to
consecrate themselves for three days,
prohibiting them from coming near
the mountain where He would soon
appear. On the third day the Lord
Figure 7 - Mount Sinai, Egypt
descended upon Mount Sinai and
Moses went up to meet Him.

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The following dialogue is rather peculiar because on one hand the Lord tells Moses to keep the
people away from the mountain lest they perish, but at the same time requests that the priests
who serve the Lord come near to Him: “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down and warn the
people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests
who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.’ But Moses
said to the Lord, ‘The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set
bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Away! Get down and
then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to
come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them’” (Exodus 19:21-24).

It appears from the narrative that the Lord was angry with the people. But more likely He was
heart-broken that the children of Israel, whom He called priests, had fallen into idolatry and
refused to come near to Him. The rabbis have concluded from this story that, “The Israelites
could not imagine a mode of divine service that strives to be as immaterial and non-physical as
the God they served. They could not imagine a deity wholly other than the physical, present
merely by his word and will.” In other words, the Israelites had become familiar with the earthly
deities of the Egyptians, but now they were being asked to follow and worship an unknown and
invisible deity who claimed to be above all. This natural disposition interwoven with hearts that
had become dead to the spiritual things of God, created a people overcome by fear and
unbelief who the Lord likened to “hearts of stone.” lii

In God’s mercy, the Lord established the Tabernacle of Moses and the Aaronic priesthood to
demonstrate His grace through a temporary covering of sin, but more importantly it showed the
Israelites the model of permanent redemption that would ultimately come through their
Messiah—“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of
a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been
faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second” (Hebrews 8:6-7).

The sons of Aaron would temporarily hold the seat of the great High Priest who would someday
sanctify the people though His own sacrifice, petitioning the Father through intercession to
place their sins upon Himself, and forever purifying Israel from her own iniquity. As it says, “For
He said, Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie. So He became their Savior” (Isaiah
63:8).

Therefore, it was never God’s intention to have an earthly Tabernacle outside the physical
indwelling of man. As it says, “By faith he [Abraham] dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign
country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he
waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:9-10).
And it was never God’s intention to have only one family of priests from the tribe of Levi,
because the whole nation of Israel was to be to Him a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.liii

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Our Sages have spoken: “The purpose of the creation of the world is the revelation of God’s
sovereignty, for there is no king without a nation.” liv “This, in fact, is the whole purpose of man,
and the purpose for which he, and all the worlds, both upper and lower, were created: that God
should have such a dwelling-place here below—how this earthly abode for God is the purpose
of all creation.” lv

Melchizedek
Everything inside the Tabernacle (Figure 8), represents Yeshua’s final work of propitiation on the
cross, and we can see the procession of His priestly ministry as we walk through the Tabernacle.
Only the sons of Aaron were allowed to enter the Tabernacle, but only one of them, the High
Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once per each year on the Day of Atonement
(Yom Kippur). We know that Yeshua is the true High Priest of Israel, not according to any earthly
lineage, but His priesthood is of another kingdom—that of Melchizedek, which means “my King
of Righteousness.”

Figure 8 - The Holy of Holies and the Holy Place

Let us read Psalm 110:4 and translate directly from Hebrew (‫נִ ְשׁבַּ ע יְ הוָה וְ ל ֹא יִ נָּחֵ ם אַ תָּ ה־כֹ הֵ ן לְ עוֹלָם ﬠַ ל־‬
‫) ִדּ ְב ָר ִתי מַ לְ כִּ י־צֶ דֶ ק‬. It is written, “Swears YHVH and will not relent, you are a priest to the world [also
translated as an immeasurable distance, meaning infinite or forever] upon My spoken word,
Malchie-zedek (King of Righteousness).” From this word-for-word translation it becomes clear
that the Father is speaking to His son, Christ Yeshua who is named Melchizedek (King of
Righteousness), and upon His written word He will establish His priesthood, for Christ is the
Word of God made flesh.

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The Book of Hebrews tells us that Melchizedek was, “without father, without mother, without
genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains
a priest continually (Hebrews 7:3). When we look at the Hebrew translation and correlate it to the
New Testament, we come to the inescapable conclusion that Melchizedek is Yeshua, Son of the
living God. Many theologians have similarly concluded that Melchizedek, as He appeared to
Abraham was a preincarnate revelation of Christ. This is extremely important to understand in
the context of the Tabernacle, because we can see that Yeshua, the Shechinah of God had been
present with the Jewish people from the very first moment He appeared to Abraham.

Colors of the Tabernacle

The entrance of the Tabernacle was called “the door.” Inside was the Holy Place, and then
beyond that (separated by a wool curtain) was the Holy of Holies. lvi One of the noticeable things
about the Tabernacle was the adornment of its artifacts with specific colors—blue, purple,
scarlet, white, gold, and silver.

Blue resembles the sea, the sea resembles heaven, and heaven resembles the throne of Glory. lvii
The abundant use of this color tells us that it was the most important color used in the
Tabernacle. No other color was capable of symbolizing the special relationship between God
and Israel. lviii

Purple is the color of blood and represented the sacrifice for sin, lix and scarlet is the color of sin. lx
White is the color of purity, symbolizing physical, moral and spiritual purity. lxi Gold represents
divinity, the Holy Spirit, kingship, the priesthood, and it is also the color of the New Jerusalem. lxii
The early Sages noted that the Tabernacle and its vessels symbolized a house meant to host the
King. lxiii The Tabernacle is therefore a picture of Christ who is both the King of Kings and the
great High Priest of Israel. The Tabernacle also represents God’s people who are being
conformed into the image of Christ as a royal priesthood and a holy nation.

Lastly, silver is the color of sacrifice. This is a mysterious color because the silver was used in the
Tabernacle inconspicuously. The wall of the Outer Courtyard was constructed of woven
tapestries supported by square wood pillars. This fabric was hung on timbers using silver hooks
and sockets that were secured with silver bands. lxiv

There is an interesting correlation of the outer wall to the assembly of a Torah scroll. The scroll
itself is made of parchment—the skin of a kosher animal. The narrow rectangular strips of
parchment are sown together and resemble the pattern of the outer wall—rectangular and
vertical in their orientation. An expert scribe would carefully ink each letter with a feather quill
from right to left and top to bottom. The rabbis consider the Hebrew letters to be hanging on
the parchment and not physically attached to it.

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So what is the correlation with the Messiah? Simply this: the wall of the Outer Courtyard
resembles the pattern of a Torah scroll, which is the Word of God. Yeshua is the Word of God
made flesh, hence the use of parchment for the scroll. lxv The Hebrew letters hang on the
parchment the same way the fabric curtains hung on the wood pillars. The fabric was attached
using silver.

Therefore, silver is the color of the Messiah’s sacrifice. Spiritually, it represents the instrument
that was used to hang Yeshua to the cross, although in actuality He was likely crucified with iron
spikes (the material of war and bondage). lxvi Unlike Gold, silver is a more subdued material that
reflects our Savior’s character, as it says, “He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

Table for the Showbread

Upon entering the door of the Tabernacle
and looking to the right, one would see
the Table for The Showbread (Figure 9). lxvii
The table was made of wood and covered
with gold. Wood is the material of the
cross, and gold is the color of the divinity
and kingship of Christ who hung on it. The
table stood along the north side of the
Tabernacle wall signifying that Christ
would be crucified to the north of the Temple; later called “the place of the skull” (Golgotha). lxviii

A blue cloth was draped over the table, Figure 9 - Table for the Showbread
and upon this cloth were placed the flat
unleavened breads, also called the Bread of His presence. Although not explicitly stated in
scripture, it is believed these breads were most probably unleavened. lxix The bread was then
covered with a scarlet cloth. lxx The blue represents heaven and the divinity of Christ, while the
scarlet covering represents our sin that He took upon Himself. These flat unleavened breads in
the Tabernacle were similar to those used by our Savior on the Feast of the Passover (called the
bread of affliction) in the officiating of the New Covenant. lxxi We know that Christ is the true
bread of life who came down from heaven, and we know that He is the one who has taken our
sin upon Himself and was broken for our iniquities. lxxii

The Golden Lampstand

On the left side of the Tabernacle stood the Golden seven-branched Lampstand (Figure 10). lxxiii
The Lampstand was made of one single piece of pure hammered gold. Singular implies that God

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is indivisible—that He is “one” (Echad). Hammered indicates the Messiah would be a vessel in
the Father’s hand, to mold and shape according to His will and purposes. The Golden
Lampstand declares that Yeshua is the light of the world and the light and life of all men, and it
correlates in scripture with the seven spirits of the Lord. lxxiv It stood opposite the Table for The
Showbread along the south side of the Tabernacle. The base of the Lampstand, its lamps, wick-
trimmers, trays, and all its oil vessels were covered with blue cloth, signifying heaven and the
Kingdom of God.lxxv

The Golden Lampstand served no ceremonial purpose

in the Tabernacle in regards to the animal sacrifices,
except to adorn it with beauty. It’s placement along the
southern wall would emulate the direction of sunlight,
becoming nullified against its brightness during the
daytime, but at night continuing to provide an eternal
source of light to symbolize that Yeshua would
continually illuminate the souls of men:lxxvi As
prophesied, “The city [Jerusalem] had no need of the sun
or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God Figure 10 - Kohen pouring Olive oil into the Golden
illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:23). Lampstand

Altar of Incense
The Altar of Incense was made of wood and covered
with gold (Figure 11). Once again, wood is the material
of the cross, and gold is the color of the divinity and
kingship of Christ who hung on it. And similar to the
Table for The Showbread, it too was covered with a
blue cloth. lxxvii It was taller than the Table for The
Showbread, perhaps taller than the menorah whose
measurements are not found in scripture.

The Altar of Burnt Offering which sat in the Outer

Courtyard represented Christ’s sacrifice for sin, while
the Altar of Incense which sat inside the Tabernacle
represented our sanctification from sin. Rabbinical
commentary on the Altar of Incense concludes with the
words: “It is a Holy of Holies unto God,” whereas the
Altar of Burnt Offering is called only “a Holy of Holies.”
Sacrifice without sanctification cannot bring us into an
intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. Sacrifice
pays for sin while sanctification washes us from it.lxxviii Figure 11 - Altar of Incense

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The incense is a picture of the intercession of Christ that stopped the curse of the law and
removed God’s wrath against Israel’s sin. It is also a picture of the prayers of the saints rising up
to heaven. lxxix It is called a Holy of Holies unto God because it is about “prayer,” the very core of
the relationship we have with Him. lxxx

When entering the Tabernacle, the sons of Aaron would minister in the place between the
Menorah, the Table for The Showbread, and the Altar of Incense. This symbolized that the
earthly priest was in the divine presence of the Lord—standing in the gap and acting as a
mediator with the Lord for the nation of Israel.

The Altar of Incense stood outside the veil and the Holy of Holies. It was at this place that Christ
officiated the New Covenant and sanctified His disciples, praying what is written in the Gospel of
John: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have
sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by
the truth” (John 17:17-19). Yeshua interceded for His disciples, offering prayers to heaven, and
then prayed again for them in the Garden of Gethsemane before going to the cross.

Yeshua could not make final atonement for our sin until He was crucified. Therefore, every work
of Yeshua’s ministry fulfilled inside the Holy of Holies was done after His death. At the very
moment Christ died, the veil separating man from God was torn. This was the moment when the
blood of Christ (spiritually speaking) was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat, and every work of
Yeshua on the cross was finished. lxxxi

Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant (Aron Ha’brit), also
known as the Ark of the Testimony and the Ark
of The Lord God, served as a miniature royal
throne for the Glory of God and corresponded
with the actual royal throne in heaven (Figure
12). It contained the two stone tablets of
testimony on which the Ten Commandments
were inscribed, Aaron’s rod which sprouted an
almond blossom, a jar of manna which did not
spoil and the first Torah scroll written by
Moses.
Figure 12 - Kohen praying before the Ark of the Covenant
The Ark was made of wood and covered with
gold. Again we see the pattern of the wood symbolizing the material of the cross, and gold
symbolizing the divinity and kingship of Christ who hung on it. Sitting on top of the Ark was the
Mercy Seat. It was made of pure gold upon which the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the

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Day of Atonement. The Lord would speak to Moses, and on occasion to the High Priests of Israel
from above the mercy seat.

Two Cherubim angels made of pure gold stood on either side of the Mercy Seat facing each
other. Our Sages wrote that Cherub angels have a child-like appearance, hence their portrayal in
Christian art as small babies with wings. The rabbis tell us the angels would actually embrace
each other to show God’s affection towards Israel. Their wings extended upwards towards
heaven and stretched and out over the Mercy Seat to symbolize their earthly dominion and their
service to our Lord and Savior upon the earth.

Two long wooden poles were used on either side of the Ark so that it could be carried by the
Levites. The priests stood facing each other in similar fashion to the two Cherubim. The spiritual
picture here is the priests were to carry God’s Glory and presence, His Shechinah upon their
shoulders. Their stance was also an expression of admiration and submission towards the Lord.

The Ark itself, which contained the Ten Commandments, served as a foundation stone to the
Mercy Seat, indicating that the law would come first, and later the New Covenant which would
rest upon the foundation of God’s perfect law.lxxxii We know that Christ did not come to abolish
the law, but to fulfill it, and He said that not one tiny detail of the law would be done away with
until all His work is fulfilled. lxxxiii This of course includes His triumphant return, and His final
restoration of the nation of Israel.

The Mercy Seat and the blood sprinkled on it symbolized the final Atonement of Yeshua on the
cross. After His death he was laid in a tomb carved from stone. Again, we see the correlation of
stone representing the spiritual condition of Israel’s heart towards her Messiah. But on the day
of the resurrection we see two angels standing on either side of the stone bed appearing in the
same form as the two gold Cherubim over the Mercy Seat.lxxxiv The Ark and its two angels were
in essence a prophetic image of what Christ would fulfill many years later.

Judgment and Mercy

The Hebrew word for “Cherub” is
“Keruv,” which literally translates as
“angel of destruction or judgement.” In
Ezekiel’s vision he saw four Cherubim
angels ministering around the throne
of God. It is interesting to note that
only two Cherubim and not four were
placed on top of the Ark of the
Covenant. It is speculated that the
other two Cherubim are guarding the
entrance to the Garden of Eden. Figure 13 - Roman soldiers carrying away the artifacts of the Temple

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It is also interesting to note that these “angels of judgement” were placed at the very center of
God’s “seat of mercy”—a reflection of His love and grace towards His people Israel. The most
important garment worn by the High Priest in the Tabernacle was the ephod. It was an apron-
like garment worn over his other clothing, and was fastened with a long belt in the front
opposite his heart. Draped over the Ephod was another garment called the “Choshen Mishpat.”
In Hebrew this translates as the “breastplate of judgment” or “breastplate decision.” Twelve
precious stones were embedded in the breastplate, each representing a specific tribe of Israel
whose name was inscribed on the stone. Additionally, two sardonyx stones (called “stones of
remembrance”), were inscribed with the twelve tribes of Israel (six on each stone) and affixed to
the shoulders of the High Priest.lxxxv

It is told by the Sages that the Divine “left hand” of God represents judgement (Gevurah), which
is the Supernal attribute of severity, and that the Divine “right hand” of God represents mercy
(Chesed), which is the Supernal attribute of love, and is consistent with this scripture: “His right
arm embraces me,” lxxxvi referring to the state of God actually bringing us close to Himself. These
faculties—love and fear—are the arms and the body of the soul—love and kindness are the
“right arm,” fear and severity are the “left arm.” lxxxvii

Judgement and mercy operate together—interwoven and inseparable. You cannot have mercy
without judgment, and you cannot have judgment without mercy. These are not individual
choices, nor do they contradict each other, but work together as a single unit of God's
providence and sovereignty. And so it is with Yeshua’s ministry; He will administer both mercy
and judgment according to the Father’s will and allotted time.

Yeshua is the arm of God revealed to creation, as it says, “Who has believed our report? And to
whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1). At His first appearance, Yeshua
came as a man and a suffering servant. These are represented by the Cherubim images of the
man and an ox, as it says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). We who are born again in His likeness are also to
become servants of all men. lxxxviii

Christ became the mediator of the New Covenant of God’s grace and mercy, and for this reason
He is seated at the right hand of the Father. lxxxix But at His second coming, Christ is returning in
His divine appearance as the righteous judge of the earth—the King of Kings and Lord of
lords xc—“[and] He shall devour on the left hand [of judgement] And not be satisfied” (Isaiah 9:20).
These are represented by the Cherubim images of the eagle and lion.

Having only two Cherubim associated with the Ark of the Covenant tells us that Christ’s ministry
with Israel is not complete. Yeshua’s merciful time with Israel lasted for three and a half years.
God’s final severity with Israel before His return is called the “time of Jacob’s trouble.” It will last
for another three and a half years, totaling seven—the number of Divine completion. xci This is
the Lord’s final judgement against Israel (the seventieth week of Daniel xcii), and we see His

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judgement, in part administered by the four Angels of Destruction revealed in the Book of
Revelation. xciii

When Yeshua returns to Jerusalem, the Tabernacle and its ministry of testimony will be finished,
as it says, “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those
days, says the LORD, that they will say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD. It shall not
come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore”
(Jeremiah 3:16). There will no longer be any need for the Ark because the Ark of heaven, Yeshua
Himself will be ruling the nations of the earth from Jerusalem. No longer will Israel need to be
reminded of God’s law, for He will put His law in their minds and write it on their hearts xciv—“The
days are at hand [says the Lord], and the fulfillment of every vision” (Ezekiel 12:23); “No more shall
every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall
know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:34); “For the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

The Red Heifer

The ordinance of the Red Heifer
(Figure 14) has remained a mystery to
the rabbis to this very day: “This is the
ordinance of the law which the Lord has
commanded, saying: Speak to the
children of Israel, that they bring you a
red heifer without blemish, in which
there is no defect and on which a yoke
has never come. You shall give it to
Eleazar the priest, that he may take it
outside the camp, and it shall be Figure 14 - Example of a Red Heifer
slaughtered before him; and Eleazar the
priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood seven times
directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: its hide,
its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned. And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop
and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer” (Numbers 19:2-6).

“Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp
in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water
of purification; it is for purifying from sin. And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall
wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall be a statute forever to the children of Israel
and to the stranger who dwells among them” (Numbers 19:9-10).

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The symbolism of the Red Heifer only becomes clear when we compare it to the sacrifice of
Christ. Yeshua symbolically is the Red Heifer, the ox and the suffering servant who carries our
burden and our transgressions upon His back. We see this in the image of one of the four
Cherubim angels. It is displayed on the banner standing before the tribes of Benjamin, Ephraim,
and Manasseh. Red is the color of sin, and Yeshua became our sin. He was without defect or
blemish, without sin, had never sinned, nor previously carried the burden of any sin upon His
back. This is the law of the Red Heifer. He was cut off and crucified outside the camp of His
people and outside the Tabernacle of the Lord.xcv

The blood of the Red Heifer was sprinkled seven times before the Tabernacle as a sign to the
people, indicating that God’s work on the cross was complete. The Red Heifer was burned in its
entirety, symbolizing the final work of the Holy Spirit to make atonement and purification for
our sins.

Three other elements are associated with the Red Heifer: Cedar wood, which is believed to be
the material of the cross; hyssop, which is the bitter herb used to give Yeshua a drink from a vial
offering corrupted by sinful man; and scarlet, which is the color of our sins. All these elements
were cast into the fire, again symbolizing the final work and Baptism by fire of the Holy Spirit, as
it says, “He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap” (Malachi 3:2). The ashes of the Red
Heifer were kept for the purification of the Tabernacle’s water, again symbolic of our washing
and purification from sin. Lastly, the statute of the Red Heifer is eternal, indicating that we will
always remember and be eternally grateful for what Christ has sacrificed for us.

Our Journey of Salvation

We have been learning about the construction and artifacts of the Tabernacle and how every
detail points to Christ. This was just a quick overview and there is considerably more to discover,
including all the symbolism hidden in the sacrifices and priestly rituals. Let us now go through
the journey of salvation in Christ, who is the Shechinah, the Tabernacle and the Kingdom of God.

We enter the Kingdom through the narrow gate. Remember that the gate is narrow, and the
path leading to eternal life is difficult. xcvi Very few find it because very few are even looking or
searching. But we have surrendered and accepted Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We have
confessed our belief in Him and are baptized in water. This is where we are washed in His word,
growing in faith, knowledge, and wisdom. We open our hearts and invite Him into the door of
our heart, which is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts have become a Tabernacle, the
Temple of the living God.

When the bible tells us that we are “in Christ,” it literally means that we now dwell in His
heavenly Tabernacle which is Christ Himself. xcvii In this place of intimacy we have received His
Holy Spirit and His Glory which is manifest within us as the Shechinah— His light (the Golden
Lampstand), and His bread of life (the Bread of His presence). Here in the Tabernacle of Christ

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we take our daily Communion with Him, and in this place He will forever make intercession for
us through His prayers. We have now been taken past the torn veil into the Holy of Holies where
we experience the deepest and most intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. The Lord
God speaks to us from the Mercy Seat, and we hear His voice. In this place we now can fully
worship the Lord in His spirit and His truth. xcviii

Closing
Studying the Tabernacle has been a joyful experience. However, visualizing this relatively small
tent surrounded by the immense wilderness of the Sinai desert left me with a feeling of
emptiness that I knew could only be filled with the indwelling presence of the Lord. The
Tabernacle, as beautiful as it was, does not compare to the beauty we now have in Christ—our
true heavenly Tabernacle.

In September 1977, my family visited the home of

a Messianic rabbi in Jerusalem—Rabbi Moshe Ben
Meir (Figure 15) and his lovely wife Ahuva. I was
nine years old at the time. It was during the Feast
of Tabernacles (Sukkot), and I remember so clearly
the peace and calm that surrounded their home.
Their beautiful house was perched on a hillside,
facing southward and overlooking a garden
below. A meandering valley with rolling hills in the
distance painted the Judean landscape from their
living room window.

They had an enormous library with one book in

particular that caught my attention. It was about
the archeology of the Temple Mount, and it
clearly depicted to scale the outline of the Temple
structure and its subterranean world. I had
recently visited these ruins in the city, my mind Figure 15 - Sukkot in Jerusalem with Rabbi Moshe Ben
struggling to reassemble the piles of broken stones. Meir, September 1977
But now I was able see order out of chaos. “What a
beautiful Temple,” I thought to myself. “How could God have allowed His holy place to lay in
ruins?” I remember asking the Lord, “Can I rebuild Your holy Temple?” It was a yearning in my
heart to see beauty restored from ashes, and a longing for peace and stability to be restored to
this amazing city.

The bible tells us that one day soon the Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. This might seem
strange to many Christians. Why do we need a Temple that points to a Messiah when the

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Messiah has returned to Jerusalem? Well as they say, “this is not your father’s Oldsmobile,”
neither will the Temple of the Messiah be “your father’s Tabernacle,” as it says, “The glory of this
latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9).

The blueprint for the Millennial Temple is found in the Book of Ezekiel. The rabbis have
meticulously studied the prophets and determined that the Temple of the Messiah will be
enormous compared with the Temple of Solomon, covering more than 500 acres. xcix And it will
be square, which is consistent with the description of the New Jerusalem found in the Book of
Revelation. c Rather than being visited three times per year by just the men of Israel, the
Millennial Temple will be visited frequently by men and women from every nation: “And it shall
come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh
shall come to worship before Me, says the LORD” (Isaiah 66:23).

As believers, we now have both the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our inheritance in Christ, and we
have the divine manifestation of God’s Glory that dwells within us—His Shechinah. We are both
the Temple of the living God and the chariot that carries His indwelling presence throughout the
earth. ci At this time we labor to build the Spiritual Temple of God, which is His church, but when
Christ returns, we will serve Him in overseeing the building of His earthly Temple in Jerusalem.
Then one day He will make a new heaven and a new earth, and the holy city, the New Jerusalem,
will come down from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. cii

We get the best of both worlds, as it says, “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection” (Revelation 20:6). We receive Christ as our heavenly inheritance, and we receive the
nations as our earthly inheritance. May the revealed Shechinah of Yeshua come soon to
Jerusalem so that we may dwell together forever in the Tabernacle of Christ. Amen!

i Revelation 19:10.
ii All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Bible (NKJV) unless otherwise noted, Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982.
iii The Tanya of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. Elucidated by Rabbi Yosef Wineberg. Translated from Yiddish by Rabbi Levy

Wineberg and Rabbi Sholom B. Wineberg. Edited by Uri Kaploun. Published and copyright by Kehot Publication Society.
iv Samuel, Gabriella. The Kabbalah Handbook. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., New York.

2007.
v James 3:1-8, Luke 9:54.
vi Meyerhoff-Hieronimus, J. Zohara. Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets. Inner Traditions Rochester, Vermont. 2008.

vii Rabbi Resnik, Russell. Gateways to Torah. Leadered Books, a Division of Messianic Jewish Publications. 2000.

viii Ibid. Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets.

ix Ibid. Gateways to Torah.

x John 10:2-3.

xi Rabbi Granot, Tamir. Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Cloud. Translated by Kaeren Fish. Yeshivat AMIT Orot Shaul.

xii Ibid. Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets.

xiii Ibid. The Tanya of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi.

xiv Deuteronomy 23:16.

xv Ibid. The Kabbalah Handbook.

xvi Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Hebrew: Mōšeh bēn-Maymōn), commonly known as Maimonides (my-MON-i-deez), and also

referred to by the acronym Rambam for Rabbeinu Mōšeh bēn Maimon, Maimonides was a medieval Sephardic Jewish
philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. Wikipedia.
xvii Ibid. The Kabbalah Handbook.

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xviii Matthew 11:28-29.
xix Ibid. Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets.
xx Bamidbar Rabba (2:7), and Ibn Ezra.

xxi Ezekiel 1:5 & 10.

xxii Revelation 4:6-7.

xxiii Isaiah 6:1-2.

xxiv Exodus 17:5, Song of Solomon 2:4.

xxv John 10:9.

xxvi 1 Kings 18:33, Daniel 7:2, Revelation 9:15.

xxvii Luton, L. Grant. In His Own Words. Beth Tikkun Publishing. 2005.

xxviii Ezekiel 8:6.

xxix Luke 19:41-44.

xxx John 14:6.

xxxi Psalm 37:23, Isaiah 30:21.

xxxii Ezekiel 43:1-2.

xxxiii Wikipedia.
xxxiv Exodus 27:1, Numbers 4:13.

xxxv Leviticus 7:20, Isiah 48:18-19.

xxxvi Leviticus 6:13. Wikipedia.

xxxvii Isaiah 53:5.

xxxviii Revelation 1:15.

xxxix Leviticus 26:19.

xl Numbers 28:14, Matthew 26:28.

xli Matthew 5:13.

xlii Exodus 29:18, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Ephesians 5:2.

xliii Matthew 5:13, Galatians 2:20 & 5:24.

xliv 1 Peter 4:13.

xlv Exodus 30:17-19.

xlvi Matthew 15:24.

xlvii John 4:46.

xlviii John 13:5, Ephesians 5:25-27.

xlix Exodus 38:8.

l Rabbi Waxman, Chanoch. Parshat Teruma—Of Sequence and Sanctuary: The View of Rashi. The Herzog Academic College.

li Exodus 19:6.
lii Deuteronomy 10:16.

liii Exodus 19:6.

liv Ibid. The Tanya of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi.

lv Ibid.
lvi Exodus 26:1, 31, 33-35.

lvii Exodus 24:10.

lviii Rabbi Leve, Yitzchak. The Colors of the Mishkan. Yeshivat Har Etzion.

lix Numbers 4:13, John 19:2.

lx Isiah 1:18, Numbers 19:6, 1 Corinthians 5:21.

lxi Psalm 51:7, Revelation 3:5 & 19:14.

lxii Revelation 14:14 & 21:18.

lxiii Rabbi Samet, Elchanan. The Sacrificial Altar and the Structure of the Parasha. The Herzog Academic College.
lxiv Exodus 27:17.

lxv Ibid. John 1:14.

lxvi Psalm 2:9 & 107:16.

lxvii Exodus 25:23 & 30.

lxviii Leviticus 1:10-11.

lxix Jacobs, Joseph and Hirsch, Emil G. Showbread—Composition and Presentation. JewishEncyclopedia.com.

lxx Numbers 4:7-8.

lxxi John 6:47-48, 1 Corinthians 11:24.

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lxxii John 6:41, Isaiah 53:4-6.
lxxiii Exodus 25:31 & 27:20-21, Numbers 8:3.
lxxiv Isiah 11:2, Revelation 4:5, 1:12-13 & 1:20.

lxxv Numbers 4:9.

lxxvi John 1:4.

lxxvii Exodus 30:1 & 30:6-8, Numbers 4:11.

lxxviii Leviticus 16:11-12, Numbers 16:46, John 17:19, Hebrews 10:10.

lxxixlxxix Revelation 8:3.

lxxx Isaiah 4:5 & 6:3-4, Hebrews 7:24-25, 2 Corinthians 2:15.

lxxxi John 19:30, Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 10:11-14.

lxxxii Psalm 19:7.

lxxxiii Matthew 5:18.

lxxxiv Luke 24:3-4.

lxxxv The Temple Institute. Jerusalem, Israel.

lxxxvi Song of Solomon 2:6.

lxxxvii Ibid. The Tanya of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi.

lxxxviii Matthew 11:29-30.

lxxxix Acts 2:33.

xc Revelation 19:15-16.

xci Jeremiah 30:7.

xcii Daniel 9:24.

xciii Revelation 6:1-8.

xciv Jeremiah 31:33.

xcv Isaiah 53:8.

xcvi Matthew 7:13-14.

xcvii Ephesians 1:3.

xcviii John 4:24.

xcix Rabbi Shurpin, Yehuda. 4 Unique Characteristics of the Third Temple. Chabad.org.

c Revelation 21:16.

ci 2 Corinthians 6:16.
cii Revelation 21:2.

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