Some ideas and concepts are hard to understand. This is particularly true in regard to spiritual things. God is our Creator and is beyond our understanding. Nevertheless, it is important that we understand some things about Him. God wants us to know Him and He wants to restore the relationship which we have broken because of our sin. But how can we know God; how can our relationship with Him be restored if we are unable to understand spiritual concepts? How can we grasp the reality of sin and forgiveness? Sometimes we need an illustration to help us understand.
God entered into a covenant relationship with the Jewish people through the Law of Moses. The purpose of the Law was more than to tell them what God expected of them. The Law also provided for a sanctuary where the Jewish people were to worship and bring their sacrifices. This Tabernacle was an illustration, or picture, of the greater and more significant covenant God wants to make with us today through Jesus Christ. The inspired book of Hebrews, in the Bible, chapter 9, verses 1 through 15 explains it this way:
“Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and an earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lampstand, the table, and the show bread; which is called the Holy Place. After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can’t speak now in detail. Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services, but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people. The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing; which is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshipper perfect; being only (with meats and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh: how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
Though the book of Hebrews does not discuss them in detail, each portion of the Tabernacle and its furnishings has meaning. They are pictures of greater realities. For example, from other places in Scripture we know that the Holy Place represents the church and the lampstand represents God’s Word.
Before going forward, it is necessary to clear up a point of confusion. At first it appears that verse 4 is saying that the golden altar of incense was located in the Most Holy Place. However, we know from the Old Testament that it was actually located in the Holy Place. Is there an error in Scripture? No, there is not. 1 Kings 6:22 clears up the problem. The altar of incense was in the Holy Place, but it belongs to, or is associated with, the inner sanctuary, that is the Most Holy Place. God made His presence dwell above the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. Incense represents the prayers of God’s people which come before God’s throne. The priests were required to present incense on the altar each day. Since they were forbidden to enter the Most Holy Place, the altar had, of necessity, to be outside of the curtain which separated the Holy Place from the inner sanctuary.
Hebrews draws our attention to this curtain. What was its significance? It symbolizes the separation which exists between man and God. Under the Old Covenant the way into the Most Holy Place, which symbolizes heaven, was blocked. Only the High Priest was permitted to enter just once a year. He had to come carrying the blood of a sin offering which he offered both for himself and the people. But these sacrifices were insufficient. They could not cleanse the guilty consciences of sinners and thus remove the barrier between mankind and God.
It is only through Christ and the New Covenant that the barrier between God and us is removed. Jesus, who is sinless, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. The Gospels record that when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two pieces. This showed that the way to heaven, the true Tabernacle, was now open. It is now possible for mankind to be reconciled to our holy and pure God.
Jesus’ sacrifice did more than open the way to heaven. The priests of the Old Covenant sprinkled the blood of the sin sacrifices on the people. This external act made people ceremonially clean but could not cleanse the inner person. The blood could not remove guilt from the conscience. However, Jesus’ sacrifice does cleanse our conscience. It does not merely defer the penalty for breaking God’s standards, it removes sin altogether. And, because Jesus’ sacrifice is perfect we can now serve God with pure hearts.
Hebrews points out that even though the Law required sacrifices to be made, they were ineffective in removing sin. Christ Jesus died, not only to offer the perfect sacrifice for those who enter the New Covenant, but to remove the sins of those who were under the Old Covenant. Old Covenant or New, it is only through Jesus that we can be reconciled to God. The question is: Have we accepted Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf?