TABERNACLE CONDITIONS
[p. 433] TABERNACLE CONDITIONS
Exodus 25:8; Mark 9:2 - 9; John 14:23; Ezekiel 11:14 - 16
My thought is to speak about the tabernacle, and particularly to show how the truth set out in it applies at the present time.
It is a very great conception, I may remark — greater than the temple. It is the mediatorial idea, conveyed in a system. The mediatorial idea is in the temple also, but in a more limited way. The tabernacle represents the divine thoughts of God approaching man and of man approaching God, so that it conveys the idea of a dwelling — a thought which holds under all circumstances, as I hope to show, even in circumstances such as those in which we are, and it runs into eternity. According to the word in Revelation, the tabernacle of God will be with men and He will dwell among them and be their God, showing that what took place in the wilderness will run through into the eternal state.
God had intimated His wish that there should be a sanctuary in which He might dwell among His people, and so I have ventured to connect the passage in Ezekiel with the subject because it brings out the place that brethren hold. In the next chapter to the one I read (chapter 12) we have the idea of captives and captives’ baggage, pointing, as I apprehend, to the present time, as it does also to a later day in Israel. Chapter 11 is what is found amongst the brethren, not captives’ baggage! Chapter 12 represents the general mass of profession in which there is not wanting the captives’ baggage. The marks of captivity are upon Christendom in all its divisions and subdivisions; you will find there an abundance of the captives’ baggage; it may be well-made [p. 434] baggage, too, but it is of man, and it belongs to the captivity, that is to say, Christendom has come under the influence of this world, it has become captive and necessarily in its exile requires baggage suited to the land of its captivity, for the world has its own requirements, and the captive needs his baggage. Whereas the brethren stand apart. I hope to come back to this thought, but only refer to it now to show the connection.
I desire first of all to say a little about the tabernacle as it was originally set up. The great feature in Exodus is dwelling, and so the tabernacle is filled with the glory; it is the divine dwelling-place, anointed in every part of it, for God will have it in its completeness. Before it was anointed, every part of it was brought to Moses, item after item was brought to him, and he, as it were, passed it — saw and beheld that they had done it as Jehovah commanded — and then blessed it. It was then set up and anointed in every part of it with the holy oil, and then it was filled with the divine glory. It was the complete setting out of the tabernacle as set up in every detail according to the mind of God — nothing wanting, no discrepancy in the least degree, and as anointed God comes into it and dwells in it. We have therefore presented to us the tabernacle from the divine standpoint in Exodus, suitable for God, the residence of His glory.
In Leviticus the idea is man’s approach. God sets out first His own requirements (and He never lowers His standard), and these are fully met, and as fully met, He honours the system by dwelling there. In Leviticus He speaks from it to man, inviting men to approach. Leviticus is from that point of view, and hence the great place of the priesthood in that book. It is a question of the holiness of the place. God would be approached, He would have us draw near, He would have His people near to Him, for “He loveth the peoples” Deuteronomy 33:3! Love abhors distance, and so He would have His people near to Him, and according to His glory and His majesty.
When we come to Numbers, we find God speaking to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tabernacle. Now it is the tabernacle as capacitated to be in the wilderness, to be with us in every circumstance. It is so constituted that it can be with us in every circumstance, and not only that God can be with us Himself, but with us in His ordered abode. He says, so to speak, I will be with you, but I will be with you tabernacle-wise. The first speaking we have in Numbers is in the wilderness of Sinai — in the tabernacle but in that position. “Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tent of meeting” Numbers 1:1. This really suggests a most touching thing; He is to journey with them morning, noon, and night, week after week, month after month, year after year, for the whole period of the wilderness. A most affecting reference, for “in all their affliction he was afflicted” Isaiah 63:9. God Himself was with His people, but He was with them tabernacle-wise. The wilderness involves suffering, hence when the tabernacle was set up and anointed, the princes of the people approached with their offerings for the dedication of the altar — the altar being typical of suffering. In Leviticus the altar is anointed seven times, in Numbers it is dedicated by the twelve princes of Israel — dedicated, meaning that the saints, viewed in their spiritual wealth and understanding, recognise unitedly what is involved in the wilderness position — that is suffering. It pointed to our Lord Jesus Christ becoming Man, and suffering. There could be no tabernacle without that; its bases were of silver; as we have often remarked, redemption must underlie it; the sufferings of Christ must be undergone, if God is to be with His people in the wilderness. You see, therefore, how Christ becomes [p. 436] endeared to us as we apprehend the position in Numbers. The dedication by the princes shows what an apprehension they had, at least typically, of the sufferings of Christ. And perfect unity prevailed. I need not go over it, it is a long chapter, 89 verses, at the end of which it says that Moses went in to speak to God, but we read, “then he heard the voice speaking to him” (Numbers 7:89), as if to convey God’s appreciation of the wealth of Israel’s expression in regard of the sufferings of Christ. And so He spoke to Moses. Where did He speak from? He spoke from off the mercy-seat; He said virtually, What is expressed in your offerings enables Me to be with you, it enables Me to speak to you. This dispensation is marked by mercy, for it is “according to his own mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5); so that the mercy-seat is the basis of the position of this dispensation, and God speaks from off it. But further it adds, “the mercy-seat which was upon the ark of testimony” (Numbers 7:89) — the latter referring to the Person of Christ; God speaks in relation to that, and then from between the two cherubim.
Thus you see the position in Numbers implies that the saints, in the power of the Spirit, have come to recognise the altar; there is the united recognition of the value of the altar, which speaks of Christ’s sufferings, and God recognises that and speaks. He ever speaks where these conditions exist in any measure, and the speaking covers the whole dispensation. There is the mercy-seat, the ark of testimony — the Person of Christ — and the cherubim of glory, which refers to the government of God, the majesty of God; divine speaking, at all times where these conditions in any measure exist, covers the dispensation. So we have the whole truth implied in the way God spoke to Moses on that memorable occasion. And then it says Moses spoke to Him; God makes it plain in His speaking that we may speak to Him. Christianity is marked by the word of God and prayer — [p. 437] God speaking to men and men speaking to God. Now these three books, I think, set out the divine thought in the tabernacle, and I want to connect it all with the position on the mount of Transfiguration in Mark, so that we may see how the type took form in a spiritual sense. The Lord said, “There are some of those standing here that shall not taste death until they shall have seen the kingdom of God come in power” Mark 9:1. We are not told how many there were in the company addressed, but whether there were many or few, there would be, if they at all followed what the Lord had intimated, a challenging as to who would be so privileged. Am I to be amongst them? When it is a question of sovereignty who can tell whom God will choose? And so there were six days elapsed during which these exercises would necessarily continue, and during which the persons would be challenging themselves, if they at all valued what the Lord indicated.
At the end of these six days He selects Peter, and James, and John, and takes them up with Him to a high mountain apart, and He is transfigured before them. There is represented there material for the great spiritual tabernacle, “the true tabernacle which the Lord has pitched and not man” Hebrews 8:2. It was not to be of this creation, we read, it was a different creation, the material is different; it comes, as it were, out of heaven. We need, dear brethren, to think a little more about new creation: “the true tabernacle which the Lord has pitched and not man” (Hebrews 8:2), a “better and more perfect” (Hebrews 9:11) one, as it is said, in connection with which He came. And as He Himself and these three came down from the mount, you can see, as it were, the tabernacle coming down — “Jesus alone with themselves”, for that is how it reads. Mark is the only one who gives it thus. Christ came down (according to Hebrews) in connection with the greater and more perfect tabernacle; it was to be wholly new and [p. 438] heavenly. We need to understand that it is spiritual, that it is pitched by the Lord — Lord meaning God, the Jehovah of the Old Testament brought into the New; God has pitched it.
When the Father revealed certain things to Peter, He was pitching it; He revealed to Peter that the lowly Man with whom he had to do was Christ the Son of the living God. It is in that connection that the tabernacle is pitched; it is spiritual. And so to Paul, He revealed His Son in him that he might preach Him as glad tidings amongst the nations. It is the divine doing, it is wholly spiritual, and the material is selected in a sovereign way. So that the six days having elapsed, they are taken up and He is transfigured before them and His “garments became shining, exceeding white as snow, such as fuller on earth could not whiten them” — a suggestion of what is not of this creation. Moses and Elias appeared and they were talking with Jesus. They appeared to Peter, James, and John, and Peter introduces the idea of the tabernacle. The Jews had it, and he had what they had in mind, but although he was already in possession of the Father’s revelation according to the gospel of Matthew, he talked about three tabernacles, one for Christ, one for Moses and one for Elias. But he did not know what he said, “he know not what he should say”. He was not in accord with the revelation. And so a cloud appears — pointing back to the wilderness — and a voice out of it saying, “This is my beloved Son: hear him”. It was as if to say to Peter: There is only one tabernacle, and you are to learn about that from the One beside you — My Son. You cannot get any light about it elsewhere; hear Him! And so in the ministry of Christ there is the unfolding in word of the tabernacle — He unfolded it in word. But the cloud appeared over them and the voice out of it to them as to Christ, and they looking around saw no one save Jesus only with themselves.
[p. 439] Thus we have, beloved, as the Lord comes down with those three from that glorious scene of light into this world, the tabernacle, as it were, coming down from heaven. What unfoldings from the words of that blessed One to these three men and to others! As the numbers would increase and increase the material was to be the same — it was not of this creation. It is the better and more perfect one in connection with which Christ came, for He is indeed Himself the builder of it; it is wholly according to Himself, so that Peter, and James, and John were to be brought into accord with what they saw on that holy mount. As Peter said, “We have not made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly imagined fables, but having been eyewitnesses of his majesty ... being with him on the holy mountain” 2 Peter 1:16 - 18. He had thus learned the significance of “Jesus alone with themselves”. The tabernacle had been set up, he had part in it and he was of it. He would put off his own tabernacle, that is, his mortal body, he said, but he was part spiritually of a better and more perfect tabernacle in connection with which Christ came, and which remains.
I want now to show you what John 14 implies, namely, that the privilege is available in the most reduced conditions outwardly in which the saints may find themselves. It corresponds, I believe, with the passage in Ezekiel. Earlier the Lord had said. “He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me; but he that loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him” John 14:21. That is one thing — the manifestation of Christ. It means that I get some idea of the pattern, and I get that on the principle of obedience — that is to say, my release from the captivity and the captives’ baggage is in keeping His commandments. His commandments become [p. 440] the way out, the way back. One would love to say that to all the Christians — the true Christians in Christendom — that release from captivity and the captives’ baggage, is in humbly submitting to the commandments of the Lord. If you say to me, ‘Where are they?’ they are in the Scriptures. The first and second epistles to the Corinthians I would specially mention as embodying the commandments of the Lord for His people, and the second epistle of Timothy for the present time. In these you will find embodied His commandments, and having them thus and keeping them, you will find the way out of your captivity and release from the captives’ baggage. And then the Lord will manifest Himself to you. Would you not like to get a view of Christ? He says, “I ... will manifest myself to him” John 14:21. If you get a glimpse of Christ you will say, ‘The land of my captivity and the captives’ baggage do not agree with that’! A manifestation means that you see Christ and you therefore understand the pattern; and things must be according to the pattern.
Judas (not Iscariot) says, “Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world?” (John 14:22) and the Lord answered, “If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him”. It is not my commandments now; this supposes you keep His commandments and that He has manifested Himself to you; you have got the divine idea, you have seen Him, and now it is a question of His word, what He says; just as it was on the mount at the outset, Peter, James, and John — the potential material for the tabernacle — were to hear what He said. It is a question of what He says, and not what anyone else says. Turn a deaf ear to what all others say. How much has been said I need not comment upon; books that have been written from the time of the Fathers down to the present [p. 441] time are myriad; you do not have to read them. But the words of Christ, we are to keep these. Hence, dear brethren, the recovery in our days has directed the people of God to the Bible. The more you look into it the more wonderful it is; the wisdom with which it is written, the way in which it has anticipated the needs of the saints of God in every circumstance is marvellous! You turn to the Bible, it contains the word; the Holy Spirit in you makes it living, makes it to your soul the veritable word of Christ, nothing less than that, just as if He were speaking directly to you; the power of the Spirit makes it the disclosure of His mind, of the mind of God. That leads you to look around. You say, ‘I have obeyed His commandments, but now I see more than that, I see that the Lord has spoken many things, a wonderful range of things is in His word!’ I see that His word provides for a dwelling-place for God. If I read in Ezekiel, I see that God can make Himself a “little sanctuary” to His people. Think of that, beloved friends! “Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries whither they are come”. God can be that to you. The word enables you to see that, and so the Lord says, “If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him”. Now look at that! If any one love Me. He had said before, “He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me” (John 14:21), that is to say, your love is proved by the keeping of His commandments and that results in a manifestation. But now He puts it, “If any one love me, he will keep my word” (John 14:21). It is an advanced position. As loving Him you not only read the Bible, but you regard the word of Christ and keep it, and in keeping it the tabernacle condition comes about. The word purifies you, it sets you right in every relation, it adjusts you, it enables you to see what is suitable to God, for the [p. 442] word of Christ has the glory of God in view, and what is due to God in view, a dwelling-place for God here, so that it purifies you in every relation and adjusts you and you come in for tabernacle privilege; the Father and the Son come, not to visit you, but to make their abode with you. You may say, ‘My circumstances are extremely small’. Never mind, the book of Numbers implies that God goes with His people wherever they go. “In all my going about with all the children of Israel” 2 Samuel 7:7. During all the time that I walked with them, He said to David, I never asked them to build me a house; He was content to go with them as dwelling in a tent. God patiently and graciously abides with us as those who keep the word of Christ as loving Him. So, dear brethren, in the day of smallest things (and we are in a day of small things) everyone who loves the Lord and who keeps His word comes in for tabernacle privilege — the dwelling of the Father and the Son with him.
Now this leads to the thought of brethren, for in Ezekiel 11:15, as well as in John, we have developed the idea of the brethren. In Ezekiel you have a man who cared, who had feelings about things. A certain calamity occurred, a certain man died suddenly, and Ezekiel said to Jehovah, “Wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?” Ezekiel 11:13. He felt things. These are the men whom God takes account of, those who have spiritual feelings, who sigh and cry for the abominations that are done. Hence the word to Ezekiel is, “Thy brethren, thy brethren, the men of thy kindred”. What about them? The inhabitants of Jerusalem say to them, The land is ours; you go away from Jehovah. Is there not that at the present time? Are there not those who assume proprietary rights to divine territory and exclude others? There are, and God feels it, and resents it; hence the captivity and the captives’ baggage. He says, “Thy brethren”. We may transfer that to the gospel of John, which speaks of the brethren of Christ, His kindred, wherever they are scattered. He says, “Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary” — a little one, in keeping with the circumstances, nevertheless He is there as really as He was in that glorious setting up of the tabernacle according to Exodus. “I will be to them as a little sanctuary”. There is something peculiarly precious about it, ‘I will be to you a little sanctuary’. We have to be content with small things, but never let us forget that the quality is equal to the beginning. What we have is equal to what they had at Pentecost — no less than the Father and the Son making their abode with us.