Pitching That Tabernacle

I stream scripture as I sleep. I find the verses comforting and am often woken up to some interesting bit of scripture. Lately, it's been Exodus 39, which talks about the making of the priestly garments for use in the Tabernacle. Last week, I tried to make sense of why I kept getting woken up during these verses. I knew it was something that I couldn't fully perceive; it was as if what I was seeking was just a blurry shape in the distance that was affected by a kind of spiritual nearsightedness.

I studied, and took note that the colors scarlet, blue, purple, gold, and white were mentioned as being integral parts of these garments. Feeling like there might be some connection to the remarkable differences, described in the Gospels, of the robes Jesus was clothed in just prior to his crucifixion, I started to search the significance of the colors. The only thing that really jumped out at me is that the color blue wasn't included in the Gospels. In fact, the color blue isn't mentioned at all in the entire New Testament. This makes me believe that blue refers to something special that the original nation of Israel has. I don't think it's a coincidence that it's the color of the modern Israeli flag.

In scripture, scarlet symbolizes atonement or sacrifice. Purple symbolizes royalty, consecration, or being set apart. Gold symbolizes purity, white symbolizes sanctification or righteousness, but blue...? Heaven. God. I shouldn't be surprised that this color was reserved for His chosen people in scripture. But I was surprised to learn that in the making of the priestly garments over the centuries, somehow the Levites had forgotten the exact species of snail used to create the shade of blue required for dyeing of their sacred ephods.

Isn't that an interesting piece of information? It can't be coincidence.

Let me connect the dots from last week to this week. I was flipping pages in my well-worn Bible very late last night, while chatting with my "church" and listening to a scanner about a fire that started in a park that was near a friend's house. I can multi-task like a boss. Something I had written in on a page in 1 Chronicles 28 caught my eye. I must have written it a long time ago, because I have no idea what it means now:

Levites - Sacrifices
Officers of Sanctuary
Officers of God
Musicians
Gatekeepers
Treasuries
Officers/Judges
Military/Civil


New Lampstand Created?


In Verses 28:9-21, King David is charging Solomon with the building of the temple, which he is not permitted to build. I have compared Solomon's temple with the building of the church in a previous blog post, if you want to read it. There's some rapture clues in there that I really loved finding.
But the most beautiful verse jumped off the page at me:

1 Chron 28:19 (RSV)

19 All this he made clear by the writing from the hand of the Lord concerning it, all the work to be done according to the plan.


What? God gave David a set of plans in His own writing about the building of the Temple? Have you ever heard that before? The KJV version is a little more clear in meaning:
 

1 Chron 28:19 (KJV)

19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.


OK. Got it. God had placed the plans for the building of the Temple on David's heart. He knew what that temple was supposed to be, but he wasn't allowed to build it himself. His "male child" was supposed to build it instead. You know the male child I'm referring to, right?

The loss of the recipe for the making of the dye used in the sacred ephods has a little more significance now, doesn't it?

Two more fascinating tidbits in the verses I read before bedtime told me this:

1) Solomon chose 70 thousand men to "bear burdens" and 80 thousand to "quarry in the hill country", along with 3,600 men to oversee them. That means there's a 70 + 80 there (age of a generation) plus 3,600. The total number of this group is 153,600. Could it be that this is the 153 caught in the net for all time, plus an emphasis on 6, the number of man?

2) Solomon wanted looking to hire a guy who was skilled in work with gold, silver, (and bronze, iron, wood, stone) fabrics in purple, blue, scarlet, and fine linen. These are the same colors used in the making of the priestly garments in Exodus 39. This is the scripture to which I kept being awoken.

It was time for bed. I streamed 1 Chron and 2 Chron until I woke up this morning to briefly to hear about Solomon offering sacrifices to God and asking God for wisdom. I sleepily asked God for the same in the few moments it took for me to get back to sleep, not because I planned on leading a people as numerous as the sands, but just to get through my daily life. Two kids and two dogs are counting on my leadership in this household.


When I woke up this morning, I tried to catch up on some videos posted by some watchmen and proceeded down a rabbit hole to a video clip shared by someone I haven't listened to in a long time. He shared an commented on another video created by another watchman that I can only take in small doses. No doubt he's passionate about God's word, but when he says "drop the mic" it makes me want to throw whatever device I happen to be using to stream. Without self-control, that could become expensive and I don't wholly trust my self control around technology when I'm frustrated.

This is also why I don't share on YouTube. I'm pretty sure I would irritate many of you with my speaking style, my voice, my hairstyle, my incessant eye-rolling, or worse. You might smash your phone because of me.

In the video I watched, an interesting connection was made between Luke 21:35 and certain forced experimental medical augmentation of a very sharp and poky nature. If you're a watchman, you know exactly what I'm referring to. 

The word these watchmen were referring to is Strong's G3803, "snare" in that verse, and it's derived from G4078, which means "pitched" as in a tent. That word is only used once, in the book of Hebrews. I underlined it so you can see it quickly below, but take time to read the following and consider what this chapter is saying about building a Tabernacle.

Hebrews 8:1-13

1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

And this is where it all came together for me.

I know the church is referred to as the Third Temple, and there's going to be another physical one built during Tribulation. At least, I think that's what scripture says and I hear a lot of other people saying the same thing. Maybe it's why God kept waking me up during Exodus 39.

There's the Tabernacle of Moses, the temple of Solomon, the remodel by Herod that resulted in what we call the second temple, and all these things are gone. What if they're gone because people got too attached to them, and because God never intended anyone to focus on the significance of a physical Tabernacle or Temple?

That's rhetorical of course, unless you're one of the Jewish people who are eagerly waiting for that third temple to be built. One would think a tabernacle being replaced, the destruction of two temples, and David not being allowed to build the temple would have made it clear that the only true tabernacle will
be "pitched" by God.

If that describes you and you're reading this, please consider the New Testament, and pay close attention to these verses in Hebrews (hey! it's got your name on it!).


Hebrews 8:2-5

2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Here's the reference to when God spoke about the pattern to Moses:

Exodus 24:40

And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

And see how it relates to this verse, as King David talks about the "pattern:"

1 Chron 28:19

19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

The Hebrew word used in these verses is תַּבְנִית (tabnit). The greek word τύπος (typos) used in Hebrews 8:5 is the same, according to the Greek LXX.

So maybe that's what my strange cryptic note in 1 Chronicles 28 meant at the time that I wrote it. Perhaps those job descriptions I listed are components of the heavenly tabernacle referenced in Hebrews 8:5 above. Maybe not only do some of us have priestly roles, but also some of us have metaphorical roles to play, such as tent pegs, goat hair covering, colors of purple and blue, fine linen, curtains, vessels, pomegranates, etc. Maybe the different colors of Jesus' robe also hint at our roles in God's tabernacle.

It's not about a physical temple.

If you're part of the Christian church, there's a lesson for us to learn, as well. Church has nothing to do with your denomination, the building you enter to worship either faithfully or occasionally, or how you pronounce YHWH. You'd better believe our church buildings have been corrupted, infiltrated, and will be destroyed as surely as any temple, thus far. We have become far too attached to them, and sometimes aren't doing such a great job of paying attention to the same verses in Hebrews.

Consider it, no matter which part of Judeo-Christian you identify with.

If you're Jewish, and don't believe Jesus is the Messiah, consider Hebrews (hey! it's got your name on it!) chapter 9. I won't make you go look for it. Here's a link. If you click on it, it will be our little secret.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/heb/9/1/s_1142001

You can either enter the Promised Land, Heaven, through the blood of Jesus Messiah, or you can enter through shedding your own. Choose well.

For my watchmen friends and family in Christ, you know what I'm about to say.

Eyes up. It's soon.

You have to love this verse, and it's number, in a blog post that's published on July 17, 2021.

Hebrews 7:17

For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.


Comments

  1. Amazing God gifted insight!! And I love your “church” too!

    ReplyDelete

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