Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
Hebrews 8:1-2 NIV
When we think of the Tabernacle, it is the one built at Mt. Sinai that most often comes to mind. This tabernacle was a large tent that symbolized God’s presence in Israel and was at the heart of Israel’s worship life.
The plans for this tabernacle, and its furnishings, were given to Moses and then built during the year that Israel stayed at Sinai. But, as Hebrews points out, this tabernacle was only a copy and shadow of the heavenly tabernacle (Heb. 8:5). It pointed to a greater reality.
And that greater reality was the heavenly tabernacle, a spiritual sanctuary. While Moses was responsible for building the earthly Tabernacle, Jesus established and built the true Tabernacle. But what is the true Tabernacle that Jesus has set up?
In Ephesians 2:19-22, Paul tells us that those saved by God’s grace are joined together, rising to become a holy temple, a dwelling in which God lives. What the Tabernacle in Exodus represented has found fulfillment in his people, the true Tabernacle where the Lord dwells and works. We, the followers of the Lord Jesus, are now where he lives on earth. Not in any physical structure. But in his people.
