The tabernacle was the place where God chose to dwell among His people in the wilderness. It was not an ordinary tent. It was designed by God Himself and reflected heavenly realities through earthly symbols. Every part of it pointed forward to Jesus Christ and the New Covenant: “They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” – Hebrews 8:5, ESV.
The Tabernacle Layout: A Picture of Redemption
The tabernacle proper, the inner tent, measured 30 cubits long, 10 cubits wide, and 10 cubits high. It was divided into two areas: The Holy Place was 20 cubits long, and The Most Holy Place was 10 cubits long. Around this stood a courtyard 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide, enclosed by linen curtains (Exodus 27:9–18).
As we have previously noted, numbers in Scripture often have consistent associations. While the symbolism is not always directly stated, we can observe biblical patterns:
- Three is often connected with God’s presence and divine completeness
- Five can symbolise grace and God’s provision
- Ten represents fullness or man’s responsibility (for instance, the commandments and tithes)
- 50 speaks of Jubilee and freedom (Leviticus 25:10)—Note that it is five (grace) multiplied by ten (completion)
So, in the tabernacle, we see God’s holy presence (three) meeting human responsibility (ten), surrounded by His grace (five), leading to freedom and redemption (50). All of this is fulfilled in Christ: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4, ESV
The Shape of a Cross
The arrangement of the camp in Numbers 2 places the tribes in formation around the tabernacle, creating a cross-shaped layout. Inside the tent, the furniture was also aligned on a central axis from the altar to the ark, with the lampstand and table forming the horizontal line. This beautiful imagery foreshadowed Christ’s cross at the centre of God’s salvation plan. Jesus, crucified and risen, is the true centre of God’s dwelling with humanity.
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” – John 12:32, ESV
Materials That Speak of Christ
Every element God chose carried spiritual significance:
- Gold represents divinity, glory, and purity: Christ the divine King (Revelation 21:18)
- Silver represents redemption (linked to ransom money): Christ our redeemer (1 Peter 1:18-19)
- Bronze speaks of judgment and purification: Christ, who bore judgment (John 3:14–15)
- Acacia wood symbolises enduring, incorruptible humanity: Christ the sinless man (2 Corinthians 5:21; Psalm 16:10)
The furniture in the outer court was bronze, as were the pegs for the outer walls, while the gold-covered boards that made up the tabernacle proper rested on a silver base. The furniture in the Holy Place, as well as the ark of the covenant, was made of gold (which covered acacia wood in each case except the lampstand).
Linen was produced using various colours, each of which was symbolic: righteousness (white), divinity (blue), royalty (purple), and sacrifice (scarlet) were all represented, pointing to Jesus, our righteous, heavenly, royal, crucified Saviour.
Even the coverings of the tabernacle tell the gospel story from outside to inside:
- Tough outer skin that was not expensive or beautiful points to Christ’s humble appearance (Isaiah 53:2)
- Red rams’ skins represent His sacrificial blood
- Goat’s hair is sin offering imagery
- Inner linen with cherubim represents heavenly glory
From the outside, it looked ordinary, but from the inside, from God’s view, glory was revealed.
God’s Dwelling Among His People
Paul wrote, “… in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:21-22, ESV.
I believe that here, he was directly referencing the words of God to Moses, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” – Exodus 25:8, ESV
The tabernacle reveals God’s desire, not only to save a people, but to dwell with them. Today, through Christ, God does not dwell in a tent—He dwells in His people by the Spirit. The tabernacle was always temporary, pointing forward to something far greater: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt (literally tabernacled) among us… ” – John 1:14, ESV
Every part of the tabernacle revealed His nature and purpose to His people. It proclaimed that:
- God is holy, yet God is near
- He demands purity, yet provides cleansing
- He requires sacrifice, yet offers mercy
Jesus is the true tabernacle, the final sacrifice, the cleansing water, the place where God meets humanity. Today, we celebrate the fact that the shadow has given way to the greater reality: the glory of Christ.
