The Tabernacle

The Tabernacle was the center of Hebrew life after they left Egypt. It was a tent like structure divided into three parts with one entrance way on the east side. The first part was the Outer Court, the second division was the Holy Place and the third division was the Holy of Holies.

The first thing you saw when you walked into the Tabernacle was an altar: the Brazen Altar. It was at the altar that the priest would offer up sacrifices on behalf of himself, his brethren and the community for their sins, transgressions and iniquities. This offering was made in conjunction with repentance for the putting away or remission of sins.

After the priest offered up the animal sacrifice he would proceed to the Brazen Laver. The Brazen Laver was positioned after the altar and it was the place where the Cohenim (priests) and Levites washed their hands and feet. It was also where they checked their white linen garments for spots. This is a type of baptism (mikveh) and spiritual washing. Only after the shedding of blood and washing, could the priest enter into the next division of the Tabernacle—the Holy Place.

Inside the Holy Place was the Menorah (Candlestick), Altar of Incense and Table of Shewbread. All of these articles are types and shadows of Messiah Yeshua. The third division of the Tabernacle was called the Holy of Holies. The only one who could enter the Holy of Holies was the High Priest. He entered once a year, on behalf of the nation, to make atonement for their sins. He placed the blood of the spotless sacrifice upon the mercy seat and waited for the fire of God to fall and consume the sacrifice. After God accepted the sacrifice, the people rejoiced knowing that their sins had been pushed back another year, and that they were free from its judgment.

I asked a Rabbi at the Temple Institute the question, “Is forgiveness the same as remission of sins?” He answered, “No. God will forgive anyone when confession of sin is made, but remission of sin always requires a blood sacrifice.” In summary, after the sacrifice on the brazen altar, there was a washing. This principle is followed all the way into the New Covenant. The message throughout is, “repent and be washed (baptized/mikveh) for the remission of sin.” (Acts 2:38)

It is interesting to note that in 1 Peter 3:20-21 we find reference back to Noah, “Which sometimes were disobedient (mankind) when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water. The life figure whereunto even baptism (mikveh) doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.”

This passage denotes the necessity of water baptism (mikveh) and the receiving of God’s Spirit into your heart. Romans chapter six also refers to such steps being taken for the putting away of an evil conscience (the flesh) and being resurrected unto newness of life. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were mikveh’d into Yeshua the Messiah were mikveh’d into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Baptism is the act of purification. During Temple times, the Torah states that if a man either touched the dead or had leprosy he became defiled. The only way he could be cleansed and allowed to return into the camp was through ritual purification in the mikveh with the ashes of the Red Heifer. The ashes of the Red Heifer represent the flesh and blood of the Messiah. When one is buried with Messiah in baptism, his blood is released to remit the sin that caused the defilement of the conscience. When man rises from the mikveh, he finds that his conscience is completely restored. He walks away “born again” as the scripture says, with the ability to now see and enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:3-5).

Today, because of disobedience man has touched death. We are all descendents of Adam who received the curse of death through his disobedience: for it is written, “For by one man’s offence death reigned” and “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 5:17-6:23) Yet, through the Messiah’s righteousness and the shedding of his blood, all men have the opportunity to be redeemed from death.

Therefore, the mikveh is as equally important today as it was 3,000 years ago. It is still purifying men from the defilement of death. The only difference is that this time there is a remedy for the cleansing of the conscience—the blood of Messiah. The blood of bulls and goats pushed sin ahead year by year, but it could not cleanse the conscience.

This is why Paul writes in Hebrews 10:22, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Shabbat Shalom