Hebrew 9:2

Hebrews 9:2

The Holy Place

There is no room here to look in detail at the regulations for building the Tabernacle. These can be found in Exodus 25 and later chapters. As we know, the instructions for building this “tent” and its furnishings were precise and had to be followed meticulously. For those who study the plans and the symbolism or significance of every detail in its construction, the Tabernacle offers a wealth of understanding about the nature of God and His relationship with His people. Every single piece of this temporary structure points to Christ and to the permanent heavenly Tabernacle where He now serves as our High Priest.

The first room of the Tabernacle is often referred to as the Holy Place and in it was the lampstand or seven branched Menorah, the lamps were kept burning night and day. In addition, a Table of consecrated bread was positioned on the north side of the room, this held 12 loaves which were replaced once per week. Positioned near the entrance to the next room, the Most Holy Place, was an altar of incense which was used by the priests to offer mediation prayers to the Lord God. The challenging fact is that this room could only be entered by priests. It was priests who daily witnessed the burning lamps that point us to the Holy Spirit. Hence the warnings to the churches in Revelation about the lampstands being removed! Only priests could partake of the bread. We are being shown that only priests today can partake of the Holy Spirit or share in Communion. Who are these priests – the clergy? No! It is all who trust in Christ by faith for we are His royal priesthood, a people belonging to God. (1 Peter 2:9.) A detailed study of these artifacts and the tent that housed them is well worth the time and will open our eyes to our own roles as we serve the living God. 

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