A Comparison between the Great Pyramid and the Tabernacle

In order to properly comprehend this subject we will need to first briefly examine the Tabernacle once again, some of you may be already familiar with the Tabernacle, but for the sake of those who are not and/or those who simply need a bit of a refresher we should be happy to explain.

“The Tabernacle which God commanded the people of Israel to construct in the Wilderness of Sin, and in connection with which all their religious services and ceremonies were instituted, was, the Apostle Paul  assures us, a shadow of good things to come. (Heb 8:5; 10:1; Col. 2:17) In other words in its various features, viz. its layout, its furnishings and etc. as well as in the typical ceremonies that were performed in it all of these together depicted the Divine Plan, but more importantly the way to joint heir-ship with our Lord and to a heavenly inheritance.

This being true, our understanding of the plan and work of salvation now in progress, as well as their (i.e. Natural Israel’s) future development, cannot fail to be greatly enlightened by a careful study of those “shadows” which the Israelite’s, for our edification, were caused to repeat year by year continually until the Gospel age introduced their anti-types–the realities 1 Pet 1:11; Heb 10:1-3. Above are two views of the Tabernacle, the first being one of the many common depictions found on the internet, a depiction which incorporates numerous errors which we will not go into at this time, and the second illustration a more recent and more accurate rendering.

The Tabernacle was a house constructed of a series of boards of shittim (acacia) wood, “overlaid” or plated with gold, set on end into sockets of silver, and firmly fastened together by bars of the same wood, also covered with gold. It consisted of two chambers the first upon entering was designated the “Holy” and the second beyond a veil which divided the two chambers was designated the “Most Holy” together these two compartments constituted the Tabernacle proper. This structure as a whole was covered first by a large white linen cloth, interwoven with figures of cherubim, in blue, purple and scarlet,  followed by three additional coverings one of goats hair, another dyed red of rams skins, and the last of  seal skins.

“The Tabernacle was surrounded by a yard, or “Court,” toward the rear of which it stood. This court, 50 cubits (or 75 ft.) and 100 cubits (150 ft.) was formed by a fence of linen curtains…this enclosure was all holy ground,  and was therefore called the “Holy Place“–also the “Court of the Tabernacle” (Most Bible Students simply refer to it as the “courtyard”). Its opening, like the door of the Tabernacle, was towards the east, and was called the “Gate” or “Entrance Curtain”; this “Gate” was of white linen, interwoven with blue, purple and scarlet.”

Excerpts taken from “Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices”, Pages 11-14

“[The Camp, Courtyard, and Tabernacle] distinctly separated and differentiated into three general divisions represent three distinct classes blessed by the atonement; and the two parts of the Tabernacle (The Holy and Most Holy) represent two conditions of one of these classes.

“The Camp represented the condition of the world of mankind in sin, needing atonement and desiring it and its blessings; however indistinctly it analyzes its cravings and its groaning’s. These were typified by the “Camp,” the nation of Israel, and were separated from all holy things by the curtain of white linen, which represents to those within a wall of faith, but to those without a wall of unbelief which hindered their view of and access to the holy things within. There was only one gateway to enter the “Holy Place” or “Court”; the type thus testifying that there is but one way of access to God—one “gate”—Jesus. “I am the way . . . No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) “I am the door.” (John 10:9)

In the typical tabernacle picture the camp consisted of the various tribes of Israel encamped about the tabernacle, the professed people of God, outside of this laid the Gentile nations. This condition of things continued even to our Lord’s Day, with all the Jewish people who professed to be in harmony with the Lord constituting the camp while the Gentiles remained without. Today things have changed; today the camp does not consist of the Jewish people but rather the Gentiles, the Lord having cast off his natural people because of their disbelief opened the door to the Gentiles. This situation of matters is of course only temporary, and so we read,

“Blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved” saved from its blinded condition and alienation from God, and placed in a position to attain eternal life under the conditions of the Millennial age.

However as was with respects to the Jews so too with regards to the Gentiles today, the camp consisting predominately of nominal professors, the professed people of God, i.e. the professing Christian Church, “those who proclaim they are Jews (the true “Israel of God”) but who are not…” (Rev 3:9; Gal 6:16)

“The “camp” condition at the present time, we could not think would represent the world in the broad sense, but rather the worldly church. It would represent all those who with more or less desire wish to be in accord with God and who profess his name (believers in general), but through ignorance or superstition or love of the world are not in the proper attitude of heart to receive the deep things of God, the spiritual things at the time in which this spiritual work, the work of Atonement, is being carried on. We do not understand that these were ever begotten of the Spirit. They are merely moral or outward Christians, (i.e. “Nominal Christians”, Christians in name only, “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” 2 Tim 3:5) alas the Christian world, Christendom.” (R4607:2)

“The Court, represented the condition of Justification, entered through faith in Christ, the `gate.’

Into this `Court’ only Levites (typical of justified believers) were allowed to come. . . . These had access to the `Brazen Altar’ and to the `Laver,’ and did service in the `Court,’ but had no right as merely Levites (believers) to go into the Tabernacle; no, nor even to look into it. (Num. 4:19, 20)

This shows us that even though someone may be a believer, a professed follower of Christ nevertheless they may still not be able to see (to comprehend) spiritual things, this because as of yet they have not been begotten of the Holy Spirit to a new nature, the spirit nature, and as such they are still natural men lacking spiritual insight. As it is written, “The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit . . . neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:12–14)

In the `Court’ all things were of copper, to indicate that the class admitted there were justified men. The Court did not represent the condition of the spiritual class during the Gospel age, though the priests in sacrificing and washing, used it also.” (T18, 19)

“The `Courtyard,’ the justified human condition, is entered by faith only; but while we must retain the faith that justifies, we must do more, if we would experience a change of nature and become `new creatures,’ `partakers of the heavenly calling,’ to be `partakers of the divine nature.’ Entering the `Holy,’ therefore implies our full consecration to the Lord’s service, our begetting of the spirit and our start in the race for the prize of the divine nature—the terms of which are faithfulness to our vow, crucifying the justified flesh, presenting our human wills and bodies living sacrifices to God; no longer to seek human pleasure, honor, praise, etc., but to be dead to these and alive to the heavenly impulses. Yet, into this condition also, we still come through Christ Jesus our Lord, who not only opened for us the `Gate’ of justification through faith in his blood, but who also opened the `Door’ (the first vail) into the Tabernacle, `a new way of life,’ as spirit beings, through and beyond the second vail, by the sacrifice of our justified flesh.

“The two apartments of the Tabernacle, the `Holy’ and the `Most Holy,’ represent two phases or stages of the new life to which we are begotten by the Holy Spirit.

“The Tabernacle `building,’ with its two parts, represented the two conditions of all who undergo a change of nature from human to spiritual.

The first apartment, the` Holy,’ represented the condition of all those who (as Levites— justified believers) have consecrated their human nature to death, that they might become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), having been begotten of the Spirit.

Its second apartment, the `Holy of Holies’, (or “Most Holy”) beyond the `Vail’—death—represented the condition of the faithful over-comers, who will attain to the divine nature. These, after having completed their consecration in death, will be fully changed, born from the dead by the First Resurrection, to the divine nature and organism. No human being, be he ever so full of faith, be he washed from every sin, and in God’s sight justified freely from all things and reckoned perfect, can have any place or privilege in the spiritual things represented in the interiors of the Tabernacle and Temple. He cannot even look into spiritual things, in the sense of appreciating them. But during the Gospel age, such are `called’ to consecrate and sacrifice their human nature in God’s service, and to inherit instead the spiritual nature—as members of the Body of Christ.

“The fact that all things in the Tabernacle were made of gold, representative of the divine nature, implies that it represented the condition of such only as are called to the divine nature. Only those of the Levites who were consecrated to the work of Sacrificing (the Priests) had access to the Tabernacle; so only those of the household of faith who are consecrated to sacrifice, even unto death, enter the divine conditions represented in the Tabernacle.” (T19, 20)

“The Court and the Tabernacle may properly be viewed from two different standpoints, the one representing the final accomplishment of those things typified and the other representing tentative accomplishment of those things and the progress toward their full attainment. For instance, not everyone who makes the consecration to death and passes beyond the first vail of consecration, into the holy or spirit-begotten condition will be a priest, and yet only the priests were allowed in the Tabernacle. Those who come into this Tabernacle now by consecration and fail to become priests will fail to keep their standing in this place. They purpose to live up to their consecration, but come short: hence they fail to maintain their standing as priests, but fall back and become Levites.

“Likewise some come into the Court and assay to be antitypical Levites (believers) who do not attain to all the privileges of Levites because they do not conform their lives fully to do all that is required of Levites. Such are reckoned as coming into the Court condition for a time, but failing to go on and make a consecration, lose their standing, the prospective standing of Levites. As it is only a tentative standing, originally, they must come up to certain requirements to make it sure, to make their selection as Levites firm, positive, lasting.” (R4656:2)

“The `Holy’, represents the present condition of those begotten of God through the word of truth. (Jas 1:18) These as heavenly minded `new creatures,’ though still `in the flesh,’ have their real (inner) life and walk with God within the first vail of consecration, and beyond the intellectual sight of the world and the unconsecrated believers. These enjoy the inner light of the `golden candlestick,’ (representative of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit) while others are in `outer darkness’; these eat of the special spiritual food, (the “deep things” of the Word of God as enlightened by the Holy Spirit) represented in the unleavened `bread of presence,’ and offer incense (their prayers and daily sacrifices) at the golden altar, acceptable through Christ Jesus.

“The `Most Holy’ represents the perfected condition of those new creatures who, faithful unto death, gain the great prize of our high calling through a share in the first resurrection. (Rev. 20:6) Then, beyond both vails—the fleshly mind and the fleshly body—they will possess glorious spiritual bodies as well as spiritual minds. They will be like their Leader and Forerunner beyond the vail, who, having entered as our Redeemer, hath consecrated for us this new and living way, or new way of life. (Heb. 10:20; 1 John 3:2)

“The spiritual-minded creature in the `Holy’ by faith looks forward through the rent `Vail’ into the `Most Holy,’ catching glimpses of the glory, honor and immortality beyond the flesh; which hope is an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast, entering into that which is beyond the Vail. (Heb. 6:19; 10:20)

“We see, then, that justification by faith, our first step toward holiness, brings us into a condition of `peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 5:1) When our sins are forgiven, or reckoned covered with Christ’s righteousness, we are a step nearer to God, but still human—in the `courtyard condition.If we would attain the prize of the high calling which is OF GOD in Christ Jesus, and enter through the `Holy’ into the `Most Holy,’ we must follow IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS our leader and Head—`the High Priest of our profession’—i.e., the High Priest of our order of priesthood—the `royal priesthood.’ (Heb. 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:9)

1)By faith in Christ’s ransom-sacrifice, represented in the Brazen Altar, we enter the `Gate’ to the `Courtyard’—the vail of unbelief and sin is passed (This is the “First Step”). This step is one which our Lord Jesus never took, because not being of the Adamic stock, but holy, harmless, separate from sinners, he never was outside the court condition.

2)Renouncing our justified human wills, and all our human aspirations and hopes, we pass the first vail, or vail of human-mindedness, counting the human will as dead; henceforth consulting not it, but the will of God only. We now find ourselves as `new creatures’ in the `Holy’ in the first of the `Heavenlies’ or Holies (Eph. 2:6—Diaglott), and begin to be enlightened by (or through the Holy Spirit) the `Golden Candlestick’ (God’s Word) respecting spiritual things—`the deep things of God’—and to be refreshed and strengthened daily with the truth, as represented in the `showbread,’ lawful for only the Priests to eat. (Matt. 12:4) And thus enlightened and strengthened, we should daily offer up sacrifices at the `Golden Altar’, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ—a sweet perfume to our Father. (1 Pet. 2:5)” T20–22

“When having been justified freely by faith in the ransom, they hear the call, `Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, (ransomed, justified and therefore) acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service’ (Rom. 12:1); and when in obedience to that call, they fully consecrate their justified humanity to God, a living sacrifice, side by side with that of Jesus, it is accepted of God; and in that very act the spiritual life is begun . . . From the moment of consecration these are reckoned of God as `new creatures.’ ” (A196)

“Thus all the saints, all the consecrated, are in a `heavenly’ or `holy’ condition now—`seated (at rest and communion) with Christ in (the first of these) heavenly places,’ but not yet entered into the `holiest of all.’ No, another vail must first be passed. As the passing of the preceding vail represented the death of the HUMAN will, so the passing of the second vail represented the death of the HUMAN body; both are requisite to complete our `sacrifice’ . . . Both fleshly mind and fleshly body must be left behind before we can enter into the `holiest of all’—perfected as partakers of the divine nature and its spirit conditions: for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 15:50, compare John 3:5, 8, 13)” T22

“In seeking for the lessons of the Tabernacle types we should remember that they represent both progress and completion.” (R4579)

 For a more thorough study of this subject see “Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices”. You may likewise wish to see our illustrated studies on the Tabernacle found here, http://sickleoftruth.com/index.html

In our next post we will attempt to show how the Great Pyramid shows the same picture as that of the Tabernacle.