02.15. THE FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE

THE FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE T HE furniture of the Tabernacle consisted of seven pieces.

“The Ark of the covenant. The Mercy Seat or covering for the Ark. The Altar of Incense. The Table of Shewbread. The Candlestick. The Brazen Laver. The Brazen Altar. The Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat as one piece were set in the Most Holy Place behind the beautiful vail. The Altar of Incense was’ set up in the Holy Place in front of the vail. The Table of Shewbread occupied the northern side. The Candlestick was on the south. The Laver was placed outside the door of the Tabernacle. The Brazen Altar stood a short distance inside the gate of the Court.

Beginning with the Ark of the covenant and coming outward the next piece of furniture was the golden Incense Altar, and in giving the description of it the natural order would be to mention it after the Ark of the covenant; but when the Lord speaks of it to Moses it is not till after He has given Instruction and description of the Table, the Candlestick and the Brazen Altar. On the cross He was both offering and offerer.

He entered into His function as priest according to the order of Melchisedec only after He died, rose again and ascended to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

If He were on earth today He could not be a priest; even as it is written:

“If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, seeing’ there are priests that offer gifts according to the law.” (Hebrews 8:4.) In the light of this Scripture what an audacity it is, what a bold treason against the Word of God, for any man or set of men to take the office and exercise the function of priest in the professing Church of Christ.

It is true, as Christians, we are all spiritual priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices; as it is written:

“Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5.)

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15.) There is no other priesthood owned of God in the Church today. The man who calls himself a priest (separately from the spiritual priesthood belonging to all believers) is a. usurper and shames the high priesthood of our Lord in Heaven.

Rome builds up her priesthood by usurping the office and function of the priesthood in Israel, mixing Judaism with Christianity, and in so doing shames both the sacrifice of the Cross and our Lord’s Melchisedec priesthood in Heaven. The priesthood of Christ is based upon sacrifice. Rome seeks to repeat that sacrifice in the mass. The mass is a function in which the priest claims to transform the bread and wine of the Lord’s memorial supper into His body and blood, and offer Him again. In that, they “crucify the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame.”

Repetition of a sacrifice is proof of its incompleteness, imperfection and therefore inefficiency. It was the repetition of the sacrifices in Israel that proclaimed their inefficiency; as it is written:

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered?” (Hebrews 10:1-2.) This is the plain statement that a perfect sacrifice is not repeated, but is once and for all; as it .is written: “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10.)

Also:

“For in that he died, he died unto sin once.” (Romans 6:10.) And climacterically:

“Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more.” (Romans 6:9.)

Thus, in seeking to repeat the offering of the Cross the Romish priest proclaims it inefficient, and acting as a priest to offer it again, not only shames our Lord as the offerer, but denies the efficiency of His priesthood in Heaven.

All this demonstrates the disaster of departing from the divine order. In the fact that the Brazen Altar as the symbol of the cross is ordained before the Golden Altar of Incense (the symbol of our Lord’s priestly office and intercession) you have the dynamic demonstration and proof of the accuracy and divinity of the types and the inspiration of Holy Scripture both in the Old and New Testaments.