The Better Temple

Big Idea

Tension: Why is the heavenly tabernacle better than the earthly one?

Resolution: Because the earthly shelter was always meant to point to the heavenly one where Christ ministers.

Exegetical Idea: God gave the earthly tabernacle as a pointer for the better, heavenly place where Christ ministers.

Theological Idea: God gave the earthly tabernacle to indicate the better, heavenly place where Christ ministers.

Homiletical Idea: God gave the earthly tabernacle to indicate the better, heavenly place where Christ ministers for our salvation.

Outline

Introduction:

I. The Earthly Tabernacle

The outer tent contianing the lampstand, the table, showbread, were called holy (vs. 1-2)

In the inner tent were the golden altar of incense, ark of the covenant, golden urn with manna, Aaron’s staff, tablets of the covenant, over were the cherubim of glory (vs. 3-5)

These were separated by the veil.

Priests go regularly into the first, but into the second once a year (shot at how disqualified the old covenant priests were) (vs. 6-7)

This indicated the separation between God and sinners

But this tabernacle in and of itself can do absolutely nothing at all (vs. 9-10) because the only thing that it addresses is the external, not the heart.

So is this it? Is he just giving us this list so that he can see, eh, don’t waste your time? Or is there more going on here? Well I think to understand what this passage is getting at, we have to put it in its proper context. So actually the letter of Hebrews mentions the book of Hebrews at a number of points. And we can see that when Paul talks about the tabernacle in chapter 9 here, he is seeing it from a perspective.

II. The Heavenly Tabernacle

The earthly tabernacle is based on the throne room of God. In fact, before Moses ever gets the instructions for the tabernacle, we see in Ex 24:9-11, that God opens up heaven and he and the elders of Israel get to have a little meal with God. And it’s only after that God gives the instructions for the earthly tabernacle.

This is exactly what the author to Hebrews says. Look in 8:5. The earthly temple was meant to be a reflection of the heavenly. The earthly temple it says is just a “copy and a shadow.” And those who worship in it only worship a “copy and shadow” of the real thing. He even says in 9:9, that the old temple is only given to “symbolize” the present one, the new one.

And every single one of these symbols points us to the gospel. So the “candlesticks” in teh temple represent the presence of God with his poeple. But we know that Jesus is himself the presence of God with us (John 1:14).

And in the earthly tabernacle, there is a showbread and a table where the priests eat the showbread every sabbath. This of course represents the manna and bread that God sustained Israel with. But Christ tells us he is the showbread. He is the manna that has come down from heaven (John 6:48-51)

The veil is of course to represent the separation between man and God. But in the new covenant, we can see that the veil actually represents where God and man come together, even though they remain separate. Yousee, there is no veil other than Christ himself, and there is no entering into the holy of holies other than through him (Heb 10:19-20)

And in the holy of holies is the golden altar, on which incense is burnt that is offered before God. And we see in the book of Revelation 5:8 that the incense that is offered in the presence of God is nothing other than the prayers of hte saints which come before God.

And we see at last in teh middle, the ark of hte covenant, containing the relics of salvation. And over the mercy seat were the cherubim overshadowing it. And we know from Exodus and Isaiah and Ezekiel and Revelation, that this represents the throne of God. On either side of the ark were these giant angels, just like we see overshadowing the throne in the books of the Bible. And what do we see in Heb 4:16 but that our prayers are offered before the throne of grace.

And just like in teh earthly tabernacle where there is a priest that enters from the outer into the inner tent to offer a sacrifice, so we see that Christ enters on our behalf through the ascension in 9:11-12.

Do you see that God was teaching the old covenant people about the new covenant even through the temple, and he teaches us new covenant people about the new covenant by means of the old covenant.

This is why the author to the Hebrews will comment on the use of the temple that is “made by human hands” (9:11, 9:24). NOw, that is, in the Bible, kind of code for idolatry. So for example we see in Psalm 115:4-8 the folly of idolatry. ANd his point is that to continue to worship in the old when the new has come, to continue to go back to temple, to continue to try to the old covenant is to walk in idolatry, because the real thing, what God has done is here. That is why 8:2 is so emphatic about the temple being a “holy place that the Lord has set up, not man.”

SO here is the point in all this. Salvation, the gospel, salvation, takes place where ever Christ is. Which means that the temple is meant to point us forward to the good work that Christ has done to minister on our behalf. To save us. To atone for us. To redeem us and purchase us.

So now in the new covenant, the people of God are the house of God. Why? Because we are in Christ and he is in us. Because the people of God is where heaven comes closest to earth, wehre the glory of God shines teh brightest and the presence of God comes the thickest (Heb 3:3).

Application:

Here is my first application. Here in this place, with some 40 odd people, in Anderson, Indiana, where we are singing, with all our warts and faults and foibles, heaven is touching earth, God’s glory is filling his temple. And I’m not talking about us filling this building. I’m talkign about Jesus dwelling in his people by his spirit. I’m talking about us through Christ entering into the throneroom of grace. I’m saying that here, right here, right now, heaven is touching earth. The holy of holies is not a place, but a people. And we are that people.

Here is my second application: Come into this building. Not into this sanctuary necessarily, but come into this people. Come touch heaven. Come see the face of God in teh people of God. There is no entrance fee. You don’t get in by virtue of how good you are. You get in purely by the grace of God. And everyone who is here is invited because the Bride and the Spirit and the Lamb and the One seated on the throne say “come.”

Here is what I also want to say. THe main point that I’m trying to get you to see is that this church buliding is not the hosue of God. The people in this building are the house of God. The house of God is his people.

However, I do think this has implications for how we understand church bulidings. A church needs to avoid two errors when it comes to its building. On the one hand, it needs to avoid the error of idolatry. Of worrying about the earthly place more than the heavenly place. On the other, it needs to be good stewards, using what the Lord has given us for the good of his people. So I think we can see then, that good church buildings should be nice, but simple. They should be able to gather God’s people so that God’s people can cry out to him and so that God can speak to his people for his word. IN other words, the most important function of a church building is for the teaching of the bible and for the worship. Other things are fine, as long as they’re not hte focus.