Notes on the Tabernacle

738 Pages·1997·5.13 MB·English

by  Anton Frey

NOTES
on the
TABERNACLE
BY aNTON fREY
Preface
These notes are my own, and reflect my teachings on the subject for a pe-
riod of about 40 years. As far as I know, they are in fullest accord with Bro.
C.T. Russell’s presentations as reflected in Tabernacle Shadows of the Bet-
ter Sacrifices and Zion’s Watchtower (up to October 1916).
There are, of course, some subjects, upon which he made no comments.
Here I have with some reluctance, expressed my opinions. I am not dog-
matic about these, though I sincerely believe them to be in harmony with
the general tenor of his presentations.
It will also be noted that frequently I do quote from the works and writings
of others; but this is not an unqualified endorsement of all else they may
have written on the subject, or otherwise. Quite to the contrary, we differ
widely from most of them in both theology and orthodoxy; yet, we believe,
in the instances quoted, they have often expressed our own thoughts better
then we could ourselves.
These notes were never intended for publication, but there have been nu-
merous requests for copies of them. Generally I have insisted that those
desiring copies make their own, thus, in a measure at least, proving their
own sincerity in the matter.
yer Fnotn A.orB
“Let none of the consecrated be in haste to rush into
print with crude, undefined ideas, and thus become
stumbling blocks in the way of many others. Be content
to spread the truth you have received, and proved to
your thorough satisfaction, before some other hungry
saints; but keep the table clean; don’t make up for your
deficiency of knowledge by spreading out a host of idle
speculations. Better is a pure morsel from a clean table
than great abundance under other conditions. By and
by to this morsel another morsel will be added, and in
due time the wealth of divine bounty will be realized.”
(R1475)
1
2
Preface
These notes are my own, and reflect my teachings on the subject for a pe-
riodofabout40years.AsfarasIknow,theyareinfullestaccordwithBro.
C.T. Russell’s presentations as reflected in Tabernacle Shadows of the Bet-
terSacrifices and Zion’sWatchtower (up to October 1916).
There are, of course, some subjects, upon which he made no comments.
Here I have with some reluctance, expressed my opinions. I am not dog-
matic about these, though I sincerely believe them to be in harmony with
the general tenorof hispresentations.
Itwillalsobenoted thatfrequentlyIdoquotefromtheworksandwritings
of others; but this is not an unqualified endorsement of all else they may
have written on the subject, or otherwise. Quite to the contrary, we differ
widely from most of them in both theology and orthodoxy; yet, we believe,
intheinstancesquoted,theyhaveoftenexpressedourownthoughtsbetter
thenwe could ourselves.
These notes were never intended for publication, but there have been nu-
merous requests for copies of them. Generally I have insisted that those
desiring copies make their own, thus, in a measure at least, proving their
ownsincerityinthe matter.
Bro. Anton Frey
“Let none of the consecrated be in haste to rush into
print with crude, undefined ideas, and thus become
stumblingblocksinthewayofmanyothers.Becontent
to spread the truth you have received, and proved to
your thorough satisfaction, before some other hungry
saints; butkeep thetable clean; don’t make up foryour
deficiency of knowledge by spreading out a host of idle
speculations. Better is apuremorselfrom acleantable
than great abundance under other conditions. By and
by to this morsel another morsel will be added, and in
due time the wealth of divine bounty will be realized.”
(R1475)
1
2
Page Intentionally Left Blank
Read Note Above
Chapter 1
An Overview of the Tabernacle
“TheLordwasrepresentedfirstbythetypicalTabernacle”(D650)
“ThehumbleTabernaclewhoseglorieswereallhidden,typifiedthepresence
of God with his people in the present time, while the glorious Temple typi-
fiedtheChurchingloryduringChrist’sMillennialreign.”(R1237:4)
The Tabernacle of old was to Israel, not only the symbol of the atonement,
but was also the dwelling place of God among his people. It was built by
Moses according to a pattern shown him in the mount. (Heb. 8:5; Exod.
25:40)
We like to think of that ancient edifice as a symbol or picture of Christ Je-
sus, who, while on this earth, was virtually a tabernacle or sanctuary in
which God dwelt byhisSpirit. AsMoseswasrequired toleave behind him,
his people—the nation of Israel—and ascend into the mountain (Exod.
24:18) to obtain this vision, i.e., to “see” the pattern according to which he
was to build the dwelling-place of God—the Tabernacle among the people
—so too must we respond to the invitation of God by consecration to sepa-
rate ourselves from the “people of the land,” and climb the “mountain of
spirituality”inordertoobtainfromGodthatvisionofChristJesus,accord-
ing to which we too are to build our “tabernacles” to be the dwelling-places
of God among the people.(See 1 Cor.3:16.)
TheTabernacle ofGod isin1 Sam. 3:3 called “the temple oftheLORD.”
Figure 1:TheTabernacle inthe Wilderness(flatroof)
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4 Chapter 1
“The Tabernacle of the Lord, in this study styled the Temple, was located at
Shiloh, a few miles north of Jerusalem. The priest in charge was Eli.”
(R5615:1)
“The Apostle speaks of each body, each member of the new creation, as a
Temple, a Tabernacle, in which for the time being the holy Spirit dwells.
From this standpoint we should be careful to have our bodies as clean, as
pure,asholyaspossible.Wecannottransformourfleshtomakeperfectthat
which was born in sin and shapen in iniquity, but in proportion as the holy
Spirit is received by us and in proportion as it has the control of us, in that
same proportion there will be a gradual transforming power of the holy
SpirittoworkinustowillandtodoGod’sgoodpleasure...
“We firmly believe that all who receive that grace of God into good and
honest hearts will surely experience a cleansing work—that the Truth will
tend to make them cleaner physically as well as mentally. We are not advo-
cating outward cleanliness as godliness, but an inward cleanliness which
will do all it can to accomplish an outward cleansing. And very generally it
succeeds—the filthiness of the flesh in various senses of the word begin to
disappear. In proportion as the spirit of righteousness and truth and love
enter into the heart, filthy words, filthy conduct, filthy habits, filthy appear-
ance, all begin to come under the control of the transformed mind.”
(R3631:6)
As Moses, so that he might receive an indelible imprint of the “pattern”
upon his heart and mind, was in the presence of Jehovah God forty days
and forty nights during which he fasted—for he neither ate nor drank
(Exod. 48:18; Deut. 29:9)—so likewise must we “fast” from all such “food”
and“drink”asarecommon,i.e.,natural,forthenaturalman.Mosesfasted
for forty days and forty nights; but the period of our “fasting” is for the full
period of ourconsecration toGod.
“We remind our readers...that there are other appetites besides for food
and drink which may properly be considered in connection with this matter
of fasting—all the various desires of the flesh need restraining, and such
self-restraint and the bringing of our minds, our thoughts, our words, our
conductandourfoodundersuchrestraintsaswillbemostbeneficialtousas
new creatures in Christ, is the very essence and spirit of true fasting, and
such fasting will surely bring a blessing and permit a closer approach to the
Lordandakeenerrealizationofhisloveandfavor.”(R3006:2)
“The pattern of the Tabernacle was delivered by God to Moses. (Exod. 25:9,
40) Bezaleel and Aholiab were the chief constructors, and it is said (Exod.
31:3–6) that they and the other workmen were filled with the spirit of God,
in wisdom and in understanding, to make all that God had commanded. The
people so freely offered for the service of the work, that they had to be
restrainedfrombringing.Thestuffwassufficientforalltheworktomakeit,
and too much. (Exod. 36:6,7) The tabernacle with all its furniture was
brought to Moses when complete, and on the first day of the first month of
the second year ... he reared it up and finished the work. (Exod. 40:2,17)
When the whole building was set in order, the cloud covered the Tent of
Meeting and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. (Exod. 40:34) The
cloud,thetokenoftheDivinePresence,hadtheappearanceofafirebynight
and by its rising from or abiding on the Tent, determined the journeyings
AnOverviewoftheTabernacle 5
and encampments of the children of Israel. (Num. 9:17,18) The Tabernacle
accompanied the children of Israel during their wanderings in the desert,
and in the different stages of the conquest of the land of Canaan. The
conquest complete, it was fixed in Shiloh as the place which the LORD had
chosen. (Josh. 18:1) Here we find it in the earliest (Judges 18:31) and latest
days of the Judges (1 Sam. 1:3). At the time of the capture of that ark God
forsook the Tabernacle, and the Tabernacle was removed from Shiloh. We
find it some years later with its priests and its table of shewbread at Nob
(1 Sam. 21:1), and in Solomon’s reign with its altar of burnt-offering and
ministered at by Zadok the high priest at Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39,40). After
the building of the Temple it entirely disappears from the history.” (The
CambridgeCompanionoftheBible,p.395)
“A state of things which was rapidly assimilating the worship of Jehovah to
that of Ashtaroth, or Mylitta, needed to be broken up. The Ark of God was
taken,andtheSanctuarylostitsglory:andtheTabernacle,thoughitdidnot
perish, never again recovered it. (1 Sam. 4:22) Samuel treats it as an aban-
doned shrine, and sacrifices elsewhere, at Mizpah (1 Sam. 7:9), at Ramah
(1 Sam. 9:12; 10:3), at Gilgal (1 Sam. 10:8; 11:15). It probably became once
again a movable sanctuary. For a time it seems, under Saul, to have been
settled at Nob. (1 Sam. 21:1–6) The massacre of the priests and the flight of
Abiatharmust, however, have robbedit yet further ofits glory. Ithadbefore
lost the Ark: it now lost the presence of the high priest. (1 Sam. 22:20; 23:6)
What changeoffortunethenfollowedwedonotknow.Insomewayorother,
it foundits way to Gibeon. (1Chron. 16:39) Theanomalousseparationofthe
two things, in the original order, had been joined, brought about yet greater
anomalies;and,whiletheArkremainedatKirjath-jearim,theTabernacleat
Gibeon connected itself with the worship of the high places. (1 Kings 3:4)
The capture of Jerusalem, and the erection there of a new Tabernacle, with
the Ark, of which the old had been deprived (2 Sam. 6:17; 1 Chron. 15:1) left
it little more than a traditional, historical sanctity. It retained only the old
altar of burnt-offerings. (1 Chron. 21:9)” (Smith, Dictionary of the Bible,
“Tabernacle”)
Why wasthe Tabernacle so oriented astomaketheapproachuntotheShe-
kinah in the Most Holy a movement from the east (the gate) to the west?
There is undoubtedly some good reason for God having ordained it so, nor
arewesure that weknow the specificreason.
Perhaps (and this is merelyby way ofsuggestion) thiswestward movement
was intended to symbolize obedience to the will of God AND its re-
ward! It is evident in the type that Israel’s High Priest, after rendering
faithful service (obedience) unto God as he moved westward through the
Court and the Holy of the Tabernacle, was ultimately rewarded in the
beholding of theShekinahglory—the presenceofGod intheMostHoly.
It will be remembered that Abraham’s obedience to the “call” of God was
marked by his westward journey from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan. For
this faithfulness he was in due time rewarded by grace, favor, and cove-
nant relationship withGod. (Gen. 12:1; 13:14–17)
Again we might consider those wise men who, in obedience to the “call” of
the star of God, moved westward and were also in due time rewarded by
finding the new-bornSaviorinBethlehem ofJudea.(Matt.2:1,11)
6 Chapter 1
If this suggestion has any merit, then perhaps a movement in the other
direction—eastward—might sometimes symbolize disobedience or a di-
gression from the will of God. “Cain went out from the presence of the
LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.” (Gen. 4:16) Lot
chose for himself that fertile territory in the valley of the plains and then
“journeyed east” (Gen. 13:11) unto those cities where the people “were
wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly” (Gen. 13:13), which
cities,Sodom and Gomorrah, were eventuallydestroyed. (Gen.19:24,25)
“In the days of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, you remember when God
toldMosestobuildtheTabernacle,hetoldhimitshouldbesituatedthatthe
gatemustalwaysbetowardtheEastandtheTabernacletowardtheWest,it
did not matter how the ground lay. You see the thought. The High-Priest
could only get into the Most Holy by going in the opposite direction from the
way the world was turning. So we can get into the Most Holy place only by
following our Master, which is contrary to the course of this world.” (Ben-
jaminH.Barton,SouvenirNotesofBibleStudentsConventions,1910,p.27)
Symbolismofthe Colors
WHITE bespeaks the fullness of light. It embodies all colors. It symbolizes
sinlessness,i.e.righteousnessand purity(Rev.19:8)and byextension,also
light, truthand life.
“Under the symbol of white raiment the Lord throughout his Word repre-
sents the righteousness of those whom he accepts as his people. Their right-
eousness in the future state will be personal righteousness or holiness.”
(R2159:3)
BLUE is the color of the heavens when the sun is present in them. But let
the sun depart, and these heavens become dark; and were it not for the
light of the distant stars (suns) and at times of the moon, they would at
such times be absolutely black. The blue then is the result of a most favor-
able reaction on the part oftheheavensto light,to thepresenceof the sun.
So too, the most favorable reaction a saint of God can give to the light and
presence of the TRUTH is faithfulness. By this token, blue—the heavenly
color—becomesa most apt symbol of faithfulness.
“The Hebrew word rendered blue is primarily the name of a shell-fish, and
derivatively of the dye yielded by it. As the word is nowhere in the Old
Testament affixed to any of the hues of nature, we look in vain to the
Hebrew Scriptures for aid in determining whether it is correctly rendered
`blue.’ Its equivalent in the Septuagint is a word applied by the ancients to
the clear firmament and the deep sea. Philo and Josephus agree with the
Septuagint in the selection of a Greek equivalent, and testify that the color
intended is that of the sky. We are to understand, however, a darker sky
than that of New England or Old England; for in the lands of the Bible the
atmosphere is clearer, and the firmament consequently deeper and darker,
than in moister climates. There are days when even in northern latitudes
thetransparencyoftheskyseemstoextendtoaninfinitedepth...
“The fact that the ancients attributed the same hue both to the firmament
and to the sea, also indicates that, when speaking of the heavens as blue,
they had in mind a very dark shade of the color, such as reflected from the
AnOverviewoftheTabernacle 7
peculiarly saline waters of the Mediterranean.” (Atwater, The Sacred Taber-
nacleoftheHebrews,ppg.211,212)
“Blue implies faith. The very heavens cast this beautiful color into the eyes
of all observers, and that while they reflect on the importance of a faithful
law-giver. The necessity of maintaining full control of the stellar system is
evidenced when we are told that the system containing more than a thou-
sand million suns with their satellites is traveling at about twelve miles a
second through space, and yet order and harmony are so accurate that
positions and eclipses may be gauged thousands of years apart with perfect
accuracy. `Thy faithfulness,’ says the Psalmist, `shalt thou establish in the
veryheavens.’(Psa.89:2)”(FrederickLardent)
“The robe of blue of one piece shows his heavenly nature (blue is the color of
thepeacefulheavens).”(R72:3)
“The`UpperRobe,’ofblue,representedhisfaithfulness.”(T30)
“The colour . . . the lovely blue of the sky when it is purest and freest from
cloud and storm . . . is the token of God’s faithfulness which, like the blue
sky, is always behind every cloud and storm, undimmed and unchanged.”
(Macmillan,TheCornofHeaven,p.162)
SCARLET is the color of the shed blood which by the typical priests was
sprinkledonandbeforetheMercyseattobringinatonementforthesinsof
the people. It is a most fitting symbol of the sacrifice unto death. In the
instance of Jesus, reference is, of course, to the RANSOM SACRIFICE
whereby the atoning merit was supplied. It is very significant that the
Hebrew text in Exod. 25:4, etc., where the translators have rendered it
`scarlet’ is made of two words which literally translated mean `scarlet of a
worm.’ This particular worm, by being crushed to death, furnished withits
lifeblood the prescribed dye for the scarlet thread used in connection with
the Tabernacle and its ritual. In Psa. 22:6, David speaking as it were for
the `man of sorrows and acquainted with grief‘ cries out, “I am a worm,
and no man.” Thus was Jesus crushed, until on the cross of Calvary he
cried,“It is finished” and bowing hishead he died.—John 19:30
The Church too, has entered into a covenant of sacrifice with Jehovah, and
likeuntoJesus,herconsecrationisalsountodeath.AndbyGod’sgraceher
`daily dying’ (1 Cor. 15:31) is accounted as the making up of that which is
left behind of the afflictions of Christ, for the body’s sake. (Col. 1:23,24)
Thus in faithfulness unto death—though supplying no ransom or atoning
merit—she nevertheless, secures for herself the right and privilege to
become the channel of that merit (of Christ’s Ransom Sacrifice) unto the
world.Truly,wearebaptized forthedead! (F456)
“The Hebrew original for crimson or scarlet is tolaath or toleath, which
means worm, and in many passages is used for the worms or larvae of
insects. In arestrictedsenseitwasusedforthecrimson-wormorinsect,and
finally transferred to the color, or even a garment dyed with the color,
obtained from the insect. (Isa. 1:18; Lam. 4:5)” (Gunther, Condensed Bible
Encyclopedia,“Reptiles”)
“Tolaath signifies worm, of which this coloring matter was made.” (Clarke,
Commentary,Exod.25:4)