Jesus in the Tabernacle VI
Next the narrative moves through two sections I included earlier in this series, the boundaries of the courtyard and then the oil to burn in the lampstand. The instructions for the construction of the tabernacle then seem to be interrupted in Exodus 28 for a digression on the clothing of the high priest. It’s important that we notice that turning to the high priest isn’t a digression as he is part of the tabernacle’s ‘furniture,’ or at least his clothing is.
They are told to bring Aaron and his four sons close to be priests, and then Aaron’s garments are made for ‘glory and for beauty.’ His clothing includes a breastplate, though it isn’t the piece of armour you’re picturing; he also has an ephod or outer mantle, a robe, a tunic, a turban, and a sash. In essence that’s three layers of fabric, a gem-studded chest piece, a head-covering and a belt.
First the ephod is made, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarns, mixed with fine white linen. That should sound familiar. Then we have two large pieces of onyx, a black gemstone, present in the land of Eden, with the twelve tribes etched onto them, one on each shoulder of the ephod.
Second is the breastplate ‘of judgement’ or justice. It’s called that for two reasons: first, because it has all the names of Israel’s tribes written on it and the instructions say that Aaron will then bear the names of the sons of Israel on his heart when he goes into the holy place. He carries all Israel with him for judgement before God. Second, because it contains the Urim (lights) and Thummin (perfection), the lots that are cast to ascertain God’s judgement on certain issues. Notice the pattern there, from day one of creation—lights—to day seven—perfection. God’s judgement is a week, or ‘from start to finish.’ Four rows of three gemstones are laid into the breastplate, each with one of the names of the tribes on it. Each is a different, specific, gemstone. That should also remind you of something.
Third, they make the robe out of blue, with pomegranates and bells at the hem. He carries fruit and he makes a sound. Intriguing.
Fourth, the turban, which bears a gold plate saying ‘holy to the Lord,’ on the priest’s forehead. He is marked and claimed as holy. The text in Exodus says this is so he will ‘bear any guilt’ of Israel’s behaviour towards the holy things. The point being less that he is vicariously guilty, though he is that, but more that this means he can be vicariously cleansed through guilt offerings.
Fifth, the tunic, which is checked, and sixth the belt, which is embroidered.
What were we meant to notice?
Aaron is a walking, talking tabernacle. Did you get that? He is wearing the colours of the holy place, his ephod made essentially in the same way the tabernacle’s tent was. The high priest is part of the tabernacle. This is particularly poignant because we confess both that Jesus is the true high priest and that he’s the true tabernacle. They were always one and the same. The indication that we’re looking for a person is there in the text. Aaron is a tabernacle that can go among the people, carrying holiness with him. This is important, not least because the general populace can’t enter the tabernacle, but the tabernacle man can come to them. This is incarnational logic. Someone has to come from the ‘heavens’ to the world of dust so that we can see the heavens.
His breastplate looks like the foundations of the city that descends from the heavens in Revelation 21-22. This new Jerusalem, who John identifies as the bride of Jesus so should be understood as the church, looks like the breastplate of judgement. That was to represent all the tribes in the people so that priest could make atonement for them. Not only has Jesus made atonement for all of us who are his—bearing our names in the scars on his hands (Isaiah 49)—but collectively it’s the church he’s made atonement for. That might seem like saying the same thing, but it’s both us as individuals and us as a people that Jesus has stood representatively for. We are now the temple-city of God.
Aaron has fruit dangling around his ankles. Probably because he’s a tree. Genesis 1 represents people as walking, talking trees, and here a man seems to be precisely that. It’s a common theme in the Old Testament, often picked up metaphorically in the New when we’re described as ‘bearing fruit’ in one way or another. Pomegranates are themselves evocative. They have in history often been claimed to be the fruit of the tree of life, or the tree of knowledge of good and bad. This is mostly because of their presence here and in the Temple’s architecture. If that’s true, its evocative of a renewal of Eden’s garden among the people and a promise that eventually both trees can be eaten from. Even if it’s not that, we have here a deliberate evoking of the common biblical image of a righteous man as a tree that bears fruit (Psalm 1). This walking talking tabernacle is one that bears fruit. In some fashion he is for the nourishment of the people of Israel.
Christ our tabernacle
Jesus is our high priest, our walking, talking tabernacle. He bears fruit for our nourishment, sharing the fruit of both trees with us. He makes atonement on our behalf, bearing our names before God in his hands and side. He is the ‘place’ that we can meet with God, so that any prayer in any place lifts us to the heavenly temple. He is one who comes from the heavens to the earth to show us the heavens and to lift us back there. He is the righteous man.
And he loves you.
Photo by piotr szulawski on Unsplash
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nuakh 