The Boards

We have considered so far the materials which were used at God's command in the building of His Sanctuary, following for that purpose the list given in Exodus 25.3-7. Now, we want to study the meaning of the holy structure itself.

The Tabernacle which was built in the wilderness at God's command should not be confused with the Jewish Synagogue, which is simply a place where Jews gather together to worship and to have the Word of God expounded. The Sanctuary was not a place where the public could come for this purpose. Nobody could enter except the priests, and then merely to keep the lights and incense burning and to renew the shewbread. In the case of the Most Holy Place, the High Priest alone could go in there to take the blood once a year.

The Synagogue was a meeting place for men. The Sanctuary was a dwelling place for God. Men went to it, not in order to pray, but to do their duties. The sacrifices were offered in the outer court, and the blood was taken inside on the Day of Atonement. God had ordained that that Sanctuary was to be a type of His spiritual House, even the Church. That was not true of the Synagogue.

The great Sanctuary, built of wooden boards, was 20 cubits long, 8 cubits wide and 10 cubits high. One cubit is about 1 foot 6 inches, so it was roughly 30 feet long, 12 feet wide and 15 feet high. The Sanctuary was divided into two parts: the front portion, called the Holy Place, and the smaller back portion, the Most Holy Place, the former being twice the size of the latter. There were three walls, north, south and west, all made of boards, while the open east end was closed with a curtain supported on pillars. The three walls were made of twenty boards on the north side, twenty boards on the south side and eight boards on the west side, forty-eight boards in all. These boards were each 15 feet high and 2 feet 3 inches wide. They were overlaid with gold both outside and inside (Exod. 26.15-25).

Now we shall see what God has to teach us about the meaning of the true Church from those wooden boards in the House of God.

Aaron was the first High Priest of the Sanctuary that was built in the wilderness at God's command through Moses. But that Sanctuary in the wilderness was a shadow of the true Heavenly Sanctuary of which the High Priest is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Heb. 8.1 & 2). For this reason God told Moses: “See... that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount” (verse 5), Every detail of the Sanctuary, however simple, was given to Moses by God, and it is quite obvious from the details that such a building and structure would never have been designed by any human architect. You can go all over the world, and see the buildings put up by men for different objects and different forms of worship, but you will never see another structure such as that was. You may see many temples and mosques but no building of that design. In every way it was unique. Such a design could never have come from any man's brain. God Himself gave every single detail to Moses, and said to him: ‘Now take heed that you do not make any alteration in the design shown to you’.

If God gave such a warning to Moses, a man who talked with Him face to face, how much more should we heed His instructions. How dare any man ever change the heavenly plan for the Church of God? There are many preachers, missionaries and pastors who are trying to build the House of God after a plan derived from the brain of a man. The first lesson which we must learn from these studies, is that the House of God cannot be built by any man according to his own natural wisdom. No preacher or teacher of the Bible has any right or business to change the plan that God has given to us in His Word, the plan of the Church which He revealed to the Apostles and especially to Paul. Those to whom is committed the work of God should know first that heavenly design, and then seek to do His work according to that design.

The outer part of the Sanctuary, the Holy Place, speaks to us of the earthly vocation of the Church. The inner part, or Most Holy Place, tells us of the heavenly vocation of the same Church. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has that double service. We have to do some work upon earth, and at the same time we have to fulfil a heavenly vocation. Both must go side by side. Some people are so occupied with earthly things that they have forgotten the heavenly character and nature of their vocation. Others are occupied with heavenly things and have forgotten earthly things. But both have to go together, if there is to be manifested the divine plan for the Church. Let us look first at our heavenly vocation.

In Revelation 4 the Apostle John was given a heavenly vision. He saw in heaven a central throne, and around it twenty-four seats. Then he saw a rainbow round about the throne, and seven lamps of fire burning before it. Here we have the glorified Church in heaven as revealed to John. Everybody is invited to have a share in that Sanctuary. In Chapter 3.21 our Lord said to John, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne”. This is our Lord's promise to His Church, given to John the Apostle upon earth. Then in chapter 4 he was lifted into heaven and saw the throne and those upon it. Every single detail there had a great spiritual meaning. If we had time we could spend a whole week on this subject alone, in order to get what would be only a glimpse of the Sanctuary and the Throne.

Let us look at this central throne, with the twenty-four seats around it. Twenty-four Elders sit upon the seats, with crowns of gold upon their heads. Seven lamps of fire burn before the throne and cherubims stand round about it. Over all is a rainbow. Now in the Bible the rainbow is the symbol of God's covenant. In the Book of Genesis we read that after the Flood Noah saw a rainbow, and there God made a covenant with Noah, that he might not again fear lest a flood come upon the earth (Gen. 9.13). The rainbow was a symbol, confirming God's covenant with him.

As you know, there are seven colours in the rainbow, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. God made seven covenants with mankind. His first covenant was with Adam. Even though Adam had failed and had disobeyed God, yet God made a covenant with him, promising that the Saviour would come of the woman's seed (Gen. 3.15). Because of that covenant of God with Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth. Then God's second covenant was with Noah. God said, ‘I will not again destroy the earth with a flood’ (Gen. 9.15). To-day the earth is full of sin, worse even than then. But because of His covenant with Noah, God has been long-suffering and patient. Were it not so this earth would have been destroyed long ago.

God's third covenant was with Abraham: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”, (Gen. 22.18). The Lord Jesus Christ came from the seed of Abraham, and all nations are blessed in Him. His fourth covenant was with Moses: ‘A Prophet like unto thee will I raise up’ (Deut. 18.18), and Christ Jesus came, “faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house” (Heb. 3.1-2). Fifthly, He made a covenant with David concerning the throne, to establish His everlasting covenant upon him, and upon his seed (Psa. 89.34, 28-29, 33-35). This again pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Sixthly, a covenant was made with God's Son Himself. “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance” (Psa. 2.7, 8). Seventhly, He has made “a better covenant” with every believer. “I will put my laws into their mind, and on their heart also will I write them.... And their sins will I remember no more” (Heb. 8.6, 10, 12, 13).

It is because of these seven covenants, that we will have a right to share His throne. It is because of God's covenant and promise that we shall be lifted so high. The devil may come and tell you: ‘O foolish man! how can you become so great? How can God give you such a high position?’ But the rainbow gives the answer. Because of the covenant of the loving, covenant-keeping God, we shall be there.

Then John saw seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. They speak to us of the perfect work of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8 we read of the sevenfold work of the Holy Spirit. He indwells the believer (verse 9); He quickens (verse 11); He leads (verse 14); He becomes in us the pledge of sonship whereby we can call God our Father (verse 15); He witnesses in our hearts that we are the children of God (verses 16-17); He intercedes for us according to the will of God (verse 27); and He helps our infirmities giving us power to overcome every weakness and to become more than conquerors through Him that loved us (verses 26 & 37). It is because of that perfect work of the Holy Spirit that we shall be there in heaven. It is not because of any human effort; but because of the work of those seven lamps of fire — the indwelling Holy Spirit in His fullness. The indwelling Spirit will deliver us from bondage to the flesh (verse 9). The quickening Spirit will overcome mortality and corruption (verse 11). The guiding Spirit of God leads us day by day (verse 14). The Spirit of adoption takes away every fear, and daily gives us a deeper love for and knowledge of God (verse 15). The witnessing Spirit helps us to realise the fixed plan of God for us as His children and heirs (verses 16-17). The interceding Spirit teaches us to pray according to the will of God (verse 27). And finally, the Comforter leads us on from victory to victory till we are seated with Christ in His heavenly throne (verses 26, 37).

Behind the throne John saw the rainbow with seven colours. Before the throne he saw the seven lamps of fire. Behind us is the covenant of God. Within us is the Holy Spirit working. Thus has God made full provision for His Church,

John also saw twenty-four seats and twenty-four Elders. These may be twelve of the Old Testament saints, and twelve of the New Testament saints, and we are told that both those of the Old Testament and those of the New have to be perfected together. In Hebrews 11 we are given a list of Old Testament saints, and then we are told that they cannot be perfected without us who believe in Christ (verse 40). So here we see twenty-four seats—twelve on the one side, the Throne in the centre and twelve on the other side—and on the seats twenty-four Elders, all with crowns of gold. Now the crown cannot be worn by those who are defeated, but only by those who have endured and conquered and overcome (James 1.12; 1 Cor. 9.25). The Christian's life is like that of a man running a race. Those who have to run in a race must be very careful how much they eat, how much milk, cream and sugar they take, for if they become too fat they cannot run, as they soon get out of breath. If they are determined to win the race, they have to be temperate, and to train regularly every day. Only thus can they win the crown. In the same way, we must also live such a life of watchfulness, of diligence and faithfulness, that we may in the end be given a crown.

We are told in 1 Thessalonians 2.19 that the souls which we win to the Lord become to us a crown of rejoicing; and in 2 Timothy 4.8 we see that the crown of rejoicing is given also to those who love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ—to those who are looking for His second coming. In John 19.2, the soldiers put a crown of thorns upon Jesus. Because they did so there is no crown of thorns for us, but we must be willing to suffer shame for the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, and never be ashamed to do what God tells us. In the book of Revelation everything is summed up in a crown of gold. The twenty-four Elders seated in heaven speak of God's perfect order fulfilled in His Sanctuary. Those who follow faithfully God's plan and order will one day sit with Him in His throne.

As we saw, the Sanctuary was divided by the veil into two parts, the inner telling us of our heavenly vocation, and the outer telling us of our earthly vocation. We have now to say a word more about our earthly vocation.

We have seen that each board was 10 cubits long. The number 10 in the Bible is the number, of maturity—spiritual maturity and responsibility attained through testing and trial. It is those who come out triumphant in the ten days of tribulation who will be given the crown of life (Rev. 2.10). When you are prepared to go through any trial or any tribulation without turning back then you are prepared for the crown. Spiritual maturity does not come by head knowledge. You may have much true knowledge, but it is only after hardships, trials and tribulations that you become spiritually matured, and your life here on earth is your training ground. In the Book of Genesis we see how Jacob had to go through ten years of trial in the house of his father-in-law. The fatherin-law had thought to deceive him, but Jacob came out triumphantly. Thus the number ten tells us of that maturity that comes to us through test and trial.

In five terrible blows Job lost all that he had; his children, his possessions, his own health even. In ten bitter words his wife reproached him, and ten times he was reproved. Nine times his friends reproved him instead of comforting him, but the tenth time the Lord Himself reproved Job. Through it all he reached spiritual maturity. Then in blessing God gave him double all he had before. Thus again the number ten is the number of earthly testing with a view to responsibility and maturity.

Now I may preach to you about the overcoming life, and give you every verse from the Bible about the subject, but I might fail myself before God in some matter. It may be a matter of money or something else. Then God has to pull me up. It is not theory that qualifies, but the experience that is gained by coming out triumphantly through the tests that God sets for us. That is why God brings into our lives different trials and testings in order to prove us. Some fail, but others are triumphant. In Numbers 14, 22 and 23 we see men who were given ten chances, yet they failed. In the same way everybody will be tested and tried till they come to maturity and are able to be given responsibility in the House of God. How can spiritual responsibility be given to those who are childish? Upon earth, by giving bribes, a man may become more powerful and influential, but you cannot do this in spiritual things. There is no earthly .recommendation accepted in heavenly places. It is only your own triumphant spiritual life down here which will qualify you to have spiritual responsibility up there.

Those wooden boards, that were 10 cubits high and 1^1/2 cubits wide, each had two sockets underneath — sockets of silver for their support. God could have used gold for the sockets but He chose to use silver. Why? Because silver is, as we saw, a symbol of Redemption in the Bible. It is a symbol of the price our Lord Jesus paid to redeem us to Himself. When the people offered the ransom money, the rich could not give more and the poor could not give less (Exod. 30.15)! Thus nobody can say: ‘I am better than my neighbour’, for all of us are equally precious to God. He has paid one price for all and all have the same right and the same access to His throne.

The number two in the Bible is a symbol of unity in fellowship (Matt. 18.19). Each board had to rest upon two sockets; otherwise it would not be steady. The two silver sockets were placed here to make the board strong, firm and steady. One secret of remaining firm in spiritual life is to recognise that in spiritual things you stand on the same foundations with your fellow believers. It is your steadfast oneness in Christ —your standing together, all of you agreeing on earth and praying with oneness, worshipping with oneness — that is the testimony to your share in the Sanctuary. Inward hatred or jealousy or envy brings strife, and there cannot be any strife in the House of God. The two tenons resting on the sockets of silver tell us that we have each been bought by the same redemption price, and are each equally precious to the Lord.