The reason why Bezaleel is mentioned here as the one who would build the ark is simply to let us know that God inspired him to do so, Exodus 36:1. The ark was made by Bezalel, Exodus 37:1, and the ark itself was a small box made of acacia wood, and it measured about three and three quarters feet long and two and one quarter feet wide and high, Exodus 37:1 / Exodus 25:10.
The acacia wood was to be overlaid with gold, Exodus 37:2 / Exodus 25:11. Four gold rings were fastened to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other, Exodus 37:3 / Exodus 25:12. Poles of acacia wood were to be made and overlayed with gold, Exodus 27:4 / Exodus 25:13.
The poles were made in order to carry the ark of the covenant, Exodus 37:5 / Exodus 25:14. Notice the warning concerning the poles, they were to remain in the rings of this ark at all times, Exodus 25:15.
The ark was God’s throne in His dwelling place in the tabernacle. Most people associate the Ark of the Covenant with judgement and wrath, rightly so. The day is soon coming when God will judge the secrets of people’s hearts, Romans 2:16, and God’s wrath will be revealed, Romans 1:18 / Psalm 94:9.
The Ark of the Covenant is the best-known item in the Tabernacle, renowned for its mysterious powers against the enemies of Israel, 1 Samuel 5-6. The Ark of the Covenant resided in the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the Tabernacle.
Access was only permitted once per year, on the Day of Atonement. Access was restricted to one person only, the high priest. He had to come into the Holy of Holies with the blood of a goat, on behalf of his own and the people of Israel’s sins, Hebrews 9:7.
An atonement cover or ‘mercy seat’ KJV, of pure gold, was to be made to cover the ark, and it measured about three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide, Exodus 37:6 / Exodus 25:17.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Greek word used to translate ‘mercy seat’ here in the Septuagint (hilasterion) is another form of the word used to describe Jesus Christ as our propitiation in 1 John 2:2 (hilasmos). The mercy seat was for the Israelites, temporarily what Jesus Christ is for all people permanently: the place where God found satisfaction.’
Two cherubim made out of hammered gold would be placed at each end of the cover, Exodus 37:7-8 / Exodus 25:18, and they were to be made of one piece with the cover, Exodus 25:19.
The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them and they are to face each other, looking toward the cover, Exodus 37:9 / Exodus 25:20. The wings of the two Cherubim possibly touched one another to form a complete covering. The uncertainty should not unduly trouble us, 1 Corinthians 13:12.
The cover was to be placed on top of the ark, and the tablets of the covenant law were to be placed within it, Exodus 25:21. Above the cover, between the two cherubim, is where God will meet with Moses and give him all His commands for the Israelites, Exodus 25:22.
God’s presence did not dwell inside the box, but remained over the Ark, in between the two Cherubim. God dwelt ‘in unapproachable light’, 1 Timothy 6:16 / Psalm 104:2.
The high priest had to shield his eyes, because ‘no man shall see Me and live’, Exodus 33:20. This was where God met with Moses, Exodus 25:21-22 / Leviticus 16:14-15.
There was a cover on the Ark, known as the Mercy Seat, or Propitiation Cover. It was here that the blood of a goat was sprinkled by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, to appease God’s righteous anger, ‘propitiate’ for the sins of the people of Israel, Exodus 37:1-9.
Romans 3:24-25 tells us that there is redemption in Christ Jesus because God has set Him forth as propitiation, through faith in His blood. Christ has died, and the price is paid. To those who believe in Jesus Christ’s death for their sins, there is now mercy, not wrath, Romans 5:8-9.
The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle on the day it was reared up and anointed, Exodus 40:9 / Exodus 40:18 / Exodus 40:34-35, exactly fourteen days short of one year since the Exodus from Egypt, Exodus 40:2 / Exodus 12:6 / Exodus 12:31.
The two cherubim on the Mercy Seat represented God’s glory, Hebrews 9:5. We are not told in great detail exactly what the Ark of the Covenant looked like. Some models show the cherubim kneeling. Other models show the cherubim standing.
1. The two stone tablets of the Law, Exodus 25:16 / Exodus 25:21 / Hebrews 9:4.
2. Aaron’s rod that budded, Numbers 17:10 / Hebrews 9:4.
3. The golden pot of ‘hidden’ manna, Exodus 16:33 / Hebrews 9:4.
Together, these three items form the Testimony; the Ark is called the Ark of the Testimony.
The showbread table was made of acacia wood and it measured about three feet long, one and a half feet wide and two and a quarter feet high, Exodus 25:23 / Exodus 27:10.
It was made from acacia wood overlaid with gold, Exodus 25:24 / Exodus 25:37:11, similar to the Boards for the tabernacle, Exodus 26:15-30, speaking of the two-fold nature of Jesus Christ. He was born of Mary as a genuine human being, yet conceived by the Holy Spirit and called the Son of God, Luke 1:35, truly man overlaid with God.
It had gold moulding for a rim which measured around three inches wide, Exodus 37:10 / Exodus 25:25. Four gold rings were to be made for the table, which were to be fastened to the four corners where the four legs were, Exodus 37:13 / Exodus 25:26.
The rings were to be close to the rim in order to hold the poles in place when carrying the table, Exodus 37:14 / Exodus 25:27. The poles were to made form acacia wood, overlayed with gold and were to be uses to carry the table, Exodus 37:15 / Exodus 25:28.
Its plates, dishes pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings were made of pure gold, Exodus 37:16 / Exodus 25:29. The bread of the Presence was to be in the table before God at all times, Exodus 25:30.
The showbread table was placed on the right-hand side of the Holy Place, the north side, a little way from the gold-covered Boards, Exodus 26:15-30. The showbread table had a crown made of gold, unlike the burnt offering altar, Exodus 27:1-8.
Back there in the Outer Court, all was about washing, judgement and death at the bronze-coated Laver and Burnt Offering Altar. Here in the Holy Place, all is about life, food, light, and fragrant incense.
Therefore ‘we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death’ in the Outer Court, but at the showbread table, and the golden incense altar, in the Holy Place, we see Jesus ‘crowned with glory and honour’, Hebrews 2:9.
On the showbread table were placed twelve loaves of unleavened bread, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The loaves were replaced every week freshly on the Sabbath; it was fresh food in the house of God for the priests, Aaron, and his sons, Leviticus 24:5-9.
Peter tells us that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 1:8, who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, 1 Peter 2:3, are not only a spiritual house, but also a holy priesthood, a royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 2:5 / 1 Peter 2:9.
As priests, we are ministering to the Lord through faith in Jesus’ blood and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Our food, in addition to some of the offerings, is the fresh bread on the golden showbread table.
Jesus as the Bread of God ‘who came down from heaven to give LIFE to the world,’ John 6:33, crowned with glory and honour. The twelve loaves represent the whole people of God, in God’s house, the church, 1 Timothy 3:15, in fellowship with one another, 1 John 1:7.
The loaves of unleavened bread remind us of the Lord Jesus saying, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger’, John 6:35. This unlimited supply of heavenly food, fresh every week, is to be the portion of the priests in the light from the lampstand, Colossians 1:12.
Every day we need to come to Him, John 6:37, see the Son and believe in Him, John 6:40. He is the Living Bread, that came down from heaven to give us His life, life IN us, John 6:51 / John 6:53.
This life is brought to us first as the Spirit who gives life, John 6:63, and secondly, as the words of eternal life, John 6:68. Today, Jesus Christ can only give His life to us through His word and by His Spirit. The black-and-white word of the scriptures alone is not enough for life, John 5:39-40. We must come to Him in the word AND in the Spirit.
The showbread is also called the Bread of the Presence. To eat Christ as the Bread of Life, we, the priests, must be in the presence of God, who is Spirit, John 4:24. The Showbread is for all the priests, in fellowship with one another in God’s presence, Luke 11:5-8.
Based on the parable in Luke 11:5-8, we need the Bread of Life not just for ourselves, as in the daily bread in Luke 11:3, but also for our needy friends, who come to us on their journey. Jesus makes it clear that people in the world are hungry, but the flesh profits nothing, John 6:35 / John 6:62.
Jesus came that He might give life to the world, so that those who believe in Him may have eternal life, John 6:33 / John 6:47. Therefore, we should ask, seek, and knock in prayer, Luke 11:9, until He gives us as much Bread of life as we need for ourselves and our friends, Luke 11:8. Our heavenly Father delights to do this! Luke 11:13.
The lampstand was made of solid, pure gold, beaten out of a single piece, Exodus 37:17 / Exodus 25:31. It was placed on the left side of the Holy Place, the south side.
The writer doesn’t give us either the dimensions or the pattern of the Lampstand, but we do know it had branches and that the bowls were to be formed like almonds in blossom, Exodus 37:17 / Exodus 25:31. The lampstand was therefore like a tree of gold, John 1:4.
Six branches were to extend from the sides of the lampstand, three on one side and three on the other, Exodus 37:18 / Exodus 25:32. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand, Exodus 37:19 / Exodus 25:33.
On the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, Exodus 37:20 / Exodus 25:34. One bud is to be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair, six branches in all, Exodus 37:21 / Exodus 25:35.
The buds and branches are to be made from one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold, Exodus 37:22 / Exodus 25:36. Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it, Exodus 25:37 / Exodus 27:23, and its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold, Exodus 25:38 / Exodus 27:23.
A talent, that is about seventy-five pounds of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories, Exodus 37:24 / Exodus 25:39. They were to make them according to the pattern shown Moses on the mountain, Exodus 25:40.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning the lampstand.
‘It was the only source of light in the sanctuary, with the spiritual meaning that only the Word of God, which the candlestick typified, is the true light of God’s church.’
The lampstand was lit permanently, to give light inside the Holy Place, John 1:9. The priests in the tabernacle were responsible, evening and morning, for topping up the seven lamps with oil and trimming their wicks. Therefore, the lampstand points us to Jesus Christ Himself, the light of the whole world, John 8:12.
We need the Lord’s light, in His light we see light, Psalm 36:9. It was when God commanded His light to shine in our hearts that we began to see how excellent it is to know Jesus Christ, compared to all other things, 2 Corinthians 4:6. We also began to see how greatly blinded and deceived we had become by the god of this world and by our own lusts, 2 Corinthians 4:4 / Titus 3:3.
We not only need to see His light, but we also need to walk in His light, 1 John 1:5-7 / Ephesians 1:18 / Ephesians 5:5-8. This will involve the Lord shining on many things that do not reflect Him.
We should confess anything that shone in our conscience to our Advocate in heaven, Jesus Christ the Righteous, who gave Himself for our sins, 1 John 1:9 / 1 John 2:1-2.
This kind of inner working is the functioning of the light of life. The priests trimmed the wicks of the lamps in the lampstand and re-filled the bowls with oil, and the light burned brightly again, Revelation 1:12-13.
Once our conscience is clear and we are walking in the light, we are then the light of the world, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16. We can shine for the Lord amid this dark and dirty generation, Philippians 2:15.
This is the experience of the Light in an individual way, but the lampstand has seven lamps; seven is the number of completion. Therefore, the lampstand is composed of multiple lamps, people having similar experiences, and the local church, Revelation 2:1-7.
The lampstand was formed by beating a solid lump of gold. First, the central stem was beaten out and then from the central stem, the branches were beaten out, Exodus 25:31 / Exodus 37:17.
This shows us Christ and His members in His body, 1 Corinthians 12:12. When Jesus came, He was the unique Light of the World. Then, Peter, James and John were ‘beaten out’, established in Christ, 2 Corinthians 1:21.
We know that the three lamps on either side were lit from the lamp in the central stem when the lampstand was set up. This indicates that Christ ‘lit’ Peter, James, John and the other early disciples, and they began to follow Him, the Light of the World.
Then, after His death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus came to them and breathed the Holy Spirit into them, John 20:22 and poured out the Holy Spirit upon them, Acts 2:33.
Peter was on fire. Stephen caught the flame, then Philip, and they came together with many others to be the church in Jerusalem, Acts 8:1, the lampstand there, beaten out of one source, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The lampstand is all gold; it is God’s work, Philippians 2:12-13. By the time of the apostle John, in the Book of Revelation, there are seven churches in Asia, Revelation 1-3, that are still the objects of Christ’s care and attention.
There is one church in each of the seven cities, Revelation 1:20, and it is still God’s work; the Son of Man, Jesus, is walking in the midst of the seven churches, which are seven golden lampstands. They are not plastic, they are gold. They are answerable not to men, but Jesus, the Son of Man, in His priestly role.
Christ speaks to each church in turn. At the start of the letter to each church, one or more of the characteristics of Christ in John’s vision, in Revelation 1, is/are applied directly to the situation of that church.
Whatever the Lord Jesus Christ is, it is for His churches, His lampstands, to experience. At the end of the letter to each church, the Spirit is there, applying what has been said to those who have an ear to hear, Revelation 2-3.
The aged apostle John is not there as organisational head; he is in exile because of the word of God and because of the testimony of Jesus, Revelation 1:9. Christ is the Director, the Boss. He is tending the lampstands, Revelation 1:13. John is a brother and companion in tribulation with those he writes to, Revelation 1:9.
Eventually, at the end of the Book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem will be one enormous golden lampstand, not requiring any more trimming. There will be no darkness to combat anymore, just the flowing ‘of the river of water of life, with the tree of life, from the throne of God and the Lamb’, Revelation 22:1-2.
This will be the consummate tabernacle of God with men, having the glory of God. He will dwell with us forever, and we will be His people, and He will be our God, Revelation 21:3. How we look forward to that day! Revelation 22:21.
The pure oil was beaten from olives that were picked just before ripening, Exodus 27:20.
Gordan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The requirement for ‘beaten oil’ distinguished it from olive oil made by crushing olives in a stone press. The finer oil was made by gently pressing the olives in a mortar.’
In the tabernacle but just outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning, Exodus 27:20-21 / Leviticus 24:1-2, which probably symbolized that God’s presence would never leave Israel, Leviticus 24:1-3 / Exodus 30:8 / 1 Samuel 3:3.
This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come, Exodus 27:21 / Leviticus 24:3. Go says the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD must be tended continually, Leviticus 24:4.
The golden incense altar was made of acacia wood for burning incense, Exodus 37:25 / Exodus 30:1. It was square, half a metre by half a metre wide, and one metre high, Exodus 37:25 / Exodus 30:2.
The top, the sides and the horns were overlaid with gold and it had a gold moulding around it, Exodus 37:26 / Exodus 30:3. Two gold rings were to be made for the altar below the moulding, two on each of the opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it, Exodus 37:27 / Exodus 30:4. The poles are to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, Exodus 37:27 / Exodus 30:5.
They also made the sacred anointing oil, Exodus 30:22-33, and the pure, fragrant incense, the work of a perfumer, Exodus 37:29. The pure oil, Exodus 25:6, was beaten from olives that were picked just before ripening, Exodus 27:20.
The oil lamps were to be burning every night, which burning probably symbolized that God’s presence would never leave Israel, Exodus 30:8 / 1 Samuel 3:3. It was situated just in front of the veil, the curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, Exodus 30:6.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Old Testament passages say that the incense altar was inside the holy place with the golden lampstand and the table of showbread, Exodus 30:6 / Exodus 40:3-5 / Exodus 40:21-27.’
Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps, Exodus 30:7. He is to burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come, Exodus 30:8.
However, Aaron isn’t permitted to offer on this altar any other incense, burnt offering, grain offering, and he wasn’t permitted to pour a drink offering on it, Exodus 30:9.
Once a year Aaron is to make atonement on its horns and the annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come, it is most holy to the LORD, Exodus 30:10.
Rawlinson, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There seems to be sufficient reason for considering the altar of incense as, next to the ark and the mercy-seat, the most sacred object in the furniture of the tabernacle. This precedence indicates the extreme value which God sets upon prayer.’
The burning incense signifies prayer and points us to the prayer of the Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, John 17 / Mark 14:32-42 / Psalm 141:2 / Revelation 5:8.
Similar to the showbread table, Exodus 25:23-30, the golden incense altar had a golden crown around the top of it. This signifies ‘Jesus, crowned with glory and honour’, Hebrews 2:9. However, because the golden incense altar is the place of prayer, the crown and the prayer together give us a hint of a kingly priesthood.
This thought is developed in the Book of Hebrews, the Messiah, ‘Jesus Christ has become a priest according to the order of Melchizedek’, Psalm 110:1 / Hebrews 7:1-28.
He can sympathise with us as our great High Priest, Hebrews 4:15, and He is able to minister His supply of mercy and grace to us as the King of righteousness and King of peace, Genesis 14:18 / Hebrews 2 / Hebrews 4:16 / Hebrews 7:25.
Prayer is very important in the daily life of all believers in the Lord, Daniel 6:10 / Matthew 6:5-13. We should pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, using all kinds of prayers and petitions with thanksgiving, praying at every time in the Spirit, watching and persevering in prayer not just for ourselves but for all our brothers and sisters, Ephesians 6:18.
Prayer is becoming increasingly important, especially as the battle intensifies and utterance of the Gospel becomes harder, Ephesians 6:19. However, when our prayer is genuinely at the Golden Incense Altar, the Lord causes much incense to be added to our prayer. That incense rises back to Him as we pray according to His will, and the results are dramatic, Revelation 8:3-4.
The tabernacle is the house of God, His dwelling place, Exodus 25:8-9, and a foreshadowing of both Christ and the church, Colossians 2:9 / 1 Timothy 3:15 / Ephesians 2:21-22. God desires that His house should ‘be a house of prayer for all nations,’ Isaiah 56:7.
For us to pray at the golden incense altar, blood must first be applied, Exodus 30:10 / Leviticus 4:7, the blood of the sin offering, Exodus 29:10-14. Then the incense must be prepared with genuine acknowledgements and experiences of the Son’s Name, His purity, holiness, subjection, faith, and dependence on God the Father, John 16:23-24.
One of the ingredients of the incense was salt, to make our prayer neither sentimental nor formal. We should pray at every time in the Spirit, Ephesians 6:18, in the Son’s Name. This will be a sweet incense to God the Father.
Jesus’ ministry was not just healing and teaching people, it was also a service to God the Father in His living and in praying, Mark 1:32-35. The night before He chose His twelve disciples, Jesus spent the whole night in the ‘prayer of God’, Luke 6:12.
His admonition, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation,’ and His observation regarding praying that ‘the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,’ Matthew 26:41. So obviously come from One who is qualified to comment, Hebrews 2:14 / Hebrews 2:18.
In His prayer in John 17, Jesus utters such meaningful requests, with such adoration of the Father, acknowledging His own position as a man and that of the Father as Giver of all authority, John 17:2, as Holy Father, John 17:11, as Righteous Father, John 17:25.
This prayer is no ‘last night’ performance, it is rather the continuation of a life of the previous prayer, as indicated by the phrase ‘Father, the hour has now come’, John 17:1.
Here in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is at the golden incense altar, on the night before the veil, that is His flesh, Hebrews 10:20, will be torn from top to bottom, by God His Father, Matthew 27:46 / Matthew 27:51. Jesus’ prayer is for eternal life for all those the Father has given to Him.
Jesus is like the high priest in the tabernacle, bearing the names of the disciples, and those who will believe through their word, John 17:20, on His heart, the breastplate.
His prayer is that the Father will do the following.
1. Keep the disciples, guarding them all in the Father’s own holy name, in unbroken oneness, as the Father and the Son are one, John 17:6-12.
2. Sanctify them in His word of truth, setting the disciples apart to the Father as Jesus Himself had been set apart to the Father, for their impact in the world with the Gospel, that generations of believers may be one, one in Them, the Father and the Son, John 17:13-21.
3. Send the glory of the Son, John 1:14, and John 17:1, to the believers, that they may be perfected in oneness, so that the world may see the love of the Father for His only begotten Son and also the Father’s love for His many children, John 1:12-13 / John 1:18 / John 3:5-6 / John 17:22-26 / John 20:17.
This is the prayer for eternal life, ‘that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent’ John 17:3. Jesus said, ‘I come that they may have life and have it abundantly’ John 10:10.
Eternal life is simply to know the Father and the Son and their oneness, truly, for eternity. This is Jesus’ prayer for eternal life; may it also be ours. Such a fragrance of incense exudes from this deep prayer by the great High Priest for all those in the House of God!
Let us also come to the Golden Incense Altar and thence boldly through the Veil to the throne of grace, the Ark of the Covenant, that we may find the mercy and obtain the grace He has prayed for us in this great time of need! Hebrews 3:6 / Hebrews 4:14-16.