How Jesus is reflected in the Tabernacle

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.'”

Exodus 25:1-2, 8 NKJV

Let me take you on a tour of the Tabernacle Moses built. It is made up of the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. We’ll first enter the Holy Place or the tent of meeting through a single gate, leading into the Outer Courtyard.

The Outer Courtyard

Access to the outer courtyard is through a single gate, facing East. This door represents Jesus in the verse in John 10:9: ‘I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture‘ (NKJV).

This courtyard contains the bronze altar (bronze symbolizing judgment), where people would bring offerings to the Lord. Their sacrifice would be tied to one of the four horns of the altar, and the coals of fire would consume it. Fire symbolizes purification; hence, the burning of the sacrifice represents purification of sin. The bronze altar depicts the Lamb of God, Jesus, who would be crucified for our sins.

The Bronze Laver

As we walk past the bronze altar, we come to the bronze laver. Also a symbol of judgment, this laver is the place where the priests washed daily before entering the Holy Place. This water symbolizes the Word of God that washes us from sin. John 1:14 says, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (NKJV). And Jesus said, ‘You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you‘ (John 15:3 NKJV). Jesus is the Word of God, which washes us clean so that we may enter the Holy Place.

The Table of Showbread

As we go through the door of the Holy Place, we first see the Table of Showbread–also called the Table of the Bread of the Presence. The table is constructed of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Here we find twelve loaves of bread, which represent the twelve tribes of Israel. This bread is eaten every Sabbath. The loaves represent Jesus, who is our bread of life. ‘I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven (John 6:48-51a NKJV).

The Lampstand

Opposite the Table of Showbread is a seven-branched lampstand made of pure gold. As the only light in the Tabernacle, it burns 24/7 with olive oil. It represents Jesus, who is the light of men and of the world. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4 NKJV). Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life‘ (John 8:12NKJV).

The Altar of Incense

Walking on, we come to the Golden Altar or the Altar of Incense, also made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. As its name implies, this is where incense burns perpetually, wafting its fragrance above the mercy seat and other furniture. This incense is a picture of Jesus, our High Priest, who makes intercession for us in heaven.

And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. ‘Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations’ (Exodus 30:6-8 NKJV).

The Veil

Now we come to a veil, separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Its colors are blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine, twisted linen. No other way exists but to go through the veil to approach the ark of the covenant. The veil represents Jesus as the way to God. When Jesus died on the cross, Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51 NKJV). Hebrews 10:20 shows us that Jesus’ torn flesh was like the torn veil, giving all people access to God through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. By a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh (Hebrews 10:20 NKJV).

The Ark of the Covenant

As we enter the Holy of Holies on the other side of the veil, we see the Ark of the Covenant, made of acacia wood and covered with gold. On its top is a lid called the mercy seat. Two cherubim stood above the ark, one at each end, with outstretched wings. Inside the ark were the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses, a jar of manna, with which God fed the Israelites for forty years, and Aaron’s rod that budded with flowers and almonds. It is here at the ark that we meet Jesus, who is God incarnate. Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM‘ (John 8:58 NKJV) and ‘I and My Father are one‘ (John 10:30 NKJV). Here we see Jesus as God incarnate, the I AM.

The Mercy Seat

The mercy seat, made of solid gold, covers the top of the ark. Once a year, the high priest would enter on the Day of Atonement and sprinkle the blood of a goat on the mercy seat. This would cover the people’s sins for an entire year. Above the mercy seat, God would appear, hovering in a pillar of cloud. The mercy seat is a picture of God’s throne where Jesus’ blood for our sins was offered up, once for all time. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool (Hebrews 10:10-13 NKJV).

Our Takeaway

It’s fascinating to look at each part of the Tabernacle and see our Savior Jesus at every turn. God has purposely created the Tabernacle as a type for the Jews to see their future Messiah, looking forward. For Christians living on this side of the cross, we can look back and see our Lord in each symbol. This gives our faith an incomparable richness, a holiness of sanctification in His blood that provided a way to God. Jesus is the only way to the Father–there is no other.

Jesus is:

• the door to salvation
• the bronze altar where we confess our sins
• the bread of life
• the light of the world
• our High Priest
• the torn veil giving us access to God
• God incarnate, the I AM
• our mercy seat

Dear Father, thank you for showing us Jesus in every part of the Tabernacle. We praise you for salvation in Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His Name we pray, Amen.

How Jesus is Reflected in the Tabernacle by Karen Jurgens Copyright © 2026 All rights reserved.