Yes the tabernacle and its furnishings were a copy and shadow of heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5).
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very
image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they
offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
(Hebrews 10:1)
Everything in the law was a shadow of things to come, including the tabernacle and its furnishings, holy days, Sabbaths, new moons, food, and drinks. As also shown in Colossians 2:16-17:
“16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect
of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: 17 Which are
a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ".
They were a shadow reflecting the true light to come, which is Yahuwshuwa HaMashiyach (Jesus Christ).
“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into
the world" (john 1:9).
Christ himself said " for had you believed Moses, ye would have believed me, FOR HE WROTE OF ME" (John 5:46). Showing us Moses wrote of Him, but the Hebrews didn't even see him in the writings of moses.
So now let’s focus specifically on the tabernacle made in the wilderness through Moses. What heavenly image was this based off?
Exodus 29
44 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the
altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me
in the priest's office. 45 And I WILL DWELL AMONG the children of
Israel, and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the
Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, THAT
I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM: I am the Lord their God.
In context with the chapter it is speaking of Yahuwah (YHWH) dwelling among his people through the tabernacle he instructed Moses to build. That tabernacle dwelt in the midst of the children of Israel and accompanied them on their whole journey in the wilderness. Let’s compare exodus 29:44-46 with John 1:14:
14 And the Word WAS MADE 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.
According to Strong's Concordance, that word "dwelt" in john 1:14 in the Greek literally means “to tabernacle, to encamp, to pitch tent”:
Word: skhnow
Pronounce: skay-no'-o
Strongs Number: G4637
Orig: from 4636; to tent or encamp, i.e. (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specially), to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion):-- dwell. G4636
Use: TDNT-7:385,1040 Verb
Heb Strong: H167 H7931
1) To fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle
2) To dwell
It seems like the Apostle John was making a connection to Exodus 29 when writing the Word taking on flesh and pitching his tent among us. The apostles very frequently referred to their flesh as tents:
"13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir
you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 Knowing that shortly I must
put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed
me." (2 peter 1:13-14)
( 2 Corinthians 5:1)
"5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens."
Even the Messiah Himself referred to his own body as a temple:
"But he spake of the temple of his body." (John 2:21)
What I am trying to show here is this, that the earthly Tabernacle in the wilderness was a representation and foreshadow of the Word that would take on flesh and dwell among them. Then all the furnishings, priesthood, sacrificial system, and worship connected to the tabernacle show the redemptive work that their Messiah Yahuwshuwa would do. Let’s look at some of these connections.
1) The pattern of this tabernacle came from heaven (exodus 26:30, Hebrews 8:5) Just like Yahuwshuwa came down from heaven (John 6:38)
2) Moses started receiving the instructions for the tabernacle in the 3rd month of the 1st year (Exodus 19:1), and finished building it on the 1st day of the first month of the 2nd year (Exodus 40;17). This equals 9 months, which represents the incarnation of the Word who was prophesied to be the "seed of the woman" (genesis 3:15) and to be born of a virgin ( Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23). It represents the 9 months in the womb to birth/build his fleshly Tabernacle.
3) the main one in charge of building most of the tabernacle was Bezaleel from the tribe of Judah ( Exodus 31:1-6, 35:30-35, 38:22). This represented that the Messiah would be birthed through the line of Judah.
4) After this Tabernacle was built, it was anointed by specially made " Holy anointing oil" ( Exodus 30:25-26, 37:29, 40:9). This literally represented the very title Messiah. The word " Messiah" comes from the Hebrew word " Mashiyach" which according the Strong's concordance Hebrew #4899 means " anointed one". So this represents that Yahuwshuwa would be the anointed one. But unlike the tabernacle, which was a shadow anointed with physical oil, the true Messiah was be anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38)
5) According to Exodus 29:42 and Leviticus 1:1 Yahuwah would speak to the children of Israel through this tabernacle. Represents the Messiah being "the Word", that Yahuwah would speak through His Son (Hebrews 1:2). According to the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:18 Yahuwah would put his words in the coming Prophet after the manner of Moses. And John 12:49 shows us that Yahuwshuwa didn't speak his own words, he spoke the words His Father commanded him to speak.
6) The sacrificial system connected to the Tabernacle represented the sacrificial atoning work the coming Messiah would do. The sin offering described in Leviticus 4 perfectly describes the redemptive work the Messiah would do, taking our sins upon himself. Along with all the other sacrifices and offerings done in the tabernacle. Especially the day of atonement and the feast days, which were commanded to be done before Yahuwah at his Tabernacle ( exodus 23:14, Leviticus 16) The Book of Hebrews explains all this in great detail. Which brings us to the first of the furnishings, which is the brass alter used to sacrifice the animals. This alter was made of shit-tim wood (exodus 27:1), and young unblemished animals were offered upon it for the atonement of souls. This represented our savior hung upon the wooden cross.
7) The Laver of water was the next furnishing, which the priests used to clean themselves. This represented His cleansing Word (John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26). It also very likely represented baptism.
8) After the brass alter and laver, you know walked inside the tabernacle. Where you would see the golden candle stick, the table of showbread, the alter of incense, and the veil that covered the Most Holy Place. All these represent different aspects of the Messiah and his work. The Golden candle stick with the 7 lamps on it can represent the 7 Spirits of God before his Throne ( Revelation 4:5), which can be the 7 fold Spirit that rested of Yahuwshuwa Mashiyach (Isaiah 11:2-3). In John 8:12 Yahuwshuwa said “I am the Light of the world”. The candlestick can also represent the Church (revelation 1:20), which is the very body of Yahuwshuwa.
The table of showbread had 12 breads to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Represents when the Messiah said “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), in John 6 he also says the bread is his body that he offers. We must eat of that flesh for eternal life.
The golden alter of incense right outside the Most Holy place represents Yahuwshuwa’s intercession for us. Revelation 8:3 shows us incense represents prayer.
The Veil that hid the Most Holy Place and the Ark of the Covenant represented the flesh of the Messiah (Hebrews 10:20). This represented that the way to the Most Holy was not yet made available (Hebrews 9:8), until Yahuwshuwa tore his flesh for the sins of man. This is why the veil tore at his crucifixion. This Veil (His flesh) was held up by 4 wooden pillars (Exodus 26:32). So in the very design we can see the crucifixion of the Flesh of the Messiah, the 4 pillars also prophesied the 4 gospels which are the pillars of our faith. Even the 4 materials of the veil had symbolic meaning, which were blue, scarlet, purple, and fine linen. The blue and scarlet represent the blood and water poured out his flesh. The purple represents royalty, also when he was given a purple robe and mocked with a crown of thorns. Then the white linen represents his burial that was the very material he was buried in according to the gospels.
9) The Ark of the Covenant represents the Throne room of the Most High (revelation 5), that we only have access to him through the torn flesh of His Son. But remember this tabernacle represents the Word in the Flesh, so it represents that the Most High would be in his Son.
10) The Priesthood itself in the tabernacle represented the work of the Messiah who now is our High Priest
It would take pages and pages to describe all these connections in detail, so I gave a quick summary. There is also so much more. Like the one door representing Yahuwshuwa who said “ I am the door” showing he is the one way, and on and on I could keep going.
In conclusion: The Tabernacle was a copy and image of the heavenly things manifested through the Son Himself. It foretold the Word Himself would take on flesh and dwell among his people. All the furnishings told the story of what he would do for our salvation. The Son is the true Tabernacle of The Father. Revelation 21:3 " Behold The TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN AND HE WILL DWELL WITH THEM"
Leviticus 26 :11-13 " 11 And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people."
They verses were prophetic that the Word would take on flesh and walk among his people
