The Old, The New, The Eternal
Truth is not “old,” and truth is not “new.” God’s truth is rooted in His eternal character. Truth is eternal! And the same truth preached in ancient times is applicable in our day.
When you hold the Bible in your hand, you have millennia of divine revelation, recorded for us in 66 books. But all of Scripture is one: it is a cohesive, connected unfolding of God’s truth to man. Genesis lays the foundation, the Old Testament builds the framework, and the New Testament brings us to the fulfillment.
Some people have the mistaken idea that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are different. Not so! “There is but one God” (1 Corinthians 8:6).
- The God of law is the God of love.
- The God of might is the God of mercy.
- The God of creation is the God of the culmination.
His perfect character is progressively unveiled on the pages of Holy Scripture.
Dr. Frank Sells used to speak about truth found in “seed form” in the Old Testament and in “fully developed form” in the New Testament. The two Testaments do not compete with one another; they complete one another. As you begin to compare Scripture with Scripture, you start to see that where the Old Testament shows us a shadow, the New Testament reveals the substance (Colossians 2:16-17). Both of them point us to the light of the Lord Jesus.
Prophecy in Pictures
There are a host of types and symbols throughout the Old Testament. They are seen in people like Joseph, objects like the Ark, and rituals like the Day of Atonement. But perhaps none are more specific than what we see in the Tabernacle established by God for the nation of Israel. That moveable tent in the desert would become the majestic Temple in Jerusalem. Every detail was divinely ordered because this was more than just a place, it was a picture of the Person who would come.
The Old Testament Tabernacle was where man met with God. When the Lord Jesus came to earth, “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Christ came and tabernacled with us! He pitched His tent next door to sinful man, in order to bring us to God.
Jesus: Where Man Meets with God
Every part of the Tabernacle worship points us to the perfect fulfillment in Jesus. The tent itself, made of badger skins, was not much to look at on the outside, but the glory within was beyond imagination! Even so, Messiah had “no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Yet when we come to Christ and enter into a relationship with God, we discover His unparalleled beauty.
In order to fully understand the details of the Tabernacle described in Leviticus, you must study the corresponding commentary in the book of Hebrews. The New Testament shows us that Jesus is both the perfect High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and the ultimate Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:9- 13). Even the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was a picture of Christ’s body that would be torn for us in order to provide access to the presence of the Holy God (Hebrews 10:20-22).
One of the most vivid pictures of Christ is seen in the Tabernacle furniture. Each of the seven pieces reveal eternal truth about our eternal Christ. We are complete in Him.
Jesus Is Enough
In my darkest days of doubt and confusion, one truth brought clarity and assurance. Jesus is enough. The sufficiency of Christ is the centerpiece of our faith because it brings us into all of God’s resources.
The Apostle Paul used the picture of being “fully furnished” to teach the sufficiency of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:17). What is true of the written Word is true of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus. The seven pieces of Tabernacle furnishings simply and profoundly show us that we can find all we need in Christ.
I am excited to begin a brand new ETJ podcast series on Monday that will walk us through the foretelling of Scripture and the foreshadowing of the Tabernacle to the fulfillment in Jesus. Join me for this rich study: Fully Furnished – Finding All You Need in Christ.
Join us at ETJ.Bible or on your favorite podcast player each weekday. You will find that some of the least familiar passages in the Old Testament help us to become more familiar with the Savior of the New Testament. The message is old, new, and eternal…and it will minister to you right where you are. Thank you for enjoying the journey with me.
Related Article: 55 Prophecies Jesus Fulfilled
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